CHAPTER FOUR
I NEVER CRY at weddings,” Kendall told Holden softly as she slipped into the chair beside him.
Kendall had disappeared off to the restroom along with Kimber and Kyla the moment they’d gotten to the restaurant where Hayley and Chasen were having their reception. She’d insisted her make-up was a mess, but in his opinion, she’d looked beautiful. On the other side of the big, round table, Kimber sat next to Dalton while Kyla shyly took the chair by Wes. Noah and Sam made up the rest of their group, along with their respective dates.
“But that arch you guys did with the swords Hayley and Chasen walked under as they left the church after the ceremony was so romantic, I couldn’t help it,” Kendall added. “It was kind of embarrassing how I teared up.”
“Don’t feel too badly,” Kyla Wells said. Petite with long, dark hair, she was a college student and a whiz with computers. “You weren’t the only one crying so much your nose turned beet red.”
Beside her, Wes grinned. “No one even noticed. Besides, I’ve always thought Rudolph was really cute.”
Kyla’s cheeks flooded with color, but while she might seem flustered, Holden got the feeling she liked Wes and his teasing. Wes clearly liked her, too. In fact, his resourceful Teammate had switched out the place cards on the table to make sure he sat beside the girl.
“I think Wes is smitten,” Kendall whispered in his ear, her breath warm on his skin.
Holden wasn’t surprised she’d noticed his Teammate’s interest in Kyla. Something told him Kendall was very observant.
He chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that. I’ve seen him and Kyla looking at each other at parties and stuff when they thought no one was watching, but I think this is the first time they’ve actually really hung out together. I have no idea what took them so long. It’s obvious they have a thing for each other.”
“Some people have to work up the nerve to make their move.” Kendall smiled. “Not everyone is bold enough to walk up to a complete stranger in the middle of a crowded restaurant and pretend to be her boyfriend.”
Holden snorted. “You obviously don’t know Wes very well. The guy is certifiable. I’ve seen him throw himself into more insane situations than I can count. He’s not exactly what I’d call shy.”
Kendall laughed. Damn, if the sound wasn’t music to his ears. “Sometimes people act completely different when they’re around that certain someone.”
Across from them, Wes was gazing at Kyla with a big grin on his face like he’d lost his friggin’ marbles.
“Maybe you’re right about that,” Holden agreed.
Kendall regarded the other couple for a moment. “I meant to ask Kyla when we were in the restroom, but we were all too busy fixing our make-up. How does she know you guys? Is her father a SEAL?”
Holden shook his head, waiting while the server placed their meals in front of them before answering. “No. Kyla’s father was murdered a little over a year ago, and Hayley and Chasen helped find the man responsible. She’s been like family ever since.”
Kendall did a double take as she picked up her knife and fork. “Whoa. Hayley and Chasen caught a murderer and sent him to jail by themselves?”
As they ate, Holden filled her in on what had gone down, giving her a sanitized version of the events surrounding Hayley and Chasen’s adventures a few months ago involving a corrupt city councilman, a hired killer, and a slightly crazy coworker. He kept his voice low so Kyla wouldn’t overhear. The poor girl had lived this story. She didn’t need to go through it again.
There was a lot of stuff he couldn’t tell Kendall, of course. Like the part about Kyla being an Internet hacktivist who’d exposed corrupt politicians. Or that Chasen, Dalton, and some of the other guys on the team had conducted their own unauthorized military operation on US soil. That would get all of them tossed into prison if anyone found out.
Still, he got most of the story out without revealing any damaging information. And without boring the crap out of his date. That was a win in his book.
“The councilman’s trial is still going on?” Kendall asked in surprise.
“Yeah.” Holden grimaced. “His lawyers are dragging everything out even though the case seems like a slam dunk. They found the guy holding the murder weapon when they arrested him. Kyla shows up and sits in the courtroom day after day.”
Kendall glanced over at the younger girl, her face full of compassion. “Seeing the man who killed her father has to be hard on her.”
“I’m sure it is, but she never lets on,” he said. “I’ve gone with her a few times and she refuses to let anyone see how much it bothers her. That girl is tough as hell.”
“You go with her to the trial?” Kendall asked. “Seriously?”
He shrugged. “Since Kyla’s mother has a difficult time getting off work, my Teammates and I take turns going with her so she doesn’t have to be on her own. Like I said, she’s family now.”
Kendall regarded him with those mesmerizing eyes of hers that seemed to be able to see right through to his soul before finally shaking her head. “Anyone ever tell you guys how unreal you are?”
Holden would have blushed if he was the kind of guy who did things like that. Which he wasn’t. His face always felt warm like this. And if it was a little red, it was obviously sunburn from all the time spent on that damn ship. Time to change the subject.
“So, how’s the chicken?” he asked.
Her lips curved. “Delicious. Felicia is obviously very good at her job. Remind me to find her before the night is over and thank her again for fitting me in.”
As they chatted over dinner, Holden was once again struck by how easy it was to talk to Kendall. About any subject. They actually spent five whole minutes discussing the different kinds of burritos they liked. He almost fist-bumped her when he found out he wasn’t the only one who had a thing for warm tortillas stuffed with cream cheese and refried beans.
It was about that point when everyone else at the table joined in on the conversation. It wasn’t long before he, Wes, Noah, and Dalton were telling gross-out stories about the various disgusting foods they’d eaten in different parts of the world. Sam refrained since he was new to the SEALs and hadn’t been anywhere yet. Noah’s and Sam’s dates tried to take an active part in the conversation, but it was impossible to miss the fact that the two women looked uncomfortable with the subject matter. Not because they had a problem with outlandish foods, but because it finally dawned on them that their boyfriends went to a lot of places most sane people never would because they were dangerous as hell. Kendall, on the other hand, seemed cool with it. In fact, she appeared to be fascinated by the conversation.
Holden didn’t know why that appealed to him, but it did.
Dalton and Wes were reminiscing about eating something particularly gross-worthy in a crap-hole they’d been to when Holden overheard Kendall and Kimber mention that one of their favorite places to shop was the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market in San Francisco.
“You used to live in San Fran?” Holden asked Kendall in surprise. “I don’t know why, but I thought you were a San Diego native.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I grew up in Tulsa. My first job out of college was in San Francisco. I love it. I only came down here for the political science program at SD State.”
“How about that? I’m originally from San Fran.”
Holden had to admit he was pretty jacked to realize San Fran was yet one more thing he and Kendall had in common. He was about to ask what part of town she’d lived in, but was interrupted when the DJ announced Chasen and Hayley’s first dance as husband and wife, adding that the newlywed couple would soon be jetting off to faraway Bora Bora.
“He’s kidding right?” Kendall whispered to Holden. “They’re not really going to Bora Bora for their honeymoon, are they?”
“That’s where they’re going,” Holden confirmed. “It was the most beautiful—and isolated—place they could find. Chasen wanted to make sure HQ wouldn’t be able to yank him off leave when the next emergency popped up.”
“That’s insane!”
He chuckled. “Welcome to my world.”
* * * * *
“It’s beautiful out here,” Kendall said softly.
They stood on the deck outside the restaurant that overlooked the ocean, taking in the sunset. Overhead, the sky was a glorious combination of reds and oranges and purples, bathing the water in a warm glow.
“I hope you don’t mind I dragged you off the dance floor for a while?” Holden said, moving up to the railing to stand beside her.
Kendall looked at him, the setting sun reflecting off her eyes as the sea breeze played with her long, silky hair. He considered reaching up to push the wayward strands behind her ear, but she beat him to it, expertly sweeping it there with a finger.
“Not at all.” She smiled. “I needed a break anyway. I haven’t danced like that in a long time. I think I’m a little out of shape.”
Holden chuckled. The flowy, flower print dress she’d worn to the wedding hugged enough of her curves for him to know she was insanely fit. Resting his forearms on the railing, he glanced at her. “You seem to be in pretty good shape to me. You’re not even breathing hard. And that’s after dancing to the extra-long version of YMCA.”
She laughed, the lyrical sound sending goosebumps chasing across his skin. “I guess you caught me. I really wanted to come out here so we could talk. It seems like we haven’t had a chance to be alone the whole day.”
He lifted a brow. “So, you’re admitting to manipulating me to get what you want?”
Her eyes danced. “Perhaps.”
He was okay with that.
“So, you grew up in Oklahoma, then moved to San Francisco right out of college,” he murmured.
She nodded, gazing out at the water that was well on its way to turning a purplish blue as the sun completely disappeared. “Moving to California just kind of happened. I originally planned on being a cop in Tulsa, like my father. My earliest memories are of him wearing his uniform and giving me piggyback rides. He loved being a cop and I wanted to be just like him. I got my bachelors in criminal justice from the University of Oklahoma, registered for the academy, did a week’s worth of ride-alongs, the whole nine yards.”
He tried picturing her as a cop, taking down bad guys, but couldn’t. It didn’t seem to fit. “What changed your mind?”
She looked introspective for a moment. “Law enforcement is a tough field for a woman to break into. Lot of guys aren’t interested in working with a woman. I knew all that going in, so I was ready to deal with it.”
“But?”
“But in my last semester, the university held a big job fair. I only went to provide moral support to a friend since I already had my career planned out.”
Holden almost hit her with another but. He kept a sock in it, though. The subject seemed difficult for her to talk about.
“I was wandering around, not even bothering to take any brochures or anything like that,” she finally said, a distant look in her eyes as she replayed the memory. “Then, out of the blue, this recruiter for this huge company started chatting with me. He seemed as bored as I was, like he didn’t expect to run into anyone worth hiring. We talked about my background, the classes I’d taken, what I wanted to do with my life. Generic stuff like that.
“Then he asked me if I’d ever thought of traveling and seeing parts of the country beyond Oklahoma.” She let out a little laugh, like there was an inside joke behind that part of the story. “I admitted I’d never left the state, but wanted to. I barely knew what kind of work this guy’s company did, and the next thing I know, I’m being dazzled with stories about offices in Washington, Dallas, Miami, LA, San Francisco. Then came the job offer.”
“It sounded like you were on this guy’s radar before he ever said a word to you,” Holden observed.
She nodded. “I realized that, too. I guess he had some kind of selection criteria when he looked at the records of graduating seniors. I seemed to fit with what he was looking for. He wanted someone with high mathematical and logic aptitude, a blue-collar work ethic, but white-collar skills, who was looking for a challenge and had a desire to travel.”
“Which is why you chose San Francisco.”
“Yup,” she said, popping the “p” for emphasis. “I never knew it until I’d said yes to the job, but apparently there was a part of me that always wanted to see the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. So, I junked the plan to be a cop in Tulsa and moved west.”
“What’d your dad say?”
She hesitated again. “He was…concerned. But in the end, he wanted me to do what felt right. He’s big about going with your instincts and following your gut. He and my mom gave me their blessing, but I think there’s still a part of him that thinks I made a mistake.”
“Did you?” Holden asked. Overhead, the sky had darkened completely and the stars were becoming visible. That was when he realized Kendall’s shoulder was pressed tightly up against his. Or his was pressed tightly against hers. Either way, the contact felt good. “Make a mistake I mean?”
“I don’t think I did.” She sighed. “At least not yet. There’s always tomorrow though.”
He chuckled. “What kind of work do you do for this big company?”
He noticed she’d gone out of her way not to tell him the name of the place, so he wasn’t going to push. In the SEALs, he’d dealt with plenty of organizations that didn’t like to advertise themselves. He figured Kendall worked for a company that thrived off secrecy.
“Data analysis mostly,” she said. “I mine data from a lot of different places—financial stuff mostly—then put it together into reports that people and departments way over my head use to make decisions.”
“Do you enjoy the work?”
Maybe she worked at an investment firm digging through mountains of data to support business decisions. It sounded like horribly boring work to him.
“I do.” There was that smile again, still blinding in the dim outside lighting. “I rarely get to see the connection between my analysis work and the decisions they make, but I know it’s there. And I enjoy the challenge of seeing something that no one else sees.”
She turned to face him, her breasts grazing his chest and her curvy hips coming into contact with his thighs. His cock immediately took notice and perked up, but he told it to behave. Hard-ons in Navy dress whites were painful—and obvious. Holden forced himself to think of football stats, penguins at the zoo, and doing stomach crunches in the mud until his shaft decided he was absolutely no fun and went back to sleep.
He leaned forward slightly, dropping a quick, light kiss on her perfect, plump lips before pulling back to regard her curiously. He would have preferred to stand there and kiss her for the rest of the night, but they were in public. And there were still a lot of things he wanted to know about her.
“Did you have to quit your job in San Francisco to come down here for your master’s program or were you able to transfer to an office down here?”
He was good with either option, as long as she’d be hanging around for a while. He wasn’t thrilled at the idea of Kendall moving back to NorCal the moment she finished her degree. The idea that he was worried about whether she’d be staying in the area after she finished her degree gave him pause. This was technically their second date. Did he think that meant they were a couple or something? He tried to mentally laugh it off, but that didn’t work. Not when his very next thought was how much it would suck trying to have a long-distance relationship if she ended up going back to San Fran.
“I didn’t have to quit, but I’m not sure what happens after I’m done here,” she admitted quietly, like she’d been thinking the same thing he was. “I might have to head back to San Francisco or I could stay here. It depends on how things work out here.”
He couldn’t help but wonder what she meant by that last, but before he could ask, a sound from behind him jerked his attention in that direction. Kyla poked her head out the back door of the restaurant, a grin on her face.
“Kendall, come on!” she said excitedly, motioning wildly with one hand. “Hayley is getting ready to throw the bouquet.”
“Oh, goody,” Kendall mumbled, taking Holden’s hand and heading for the door.
Holden chuckled. “Something tells me you’re not a big fan of that particular wedding tradition. Should I prepare myself for the disappointment of you not catching the bouquet?”
She snorted over her shoulder at him as they walked inside. “That would be a good idea. Because there’s no way in hell I’m catching that thing.”