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THREE DAYS LATER, CALLIE still felt like she was living in a dream. Dinner with Wyatt on Thursday night had been surreal—and surprisingly fun. She still couldn’t believe she’d run into him. They hadn’t delved much into the circumstances where they’d first met, just talked and laughed with their friends, getting to know one another. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d felt so carefree. Considering she barely knew the man, they had a lot in common. They were both only children and had forged out on their own in the world after high school. Wyatt hadn’t had a great childhood and had been happy to leave his home in Maryland. Callie came from a close family but couldn’t escape the wanderlust coursing through her. She’d taken her time getting through college and made a career from her love of traveling—not that she was following that path anymore. She and Wyatt were both adventurous, although he was far braver than she’d ever be.
Callie still felt goosebumps coursing over her skin at the memory of the way he’d walked her to her car. Wyatt was protective. That much was obvious. When they’d stood there in the parking lot as they said goodbye and Wyatt had watched her with those eyes that saw everything? She felt a tiny twist of hope. He saw her—all of her. He’d been there at her worst and didn’t think less of her because of it.
She didn’t necessarily want or need a boyfriend, but she really liked that he wanted to see her again. It probably wouldn’t lead much of anywhere, but that was okay. She was taking her life one step at a time. Callie still needed a job and a plan for her future. If spending time with Wyatt was part of how she rediscovered herself, she couldn’t see any harm in that. She liked him and equally as important, knew she could trust him.
Wyatt had told her the other night he’d be in training all day Friday, and she didn’t doubt it. Callie had seen firsthand how he and his teammates worked together to storm that airplane. They were in top physical condition and drilled hard for the job. She’d hear from him soon. Callie couldn’t explain how she knew, she just did. She hadn’t run into him all these months later for him to simply ghost her after getting her number.
Lost in thought, she was surprised as she realized her phone was buzzing with a text a few minutes later. Hurrying over to the coffee table in her living room, she was shocked to see it was actually Wyatt. She fumbled with her phone, smiling as she read his text.
Wyatt: Hey there. Hope your Sunday is going well. Any chance you’re free this afternoon?
Warmth washed over her. She’d just been thinking of him, almost like they’d been on the same wavelength. Callie had assumed they’d get together sometime soon, but days later was a welcome surprise.
Callie: Hi yourself. I’m free today. What’d you have in mind?
Her phone began buzzing as he called her, and then Callie was lifting it to her ear. “Hi.” Her voice sounded breathless, and she hoped he didn’t notice. She felt nervous all of a sudden but didn’t have time to dwell on that thought. This was Wyatt. He was interested in her, and that thought alone made her almost giddy with excitement.
Wyatt’s warm voice filled her ear. “Hey. I was just thinking it’s a gorgeous Sunday and wondered if you wanted to get together and do something outside. I realize this is last minute, but we were in training the past several days. I wasn’t sure I’d actually get the time off until today. I didn’t want to make plans with you and then have to cancel.”
“I’d love to do something together.”
“I know you like exploring, so I thought maybe I could show you one of Oahu’s hidden waterfalls. It’s an easy hike,” he assured her.
“You want to go hiking with me?”
“Well, yeah, if you’re up for it. We could always just hang out on the beach if you’d prefer something more lowkey.”
“No, the waterfall sounds cool. I haven’t explored Oahu as much as I want yet.”
“Awesome. Can I come pick you up? It’d be easier to go there together since it’s a little off the beaten path. You’d be safe with me,” he hastily assured her.
Callie felt heat rising within her. “Yeah. I know that.”
“We won’t be fighting off any bad guys, just the tourists,” he said, clearly trying to make light of the situation. “Actually, this is one place that isn’t a tourist trap, which is why I like it. Some of the well-known areas are tourist hotspots. You can hardly move without someone taking a selfie.”
Callie laughed despite herself.
“I know, that was sort of what you probably did with your travel blogging. I mean no disrespect.”
“I wasn’t offended,” she assured him. “I love to share my travels, but I wasn’t posing in the perfect outfit, blocking other people’s views just to take the perfect photo.”
“I figured. You’re more of a laid-back traveler, I take it.”
“What makes you say that?” she asked.
“Even on the plane, you had on leggings, sneakers, and a denim jacket. You weren’t dripping in jewelry and didn’t have designer logos splashed all over you. Trust me, we see all types of people here in Hawaii. Plenty of visitors are casual vacationers, but you can always tell the travelers with money. They’ve got designer everything and want you to know it. Honolulu does have lots of high-end stores to cater to them.”
“That’s true,” she admitted. “I’ve mostly stuck to the touristy souvenir shops. I’m surprised you remember what I was wearing on the flight.”
“I remember a lot of things about you. I hope that doesn’t freak you out. You caught my attention even then, Callie.”
Warmth wound through her at his admission. She liked the way he said her name in his deep voice. Wyatt wouldn’t have called her if he genuinely didn’t want to get to know her more. His attention was flattering—not to mention a little unnerving. “Wow. I’m not sure I can live up to your expectations,” she joked. “I remember you, too, of course. Everyone was rushing around in a panic and then—bam. There you were.”
“I don’t expect you to be anything but yourself,” he assured her. “I had a great time the other night. We’ll just spend the afternoon together hiking and enjoy ourselves. I can pick up some food on my way over, and we can make a picnic out of it if you’d like. Hey, you can even take a bunch of photos for your blog if you want—in case you get back to that.”
“No, I don’t think we want all the tourists to find out about this place if the waterfall is as amazing as you say.”
“True enough,” he agreed with a low chuckle. “We’ll keep it to ourselves. The guys and I have hiked up there before doing some exploring. I think only the locals know about it.”
“And you’re pretty much a local now.”
“Somedays it feels like it,” he said. “This isn’t the worst assignment I’ve ever had—not by a long shot. If the Navy ever wants to send me to another military base, I might have to decline. Hawaii is an amazing place.”
“Can you do that?” she asked in surprise. “Refuse to go where the Navy sends you?”
“Nope,” he said, and she could almost picture him smiling. “Luckily, my team and I work well together, so they have no reason to split us up or send us elsewhere. SEAL teams can’t be stationed just anywhere.”
“Well, that’s good, because I just got to Hawaii. I mean....” She trailed off, feeling flustered.
“I know what you mean. I’m glad you’re here. Trust me. Hawaii is a pretty sweet assignment, but getting to know you will make it even better. Why don’t you text me your address? I can swing by the store and then pick you up in an hour. That give you enough time?”
“Of course. Like you said, I’m pretty laid back. I’ll be ready.”
“Awesome. If you want, you can wear a swimsuit under your clothes.”
“We can swim there?”
“Yep. It’s beautiful. A swim under the waterfall feels good after a long hike. I’ll bring a backpack with me to carry everything.”
“I’ve got one, too,” she assured him. “I’ll bring a towel and stuff. Sunscreen, water, all that jazz.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you soon, Callie. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
***
AN HOUR LATER, CALLIE was riding alongside Wyatt in his SUV. She’d met plenty of people on her travels over the years but didn’t usually rush off alone with a man she barely knew. Yet Wyatt was hardly a stranger. He’d seen her at her absolute worst and hadn’t been fazed by it. He’d been angry, perhaps, at the circumstances, but he wasn’t put off by her tears or fear on the airplane. He’d calmly called out orders and helped to evacuate the hostages. In some ways, she felt closer to him than many of her friends or her family. He’d been there and seen her at the scariest moment of her life. He’d literally lifted her onto the inflatable slide, sending her on her way to freedom.
“Traffic in Oahu is a bitch,” he commented. “I’m used to it, but you’ve got to add in an hour just to go somewhere.”
“I’ve noticed,” Callie said. “I’ve mostly been laying low since I arrived.”
“When did you get here?” he asked.
“A month ago. I temporarily moved back in with my parents after the hijacking,” she explained. “I had to do physical therapy for my arm and couldn’t drive. I met with a psychologist, too, when I was staying with them. Eventually, I went back to my apartment in California, but nothing felt the same. I wasn’t working—traveling,” she clarified. “I just didn’t have it in me to book a bunch of trips and jump headfirst back into that life. I felt like I needed to disappear and just let myself breathe.”
“I can understand that. It was a traumatic experience.”
“You don’t seem traumatized,” she said. “How do you deal with it? I know we can’t be the first people you’ve rescued. You must deal with all sorts of horrors.”
Wyatt lifted a shoulder. “Yes and no. I learned to compartmentalize a lot. When we’re on a mission, I’m laser-focused. The job is the priority. That’s what we train for and how we live. When I’m relaxing on the weekends, like now, I put work aside. That’s not to say I don’t ever have bad memories of missions gone wrong or horrors that we’ve seen.”
“My job as a travel blogger seems so easy in comparison—insignificant, almost.”
“Not insignificant,” he said, glancing over at her. “People deserve a vacation. You helped them get there, showing them how amazing the world can be. It’s not so different than if you wrote a book about your travels. It’s just a different way of sharing the information.”
“I guess so,” she reluctantly said.
“I’d love to see your pictures someday,” Wyatt told her. “We travel everywhere, but it’s for work, not pleasure. I bet you’ve seen some great places. Maybe it’ll give me an idea for an actual vacation sometime.”
Callie cleared her throat. “I actually took my blog down, too, not just my social media channels. I didn’t want the attention,” she explained. “I’ve got all my photos backed-up in the cloud though if you ever really want to look at some of them.”
Wyatt frowned. “Did the press get wind of your blog? Hell. They can be relentless.”
She bit her lip. Callie had no idea who’d been commenting on her pictures. Maybe it was some overzealous reporter itching for a story. It didn’t matter. She’d taken it down for now. “I just needed a change,” she said lightly.
“Understandable. So, what have you been doing here in Oahu?” he asked, glancing over at her. She could smell his spicy, male scent in the confined SUV and felt something stirring in her belly. Wyatt was all male. He looked good in his tank top and board shorts. Healthy and fit. He had a tattoo on his biceps, which surprised her for some reason. The sunglasses and baseball cap made him look younger than he probably was. Callie realized she didn’t know his exact age. She had so many questions, and hopefully today wouldn’t be their first and last date.
“Mostly draining my bank account,” she admitted. “I need a job. I’m used to working for myself, but with taking everything down, I’d have to start something new from scratch. I’ll probably just waitress or something for a while.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
She shrugged. “It’s a job. I’ve got to pay the bills while I figure out my next step. I’ve got money saved up, but it’d be nice to earn some income while I figure out my next move. Maybe I’ll get back to blogging. Maybe I’ll do something entirely different.”
“Fair enough.” He nodded toward the heavy traffic on the highway. “Once we get out of this mess, it’ll be pretty quick to get there.”
“I’m excited to see it. I’ve mostly hit the major tourist attractions since getting here—snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, visiting Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona. Obviously, I’ve been enjoying the beaches in Waikiki.”
“Your friend Alexa, did you know her before you moved to Hawaii?” Wyatt asked.
“No. She’s a neighbor, but we hit it off and became friends pretty quickly. I need to meet more people,” Callie admitted. “I’m a bit of a loner. I used to just meet up with other travelers on my journey. I might sightsee with a new friend for a couple of days, then we’d each be on our way. Nowadays with remote work, you’d be amazed how many people travel all over.”
“I’ll bet. I can’t exactly do that in my line of work.”
She glanced over at him, taking in his strong profile. “Do you get deployed a lot?”
Wyatt kept his eyes on the road. “We do. Sometimes it’s a quick trip, like when you and I first met. We were rolling off another op and ended up getting sent out with another SEAL team to Manila. We’re not typically gone for an extended period of time. I’m sure you’ve met other military servicemembers who are deployed for months at a time. That’s not how we operate.”
“Alexa really liked your friend Austin,” Callie said. “She usually flirts with the bartender there at Coconuts, but I don’t think anything will ever come from that. I’m glad she met your teammate instead.”
Wyatt’s lips quirked. “He enjoyed spending time with her, too.”
“Huh. Well, maybe we can all do something together sometime.”
“That’d be fun,” he easily agreed. “Maybe we can hit the beach and then grill at my place.”
“Oh, our apartment complex has grills, too, I think. I don’t use them, but, just tossing the idea out there.”
“I’ve got a grill and small backyard. I have the guys over from time to time.”
“Wow, that’s great you have a house. How old are you anyway?”
She could see the corner of his mouth hitch in a smile. “Thirty-five. I’m just renting the house. It’s owned by a Navy veteran, and he gave me a good deal.”
“Well, that’s lucky. Real estate here is even worse than in California. I was happy just to find a decent apartment to rent. As it happened, my lease was up at my old place. It just seemed like the perfect time to up and move.”
“You’re young. Now’s the time for adventures, right?”
“Yes and no. I mean, I’m twenty-eight, by the way,” she said with a laugh. “There are plenty of women my age who are married with kids already.”
“Do you want that?” he asked, glancing over.
“Marriage? Sure. I’m not too sold on having kids, to be honest. I love to travel, as you know, and like my free time. Maybe I’ll change my mind someday, but I don’t know.” She shrugged.
“Yeah. I’m not sure on the having kids thing either. I’m sure I’ll get married at some point. I’m not opposed to marriage, I just haven’t found the right girl.”
Ten minutes later, Wyatt was pulling onto a sandy road in what seemed to be a forest. Callie frowned, looking around. “Are you sure this an actual road? Can your SUV make it through here?”
He chuckled. “It is. You can even check Google Maps if you’re concerned it’s not a road. There’s a parking lot at the end by the trailhead. It’s a smaller waterfall than some of the bigger touristy spots, but it’s worth it just to avoid the crowds. The hike is pretty, too. Did you wear a suit?” he asked.
For some reason, Callie flushed. “Yeah. I’ve got a bikini on under my clothes.” She glanced down at her shorts, tank top, and hiking boots, feeling Wyatt’s gaze on her. She didn’t even own a one-piece. For some reason, it felt weirdly personal to be telling him about her bikini. If they’d run into one another on the beach, however, she wouldn’t have thought anything of it. “I’ve got flip-flops in my backpack, plus a small towel. I get that ultra-light kind that pack really small and dry quickly for traveling.”
“That’s smart. Maybe I can pick up some packing tips from you,” Wyatt said, flashing her a smile. “We’ve learned to pack our gear efficiently, but I’m sure there’s always room for improvement.”
“I travel fairly light, but I do bring a suitcase,” Callie admitted. “I’ve met plenty of travelers who stuff everything into an oversized backpack and are on their way. Honestly, I don’t want to haul that around. A rolling suitcase that I can handle is fine for me. As long as it’s light enough for me to lift into the overhead compartment on an airplane, I’m good.”
“You gotta do what you’re comfortable with,” he said.
Wyatt had opened the windows along their drive, and as they continued down the tree-lined dirt road, she could hear birds chirping. She realized that for the first time in months, she’d mentioned an airplane without getting a sick feeling. She’d flown to Hawaii. She’d flown back to California from Manila. She’d been terrified though, and here she was, talking with Wyatt like a flight was no big deal. Which it wasn’t.
A few minutes later, he was pulling into a small, dirt lot. There were several cars parked there but no other people around. She could see the trailhead marked with a small sign, and she started to feel excited. Wyatt shifted into park and then shut off the engine, glancing over at her again. She met his gaze, sensing the sincerity in it. “Thanks for letting me bring you here. I think you’ll like it.”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed the door handle, somehow feeling flustered by his focus on her. It was both flattering and unnerving. Callie sensed that Wyatt saw everything. He wasn’t the type of man who didn’t pay attention. It made her feel safe but also like she was already falling for him, hard. She could trust a man like him to have her back. Callie was used to doing things on her own. It was hard to let another person in that way—to let them be her safety net.
“I’m sure I’ll love it. I can’t wait to see the waterfall.” She was already climbing out of his SUV. Wyatt quickly opened his own door, protesting that he would’ve helped her out. As Wyatt came around the front of his SUV, her breath caught. He was hot as hell standing there, and she couldn’t believe that aside from her attraction to him, he was a genuinely good guy. For some reason she loved seeing him in his baseball cap and sunglasses. He looked young—less threatening in a way. Not that she was afraid he’d physically hurt her. Her heart was another story. Even if nothing worked out, she had a feeling he’d always treat her respectfully. If anything, she hoped she’d at least have a new friend here. The attraction simmering between them was definitely more than friendly, but she didn’t know that he wanted a girlfriend.
Callie didn’t know what she’d done to manage to run into him again all these months later, but she was thrilled it had happened. After the ordeal she’d been through, she deserved for something good to happen, and she couldn’t wait to spend the afternoon together exploring.
