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THREE DAYS LATER, WYATT’S team got sent out on an op. A cargo ship had been targeted, and three American hostages were being held onboard. Callie wasn’t supposed to know any details of where Wyatt’s team deployed or what he was doing, but this incident had been all over the news. She didn’t question him, and he didn’t provide any details, but Callie knew where he was going. She knew what was at stake. Callie was frightened for his safety, but three lives hung on the line. Wyatt’s SEAL team was good. She’d witnessed that firsthand, and if they could save the lives of innocent people, then she’d never want him to feel guilty for leaving her.
Wyatt had swung by on his way into base Sunday morning, explaining the situation and kissing her goodbye. She’d been shocked to see him but also touched that he’d come to tell her in person. Callie wasn’t his girlfriend. They’d never discussed what specifically they were to one another. Things had been gradually building between them. The way he’d held her so carefully in his arms the other night made it clear that he cared for her. How many men would stay over with no chance of sex? They weren’t ripping one another’s clothes off or exploring one another with their clothing on. She’d cried in his arms on the sofa after she’d fed him dinner, recalling the worst day of her life.
Wyatt had been steady and sure, holding her through her tears.
Her mind drifted to their goodbye yesterday morning before he’d rushed to base, ready to head off with his team on their mission.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Wyatt said after he’d quickly explained that he was leaving. “Even if I did, I couldn’t tell you. It’s for operational security and your own safety as well. The fewer details you know, the better.”
“I know. I understand,” she assured him.
“I don’t have any answers yet about your blog, so please be careful while I’m gone,” Wyatt said, looking slightly ruffled for the first time.
He was wearing his camo uniform, the same one he’d been in the first time they met. Her eyes tracked over him, taking in every detail. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him, feeling her eyes begin to water. “You’ll probably be back before I can even miss you.” She blinked her tears away.
“Callie,” he said, his voice cracking.
“I promise I’ll be fine. Go do your hero thing.”
His green eyes studied her, so knowing and sure, and then he was backing her against the door, his hands sliding up to cup her face. “I’m going to miss you so damn much.” Before she could utter a reply, his lips were hot on her own. Callie opened to him, letting Wyatt take complete control. She clutched onto his uniform like she’d never get enough. His tongue slid against her own, both sure and demanding as his body pressed against hers. They were both breathing heavily when he finally pulled back, Callie’s body on fire for this man.
Wyatt rested his forehead against her own, seemingly needing to steady himself. Their breaths intermingled, the moment between them turning almost tender. “Call me as soon as you get back,” she said, her voice wobbling.
He kissed her again. Soft. Sweet. “Of course, I will. The second we land. Be safe for me, Cal.”
“You too. You’re the one heading off somewhere that’s no doubt dangerous. Go get the bad guys but please come back home to me.”
“Always.”
She shook her head, smiling at the memory of their kisses but still already missing him so much. Today, Callie and Alexa were meeting for brunch at Coconuts. The bartender that Alexa had previously been crushing on didn’t work that early, but it had still become one of the women’s favorite hangouts. Callie looked in the mirror, swiping on some lip gloss. She’d donned a casual skirt and halter top, perfect for the sunny Hawaiian day. Alexa was meeting her there, having a sunrise photoshoot with a vacationing couple beforehand.
Thirty minutes later, Callie was settling into a booth at Coconuts. It was a different crowd than the nighttime group. The bar was dead, but the tables were filling up rather quickly.
“Hey girl!” Alexa called out as she walked in, grinning.
“Hi! Look at you all bright-eyed this early,” Callie joked.
“Two large coffees, plus all that sunshine and salty air are the key. I’ve been up since four a.m.,” she added.
“Ouch. That sounds painful—literally.”
“Hazard of the job,” Alexa said with a smile. “Sunrise and sunset are the two best times for photos. This session was for a couple visiting from Kansas. They’d just gotten engaged and wanted to book an engagement photoshoot.”
“Well, they knew you were the best,” Callie teased.
“Amen to that.”
The waitress came over, taking their orders. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over all the fresh fruit here,” Callie said as a waiter walked by carrying a tray of food for another table. “The guava and pineapple, plus all the papayas? Yum. I can never move anywhere that isn’t tropical from here on out.”
“Why would you need to go anywhere else?” Alexa asked. “Oahu is amazing.”
“You grew up here, right?”
“I came here in high school and never left. Military brat,” she joked.
“But your family’s not still here.”
Alexa shook her head. “Not on Oahu. My parents moved to Kauai after my dad retired from the military. I could’ve gone, too, but there’s more to do here. Plus, there’s no need to be that close. I love my family, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve got my own life to live.”
“Yeah, I get it. My family is still in California, but I pretty much traveled everywhere. I’ve been thinking of getting into blogging again.”
“Really? Like we talked about? Showcasing Hawaii,” she said knowingly.
“Yeah, I hate to just give up my career entirely. I’ll sort of be starting from scratch, but I need to start doing something and not completely draining my bank account. I figure I’ll go exploring today and get some ideas. It’s time for me to start living again.”
“You go, girl,” Alexa joked. “Now is as good a time as any with your man gone.
“Wait—how’d you know that?” Callie asked. “I didn’t even get a chance to tell you yet.”
Alexa smiled. “I might have gone out with Austin the other night.”
“No way! Why didn’t you say anything?”
“It was just a couple of days ago,” Alexa said with a giggle. “We met up for drinks, and one thing led to another....”
Callies eyes widened. “You slept with him?”
Alexa gave her a grin. “Well, I shouldn’t kiss and tell, but let me say—the man can kiss. And you know how he looks big when he’s standing right in front of you? Honey, he’s big everywhere.”
Callie spit out the water she’d been sipping, nearly choking on her laughter. “Oh my gosh,” she said, “I can’t believe you just said that. And wow. You and Austin.”
“Here you go,” their waitress said as she suddenly appeared, setting two Bloody Mary’s down on the table. She was around Callie’s age and pretty, but with dark circles under her eyes, like she was already tired this early in the morning. Callie glanced at her nametag—Riley. Wyatt had mentioned a Riley the other day. He’d been talking about his teammates, as she recalled. Was this the Riley he’d meant? Her gaze landed back on Alexa as her friend told her more about drinks with Austin.
“So what does this mean?” Callie asked as their waitress walked away. “Was it a one-night-stand type of thing or are you and Austin dating?”
“Well, it just sort of happened,” Alexa said, her eyes twinkling. “We didn’t define our relationship status or anything. We made plans to go out again this weekend, but the guys are gone now. He did give me a call to say he was heading out. Austin didn’t want me to think he was ghosting me, which I appreciate. I don’t mind waiting for him to come back, but blowing me off wouldn’t have been cool.”
“That’s good he let you know,” Callie said, but she still looked over at Alexa in concern.
“Don’t look so worried. We had fun. If it’s just a fling, then it’s a fling. I’m not racing to get married or something. I’m twenty-five and have plenty of time. I deserve to have a little fun in my life.”
“Yeah, but you’re my closest friend here in Hawaii. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Says the girl who’s also seeing a hunky Navy SEAL,” Alexa teased. “Yes, you told me about the hiking and waterfall, which sounds amazing by the way. Ah-may-zing,” she emphasized, her smile widening. “But a little birdie told me that Wyatt went to your place for dinner the other night. How we live in the same apartment complex and I missed that, I’ll never know.”
“Maybe you were with Austin,” Callie said, pointing a finger at her. “And I guess he ratted me out.”
“Ah. So logical. But I expected my best friend to fill me in on things like this. Now spill, girl! You two are absolutely dating, and I am one hundred percent here for it. He rescues you from a hijacking that made international news, you pick up and move to a brand-new place and accidentally run into him, and now you both are falling for each other. How perfect is that?”
Callie bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. She and Wyatt weren’t dating in secret, but their relationship was new. It felt too early to share much about it. Plus, he hadn’t even gotten back to her yet on the weird blog comments. He’d spoken with some IT whiz on base, but clearly, the men there had actual jobs to worry about. The comments may or may not relate back to the hijacking, but it certainly wasn’t a pressing matter for them. What if someone was really looking for her? Would she just stay here hiding out in Hawaii? Would she be putting Wyatt in danger because of his involvement? She wanted to know who’d left those remarks. Hopefully uncovering the truth behind them would ease some of her nightmares. Callie wanted to live her life fully, not hide away in fear. Until the rest of her life was in order, she could hardly put a label on what they were to one another.
“So, you and Wyatt?” Alexa asked, growing impatient.
Callie took a sip of her Bloody Mary, drawing out the suspense. Alexa made a motioning gesture with her hand, indicating for Callie to hurry up. “Yes, we’re dating, I cooked him dinner the other night, and it’s been amazing. He’s incredible. It’s so new though. Although I met him months ago under less-than-ideal circumstances, we didn’t get to know one another until now. He’s...”
“Hot. Handsome. A Navy SEAL. And you’re blushing!” Alexa said excitedly. “Tell me you did the deed.”
“What? No! We’re taking things slowly.”
“Very respectable,” Alexa said with a grin. “I’ll admit I jumped right into Austin’s pants, but damn. The guy is funny and hot. It’s a dangerous combo.”
Callie shook her head, trying not to smile. Alexa’s excitement was contagious, but she didn’t want to get ahead of herself. Maybe nothing would come of her and Wyatt. Whatever connection they had could fizzle out. Alternatively, it could also grow into something bigger than she’d dreamed. Callie knew that she was more cautious than her friend, but Alexa had never been in a life-threatening situation. At least, not one that she’d mentioned. She was bubbly and happy and everything Callie used to be. Callie still had that part of herself, but the nightmares and memories choked her at times. She was different than the woman she’d been months ago.
“Well, I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Callie said, carefully choosing her words. “We’re just taking things slowly. He did come to see me in person before the guys got sent out on their mission,” she confided.
“I knew it!” Alexa said, breaking into an even bigger smile. “He really likes you, Callie. It was obvious that night at Coconuts with the way he looked at you, but wow. Like you said, you basically just started dating. The fact that he went out of his way to come to your apartment and say goodbye?” She began fanning herself. “Tell me he at least pinned you against the wall and kissed the hell out of you before he had to go.”
Callie flushed, and Alexa clapped her hands together in delight. “Good for you. You deserve to be happy. Look, my dad was in the military. When those Special Ops guys deploy, they’ve got zero time. They’ve got packing, plans, and mission critical work to get done. The fact that Wyatt came to see you before he left means everything.”
“It was really sweet. Of course, I would’ve understood if he had to call and couldn’t stop by, but I’m really happy he came in person. It felt like it meant something.”
“Oh, it did,” Alexa agreed.
Callie already knew that Wyatt cared about her. He’d never have held her so carefully in his arms if he didn’t. And his kisses? She wanted to shiver in delight. Wyatt seemed perfectly fine to take things at her pace, but if they ever progressed further, she was a goner. Callie had a feeling Wyatt knew exactly how to handle a woman in the bedroom. He was so attuned to her already, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be the focus of all that attention in bed. But she liked that he showed up for her—made her feel that she was important in his life. She hadn’t always had that, she realized. Some of the guys she dated were too busy with their own lives to make a real effort to be there for her. Wyatt was clearly a busy man, with a dangerous career, but he’d still gone out of his way to see her.
“Here you go, ladies,” their waitress Riley said, setting their plates of food down. Callie looked down at her vegetable omelet, breathing in the scent of cooked veggies, eggs, and cheese. She could feel her mouth watering.
“This smells amazing. Thanks. Oh, is everything okay?” Callie asked, realizing that Riley was still standing there, looking slightly nervous.
Riley nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t mean to listen in on your conversation but was already walking over to your table. I heard you mention that your friends had left.” She cleared her throat. “The military guys. I just wondered if they were okay.”
Callie and Alexa exchanged a glance. “They just left yesterday,” Alexa explained as realization dawned on Callie.
“Are you friends with them?” Callie asked. “They come here a lot, so I’m sure you know some of them.”
“They do, yeah,” Riley said, looking embarrassed. “Sawyer’s a big flirt. And I usually chat a bit with Ryan.” Callie nodded, realizing she didn’t really know the men on Wyatt’s team aside from Austin.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Alexa assured her.
“Yeah, of course. Thanks. Let me know if you two need anything.”
“That was interesting,” Alexa said as Riley finally left. “From what Austin told me, Sawyer’s a huge player. He definitely doesn’t seem like he’d be her type. I’m getting the sweet and shy vibe from her.”
“Huh. Yeah,” Callie said, digging into her omelet. “Wyatt mentioned her the other day. He was actually telling me how all the guys on the team are single. No offense,” she quickly added.
Alexa snorted. “It’s fine. Austin and I literally just hooked up the other night. We’re planning to get together again, but I’m absolutely still single. As is he.”
“If you say so,” Callie replied, feeling doubtful.
“We had a fun night. That’s all. Oh, maybe we can all do something when they get back, like a group activity. I want to get to know the guy who’s dating my best friend, but we’ll see if we can find out which guy Riley is crushing on if not Sawyer. I could play matchmaker.”
“God no,” Callie muttered.
“What? It’d be fun. Maybe I should offer to do a photoshoot for the team,” she joked. “I’m usually dealing with touchy-feeling couples. Since I’m single, it’s a lot to stomach. I could do some muscle shots of the men shirtless on the beach,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.
“I’m sure they’d love that,” Callie said.
“Well, I would. Their ab shots could be the background on my laptop. Maybe I’d even blow up a few life-size prints to put in my apartment. You know, for inspiration.”
Callie was giggling by the time they’d finished brunch. In the back of her mind, she was worried about Wyatt, but he hadn’t thought they’d be gone for very long. She had to trust that he’d be okay. She missed him. It had only been a day, but she’d gotten used to talking with him every night. She’d felt a little empty inside last night not having him to call and chat about their day. It was hard not knowing where he was, what he was doing, or when he’d return.
Starting up a blog on Hawaii would keep her occupied and give her something fun to do. She wouldn’t use her name or face, but she could still work with her self-imposed limitations. If she ever felt safe enough to go back to her old life, she’d simply link them up somehow. Callie just needed to take things one step at a time. Her life was going to slowly get back to normal. She was certain of it.
