Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii #3)(11)
“Did your mom ever get remarried?” Aleck asked.
“Nope. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t date. She always made sure I was well taken care of, but she loved having her weekends free so she could hang out with her friends and boyfriends.”
“She sounds…interesting,” Aleck said.
Kenna smiled. “She is.”
“And your folks are all right with you being out here?” he asked.
Kenna’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it sounds like you had a stable job, then you left to come out here to Hawaii without a plan and are now only a waitress.”
“They want me to be happy,” Kenna said, the friendliness in her tone gone. “And being here makes me happy, so yeah, they’re all right with it. My mom visits every few months and my dad’s been here a few times too. But it doesn’t sound as if you’re all that impressed with me or my job.”
Aleck blinked and realized she was offended by his questions. And no wonder. “Shit, it’s my turn to apologize now. I didn’t mean to disparage what you do.”
Kenna glanced at the water without responding, and he knew he needed to dig himself out of the hole he was in. “Honestly. That was a shitty thing to say. I just know my parents at first weren’t all that thrilled about me being stationed out here in Hawaii. They complained that it was too far away. They’ve come to appreciate me being out here, though. They come visit all the time, but I’m just a convenient excuse. They see me for like three hours, then spend the rest of the week on the beach and being tourists.”
Aleck was relieved to see Kenna’s lips twitch.
Taking a chance, and hoping like hell it wouldn’t backfire, Aleck reached over and took her hand in his. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, once again noticing how silky smooth her skin was. “I’m sorry for being insensitive,” he said softly. “Most people I’ve met are always trying to work their way up the corporate ladder. Even in the Navy. It’s all about rank and moving upward.”
Kenna didn’t yank her hand out of his grip, which Aleck appreciated. She stared at him for a long moment before saying, “You’re a snob.”
Aleck blinked. Was he?
Yeah…he probably was.
“I mean, you’re cute, so you have that going for you though.” Kenna smiled. “I know being a waitress isn’t what most people aspire to do with their lives. But I had that cushy accounting job, and I hated it. I felt hemmed in. If I had continued to work there, it would’ve smothered me. I might not be making a million dollars a year, but I’m happy. I meet all sorts of interesting people. I get to spend time at the beach during the day and I’m not trapped in a cubicle, staring at a computer.”
Aleck felt horrible. He was a snob. He’d never considered that someone who worked as a waitress might want to do so. Might actually like it.
“Do you like your job?” she asked.
“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate.
“Even though you could die? That you could be shot and no one would ever know the circumstances behind it? Even though you can’t really talk about what you do? I’m just assuming that’s the case, by the way. I don’t know for sure. Some people would look at you and think you’re crazy. Why would you want to put yourself in danger for people you don’t even know? And while the world isn’t like it used to be—most people appreciate our soldiers and what you do—there are those who still think you’re the devil incarnate, that you enjoy killing people. And yet…you still do what you do.”
“Point made,” he said quietly.
“I just…it frustrates me that people look down on me because of my job,” Kenna said. “There are some shitty parts of being a waitress, for sure. My feet always hurt at the end of the night, I have to deal with entitled people who can’t understand why they have to wait longer than two-point-three minutes for their food. They treat me like a servant, give me shitty tips or no tips at all. I’ve been yelled at for refusing to serve alcohol to someone who’s obviously already had enough, screamed at because their food wasn’t to their liking, and even spit on.
“But you know what? The good outweighs the bad. Just as I’m assuming it does for you. I don’t save lives—well, I take that back. I have saved two lives…one was a kid who was choking and the other was a man who’d had a heart attack, and I did CPR until the paramedics got there. But anyway, my job might not be at the top of the importance scale, but I work damn hard, and like I said…the good outweighs the bad.”
Kenna paused for a deep breath. “And now you’re probably regretting coming tonight.”
“No,” Aleck told her. “Actually, I’m even more impressed. You’re pretty damn amazing.”
“Yeah,” she said with a short laugh. “I’ve chastised you for feeling the way I’m sure most people do, have ignored you because I’ve been working, and kinda insulted your own job—which, by the way, is cool, and I want to know everything about it.”
“You’re real,” Aleck told her. “You have no idea how refreshing that is. You rightfully called me on my bullshit, you’re obviously smart, you’re independent, and it’s more than obvious how much the people you work with like you. All that adds up to someone I really want to get to know better. If you can forgive me for being an ass.”