“I own this place outright,” she says quietly, surprising me. “You can let your apartment go and stay here when you need to be here.”
“That would be great,” I reply with a smile. Maybe a little push wasn’t too much for her after all. “See? We got this.”
“We got this.”
Chapter Ten
MacKenzie
Cute little foldy cap
It’s showtime.
Kyle thinks because he wants to be with me that he can handle all of me, but I’m not so sure. So far, he’s liked the girl on the beach and the woman he met in a bar. I know he enjoys the one he talks to on the phone and the one who goes wild for him behind closed doors.
But he hasn’t met the marine.
While all of the different facets come together to make… me, that one is by far the one that defines me. It’s all I’ve worked for, all I have ever wanted, that is, until now. I’ve never wanted to be anything other than a pilot. My grandfather flew planes in Vietnam, and my dad flew in Iraq the first time. My brother Ryan, sister Amelia, and I all wanted to become marines just like them. If that was ever taken away from me, I’m not sure I could survive it. I wouldn’t know who I was anymore because at the very core of my being, that is who I am, not just what I do.
Maybe that’s why I’m still uncomfortable with Kyle ending his enlistment. I can’t rationalize why it’s so easy for him to walk away from the military. And if he’s doing it for me, will he resent me? I can’t be the one to take away his dreams. If he had put his foot down and told me to give up flying, I’d be gone the next second. I would never be able to be with someone who took from me the one thing that was so integral to who I am like that. Sure, he’s moving into the private sector doing almost exactly the same thing, but how will he feel when his team goes away for the first time without him? I can’t gauge him, and it scares the hell out of me.
I drive up to the gate at the base and roll down my window to hand over my identification card. The sailor at the gate takes it and looks it over before raising his hand in salute, which I mirror.
“Have a good day, Captain,” he says as he hands me my card back.
“Thank you. You too,” I reply.
“Living the dream,” he says before I pull away and ease my way through the streets of the base, down toward the beach where Kyle’s ceremony will be in about thirty minutes.
I pull into the parking lot and cut the engine. I climb out of my car and tuck my keys and wallet into my pockets. I open my garrison cap and place it on my head before pulling down at the hem of my alpha coat, making sure everything is in its place. And with my slacks perfectly creased and my blonde hair coiled in a neat bun at the base of my neck, there is nothing out of place except for me on this navy base.
I quietly let out a nervous breath and then make my way to the building with the beach behind it where the ceremony will be held. Kyle said it wasn’t a big deal. That he and his buddy Sean, the lovable giant, were exiting the navy together and were receiving commendations. He said not to expect a huge crowd or fanfare, but nevertheless, he wanted me there.
I raise my hand and salute those who greet me with a professional nod and continue to make my way down the walkway. There is a small podium set up with about fifty chairs facing it. There are a handful of sailors standing around talking. I notice Kyle right away. He stands out, calls to me like a moth to a flame on a soul crushing level. I’m helpless to stop the pull between us, and I don’t know what to do.
When he sees me, he pulls away from the crowd and walks toward me with sure steps. Kyle shakes his head ever so slightly and smirks. He sees the distance I’m trying to put between us for what it is, and he’s not having it. He does not stop his forward movement when he’s in a professional level of space. Instead, he pulls me into his arms and tips me backward like the famous VJ Day couple and kisses me passionately. I have to grab onto my garrison cap to keep it from falling into the sand. Kyle just lets his cover fall off his head without a care in the world.
It’s over quickly, and I can tell he didn’t want to embarrass me, but he’s also staking a claim. He stands me back up, and I’m slightly embarrassed to admit he’s left me more than a little breathless.
“That is not what we talked about, Kyle,” I say, rolling my eyes. And it’s absolutely not. He knows damn well that I had wanted to keep a level of professionalism at these functions. My reputation, until this moment, was spotless. And I might be mad when my oxygen starved brain cells start functioning again, but until then, I’ll follow Kyle’s lead.
“I know.” He smiles. “But I couldn’t help myself. You just looked so cute in your little foldy cap.”
“Aw, that’s adorable. It’s a garrison cap and I was hoping for a dixie cup,” I reply, gesturing to the khaki uniform he’s wearing. “I suppose this will have to do.”
I lean down and pluck his cover from the sand before dusting it off and turning it around to hand it to him in the correct direction. He smiles broadly at me as I do everything in precise movements for proper performance. I’m learning that Kyle is a by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but you’ve been sleeping with a chief.”
“I guess I’ll survive,” I tease before gently patting his cheek and pulling away. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”
“I’m done after today,” he says. “What are they going to do to me? Kick me out?”
“What about me?” I ask. He might not care anymore, but I do. I still have to follow the rules and, honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I like rules. I need rules, without them we have nothing but total chaos.
“You’ll be fine,” he says. “Everyone knows who you are. Oh look, you can sit with Easy’s wife. She’s nicer than the first one.” He shudders. “And Natalie.”
“You guys are a lot of drama,” I quip.
