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“What are you doing here?” she asked in disbelief. It was like a thousand different nerve-endings were firing at once, and she didn’t even know how to react. Callie wanted to rush over and hug him and stand back to just take him in all at the same time. She always thought the expression “a sight for sore eyes” was trite, but she understood exactly what it meant in this moment. Looking at him soothed her frayed nerve endings and made her feel calm in a way that made no sense. She’d spoken with him mere moments. To see him now, after all this time...
“What am I doing at Coconuts or in Hawaii?” he asked in that low, quiet voice of his.
“Yes. Both,” she clarified, feeling her cheeks heat. Alexa was looking back and forth between them, a smile growing. Callie realized that Wyatt was still holding her things and reached out to take them back, sparks shooting through her as their fingers brushed against one another. God, he had big hands. Thick fingers. He was all muscle and brawn, and she felt delicate and feminine in comparison. He looked exactly as self-assured as he had months ago, and Callie’s heart was beating erratically in her chest. She fumbled with her things again but didn’t drop them, stuffing both items into her small, crossbody purse.
“I’m sorry again if I startled you,” Wyatt said. “I kept thinking I was seeing you here in Oahu, but that seemed impossible. I can’t believe it’s really you.”
“You were at the grocery store earlier.”
He nodded, still standing a respectable distance away. She swore she could feel the heat from his muscular body radiating off him. Wyatt looked good. He was tanned and fit, with the barest hint of sunburn across his cheeks. His hair was dark and cropped short. He’d been wearing a helmet and full combat gear the last time she’d seen him. The short-sleeved shirt he had on revealed muscled forearms, and the dark color set off the green of his eyes. He was only around four inches taller than her, and she felt inexplicably safe with him. Wyatt was calm and capable, and she was a bit of a frazzled mess.
“I thought I saw you on the beach a week or so ago,” Wyatt told her. “Damn. I thought I was going crazy, imagining every pretty blonde around here was you.”
Warmth coursed through her at his admission. She was shocked he even specifically remembered her. While the whole being held hostage situation had been a new experience on her part, she assumed Wyatt rescued civilians all the time. She wasn’t anything unique or special. What made him specifically remember her? “You thought you saw me,” she confirmed, making sure she was understanding him.
“I did,” he said with a low chuckle. “It made no sense. I know you travel around the world, but what are the chances you’d show up here in Hawaii where I’m stationed?”
“You’re stationed in Hawaii?” she asked in disbelief. Her mind whirled in confusion. She was sure those guys were all from California. The woman she’d met at the airport, Olivia, had been from San Diego. Her Navy SEAL boyfriend was stationed in nearby Coronado.
“Yes ma’am. Pearl Harbor.”
“Oh, don’t call me ma’am,” she protested. Callie cleared her throat, finally realizing her friend was still standing there. “Alexa, Wyatt was one of the men who rescued me from the hijacked plane,” she explained. “He helped me get off safely.”
“Oh my gosh. Wow. Callie told me a little about what happened. She didn’t say much about the people who rescued her, not that I expect her to tell me every detail. Sorry. I’m rambling. That just sounded so terrifying. That’s amazing that you saved her. You’re military?”
“I am. And Callie was strong as hell during that entire ordeal.” His warm gaze slid back to Callie. “And yes, like I said, my SEAL team is stationed here in Hawaii. We deploy around the world as needed depending on the mission.”
“Wow. I really thought you guys were all based out of Coronado.”
He shook his head. “We were working with another team during that operation, which is probably what you picked up on. They’re in Coronado under a different commanding officer. Sometimes we do joint operations, as was the case in your situation.” Wyatt cleared his throat. “So are you visiting Hawaii? It’s a gorgeous vacation spot.”
“No. I actually moved here,” she said, feeling somewhat dazed. This entire evening was seeming surreal. She thought of Wyatt often and now to see him here, in the flesh, was hard to fathom. It seemed improbable to run into him now, months later. “I needed somewhere to start fresh and just decompress. Pretend that whole nightmare situation never happened. Maybe I won’t live here forever, but a tropical island isn’t a bad place to hang.”
His lips quirked. “Not at all. So, no more travel blogging for the time being?”
“Not at the moment. No. Wow. Sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m just still in disbelief that you’re here.”
“Have a drink with me,” Wyatt said suddenly.
Surprise washed over her, and she felt her cheeks heating. He just wanted to catch up and make sure she was okay, but Callie had to admit she was flattered. Wyatt was an attractive man. She didn’t really date anymore, but if she did, a man like him would’ve been exactly her type. He was physically fit, adventurous, and a good person. The guy literally risked his life to help others. His entire career was based off that fact. And even after the rescue, he’d sought her out, making sure she was truly okay. “I can’t ditch my friend,” she said, her gaze flicking toward Alexa.
“Oh, you can,” Alexa said with a wink. “Trust me, I’ll be fine.”
A big guy walked over then, grinning. “What’s up, man? You picking up ladies tonight?” he joked. “I’m Austin,” he said, holding out a big hand to Alexa. “And damn. I thought you looked familiar from across the room. Callie, isn’t it?”
She looked at him in surprise. “You know my name.”
“Wyatt might’ve mentioned you once or twice. You were singled out by the hijackers,” he added with a frown. “I’m glad to see that you’re doing well. But hey, I didn’t mean to interrupt the reunion. Can I buy you a drink?” he asked Alexa.
“As long as Callie’s okay with him,” she said, glancing between Wyatt and Callie.
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Why don’t we join you at the bar in a moment. I’ll just catch up with Wyatt for a minute first.”
“Sounds perfect,” Alexa said, grabbing Austin’s thick forearm and dragging him toward the crowded bar area.
Callie watched them go, biting her lip to keep from laughing. “She’s got a crush on the bartender. I think she was more than happy to go off with your friend. Maybe the bartender will notice her if she’s with another man tonight, you know?”
Wyatt snorted. “Playing hard to get works for some guys. It gets their attention, at any rate. It’s not really my thing, but to each their own,” he added with a shrug.
