Fake Dating the Seal
Aloha Romance Series: Beach Read Edition
Chapter One
“What’s that smell?” Sara Alani sniffed at the air like a blood hound seeking its mark.
“My fritters!” Maile Everrett shouted from across the room. Bright red and purple and blue flowers from the family matriarch’s neck to her toes flew past Sara. For the mother of four and grandmother to three of her grandchildren and even more almost grandchildren, that woman could move. Not to mention she wore a muumuu like no one else on the island.
“I’ve got it,” a call came from the kitchen as Maile disappeared through the doorway. Emily Everrett Hamilton had come in the back door and reaching the oven minutes before her mother, averted a near disaster.
“Well.” Maile slid the hot baking dish onto the stone trivet that always sat on the counter. For anyone who baked and cooked as often as Maile did, putting the thing away simply made no sense. “Only the row closest to the back of the oven are toast.”
Reaching for one of the fritters with a darkened rim around the edge, Sara pulled her hand back and licked her burned finger.
“You know better than that.” Maile grabbed the hand and shoved it under the cold water faucet, a move she’d done often when growing up Sara and the Everrett girls would help in the family kitchen.
Rabb, the family’s beloved German shepherd, stood at his master’s feet. Any other dog would have been waiting for a dropped treat, but Sara knew as well as anyone else in the kitchen, that the astute dog was more concerned for Maile’s safety. As soon as the animal was convinced that Maile’s mad dash across the house and Sara’s hand under running water was not a major, or even minor, crisis, he plopped to the ground from the corner of the room where he could oversee all the happenings.
The front door flew open and now the sweet chaos of the Everrett family was about to truly begin. Billy, the oldest child and only son, came through the door carrying their two year old son Edward, Eddie, named after the Everrett family patriarch who passed years ago from an unexpected heart attack. His wife Angela had their daughter Isabella by the hand.
The four year old easily dragged her mother toward the kitchen. “Hurry, Mommy, cookie time.”
On their tails, Nick Harper, who might has well have been an Everrett considering how close, like Sara, he’d been to the Everrett brood, ushered his own family—Maile’s almost grandchildren—through the doorway.
Within minutes the kitchen was filled with giggling children and their parents all talking at the same time. Sara had to smile. Only once had she missed the annual Christmas cookie baking day at the Everrett household, and that was because she’d been confined to bed with strep throat. The memory broadened her smile. When she’d fully recovered she’d had Maile Everrett all to herself one afternoon after school and baked the best looking Santa and reindeer cookies ever. It hadn’t been the same as the loving chaos of the whole family baking on that special day, but Maile had made it special for her nonetheless.
Even though Sara had wonderful loving parents, she always felt doubly blessed to have the Everretts as a second set of parents. Except of course for the matchmaking thing. Sara had spent the last six years trying to explain to her mother and her mother’s best friend that she could find her own man—when she was ready. Whether the two women doubted her ability to find a man or if she’d ever be ready, was a mystery to her. Especially since with the best of intentions, those two had tried to hook her up in one way or another with pretty much any breathing male old enough to order a beer for more years than she cared to think about.
“You doing okay?” Emily Everrett, her dearest friend since they’d met the first day of preschool and their mothers had become as fast friends as she and Emily, smiled at her. Ever since Emily turned thirty and she and Doug decided that it was time to start a family, Emily seemed to be more worried about Sara’s biological clock than Sara. After all, she still had a few months until her own thirtieth birthday and in this day and age, thirty wasn’t all that old for starting a family.
“You know I love cookie baking day.” Sara smiled at Emily.
“I do.” Her friend’s eyes were filled with love, friendship, and, Sara feared, just a bit of pity.
“Don’t you start turning into my mothers.”
“Me?” Emily’s eyes doubled in size. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. Yet.” The minute Emily discovered she and Doug were having a baby, she’d tried to set Sara up with one of dive shop customers who’d been getting certified to scuba dive. The guy had been nice enough, and handsome enough, but it hadn’t taken long to figure out he had more interest in the fish than in women. Especially her.
“What are you two doing out here?” Apron tied around her waist, hands on her hips, Maile stood at the kitchen threshold. “It’s time to mix the dough.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Emily saluted, even though unlike her brother and most of his buddies, she’d never been in the military.
As Sara passed by her friend’s mother, Maile reached for hand and leaned in almost conspiratorially. Sara braced herself. She’d seen that look on Maile and her mother’s faces too many times.
Lowering her voice, Maile glanced back into the kitchen as if worried someone would over hear her sharing state secrets, “Emily tells me there’s a new teacher at the high school.”
Sara nodded cautiously.
“He’s not married.”
And here they went again. Why did Christmas have to heighten everyone’s interest in finding Sara a man? Maybe it was time she tried in earnest to find a man on her own. Too bad she couldn’t ask Santa.
* * * *
This was it. Terminal leave. Three months paid vacation, and then Senior Chief SEAL Kenny Yates, a respected and battle tested leader, would officially be a civilian. “Mr. Yates.” Kenny let the words roll around on his tongue. Granted, he’d been called that often enough in the real world, but no one would be addressing him as Chief—ever. He wouldn’t be leading any more teams, and he wouldn’t be doing any more battles. At least not the life or death kind.
The wheels of the commercial jet touched down on the Kona runway. For the first time since his paperwork for intent to separate was approved by the chain of command, he felt at ease. Kona had a way of doing that. Though he suspected without the warmth of the Everrett family and his former Navy buddies now working at the dive shop, Kona would be just another beach.
At the last United States airport where passengers descended the stairs to an open tarmac from a commercial jet, he got his first breath of Hawaiian retirement standing in the open doorway. Just a little bit longer and he’d unpack his carryon at the hotel. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. He’d decided at the last minute to book a room at the swankiest resort on the island. Normally, he’d stay with Billy when he came to the Big Island, but this time, he wanted just a few days to get his bearings. He’d told his friend of many years that he’d be arriving today, and would reach out tomorrow. After an hour of back and forth debate over whether or not he should save his money and go straight to Billy and Angela’s house, Billy finally caved and agreed a few days of posh pampering might not be such a bad thing. He hoped his friend was right.
Making a b-line for the taxis, with in minutes of landing, he was pulling up to the Kings Resort. Though the resort was originally named after the famed, King Kamehameha, it wasn’t long before the powers that be figured out the simpler name, King, was much easier for tourists and travel agents to manage. Still, the statue of the Hawaiian leader in yellow and red greeted him by the front drive. He just wished he’d felt a bit more like home. Maybe once he figured out where he was going to live he’d feel more settled. Despite having had months to think about where to drop anchor, he hadn’t been able to decide if he should to stay on the island, or go back stateside to where he grew up. He might not have any family left in his home town, but he still had friends and memories. And yet, much of the time, Kona felt more like home even if he hadn’t lived here as a kid. Which probably explained why he was having such a hard time making up his mind. Bottom line, he simply wasn’t ready to make that decision. Not yet.
“Mr. Yates. Welcome.” The pretty little brunette behind the check in counter smiled up at him. “We have you in the luau suite.”
“Suite?”
Her gaze lifted from the keyboard. “Yes, sir. You’ve been upgraded.”
Not being a member of any loyalty programs, he had no clue how this had come to happen.
His prolonged silence must have spoken volumes of what was on his mind because the brunette smiled a little wild. “Our manager is former Navy. I believe someone mentioned that you’re retiring.” She blinked. “Thank you for your service.”
As he always did when someone approached him to thank him for doing his job, he nodded and smiled back. Taking the keycard and room number, he tapped his toe behind him and did a perfect military turn. That was one habit he was going to have to work on breaking.
No sooner had he closed the door behind him then his phone buzzed. A text from Billy. Did Mom’s gift arrive.
Kenny scanned the room, but it only took a second to find what Billy most likely referred to. A massive plate of homemade Christmas cookies. His cheeks tugged hard at the corners of his mouth. There were few things in this world as delicious as Maile Everrett’s homemade holiday cookies. He suspected that the love in that family had to be the secret ingredient.
Phone in hand, he shoved one in his mouth and began to tap out a response. Shortbread. My favorite. Tell her thank you.
Tell her yourself. You’re expected for dinner tomorrow night.
Of course he was. Laughing to himself, he tapped at the phone again. Wouldn’t miss it.
Already he felt a thousand times better than he had when he’d gotten on the flight from Honolulu. Shoving the curtains open, he took in the expansive view. Nice thing about being in the Navy was that most bases were somewhere near an ocean. Even though he’d grown up in suburbia, he’d always felt most at home near a body of water.
The low moonlight shone on the rippling waves. So very peaceful. For the first time since deciding to separate from Uncle Sam’s Navy, he was going to simply enjoy the view. He wasn’t going to think about what came next, or if he’d made the right decision, or if he’d simply lost his mind. Sliding the room card into his wallet, he cranked the window open just enough for a breeze and turned to find the rooftop bar. Figuring out the rest of his life could wait another day.
“What’s that smell?” Sara Alani sniffed at the air like a blood hound seeking its mark.
“My fritters!” Maile Everrett shouted from across the room. Bright red and purple and blue flowers from the family matriarch’s neck to her toes flew past Sara. For the mother of four and grandmother to three of her grandchildren and even more almost grandchildren, that woman could move. Not to mention she wore a muumuu like no one else on the island.
“I’ve got it,” a call came from the kitchen as Maile disappeared through the doorway. Emily Everrett Hamilton had come in the back door and reaching the oven minutes before her mother, averted a near disaster.
“Well.” Maile slid the hot baking dish onto the stone trivet that always sat on the counter. For anyone who baked and cooked as often as Maile did, putting the thing away simply made no sense. “Only the row closest to the back of the oven are toast.”
Reaching for one of the fritters with a darkened rim around the edge, Sara pulled her hand back and licked her burned finger.
“You know better than that.” Maile grabbed the hand and shoved it under the cold water faucet, a move she’d done often when growing up Sara and the Everrett girls would help in the family kitchen.
Rabb, the family’s beloved German shepherd, stood at his master’s feet. Any other dog would have been waiting for a dropped treat, but Sara knew as well as anyone else in the kitchen, that the astute dog was more concerned for Maile’s safety. As soon as the animal was convinced that Maile’s mad dash across the house and Sara’s hand under running water was not a major, or even minor, crisis, he plopped to the ground from the corner of the room where he could oversee all the happenings.
The front door flew open and now the sweet chaos of the Everrett family was about to truly begin. Billy, the oldest child and only son, came through the door carrying their two year old son Edward, Eddie, named after the Everrett family patriarch who passed years ago from an unexpected heart attack. His wife Angela had their daughter Isabella by the hand.
The four year old easily dragged her mother toward the kitchen. “Hurry, Mommy, cookie time.”
On their tails, Nick Harper, who might has well have been an Everrett considering how close, like Sara, he’d been to the Everrett brood, ushered his own family—Maile’s almost grandchildren—through the doorway.
Within minutes the kitchen was filled with giggling children and their parents all talking at the same time. Sara had to smile. Only once had she missed the annual Christmas cookie baking day at the Everrett household, and that was because she’d been confined to bed with strep throat. The memory broadened her smile. When she’d fully recovered she’d had Maile Everrett all to herself one afternoon after school and baked the best looking Santa and reindeer cookies ever. It hadn’t been the same as the loving chaos of the whole family baking on that special day, but Maile had made it special for her nonetheless.
Even though Sara had wonderful loving parents, she always felt doubly blessed to have the Everretts as a second set of parents. Except of course for the matchmaking thing. Sara had spent the last six years trying to explain to her mother and her mother’s best friend that she could find her own man—when she was ready. Whether the two women doubted her ability to find a man or if she’d ever be ready, was a mystery to her. Especially since with the best of intentions, those two had tried to hook her up in one way or another with pretty much any breathing male old enough to order a beer for more years than she cared to think about.
“You doing okay?” Emily Everrett, her dearest friend since they’d met the first day of preschool and their mothers had become as fast friends as she and Emily, smiled at her. Ever since Emily turned thirty and she and Doug decided that it was time to start a family, Emily seemed to be more worried about Sara’s biological clock than Sara. After all, she still had a few months until her own thirtieth birthday and in this day and age, thirty wasn’t all that old for starting a family.
“You know I love cookie baking day.” Sara smiled at Emily.
“I do.” Her friend’s eyes were filled with love, friendship, and, Sara feared, just a bit of pity.
“Don’t you start turning into my mothers.”
“Me?” Emily’s eyes doubled in size. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. Yet.” The minute Emily discovered she and Doug were having a baby, she’d tried to set Sara up with one of dive shop customers who’d been getting certified to scuba dive. The guy had been nice enough, and handsome enough, but it hadn’t taken long to figure out he had more interest in the fish than in women. Especially her.
“What are you two doing out here?” Apron tied around her waist, hands on her hips, Maile stood at the kitchen threshold. “It’s time to mix the dough.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Emily saluted, even though unlike her brother and most of his buddies, she’d never been in the military.
As Sara passed by her friend’s mother, Maile reached for hand and leaned in almost conspiratorially. Sara braced herself. She’d seen that look on Maile and her mother’s faces too many times.
Lowering her voice, Maile glanced back into the kitchen as if worried someone would over hear her sharing state secrets, “Emily tells me there’s a new teacher at the high school.”
Sara nodded cautiously.
“He’s not married.”
And here they went again. Why did Christmas have to heighten everyone’s interest in finding Sara a man? Maybe it was time she tried in earnest to find a man on her own. Too bad she couldn’t ask Santa.
* * * *
This was it. Terminal leave. Three months paid vacation, and then Senior Chief SEAL Kenny Yates, a respected and battle tested leader, would officially be a civilian. “Mr. Yates.” Kenny let the words roll around on his tongue. Granted, he’d been called that often enough in the real world, but no one would be addressing him as Chief—ever. He wouldn’t be leading any more teams, and he wouldn’t be doing any more battles. At least not the life or death kind.
The wheels of the commercial jet touched down on the Kona runway. For the first time since his paperwork for intent to separate was approved by the chain of command, he felt at ease. Kona had a way of doing that. Though he suspected without the warmth of the Everrett family and his former Navy buddies now working at the dive shop, Kona would be just another beach.
At the last United States airport where passengers descended the stairs to an open tarmac from a commercial jet, he got his first breath of Hawaiian retirement standing in the open doorway. Just a little bit longer and he’d unpack his carryon at the hotel. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. He’d decided at the last minute to book a room at the swankiest resort on the island. Normally, he’d stay with Billy when he came to the Big Island, but this time, he wanted just a few days to get his bearings. He’d told his friend of many years that he’d be arriving today, and would reach out tomorrow. After an hour of back and forth debate over whether or not he should save his money and go straight to Billy and Angela’s house, Billy finally caved and agreed a few days of posh pampering might not be such a bad thing. He hoped his friend was right.
Making a b-line for the taxis, with in minutes of landing, he was pulling up to the Kings Resort. Though the resort was originally named after the famed, King Kamehameha, it wasn’t long before the powers that be figured out the simpler name, King, was much easier for tourists and travel agents to manage. Still, the statue of the Hawaiian leader in yellow and red greeted him by the front drive. He just wished he’d felt a bit more like home. Maybe once he figured out where he was going to live he’d feel more settled. Despite having had months to think about where to drop anchor, he hadn’t been able to decide if he should to stay on the island, or go back stateside to where he grew up. He might not have any family left in his home town, but he still had friends and memories. And yet, much of the time, Kona felt more like home even if he hadn’t lived here as a kid. Which probably explained why he was having such a hard time making up his mind. Bottom line, he simply wasn’t ready to make that decision. Not yet.
“Mr. Yates. Welcome.” The pretty little brunette behind the check in counter smiled up at him. “We have you in the luau suite.”
“Suite?”
Her gaze lifted from the keyboard. “Yes, sir. You’ve been upgraded.”
Not being a member of any loyalty programs, he had no clue how this had come to happen.
His prolonged silence must have spoken volumes of what was on his mind because the brunette smiled a little wild. “Our manager is former Navy. I believe someone mentioned that you’re retiring.” She blinked. “Thank you for your service.”
As he always did when someone approached him to thank him for doing his job, he nodded and smiled back. Taking the keycard and room number, he tapped his toe behind him and did a perfect military turn. That was one habit he was going to have to work on breaking.
No sooner had he closed the door behind him then his phone buzzed. A text from Billy. Did Mom’s gift arrive.
Kenny scanned the room, but it only took a second to find what Billy most likely referred to. A massive plate of homemade Christmas cookies. His cheeks tugged hard at the corners of his mouth. There were few things in this world as delicious as Maile Everrett’s homemade holiday cookies. He suspected that the love in that family had to be the secret ingredient.
Phone in hand, he shoved one in his mouth and began to tap out a response. Shortbread. My favorite. Tell her thank you.
Tell her yourself. You’re expected for dinner tomorrow night.
Of course he was. Laughing to himself, he tapped at the phone again. Wouldn’t miss it.
Already he felt a thousand times better than he had when he’d gotten on the flight from Honolulu. Shoving the curtains open, he took in the expansive view. Nice thing about being in the Navy was that most bases were somewhere near an ocean. Even though he’d grown up in suburbia, he’d always felt most at home near a body of water.
The low moonlight shone on the rippling waves. So very peaceful. For the first time since deciding to separate from Uncle Sam’s Navy, he was going to simply enjoy the view. He wasn’t going to think about what came next, or if he’d made the right decision, or if he’d simply lost his mind. Sliding the room card into his wallet, he cranked the window open just enough for a breeze and turned to find the rooftop bar. Figuring out the rest of his life could wait another day.
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