Page 11 of A Very Grumpy Navy SEAL

He squints at me like I’ve asked him to donate a kidney.“You know how to fix a leaky pipe?”

“Um...I could learn?”I offer weakly.

He chuckles, not unkindly, and shakes his head.“No openings right now, sweetheart.Sorry.”

“No worries.Thanks anyway.”I back out of the store with Koa on my heels.

“That’s six now,” I mutter as we continue along the sidewalk.My feet are aching from the cheap flats I threw on this morning, and the sun is beating down on my head like it has a personal vendetta.

“Seven, if you count that weird vape shop.”

“You mean the one you wouldn’t let me go into?”

“You can’t work in a place like that,” he says with a dark scowl.

I roll my eyes.“If they pay me, then yeah, I can work in a place like that.”

“No,” he says sternly.

We keep walking, hitting another cafe, a bookstore, and a gift shop that sells handmade soaps and crystals.No one is hiring.Or at least not hiring someone like me—a recently laid-off data analyst with no retail experience and no references in town.

“Hey, what do you say we grab lunch?My treat,” Koa suggests as we near the burger place Cameron told me about yesterday.

My stomach answers before I can.Loudly.My face heats with a blush.

He smirks.“I’ll take that as a yes.”

The diner-style burger joint is cool and shaded, with red booths and checkered floors.We grab a booth near the back, and I slide into the seat with a grateful groan.

“Hey, there.What can I get you?”asks a frenzied server.

I’m not surprised she’s frazzled—this place is packed.

I grab the menu and quickly scan it.“Double cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake,” I order without shame.

"Same," Koa says.

While we wait for our food, I try not to stare at him, but it’s hard not to.His broad shoulders stretch the fabric of his black T-shirt, and his forearms—good Lord, his forearms—are distractingly veiny and muscular.He’s relaxed now, lounging against the booth like he’s got all the time in the world.I envy that.

“Are you always this helpful?”I ask casually.

He shrugs.“Only when my best friend’s little sister is in crisis.”

My stomach flips at the way he says it.No teasing.No pity, either.Just a steady, calm energy that makes me feel safe even though everything else in my life is chaos.

Hope sparks, but then I replay his words.

Best friend’s little sister.That’s all I am to him.I need to remember that,I remind myself.

Our food arrives, and for a few minutes, the only sounds are happy chewing and the occasional moan of appreciation.

"This is so good," I groan, licking melted cheese off my thumb.“If I weren’t broke, I’d eat here every day.”

“Maybe they’re hiring,” Koa suggests, eyes locked on my mouth.

“Oh!That’s a good idea.I should ask.”

I look around for our server and spot her heading out the back.I turn back to my food, noticing that Koa’s gaze is still on me.I swallow hard when I notice the heat in his eyes as they drop to my mouth.My cheeks warm, and I quickly reach for my milkshake to cool down.

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