Page 2 of A Very Grumpy Navy SEAL

“No, I was supposed to move here, but my rental property burned down.”

Her eyes widen.“The old Miller property out on Oakland Street?”

I nod.“That’s the one.”

“I heard about that.There was a storm a few weeks ago, and it was hit by lightning.Torched the place,” she tells me.

“Yeah, I wish I’d known before I moved here.”

“Shit, yeah.Sorry, that sucks.”

“Thanks.You wouldn’t happen to know about any other rental properties around here, would you?”

“I don’t, sorry.You might be able to find a roommate, though.I can ask around if you want?”

“That would be great!”I say gratefully.“I’m Lula, by the way.”

We shake hands, and she whips out her cell phone.“What’s your number?I can text you if I hear anything.Maybe we can grab a drink sometime?”

“That would be awesome,” I say sincerely, giving her my number.

The door opens, and Cameron goes to greet the new customers, leaving me with my list and the menu.I sip my coffee as I scan the menu, choosing a burger and fries.Cameron returns to take my order, and I tackle my to-do list while I wait for my food.

I spend the next hour picking at my food and arguing with my landlord about the fire, demanding a refund for my deposit and first month’s rent.After that, I lose myself in a rabbit hole of real estate listings, scouring every rental site I can find.Nothing’s available.Nothing I can afford, anyway.

Ledger calls as I’m paying my bill, and I send it to voicemail, making a mental note to call him back in a bit.We’ve been missing each other’s calls a lot lately.It seems like I call him one day, and he calls me back a few days later when I’m busy or asleep.Then, the cycle repeats.It can be like that between us, but we’ve never gone this long without connecting.

It sucks.I miss him.He’s the only family I have left, and we live thousands of miles apart.Half of the time, we’re not even on the same continent or in the same time zone.It’s been almost a year since we’ve seen each other in person.I hate it.

I check my emails as I wait for Cameron to return with my card, and my stomach drops when I see the message from my work.The one with the subject line: “Layoffs.”

“Shit.Can today get any worse?”I mutter, my heart racing as I click on the message and start to read.

We regret to inform you that you’ve been laid off.

Tears well in my eyes.What a fucking day.I blink them away quickly when Cameron returns.

“Here you are,” she says, passing me my card.“I’ll talk to you soon, okay?Let me know if you want to grab that drink.”

“I will,” I promise as I gather my things to leave.

Fuck, now what am I going to do?I need a job.I need money.

I’m starting to panic as I walk to the exit.I’m not paying attention, so I don’t see the man walking in as I head out, and I run right into him.

“Oomph!”I grunt, my nose bouncing off a hard chest.

Strong hands grab my elbows as I stumble, and I shiver in the solid hold.

“Easy, bunny,” a deep voice says.

My head snaps up, and my mouth drops open as I stare at the man holding me.Holy crap, he’s gorgeous.Strong jawline, thick black hair falling over his forehead, and piercing green eyes that pin me in place.His grip on me tightens, and his eyes dart to my mouth as I lick my suddenly dry lips.

For the first time today, I think my luck is starting to turn.

TWO

Koa

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