by Robyn Neeley
Once in the lobby, the concierge pointed her in the direction of the outside bar. She hurried through the courtyard, passing by an exquisite water fountain with a statue of a goddess figure in the middle. She wondered what her story was. No time to stop for a history lesson.
Her heels clicked on the cement as she followed soft white and blue tiki lights that paved the way to the bar. Apparently, it was the place to be as several hotel stayers congregated around its square island.
As she got closer, her heels begin to sink. She looked down to see soft white sand. The bar was literally on the beach. She should have grabbed her flats. There was no way she was going to take her heels off and risk stepping on something sharp. Waddling up to the bar, she scanned the crowd.
She didn’t see Luke right away. Perhaps he had given up and gone to his room. Could she blame him?
“Kate. Over here.” She glanced over to see Luke sitting on the other side. How could she have missed him? He looked incredibly handsome in a dark blue button-down shirt.
She waved and made her way over. When he rose to greet her, she saw he was wearing his same dark jeans from earlier. He filled them out well.
She caught her breath for a second. His blue eyes were warm and inviting. He was looking at her the way Drew had before they kissed.
“Hi.” She slid into an empty stool next to him, tucking her purse beside her.
“Hi.” He smiled. “You’re — ”
“Late. I’m so sorry, Luke. I got caught up on e-mails and didn’t realize the time.”
“I was going to say stunning.”
Her cheeks warmed, and she smoothed her dress. “You already told me I looked nice earlier, remember?”
He grinned. “It bears repeating.”
And now her cheeks had reached fire level. Oh, boy. She was in trouble.
After a few minutes of chitchat, they decided to share a selection of appetizers. Kate marveled how easy the conversation flowed between them. Over the next two hours, they compared living in Los Angeles to New York, talked about their favorite vacation spots and their beloved sports teams. It was as if they had known each other forever. Luke was incredibly funny; Kate couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so much.
Luke dipped a coconut shrimp into its accompanying pineapple-cilantro dip and handed it to her. “Last one.”
“Are you sure?” She loved the sauce and had eaten more than her share of the shrimp.
“Positive.”
She took it and popped it into her mouth. “Okay, it’s my turn to ask a question.” She dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “So if you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have three things what would they be?”
“That’s easy. I’d never allow myself to be stranded in the first place. Next question.”
She smirked. He’s probably right. He seemed to be the type that wouldn’t let himself get into any unplanned situation. “Not so fast. Say your boat capsized and you only had time to grab three things before it sunk.”
“Oh, well, in that likely scenario … ” He grinned. “Let me think.”
“I know what I would take.”
“What?”
“My cats, Sydney and Carly.”
“That’s only two.”
“Maybe Miles. I’m sure he could do wonders with coconuts and bananas. He makes these really great juices for the office.”
He laughed. “So you would take two cats and your gay assistant. Hmmm.”
She nodded. “Yep, exactly those three.” Although, she was tempted to chuck Miles off the boat and replace him with her current companion. It was too early to tell Luke that.
“Sounds like you’ll have fun.”
“Come on, Luke. Stop avoiding the question. What can’t you absolutely live without?”
His eyes locked with hers and then he looked away.
Oh, no. She’d done it again. He had that uncomfortable look on his face. The same expression he gave at lunch when Drew had suggested that they hang out together. She followed his gaze toward the ocean. It was too dark to see the water, but the lights from the hotel created a silhouette on the sand. “I bet it’s beautiful out there.”
“I bet you’re right.” Luke pushed off his stool. “Care to join me for a walk?”
“Now?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
“But it’s dark.”
He offered his hand. “Where’s your sense of adventure, Kate Ashby?”
She glanced down at his nonverbal invitation. “Apparently out there with you.” She slipped her hand in his and he helped her up.
They ordered two coconut rum drinks to go and began to walk. The waves were gently crashing into the beach, making a rhythmic, soothing sound. They walked in silence, coming up on a couple snuggling next to a fire.
The man called out. “Hey, do you guys want to hang here?”
Luke put his hand on Kate’s back. “No, we’re good.” He ushered her past them.
“Are you sure? My wife’s not feeling well. I’d hate for it to go to waste. We just built it.”
Luke looked at Kate. “Care to rest?”
“Okay.” She sipped her drink, wishing his hand was still on her back. What were the odds that they’d stumble onto a beach fire pit? Did they just step into a scene in a romance novel?
The couple thanked them and left. Luke sat down and began to pick the fire with a stick.
Kate plopped down beside him, bringing her knees underneath her. The hot flames felt nice against the ocean breeze. She giggled.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She laughed again.
“Okay, spit it out.”
There was no way she was going to share that she felt they had stepped into a romantic story. “Nothing.” She rubbed her hand along the sand. “Can we stay here forever?”
“Just the two of us?”
“Sure.” She could feel her cheeks warm again and couldn’t completely attribute it to the fire. “And Miles. He goes where I go, remember?”
“Oh, well forget it then.” He laughed but then grew serious. “Kate, I’m really glad you’re planning my brother’s wedding.”
“Me, too,” she said softly. Maybe it was the flames bouncing off his face, but Luke was incredibly sexy. She knew he was a spitting image of Drew, but there was something about him that was different than his brother. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it but there was something about Luke that drew her to him. She was feeling like the winged insect in this moth-to-flame scenario.
Did she really just refer to herself as an insect? This subject needed to be changed and fast. “You know, at first, I thought it was somewhat ridiculous how Lauren and Drew met.”
“On spring break?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded. “It does sound kind of silly, doesn’t it? But you know, Lauren’s been with my brother through thick and thin. The Lauren you saw this afternoon, that’s not who she really is.”
“I know. She was just having a good time.”
“The Kincaids have been really good to Drew. They’ve helped our family.”
“That’s what Drew said,” Kate agreed.
“He did? When?”
“Earlier today. On our way to the airport to pick you up. He told me that it was Lauren’s mom who helped your dad realize he needed to stop grieving over your mom and start living his life.”
Luke straightened and silently grabbed a handful of sand, letting it sift through his fingers.
Oh, Kate. Why can’t you keep your mouth shut? She had clearly said the wrong thing. How many times was that? Two? Three? She had lost count. “I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t mean to bring up your mother again.”
“It’s okay.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s terribly insensitive of me.”
“Kate.” He reached over and touched her hand, letting it linger for a few seconds. She could feel tiny sand grains still on his fingers. “It’s fine.”
“I really have a chro
nic condition of foot in mouth disease.”
“No. Drew’s absolutely right. Aubrey did help my dad release years of sadness he had bottled up inside. He’s a different person now. She had a lot to do with it.” He paused and retracted his hand. “Anyways … what were we talking about?”
Kate studied him. This man in front of her clearly still hurt, too. She sensed much more sadness coming from Luke when talking about his mom and dad than Drew had shown earlier. She suspected Luke held his own bottle of grief tightly close to him. Perhaps Drew was able to deal with their loss better because of his relationship with Lauren. Who did Luke have?
She swung her legs from underneath her, bringing them toward her chest. It was time to lighten the mood or at least try to. Grabbing a twig, she tossed it into the fire and watched it ignite. “So how exactly did Drew propose to Lauren?”
Luke chuckled. “You don’t want to know.” He slid back and propped himself up on his elbows.
“Sure I do.” She laughed, digging her toes into the cold sand. “Trust me. It helps my job if I know where the bride and groom started on their road to wedding bliss.”
“Well in that case, Drew proposed — ”
“Wait!” Kate pushed her hand in front of him. “Stop. Let me guess. He did something cliché, like used the Jumbotron at a Lakers game during half-time?”
“Close. Airplane banner over Santa Monica Beach.”
“Ah … of course. That fits them.” She leaned back on her elbows. “I’ve heard it all when it comes to proposals but the over-the-top tried and true ones always win.”
“What’s the craziest wedding proposal you’ve ever heard?”
“Hmmm … one groom proposed to his girlfriend at a cemetery at midnight.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. He said that he wanted to ask her at the place where their love would live on for all eternity.”
“Sounds — ”
“Creepy. I know. They were actually a cute couple.” She turned to face him. It didn’t escape her that his sexy, full lips were a short few kissable inches from hers. “What about you, Luke?”
“What about me?”
“How would you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Propose.”
“Oh … Well, I’ve never been in that situation, but I think I’d want to recreate the first time we met.” He smiled. “It would be the exact same time and place.”
“Really? What if you met at some place unromantic like a grocery store or a gas station?”
“Those are perfect places. She would never expect it. Complete surprise.”
“Maybe.” She dug her toes further into the sand. “So if you were to propose to me, it would be at the Honolulu airport outside of baggage claim?”
“What?” He sat up and looked back at her.
There it was again. That uncomfortable look on his face but times ten. She’d crossed a line. “You know. Where we first met.” She pulled herself up. “I’m just joking.”
“I knew that.” He poked the fire, not saying another word.
Reaching for her high heels, Kate stood and brushed the sand off her dress and legs. It was best if she ended this awkward moment. She could blame it on the alcohol tomorrow. “We should probably call it a night. We’ve got your brother’s wedding to plan.”
He jumped up. “Yeah, a good night’s sleep might be what we both need.”
Kate crossed her arms and watched Luke as he put out the fire. If only he knew that there was another fire currently taking place inside her that needed some serious dousing.
First Drew; now Luke? She wasn’t sure which twin she wanted more but one thing was for sure — her heart was headed for serious trouble.
Chapter Eleven
“I don’t care if it’s dormant. We are not having your brother’s wedding there.” Kate shook her head. Luke and she had returned from the East Maui Volcano at Haleakala National Park and were walking along the beach boardwalk near their hotel.
“Come on, Kate.” Luke waved his hands in the air. “Picture this. Just before Drew says I do, the volcano begins to erupt.”
“Ha, ha. Not going to happen.”
“I’m sure Drew would love it.”
“And Lauren would kill me.” She laughed. “It’s a lovely backdrop, but no. With my luck it would erupt.”
He smiled. “All right. You win. How about some ice cream?” He pointed to a vendor.
“I can’t turn down free ice cream.”
“Who says yours is free?”
Luke stepped up to the vendor and ordered. She took the opportunity to steal a glance at him. In a light blue polo and khakis, he looked so handsome.
Her perfect escort for the day. Annie had called earlier apologizing for having to cancel their visit to the private cove until tomorrow. That was fine by Kate. She arranged for Luke to get his tux measurements at a tuxedo shop suggested by Annie. She wasn’t going to lie. Seeing Luke fill out a tux had been the absolute best part of her day.
After that, they had toured the island visiting Plan B venues should the private cove not be to her liking.
It had been such a great day. She didn’t want it to end. Luke was fun to be around and easy to talk to. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her. Kate never felt so relaxed around a guy who she was attracted to.
Attracted to — that was an understatement. Not only was Luke good-looking, but they had many things in common. It was at lunch, while they wolfed down fantastic Hawaiian burgers dripped in pineapple sauce, she realized just how similar they were. Both of them were passionate about their careers, enjoyed traveling to new places, and loved animals. They both also felt a certain amount of responsibility for the happiness of their single parents.
He strolled back and handed her an ice cream cone. “I hope you like mango.”
“My favorite.” She laughed and licked the cone. She wasn’t lying. It really was her favorite.
“Let’s go sit over there.” He grabbed her hand and led her across the street to a park bench overlooking the beach. His touch sent an electric shock through her. Her heart was a goner.
She licked her ice cream. The creamy mango flavor melted on her tongue. “Yum. I could get used to this.”
“Me, too.” He smiled. “I had a great time today.”
“Me, too.” Her heart pounding heavily inside her chest indicated it agreed as well.
“So tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow the private cove. Cross your fingers it’s the one.”
“I’m still rooting for the volcano.”
She winkled her nose. “Not going to happen. Volcano ash doesn’t look good on a white dress.”
He touched her arm. “I’ll leave the decision to the expert. From what I’ve heard she’s quite good.”
She bit down on her cone. Her face had to be bright red. “So tomorrow should be fun. Looking at the beach cove.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Janet pretty much assured me that this would be the place. It looked amazing from the pictures she e-mailed me.”
“So we’re only seeing one spot?”
“Looks that way.”
“Then let’s make sure we wear our bathing suits underneath our clothes. I’m dying to try out that ocean.”
“I’m game.” A chill ran up her spine. She might like to try out another recreational activity with a half-naked Luke.
“So any plans for tonight?” He handed her his napkin.
“Thank you. How about some hula dancing? It is Hawaii and I’m quite good.”
“I know.” He laughed.
She raised her eyebrow. “How would you know?”
“Know what?”
“You just said you knew how I hula. When did you see me?”
“I meant I assumed you’d be good at it. Aren’t all women?”
He looked like he’d been caught in a lie. Before she had a chance to dig, Luke’s cell phone rang. “Saved by the bell.” He stood and
answered it, walking a few steps from the bench.
Kate rested her gaze on his broad shoulders. This day had been perfect. Visiting venues, picking out his tux, laughing over a long lingering lunch, it had been almost too good to be true. She hoped it ended with an amazing repeat of last night, maybe another romantic beach fire. This time she wouldn’t let him end it abruptly.
Luke turned around, completely catching her eyes in the act. Busted for checking him out, she turned away.
“I have some bad news.”
“Oh, no. What? Are Drew and Lauren okay?”
“They’re fine. Unfortunately, no hula dancing tonight. Looks like I’ll be working.”
“That’s okay.” She knew another evening alone with Luke was too good to be true. It was probably for the better. She could Skype with Miles and get her own work done.
“Maybe another night when I return?”
She had a cute idea and fished a black sharpie out of her purse. “Be right back.”
“Where are you going?” he called out.
Kate flashed a smile behind her and skipped onto the beach. Within seconds, she found what she needed. Picking up the seashell, she flipped it over and scribbled on it. Returning to the bench, she handed the seashell to Luke and sat back down.
“Rain check,” he read and smiled.
She knew she was blushing by the heat now flaming her cheeks. “Just so you don’t forget.”
“Not a chance.” He stood and put the shell in his pocket, taking their trash to a nearby can. A Jack Russell Terrier barreled up to him, nearly knocking him over.
Kate smiled. One thing was certain — she no longer had impure thoughts about Drew.
She watched as he bent down and petted the rambunctious dog. No, her thoughts were definitely no longer on Drew.
She frowned. Would Luke have accepted her rain check if he knew she made out with his brother?
Chapter Twelve
Luke took off his sunglasses and admired the Maui coastline. Kate and he had arrived to the private cove that opened up to a secluded stretch of pristine white sand and blue ocean. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
His eyes rested on Kate. Second most. He watched as she greeted the woman they were meeting to view the ceremony space. Kate had on her infamous green dress with the side zipper. Her nude heels were in her hand. Grinning, he thought back to her standing outside his hotel door with the dress unzipped. That had been quite an arousing site.
