by Taylor Hart
Ty studied his shoes. “I won the Idaho state lottery a few months ago,” he said softly. “Maybe that’s where you heard of me.”
Holland did not normally keep tabs on the lottery, but now that he’d triggered her memory, she recalled seeing a picture of him, standing in front of a splashy background holding one of those ridiculous, oversized checks. And the check had been for—
Holland gaped at Ty. That’s why she remembered, the lottery had been for a huge amount; the whole country had gone crazy with people flying into Idaho specifically to buy tickets in the days before the drawing. “That was over a billion dollars,” she finally said.
“Yes ma’am,” Ty flushed. “One point two billion.”
Holland sat back in her chair with a thump. Billion ... with a “B.”
“S—so why are you here?” she managed.
“Well, I’ve started a non-profit group that’s dedicated to land conservation in Idaho,” Ty explained. “There’s a lot of development going on, and not all of it’s good. So I got invited to LA to do some TV interviews, and the first one, this morning, didn’t go so well. A guy at the studio gave me your number.”
Oh. They were back on familiar territory. Holland’s experienced eye took in Ty’s casual shirt, beat up shoes, off-brand jeans ... he could definitely use some polish.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Misty broke in. Her blue eyes flashed a challenge at Holland. “I mean, he needs to be himself, right?”
“That’s true,” Holland said carefully. “But I’m sure you know how important first impressions can be, especially on TV.”
“The studio guy recommended we hire an actor to do the rest of the interviews and call it good,” Misty said. “And that’s what I think. Why should Ty put himself through all this just for a five minute interview?”
“Because it’s my company,” Ty told her in a tone that meant they’d obviously discussed this already.
“Plus you have a great angle,” Holland put in. “As the lottery winner, people are going to want to see you, not just some representative, no matter how good he or she might be.”
“I was afraid you’d say that,” Ty said with a sigh. He raised and lowered his shoulders in resignation. “So, how do we start?”
“Don’t you want to see my portfolio, maybe call my references?” Holland asked.
Ty shook his head. “You’re a pretty lady who looks well put together. That’s good enough for me.”
Holland blushed. She never blushed. Why did his soft drawl feel like a warm blanket?
“Thanks,” she cleared her throat and tapped her tablet to bring up her calendar. “When is your next interview?”
Ty pulled a smartphone from his pocket and maneuvered through the icons to get to his own calendar. “Monday.”
“This Monday? As in four days?”
“Uh ... yeah. Is that going to be a problem?”
She wasn’t that busy and he wasn’t that rough. Yeah, kind of disheveled and definitely in need of some new clothes, but he was clean and looked fit. He wasn’t one of those clients where a personal trainer and a trip to the dentist were her top priorities.
“Well, how about we have a brief interview now so I can get to know you, then I can spend the rest of today working on a strategy?” she suggested.
ALSO COMING SOON FROM GELATO BOOKS
Hawaiian Masquerade
Excerpt
Lexi stared at the tube of cadmium red oil paint hanging from the shelf, remembering how expensive that color had seemed in college. She grabbed the tube and quickly selected ten additional tubes in a rainbow of colors. The shopping cart wheel squeaked as she grabbed the oil painting supplies she needed to take the first step on a new path in life. The squeaking wheel sounded like the trepidation crawling up her spine trying to tell her she was nuts for leaving behind a life that most people claimed they wanted. But Lexi knew something that most people didn’t. Millions and millions of dollars did not create a wellspring of happiness. Cold hard cash was, in fact, cold and hard.
Kauai was not cold. The brilliant sunshine and perfumed air were available free to anyone on the island. Every roadway was drenched in color from vibrant greens to bright pinks and accented with the red dirt indicative of Kauai. Lexi studied the brushes available and chose a nice long-handled round brush that would help her recreate the beautiful landscapes of the island. She decided to add a beginner set of brushes as well. Now if she could find a few canvasses, she would be ready to paint on the beach outside her home. She turned the corner down another aisle and saw a display of white rectangles and squares. They were wrapped in plastic, but Lexi ran her finger along the edge, remembering the rough feel of a blank canvas and the possibility it represented.
The sounds of a toddler crying snapped her out of her musings. She steered her cart around a stack of 12x18-inch canvases and found the source of the crying. The little girl couldn’t have been more than two years old, tiny with fine black hair pulled back in pigtails. Her red hibiscus print dress set off her dark caramel skin and even though her wail intensified, Lexi found herself admiring the pretty Polynesian girl. That’s when she noticed that the toddler was alone. Lexi glanced around, but this area of the store was empty. She stepped forward carefully and crouched in front of the girl.
“Sweetie, are you lost?” As soon as the words left her mouth, the little girl held out her arms and reached for Lexi. She sniffled, melting Lexi’s heart as she carefully picked up the child. She looked down the aisle, hoping to see the little girl’s mother, but at the same time afraid that the mother would think her daughter was being kidnapped. Lexi patted the girl’s back, and she snuggled in closer creating a surprising lump in her throat. The crying ceased and Lexi was determined to help her.
Turning slowly to scan the store again, she saw a man with dark hair, a chiseled jawline, and a worried crease in his forehead. He was tall with golden brown skin and wore a green tank top that showed off his finely sculpted biceps. Something shifted in Lexi’s heart. It thumped hard twice, and she felt blood rising to her cheeks. The man stared back at her, his face open, revealing an arc of emotions as he took in the little girl and Lexi—wonder, admiration, curiosity, and something else she couldn’t define.
She stepped forward, eyebrows raised in question, “Is she yours?”
His dark hair was spiked on top and close-shaven on the sides. He sported a bit of scruff that Lexi could only describe as sexy. One side of his mouth lifted and he shook his head. “No, is she lost?”
“Yes, she was crying right over here, and I’ve stayed put for a minute hoping her mom would show up looking for her.”
He turned around in a slow circle, repeating the search Lexi had undertaken moments before. “I can help you find her parents. This store isn’t that big. Maybe they haven’t missed her yet.”
Lexi felt her brow furrow in protest before reining in her emotions, but she wanted to disagree. It had been at least three minutes since she’d heard the toddler’s cries, and five minutes was like an eternity in a child’s world—surely it would feel just as long for a frantic parent searching for her child. She gently patted the girl’s back. “It’s okay sweetie, I know what it feels like to be lost,” she murmured. Then she realized that the man was standing close enough to hear her. She straightened and spoke louder, “We’ll help you.”
The man pointed to the other side of the store. “I’ll go this way, you go that way?”
“That’s a good idea.” Lexi smiled, and her stomach flipped when the man returned her smile. The little girl moved her head, quiet and warm in Lexi’s arms. The man walked quickly across the store, and Lexi went in the other direction. There was only one other shopper, an old man with a handful of charcoal and sketch pads. Lexi smiled at him, and he winked at her and the little girl, “Beautiful kaikamahine.”
Lexi nodded, appreciating the melodic Hawaiian language. The man saw them as a mother and daughter, which was a stretch with Lexi’s fair skin, blonde hair, and green
eyes. She held the child close. They were two lost souls trying to find something to keep them safe. Lexi was certain she’d find the little girl’s mother, but what did Lexi need to find to keep her safe?
“Here she is,” someone said from behind Lexi. She turned around and saw that the dark-haired man was leading an Asian woman with long dark hair toward her. “Safe and sound.”
“Keilani! Oh baby,” the woman said. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
The little girl immediately sat up and reached her arms out. She started to cry for a few seconds, but then she snuggled into her mother, clutching a handful of her light cotton shirt.
“Mahalo. Oh, thank you so much for finding my baby,” the woman gushed.
“She’s a sweetheart,” Lexi said. “She wanted me to hold her, and that seemed to help while we looked for you.”
“One minute she was there and then she was gone. You know how kids are.” The woman patted her daughter’s back. “Keilani, say thank you to the beautiful lady who found you,” the woman said, looking down at her daughter with a smile.
The toddler looked at Lexi and held her hand out moving it back and forth. Then she giggled and blew Lexi a kiss.
Lexi pretended to catch the kiss in the air and patted her cheek. “Thank you, Keilani. Have fun shopping.”
She waved at the little girl then let her hand drop to her side. That’s when she noticed the man who had helped her standing quietly next to the end cap of paintbrushes on aisle seven. “You really get the credit for finding her,” Lexi said. “Thanks for hunting down the lost mother.”
He grinned. “Glad to help out a tourist when I can.”
“But I’m not a tourist,” Lexi replied. “I just moved here.”
One eyebrow lifted, and Lexi noticed a different look in his brown eyes, as if he were seeing her for the first time. He held out his hand. “That’s great news. Welcome to Kauai. I’m Derek Mitchell.”
They shook hands, and sparks of light flew up her arm. When they broke contact, she immediately craved his touch again. What was happening to her? The first hot guy to shake her hand had her thinking of moonlight walks on the beach and kisses in the sand. She decided that she was smitten with the idea of this Hawaiian guy. She needed a can of macadamia nuts and a long bath, not a man. Still she smiled broadly and returned the introduction. “I’m Lexi Burke, no longer from Chicago.”
Derek wrinkled his nose. “Man, that place is cold. Good choice coming here in March. The weather will only get better from now until October.”
“I’m counting on it,” Lexi replied.
“Are you an artist?” Derek asked, motioning to the growing stack of supplies in Lexi’s cart that she’d left in the middle of the aisle.
“I wish.” Lexi laughed. “Maybe in a different lifetime—or maybe now. I love art and I need to refocus some of my energy. Drawing and painting used to be a passion of mine before the nine-to-five killed it.”
Derek nodded. “I get that. The good thing about this place is it unwinds all that tension, and creativity leaks out from everywhere.” He tipped his head to the side. “Since you’re new, I’ll let you in on a secret. Drive over to Hanapepe on Friday nights for the local art night, and you’ll see what I mean.”
“Hmm, I may just do that.” Lexi gave Derek her canned response to every invite from the male species. And then she realized that he was being friendly and didn’t expect a commitment. He was too good-looking though with that bronzed skin and his relaxed stance that seemed to say, I don’t have any idea what my looks do to your pulse-rate. Yep. Derek was on her list of things not to encounter in Kauai. Her fingertips drummed along the handle of her shopping cart trying to keep up with her racing heart. It was time to make a quick exit. “Thanks again for your help. Maybe I’ll see you around the island sometime.”
“Good luck with the painting.” Derek lifted one hand and let it fall. She noticed a stack of frames tucked under his arm.
After Lexi checked out and packed up her supplies, she wished she hadn’t been so skittish around Derek. She hadn’t even reciprocated his question about being an artist. He’d spoken about creativity, and judging by the major clues that he was picking up art supplies and knew about the Hanapepe street fair, he was probably an artist himself. Lexi felt chagrined that she hadn’t asked him anything. Then she felt chagrined that she was thinking about him again. Derek was just another piece of man candy Lexi didn’t want to taste. But he’d been so kind and genuine at the store. She shouldn’t be mean to him just because she carried a chip on her shoulder the size of the Sears Tower. She could give him the benefit of the doubt. Derek was quite possibly delicious on the inside too. So was the authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice Lexi was going to stop and pick up at Hee Fat General Store. Yes, ice covered in sugar sitting on top of a mountain of thick ice cream would definitely do the trick to keep Lexi’s mind from wandering into dangerous territory.
***
That moment when Derek had walked out of the end of the aisle, three frames tucked under his arm, his mind occupied with how his photos would look with the design, had stayed with him all day. He’d heard the little girl crying, and then he saw the woman, Lexi, approach the dark-haired girl. Lexi’s straight blonde hair contrasted sharply with the girl’s dark skin. He remembered how it fell across her shoulders when she crouched down and asked the child if she needed help. The way the little girl had put her arms around Lexi’s neck made Derek wish for his camera. Lexi had hesitated only a second before embracing the tiny girl, gently holding her in her arms as she stood and surveyed the store. That was the first time she’d seen him, and her striking, jade-colored eyes had lit up with hope.
That Lexi thought the little girl could be his touched him in a way he’d never admit. His last relationship had ended with Carly telling him he was too self-absorbed and obsessed with photography to ever be a decent father. Derek shrugged away the thought and refocused on the episode from yesterday that kept running through his head. He’d probably never see Lexi again, but he could hope for a chance to photograph her stunning face or hear the musical quality of her sweet voice.
Derek ran his hands over the coarse sides of his hair. He needed to focus if he wanted to be prepared for art night in Hanapepe tonight. Why had he blurted out an invitation to Lexi for art night? Even if he told himself he wouldn’t think about her, he knew he’d probably spend the better part of the evening looking for her golden hair. And there he was, thinking about her again. Derek groaned. Focus dude! He’d been studying ideas on how to make a bigger splash at the street festival. He hadn’t done as well last week and wasn’t sure if he should continue, but he’d invested so much into his booth and producing the photos to sell he decided he’d give it two more weeks and see if he could break even on the venture.
It was more than just an art fair to Derek. He wanted to make things work in Kauai. He’d lived here for two years now, scraping by, working odd jobs and photographing on the side to pay the electric bill and keep from going hungry.
Even though he was only a quarter Hawaiian—Kauai was in his blood. His grandfather was born on this island and buried in the Kauai Veterans Cemetery on Lele Road, but Derek had only visited Kauai once. When he was in his teens and indulging in a rebellious streak, his parents sent him to the island to be straightened out by his grandpa’s old-fashioned ways. Derek’s life had been different since then and in a way, he’d spent the rest of his life trying to make it back to the island full of so many beautiful secrets. Derek knew he could work the rest of his life and barely scratch the surface of the possibilities for his photography business. It brought him a joy that was hard to explain. Now if only someone else would find joy in his work so that he could afford to continue his dream.
He dusted off the set of picture frames housing some of his best pieces. Tonight he would find an opportunity that would change things. Derek wasn’t ready to give up on his dream to shoot photos full-time. His grandpa, better known as Kuku, expected more of him than
that.
“Why so many thoughts, bro?” Pika asked, as he banged through the front door of Grandpa’s old house, unannounced as usual.
Derek rubbed his hand over his face. His friend was laid-back, but he always knew when something was eating at Derek. “Just thinking I don’t want to be chopping bamboo with a machete next week, ya know?”
Pika shook his head. “Money’s money, right?”
“I’d rather be shooting, catching the light in the lens.” Derek held up his thumb and index finger. “I feel like I’m this close. If I could just catch a break somehow.”
“Now that’s what we need to do. Surf,” Pika said. “That’s the only way I know to catch a break.”
Derek rolled his eyes. Pika was the epitome of Hawaiian culture. He was at peace with himself and life on the island. It was a gift that Derek wished he could indulge in, but they were wired differently. Derek wanted to climb the mountain and conquer the world, and Pika was content to chop coconuts in the shade at the base of that mountain. Pika’s way made good money, selling the coconuts for five dollars apiece to the tourists hiking the coastline. He was making more money than Derek with his consistent, hard labor, and he seemed happy, too.
“Did you ask your mom about making some frames?” Derek asked.
Pika held up a canvas bag that he’d set near the door. “My makuahine, she get all excited and made you two already. I hope they fit.” He pulled out two frames woven from palm leaves and set them in front of Derek.
Derek picked one up and ran his finger along the intricate braiding; the texture was unique, and the color was a dark green. They would fit the 8x10 photos he’d had printed on foamcore. “This is perfect. I really think this will work.” He stood and slapped Pika on the back. “Thanks man.”
Pika flashed him the hang-ten sign. “She’s still weaving so if they don’t sell, I don’t want to know.”
Derek grinned. “Tell her to make ten more.”
