She trusted Nalu, though. That much was obvious. Even now she was crouched down before him, the black hair of her bob swinging forward to hide her face as she rubbed Nalu’s belly and murmured too low for Malie to hear what she said.
And that’s when the spark of an idea hit…
‘Hey, Tara, do you think you’d like to come and try the water now?’
The girl lifted her chin and looked to the swash, her hand still tickling Nalu. ‘No thanks.’
She lowered her gaze back to her buddy, not once turning her head and Malie knew it wasn’t rudeness that kept her eyes averted, but the desire to hide the right side of her face. The scarred side.
Malie’s heart squeezed in her chest, her wish being to hold the girl and tell her it didn’t matter, it didn’t dictate who she was on the inside, she was more than the scars and the pain they brought. But she knew she couldn’t, not yet, she had to earn Tara’s trust first.
Instead, she played the hand that she knew would work. ‘You know, Nalu can surf.’
And just like that, her head lifted to Malie, her eyes wide, scars temporarily forgotten. ‘He can?’
Malie nodded, her smile instant and heartfelt. ‘Shall I show you?’
‘Really?’ The girl’s eyes sparkled as she looked back to Nalu who’d shot to his feet at the first mention of his name and now gave a bark.
‘See, he’s even telling you he can.’
Tara smiled at the dog. ‘You want to surf, Nalu?’
He barked again and her smile grew.
‘Come on.’ Malie reached out her hand and Tara eyed it suspiciously. ‘You have to come now, else it would be like telling a dog walkies and not taking him out. It would be teasing and mean.’
Tara chewed over her lip, her eyes going back to Nalu.
‘We don’t want to disappoint him, do we?’ Malie softly pressed, her hand still outstretched.
Tara shook her head.
‘And he’ll have so much more fun knowing you are watching.’
Slowly but surely Tara slid her hand inside Malie’s and got to her feet, the rise of her body in tune with the happiness lifting inside Malie.
‘We’re gonna need my board for this,’ she said, subduing her voice so as not to jar Tara and risk unsettling her.
She led them over to where her board lay in the sand. ‘How about you paddle by the shore here and that way you’ll have the best view of us coming back in?’
Tara gazed up at her. ‘You’re going to surf with him?’
‘He needs me to push him out and give him power, but he can surf with me or without me.’
‘Wow!’ Tara’s eyes widened as she went back to watching Nalu prancing in and out of the water.
‘You mean he can ride a wave standing up?’ It was Louis who asked. In the time it had taken to get into the water, they’d gained a mini audience of the other class members who were all looking on, fascinated.
More importantly, Tara wasn’t hiding her face, she wasn’t shying away, she’d forgotten it all in her excitement. Exactly as Malie had hoped.
‘You bet he can,’ Malie said.
‘But it’s so hard to balance,’ Louis said.
‘He’s had many years of practice, haven’t you, Nalu?’
Another bark which had Jonny saying, ‘This is so cool.’
They entered the water and Malie set the longboard down on the water, letting go of Tara’s hand as she helped Nalu to hop on. Once he was ready, she started pushing him out.
‘What do you reckon, Tara, with or without me?’ she called back.
‘With you,’ she blurted, her excitement shining in her face and making Malie smile even wider.
‘Good choice! Come on, Nalu, let’s show them what we’re made of.’
She carried on out, spying where the waves were breaking and picking the best spot, the one that would give them something decent to watch, but at the same time keeping herself close by. She shoved up onto the board and paddled, turning the board at the right spot and letting Nalu find his balance. His tail was wagging, his tongue hanging out as he watched the kids back on the shoreline and lived through the fun with them.
Malie looked over her shoulder, assessed the waves approaching from behind, and waited, waited, and then, ‘Here we go, Nalu!’
She lunged forward, her arms propelling them through the water at a speed to match the wave. As the board started to lift, Nalu gave a bark and Malie popped up to standing. It was exhilarating to feel the board take off, but it was more exhilarating to watch the awe in the faces of their all-important audience. The magic of it.
Tara tapped her fists together beneath her chin, her body taut with the thrill of spectating. There was no anxiety, no worry about what people thought, of being an outsider, she was wholly involved in that moment, very much a part of the group.
Malie knew she still had some way to go but it was a start. A start she could work with and as she leaped from the board back at shore and watched Nalu being fussed over by all four kids, she felt elated. The greatest sense of achievement that only this job could provide.
‘Hey, that was impressive!’
She started. It was Todd. She knew it without looking and then when she did, she wished she hadn’t. Her heart was already high on the kids, the waves, the lesson, now it practically fluttered up and out of her throat.
He was wearing a lightweight shirt, black and unbuttoned at the collar, swanky beige shorts that could have been part of a suit had they been longer, and his hair was swept back, perfectly groomed. He looked more boardroom than surfer, but he’d lost the trainers this time. It had her remembering their moonlit stroll, the whole thing unfolding in fast action replay and setting her body on fire as she reached the pinnacle – their kiss.
‘How long have you been here for?’ It came out clipped as she forced the memory out, her body to chill, and his eyes narrowed on her, not much but enough to know he caught the edge to her tone. She wanted to kick her tactless self and was grateful the kids were too busy with Nalu to notice. ‘Sorry, I just meant, how much did you see?’
His expression softened, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth as he looked from her to the kids. ‘Enough to see how amazing you are at your job.’
She felt her cheeks heat, her heart throb in her chest. She heard compliments all the time when it came to her skills on the board: you ripped it up out there; way to go on the hang ten; wow, check out the air you caught. She also got positive feedback on the lessons she ran; it was an integral part of being able to meet the needs of the children by having them and their parents offer up such insight after their lessons.
But hearing Todd say it, and in such a way…
‘Malie!’ It was Tara, her head poking up above that of her classmates. ‘Can I have a go?’
‘With Nalu?’
She gave her a beaming nod, and it melted Malie’s heart to see she didn’t avert her face, she looked right at them both. ‘Hey, Mr Masters!’
All the kids turned to look then, each shouting their own cheerful greeting before going back to Nalu, save for Jonny who eyed Todd suspiciously. ‘You here to check up on us, Boss?’
Todd laughed. ‘At ease, Jonny, I trust you guys to do me proud. I’m only here to get a sneak peek at what I’ve let myself in for.’
‘You’re here to surf too?’ he asked.
‘Too right I am.’
Jonny grinned wide. ‘Have you surfed before?’
‘No. I’m a newbie, just like you.’
Malie watched their little interchange and realized, Todd wasn’t just the money and the face of the charity, he knew these kids. And they knew him. The easy way they spoke to one another, the mutual respect, even affection, it was written in their faces. She shouldn’t be surprised, not anymore, but she was. How could a man like Todd, with his success, his company commitments, his workload, find the time to get to know these kids individually?
Even more surprising was the rush of warmth she felt towards him, pulsi
ng around her heart, far too close to where she didn’t want it to be.
‘What do you say, Malie?’
They all looked to her expectantly.
‘Sorry?’ She frowned, missing their question entirely and wishing her cheeks would cool.
‘They asked if they can watch me take my lesson now?’ Todd filled in for her, his eyes dancing with amusement. Had he guessed at the cause of her distraction? Was she that obvious?
She snapped her eyes away and gave a flustered, ‘Are you sure you have the time for it, right now?’
‘If you do, then I do.’
She looked to the eager faces of her students and accepted that if she hadn’t, she’d still make time. To have him involved when he clearly had such a good relationship with them all made perfect sense.
She swept an unsteady hand through her hair and nodded, ‘Of course I can.’
And with the kids as an audience… well, any temptation for a repeat of last night’s kiss would be non-existent.
‘Just let me take Tara out with Nalu first…’ she felt better about it already, ‘and then I’m all yours.’
I’m all yours… Really, Malie?
She turned away as his brow quirked up and headed for the kids, her feet stomping through the sand at her own ineptitude. Why did he do this to her? Set her on fire with the merest look, make her come out with ridiculous declarations: I’m all yours.
‘Hey, Mr Masters, will you watch me?’ Tara shouted, the open affection Malie had so easily spied when he’d arrived, shining in the girl’s face once more, reminding Malie that this had nothing to do with how she’d successfully lowered the girl’s guard through Nalu, but everything to do with the relationship he’d forged with Tara himself prior to this trip of a lifetime.
Malie looked back to see him nod, and then his eyes were on her and she struggled to breathe. He was too perfect, damaged in his own way – and still perfect.
Never mind Tara’s guard, Malie needed one, because the more she learned about him, the less he became a passing tourist with a fleeting presence in her life, and a man capable of making tracks on her heart. Something she never wanted to risk. Never mind the fact that he was too important to her plans for the surf school and their charity collaboration.
‘You’re going to need a rash vest and some board shorts.’ She eyed his inappropriate ensemble and wished she hadn’t. It just led to more inappropriate thoughts and she really didn’t need those right now. She lifted her eyes back to his face. ‘Kalani should be able to sort you out.’
‘Great, you ladies get set up and I’ll be right back.’
She dragged her eyes away from his tight behind as he walked off, though her mind wasn’t so easily distracted. She was pondering how it was possible for his rear to look so appealing when he wore swanky shorts that had no place on the beach…
‘Ready, Tara?’
Thank goodness the kids were too young to realize the reason her voice had shot up a couple of octaves. It was hard enough that she was aware of just how attracted to him she was, she didn’t need it becoming public knowledge with his kids too!
Then she caught Jonny’s eye and his smirk.
Too young… you’re too obvious, more like.
Chapter Six
Kalani HAD TAKEN ONE brief scan of his body and tossed him some clothing. A pink rash vest similar to the one the kids were wearing, only adult-sized, and some shorts.
He stood in the surf school’s changing rooms and toyed with not going out at all. He felt ridiculous, and… exposed. Maybe it was the colour of the top – he couldn’t say he wore pink much.
Yeah, it’s just the colour that’s your problem, and not the fact that its unforgiving style shows off every taut ridge.
He worked out, he looked after himself, but he did it for him, he didn’t do it to flaunt it in skin-tight, body-popping, fluorescent colour!
As for the board shorts, they forgave far too much. If he dared think on the kiss they’d shared the previous night, or even looked at Malie in any way other than platonic – which let’s face it, when she was wearing nothing more than the same figure-hugging vest and bikini bottoms would be a challenge – he’d likely be done for indecent tent-like exposure. And the risk wasn’t funny.
He tried to tug the top lower, but it was no good. He was just going to have to play it cool. Be cool. Easy.
‘Hey, Boss, you ready yet!’ Jonny burst into the room. ‘Tara’s getting naggy.’
The lad gave an exaggerated eye-roll, but he couldn’t fool Todd, the teenager doted on the girl like he would a little sister. It was in his nature. Not that you’d guess it to look at him. Plenty of people had judged Jonny wrongly over the years, very much like they had Todd back when he’d been of a similar age. But then Jonny had given them reason to in the days before the Foundation had found him or rather, he’d found the Foundation.
And those days had left their mark. He still bore a scar that slashed through his right eyebrow, a centimetre gap where hair would never grow again. His favoured buzzcut failed to conceal the intricate star that had been illegally tattooed to the base of his skull by an ex-gang member. And as for his body, it was far more chiselled than any fifteen-year-old should be, but Todd knew better than most what had motivated Jonny to bulk up. Fear. Fear of being weak, fear of being crushed, the need to be the biggest, the strongest, to protect those you care about above all else.
Yes, Todd could forgive anyone for being a little intimidated by the lad – even when he sported the same pink rash vest he now did.
‘Don’t you dare,’ Jonny suddenly said and raised a hand towards him in warning as his scarred brow quirked up.
‘What?’
‘You say one word about this pink thing and there’ll be more than words going down between us, Boss.’
Todd laughed, he couldn’t help it. ‘Have you seen me?’
He plucked at the offensive number and Jonny cocked his head with a nod and a choked laugh.
‘Fair point.’ The lad caught sight of himself in the full-length mirror that divided up the wall of lockers and rolled his shoulders back. ‘You think next time we can insist on black, though?’
The door shifted open again before Todd could answer and in walked Kalani, ‘You still stirring it up over the colour of our gear?’
‘Hell, no,’ Jonny rushed out, his instant respect for the big guy obvious. ‘Just the Boss here, he’s having a moment.’
He threw his thumb at Todd and grinned.
Kalani looked to Todd, his expression grave. ‘Like I said to the boy—’
‘Man, jeez!’
Kalani ignored Jonny’s outburst. ‘It’s to keep you readily identifiable on the beach. If you go under, we’ll have a greater chance of spotting you, maopopo?’
Todd frowned. ‘Mao-what-now?’
‘He means, understood, Boss.’
Feeling well and truly the student, which was even more disconcerting than being seen in this ensemble, he nodded. ‘Got it.’
‘Good,’ Kalani said, satisfied. ‘You ready to get fitted out for a board?’
‘Sure am.’ Todd tossed his clothes and valuables in the locker Kalani had given him to use and slammed it shut. ‘Lead the way.’
They followed Kalani outside and within ten minutes they were heading down to the beach, a surfboard hooked under Todd’s arm and what he now knew to be called a leash – like some dog walking gear – in his hand.
‘How’s she been getting on?’ he asked Jonny, trying to ignore the way the rash vest clung to his own body, the sun’s rays making it feel even more cloying.
‘Tara?’
He nodded and Jonny gave a smile so full of pride it had Todd’s own lips lifting. ‘She’s nailing it, Boss.’
‘Glad to hear. It’s good seeing her take to Malie so well.’
Jonny sent him a funny look, kind of coy, kind of admirable as he shrugged. ‘She’s a pretty neat teacher.’
Neat and then some.
Todd
switched the conversation up swiftly, throwing the focus on Jonny. ‘You speak to your mum this morning?’
‘Yup, all’s good, your lot even took her a home-cooked casserole with pudding too, she couldn’t believe it.’
‘She was happy?’
‘More than.’
‘Good.’
It really was good. He’d promised Jonny daily calls back home just to give him the reassurance that all was fine. And to see the lad actually starting to relax was more than just rewarding, it was an affirmation of why he did this in the first place.
For Jonny, back home meant responsibilities, being the man of the house to his single mum and three younger siblings. The opportunity to get a few weeks away and recharge was a huge deal and it had taken lots of assurances from the Foundation, from Todd directly too, to convince him to leave, to convince him that his mother would be OK with the Foundation stepping in and providing the support she needed.
But it seemed leaving his responsibilities didn’t mean Jonny would change, his brotherly instincts were already in play here as he looked out for the younger members of their group like he would his own blood.
Todd studied Jonny’s face, his relaxed posture, his eyes that seemed to dance with laughter now. He looked younger, less guarded, even with the signs of his past, and not for the first time he felt an affinity with him, a realization that Todd himself could have very easily ended up in a similar gang at a similar age had he taken a different path.
To know that his charity had been able to help Jonny escape that life, to know how much better things were getting for him, for his family… he breathed in, his chest filling with hard-to-suppress pride.
‘Thanks for, you know, looking out for Mum,’ Jonny suddenly blurted.
‘Hey, it’s not me, it’s the charity.’
His grin turned lopsided. ‘You know what I mean, Boss.’
‘I do… and so long as you’re having a good time, that’s all that matters.’
The lad’s eyes widened, ‘Good time? You’re kidding, right! This the best! When you get out there and rip it up on the waves…’ he weaved his hands in front of him, ‘it don’t get much better than that, you’ll see!’
Meet Me in Hawaii Page 7
