“Thank you very much,” she said and put an X in one of the boxes.
“Kai,” a man called from behind them. “How many times have I told you not to run off?”
Gabi immediately recognized the man as Finn, her surfing instructor from the morning. He gave her a nod. “Sorry if he’s bothering you.”
“Not at all,” she said. “I was actually happy for the distraction.”
The little boy shifted from one foot to the other. “I only runned a little bit.”
Gabi couldn’t help noticing that Finn looked just as good dressed in slacks and a shirt as he had half-naked earlier that morning. He cleaned up nicely, she thought.
Finn knelt down and motioned for Kai to look at him. “You know the deal. You’re not supposed to run off. It’s my job to make sure you’re safe. And it’s your job to help me.”
The little boy gave a solemn nod. “Can I pay tic-tac-toe now?”
Finn sighed. “If Miss Gabi Foster is okay with it,” he said, meeting her gaze.
“I’m fine, and now I know your name,” she said to the boy. “Kai.”
“Kai, say, ‘It’s nice to meet you, Miss Foster,’” Finn instructed.
“S’nice-to-meet-you,” Kai said, rushing his words as he drew an O in the center square.
Gabi smiled and nodded. “Nice strategy.” She randomly chose another space for her X.
They continued taking turns until Kai won the game and began to skip in big circles. “You didn’t have to let him win,” Finn said.
“Who says I let him?” she asked. “It’s been a long time since I played.”
Finn chuckled and sat down beside her. “Did he give you that sand?” he asked, pointing to the sand on her dress.
“Most unique pickup I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “He’s very cute, but I bet he’s a handful.”
“You’ve got that right,” he said and raked a hand through his hair. “I had to hit the ground running trying to figure out how to be a dad since his real parents—my brother and his wife—died in an accident two years ago.”
Sympathy cut through her. “Oh, my goodness, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry. For both of you.”
Finn shrugged. “Who knows why things like that happen? You just have to make the best of it.”
“Well, he certainly looks healthy and happy,” she said.
“Yeah, and we’re working on his slight speech impediment. When he gets excited, he runs all his words together and it’s hard to understand him. Tough for me and his nanny, Alani.” He narrowed his eyes and gave a sharp whistle. “Kai, stay out of the water. We’ll go swimming tomorrow, not today.” He turned back to Gabi. “Always gotta be watching,” he said. “But enough about me. How’s the wedding going?”
“Great,” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
He nodded toward her cocktail. “Is that why you’re knocking back an umbrella drink on the beach by yourself?”
She glanced at the forgotten mai tai. “I never knew tic-tac-toe could be so distracting,” she joked, then sighed. “It’s just a little complicated. I work for my father and I’m in the middle of trying to broker a significant deal because I have a relationship with a big drugstore chain. If I succeed, that could make him finally believe in me, so I really need to be working. This is my brother’s second marriage, and I think his first wife is amazing. I’m not totally sold on the woman he’s marrying. She’s fine. She’s just not Megan. And then there’s the fact that my ex of less than a year is here. I invited a friend to act as a buffer for me, but he had to cancel due to weather. So I may have to endure some pitying looks. And if there’s one thing I hate—”
“It’s to be pitied,” he finished for her. “Yeah, I saw some of that during the lesson. You were ready to drown yourself and go right back out into the ocean.” He gave her a thoughtful glance. “If your buffer friend is a romantic interest, can’t you just keep bringing him up in conversation?”
She grimaced and shook her head. “No romance there. Zip. Zero.”
“Hmm,” he said and glanced at Kai. “If you’re desperate, I could fill in. What’s on the agenda?” he asked, returning his gaze to hers.
The intensity in his green eyes gave her a jolt that traveled all the way to her toes. She opened her mouth, unsure what to say. She couldn’t imagine why he would offer such a thing. Unless...
“You don’t have to do me such a big favor. I’m not going to sue you because I almost drowned earlier.”
Finn laughed and shook his head. “Besides the fact that you’d have a hard time suing me since you signed the release form, maybe I’m just interested in the free food and the company.”
Gabi stared at him in disbelief. “Really? That would be great,” her mouth said before she’d thought it all the way through. Gabi blinked at herself. Well, now she’d committed. “Dinner’s going to be in about an hour.” She grimaced. “With limbo.”
He chuckled. “Then I’m assuming I’m dressed okay. I can take Kai over to his nanny’s house. She lives pretty close by.” He shot her a sly look. “Are you planning to limbo?”
“Not in a dress, and I’m not planning on changing.”
“Well, darn,” he said. “I would have liked to have seen that.”
* * *
GABI FRESHENED UP FOR dinner. The scrapes on her face from her tumble in the ocean were still tender, so she applied antibiotic cream in lieu of cosmetics. She walked to the garden patio where several guests were already gathered.
Gabi’s mother caught sight of her and waved her over.
“Hi, Mom, you’re looking great,” Gabi said and extended her hands to embrace her. Her mother, Jean Foster, was a petite beauty with perfectly coiffed blond hair. She wore a pink shift dress with a stylish light bolero jacket and looked, as she often did, as if she’d just stepped off a catalog shoot. Her mother was particular about her appearance, but she was also one of the sweetest women in the world. She was the kind of person who made everyone feel special, and she’d done the same with Gabi throughout her life.
“Oh dear, it’s so good to see you, but—” Her mother gasped as she hugged Gabi. “What on earth happened to your face?”
“Oh. My cheek,” Gabi said and winced. “A little scuffle. You should see the other guy.”
Cara appeared by Jean’s side. “And that is one of the reasons I refused to take the surfing lesson this afternoon. Nick thought I was being silly, but he doesn’t now.”
Her mother shot Gabi a look of exasperation. “Did Nick put you up to this? I wouldn’t be surprised.” She gave a clucking sound and looked at her future daughter-in-law. “Gabi’s been trying to keep up with Nick since the day she was born. It’s a wonder she didn’t become a fireman, too.”
“I considered it,” Gabi said. “But I decided I didn’t like the way the fireman’s uniform looked on me,” she said and quickly changed the subject. “Have you seen the twins?” she asked, speaking of her brother’s daughters from his previous marriage.
“Yes, they’re just getting ready,” her mother said. “They were great on the plane, but I’m sure they’re exhausted.”
“Megan is such a trouper to bring them. She should be up for best mom and great human being awards,” Gabi said, thinking about how hard it must have been for Megan to bring both girls on such a long flight.
“I agree,” her mother said. “We’re all lucky that Megan is so devoted.”
Gabi met Cara’s gaze, then Cara looked down and nodded. “She’s a wonderful, wonderful mother. Nick and I both appreciate the sacrifice she’s making so that the girls can be here.”
“We just need to make sure she gets a break while she’s here. She’s one of those self-sacrificing types who may not tell us when she’s tired,” Gabi said.
“That’s a good point
.” Cara looked as if she were at a loss.
“Oh, I plan to take the girls whenever I can,” her mother said.
“Thank you. That’s very generous of you,” Cara said, looking relieved.
“It’s my pleasure. I adore them, as I’m sure you do,” Jean replied.
“I do. I’m just going to have to work on the mother part. Megan seems so perfect at it,” Cara confessed.
Gabi felt a sliver of sympathy for her brother’s fiancée. It was the first time she’d seen her exhibit a lack of confidence about anything, and Gabi felt herself liking the woman more for it.
Her mother patted Cara on the arm. “You’ve got time.”
Another young woman, stunningly beautiful and glowing with pregnancy, stepped into the group. “I was afraid I was late. Did I hear something about motherhood?” she asked Cara, smiling as she patted her belly. “Do you have some special news?”
Cara gave a laugh that bordered on hysterical. “Oh, no. I’m not pregnant. We were talking about Nick’s—” She broke off and took a breath. “Nick’s and my girls.”
“Oh,” the woman said, appearing confused.
Gabi’s mother extended her hand to the pregnant woman. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Jean Foster, Nick’s mother.”
The woman nodded and shook her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Candace Kenyon, Bill Kenyon’s wife.”
Oh, goody, Gabi thought. Between the trouble with the account she was trying to bag, her disastrous surfing lesson, and her faux boyfriend getting stuck in Chicago, her day was rounding out to be one hot mess.
“I’m Gabi,” she said, because it was the polite thing to do. “I’m Nick’s sister.” The woman your new hubby dumped as soon as he met you.
* * *
AN HOUR AND a half after leaving the beach with Kai, Finn returned to the resort, looking for Gabi. He had surprised himself by volunteering. He was fascinated by both her drive for success and her more tender side. He’d never be able to forget the image of her playing the game with his nephew...his son.
Women hit on Finn every other day. He rarely offered to attend any sort of wedding events. Those parties were nonstop on Kauai, and he’d tasted too many in the last two years. But Gabi seemed different, and he couldn’t resist spending some extra time with her.
His life had changed drastically since he’d lived in Manhattan. Wall Street had been his game until his brother and sister-in-law died. Although there’d been plenty of his sister-in-law’s family in Hawaii ready to help with Kai, there must have been a reason that his brother and sister-in-law had chosen him as Kai’s guardian. Goodbye, Manhattan. Hello, Kauai. He’d been a businessman and turned himself into a surfing instructor.
He spotted Gabi at a table on the opposite side of the patio talking to a gray-haired man and walked toward her. She smiled and waved at him. Finn arrived at her side. “Sorry if I’m late,” he said.
“No problem,” Gabi said. “Please meet my father, Preston Foster. This is Finn Beckett.”
Preston nodded. “Pleasure to meet you. How did you meet my daughter?”
“He saved me from drowning when I was taking the surfing lesson this afternoon,” Gabi said.
“An exaggeration,” Finn added quickly.
Preston’s eyes glinted with laughter. “My daughter has been known to push herself when challenged.”
“I’m wondering if that’s a learned trait from her father,” Finn ventured.
Preston smiled proudly and extended his hand. “I can tell you’re a smart man.”
“Just observant,” Finn said and shook the man’s hand.
Preston glanced at the other side of the party. “My wife is calling me. Enjoy the party.”
“Thank you,” Finn said and felt Gabi’s gaze on him.
“Very well done,” she said.
“You think?” he asked.
“Thank you,” she said. “Food and cocktails. What’s your pleasure?”
“Lead me to the food. I’m starving,” he said.
Laughing, she flagged a waitress.
Finn stuffed himself, then slugged down several glasses of water. He’d be driving Kai home after this shindig, so he had to stay sober. Several people came over to introduce themselves, including a tall man and a pregnant woman.
Finn felt Gabi stiffen even though he wasn’t touching her.
“Hey, Gabi. I wanted to come over and say hi,” the man said and turned to Finn. “I’m Bill Kenyon and this is my wife, Candace.”
“I met her earlier tonight. Congratulations to both of you,” Gabi said.
“Thank you,” Candace said. “How did you two meet?”
“Earlier today, when he was teaching a surfing class,” Bill said and chuckled. “Gabi drank some ocean water and Finn had to pull her out.”
“Yeah,” Finn said. “I’m the lucky one. I understand her original date couldn’t make it due to weather, so I asked her right away. No-brainer.”
Bill stared at both of them. “Yeah. Have a nice night,” he said and led his wife away.
Gabi looked at Finn in surprise. “Wow. That’s two in one night. I don’t know what to say.”
“Too easy,” he said. “You wanna dance?”
Her eyes softened. “That sounds wonderful.”
He pulled her against him. She was warm and oh, so feminine. Finn hadn’t let himself go in this way in several months. Once he’d taken custody of his brother’s son, Kai had become his priority. Gabi reminded him that he was a man...with his own needs. But he could tell she was very focused on her career. He’d have to treat this time with her as a temporary pleasure.
“So, what made you take pity on me?” she asked.
He shook his head. “It wasn’t pity,” he said. “It was curiosity. The woman who tried to win at surfing then played tic-tac-toe with my nephew.”
“I’m a weirdo,” she said.
He spun her around and drew her close. “I like your kind of weird.”
She laughed and the sound filled him up. The last two years had been full of crazy adjustments. A move from Manhattan to Kauai. A new career that had demanded all kinds of changes. No more hedging on physical fitness. Becoming not just an expert at surfing, but at teaching it. Managing it all like a businessman.
“You don’t need to feel like less because of your ex or your father,” he said. “You’ve got way too much going for you.”
“You’re the first person who’s said that to me,” she said.
“That’s because I’m incredibly perceptive.”
She met his gaze for a long moment. “In another situation, I’d think you were trying to seduce me, but you and I know you don’t have to work this hard. So, thank you. You’re more than I thought you were.”
“What did you think I was?”
“Surfer dude, until I saw you with Kai. Then I decided you were a surfer dude with character and a great kid?”
He nodded. “Good assessment.”
Finn wanted to dance with her longer. He liked the way she felt in his arms. But then the DJ announced the limbo competition was starting.
“You don’t have to do this,” Gabi said.
He chuckled and shrugged. “It could be fun,” he said and headed across the patio.
He felt Gabi watching him as he surpassed her brother and several of his friends. The duel came down to Finn and her ex, Bill. He busted his abs and back lowering himself under the bar that last time after Bill failed.
The crowd roared, but he was looking for Gabi. Finally, he spotted her clapping. Then she gave him a thumbs-up, and he felt a crazy rush of exhilaration. Finn walked toward her.
“They love you and hate you. Firemen are crazy fit, so they expect to be the winners in athletic contests,” Gabi said.
He rolled his shoulders, working out the kinks. “Always best not to be overconfident.”
“Have you ever been overconfident?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “And becoming an instant parent will give you instant humility.”
“What did you do before you became a father?” she asked.
“I was an East Coast city man. It was a big change to move here.”
“I would have never suspected that. You seem like the total surfer dude,” she said.
“You can’t hit thirty without twenty-nine years of living,” he said.
She nodded. “You have a much different life than mine, that’s for sure. I’m working twelve hours a day and trying to get my father to take me seriously.”
“You like that?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It’s what I’ve got to do right now. The same way you have to do what you’ve got to do.”
Finn remembered when a few of his years of hard work had been so intense they’d been a blur to him. He’d had to be attuned to tiny changes in the market, fluctuations in the economy and trends. He’d always felt as if he had one foot in the present and one foot in the future. He’d often been in a detached, clinically observant state. Not anymore. Now, he had to stay on top of a little boy’s emotions and needs, past, present and future. It was a messier, more absorbing challenge, but he was adjusting. It was like surfing. Sometimes he stayed on top of the wave. Other times, he got thrown into the water. The important part was getting up and continuing to try.
“Yeah,” he said and the differences between them hit him hard. In another situation, he would have pulled back and avoided Gabi. In this case, however, he’d already committed. He had told her he would be her escort for the wedding weekend. A rare impulsive act for him.
“Do you need to head back to your cell phone or would you like a walk on the beach?” he asked.
She shot him a look of indecision, then shrugged. “Walk on the beach. I won’t be able to do that next week.”
He took her hand and led her toward the sand. “Good choice,” he said, knowing everything about Gabi was temporary.
Island Promises: Hawaiian HolidayHawaiian ReunionHawaiian Retreat Page 16
