The breeze blew over them.
“Cooler than I expected,” she said, shivering.
“You want to go back?” Finn asked.
“No. I’ll warm up. Or remember Chicago,” she said with a laugh. “You said you lived in the east. Did you ever live anywhere where it was cold in winter?”
“Just Boston and Manhattan,” he said.
She winced. “Ouch. Boston?”
“Manhattan was just as bad. You expected it in Boston,” he said.
“How did you manage the transition to Kauai?” she asked.
“The temperature change was a lot easier than Boston or Manhattan,” he said.
“I can see that,” she said.
“The change in responsibility,” he said. “Not so much.”
They walked a bit before talking.
“So, what made you become a surfer guy? I imagine you didn’t teach surfing on the East Coast.”
Finn nodded. “I had to figure out my potential skills,” he said. “I’d learned to surf when visiting my brother here several years ago. I decided to turn it into a business because it would give me flexibility in taking care of Kai. I realized I couldn’t maintain the hours I worked while raising a little boy on my own. On top of that, Kai’s mother was Hawaiian and many of her relatives live her. I wanted Kai to grow up with a sense of his culture and I knew it would be a lot easier to do it here than in New York. My father passed away a few years ago, and my mother lives in Florida with her new husband, so the choice seemed clear.”
“Impressive,” Gabi said. “But how did you win over the resorts? After all, you’re not a native.”
“I busted my ass and gave them a cut.”
Gabi smiled. “And we like that about you,” she said with a big laugh.
Finn liked her big laugh. He hadn’t met a woman like her in a long time, if ever.
Acting on impulse, he pulled her closer and pressed his mouth against hers. He tasted a combination of surprise and pleasure. She pulled back.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “It was nice of you to volunteer to help me out during the wedding celebration. But you don’t have to kiss me.”
“What if I want to?” he asked.
She opened her mouth but appeared confused. “It might not be a good idea. It’s not as if I’m going to be here very long.”
“Carpe diem,” he said and took her hand to lead her back to the resort.
* * *
GABI WENT TO BED, but not before she checked both her email and cell phone. At the same time, she couldn’t stop thinking about Finn. She responded to her messages, but her mind was spinning. She couldn’t remember meeting a man like him, a man as passionate for life as Finn seemed to be.
But it was early days. She’d learned the hard way that the first stages of a relationship didn’t predict how things would turn out.
Gabi forced herself to close her eyes and tried to fall asleep. She took several deep breaths and counted backward from one hundred. That didn’t stop Finn’s face from sneaking through her mind. She finally fell into a restless sleep.
Gabi awakened to the sound of someone knocking on the door. She sat up and brushed sleep from her eyes. From the slivers of light peeking through the curtains, she glimpsed a sheet of paper on the floor. She pushed aside her covers and picked it up. Wedding activities for the day: Morning on your own then hula dancing before lunch.
Gabi groaned. Well aware of the fact that she wasn’t the most graceful and coordinated woman in the world, she’d learned years ago to stick to a side-to-side shuffle when dancing. She decided it would be best for her to miss this little event...until she saw a handwritten note on the bottom of the page. Megan tells me Grace and Sarah can’t wait to learn hula with Aunt Gabi. Hugs, Cara.
Well, darn. If her sweet nieces were determined to hula, then the least she could do was show up and wiggle her hips with them. Since Grace and Sarah had been born prematurely, they still had some lingering problems. Grace used a walker and sometimes needed a wheelchair, and Sarah had some vision issues. This was one more example of what a good job Megan had done with the girls. They were game to try just about anything. Even though this could be one more source of humiliation for her, there was no way Gabi could turn down her nieces.
* * *
FINN HAD GIVEN several group surfing lessons at both resort beach locations, but up till now, no one had captured his imagination the way Gabi had. When she’d pulled back after he kissed her, he’d wondered if she was rethinking his offer to escort her to the rest of the wedding activities. Although the words would have to be yanked from his throat, he knew he would be disappointed.
Taking a quick break for an early lunch, Finn headed toward the resort snack bar. On his way, he heard Hawaiian music and lots of laughter. Peeking past the beach where he gave lessons, he saw a group of women and children taking a hula lesson.
The sight of a little girl gyrating while hanging onto a walker tugged at his heart. Next to her, a woman stood waving her arms and wiggling her hips in a way that was somehow both amusing and inviting. Finn immediately identified the tall, big-boned woman as Gabi. Another little girl on her other side was giggling and pointing at Gabi.
He shook his head. Damn, that woman was a good sport. He waited until the end of the song and jogged toward her. “Looks like you’re ready to entertain at the luau tonight,” he said from behind her.
Gabi whipped around and shot him a mocking glare. “Easy for you to say. Don’t you want to join in?”
He lifted his hand. “Lunch break for me. Kai’s pretty good, though—it’s a shame he’s not here. Are these your nieces?” he asked, nodding at the children.
“Yes, they are. This is Grace,” she said of the little girl with the walker. “And this is Sarah. Girls, this is Mr. Beckett. He’s a surfing instructor.”
“Hi,” they chorused shyly.
“You girls are great hula dancers. Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”
Sarah shook her head. “This is our first time. It’s Aunt Gabi’s first time, too.” She laughed. “She’s so funny.”
“Thanks,” Gabi teased, and ruffled her niece’s hair. “It’s lunchtime for us, too. We’d better go. Any near-drownings this morning?”
“No. Boring after yesterday,” he returned.
“I’m sure you were glad you didn’t have to drag anyone out of the ocean and practically give mouth-to-mouth.”
“Sorry to say we don’t do mouth-to-mouth anymore. It’s all compression. A shame, isn’t it?” he said.
“Stop the flirting. It won’t get you anywhere,” she said.
“Then how about a tour this afternoon? I’ll do a much better job than the tour guide assigned to the wedding party, and you can escape the wedding mania for a while.”
“I really should do some work,” she said, clearly torn.
“Speed text, then. I’ve got another class after I grab a bite to eat. I’ll pick you up in an hour and a half.”
“That sounds more like an instruction than a request,” she said.
“Are you saying no?” he challenged her.
“Well,” she said. “No, but—”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Wear your swimsuit under your shorts and T-shirt,” he said, and jogged away.
CHAPTER THREE
GABI LOST HERSELF in work, studying new market reports and touching base with clients. She put together a proposal for the release of a limited number of organic cosmetic products since her father was reluctant to launch the entire line at once. Gabi was lucky because the admins were overly conscientious about pleasing her, seeing as her father was head of the company. She tried not to pull rank, but her name caused people to act. Lost in thought, she jumped when a knock sounded at her door.
/> She glanced at the time and winced. Rushing to the door, she opened it to Finn. “I’m sorry. I’m not ready and I really have too much—”
“I can wait for you to get ready. It would be wrong for you to come to Kauai and not see some scenery. Think of it as a unique opportunity for inspiration in the future. I’ll give you five minutes. I’ll be in the yellow Jeep in the parking lot. Going top down today.”
“But,” she said, but something in his eyes stopped her. Some sort of wisdom and knowledge bigger than the dozens of emails to which she felt obliged to respond this moment. “You’re right. It’s not as if I’ll be here next week.”
“Exactly,” he said. “See you in five.”
Gabi closed the door after he left and reconsidered for three seconds before she saved her work on her laptop and changed her clothes. Finn was right. It would be pretty sad if she didn’t at least get a peek at the island, and she’d much rather go with him than a formal tour group. After applying sunscreen, she grabbed a cap, a towel and her bag with her cell phone, of course. Her phone was her security blanket. She could check messages and respond anytime.
She jogged to the parking lot and spotted Finn leaning against the yellow Jeep. Her heart took a little dip at how naturally appealing he was, and she immediately chastised herself. Sure, he was good-looking and charming, but nothing important was going to develop between them. She was just a woman who had nearly drowned in his arms, and he was just a nice guy who’d agreed to step in and help her out as an escort. That was it.
He helped her into the vehicle and buzzed out of the parking lot. It didn’t seem possible, but once they left the landscaped setting of the resort, the scenery became even more thick and lush.
“I can’t believe how green it is,” she mused. “It’s almost like a jungle.”
“You would understand if you lived here,” he said. “We get our share of rain. We may even get some today. But we also get more than our share of rainbows.”
“Oh, that must be wonderful. I can’t remember the last time I saw a rainbow. Winter hit early this year, so most of what I’ve seen is snow. Not unusual for Chicago, and I’m not complaining,” she said, but she thought it sure was nice not having to dress in wool and multiple layers. The breeze felt heavenly on her face.
“Do you ever get tired of living in paradise?” she asked him.
“I’ve felt a little claustrophobic every now and then, but I have a good reason to be here, and I may take Kai back east for a visit next year. I want him to feel safe and secure before we make that kind of trip. It changed my perspective when I realized it’s not all about me.”
She admired and envied the fact that he seemed so at peace with himself. Gabi seemed to struggle with her sense of well-being on a regular basis. She felt a watery mist and looked upward. “What is that?”
He chuckled. “Rain, the soft kind. We get some hard storms, too, though.”
“But it feels so light,” she said. “Not even as intense as a sprinkler.”
He nodded. “Happens all the time. You must have been inside when it misted earlier this afternoon.”
“I bet it can really wreck your hairstyle,” she said, rubbing her hand over her slightly damp hair.
“That’s why a lot of women have wash-and-wear styles or put their hair on top of their heads. Hold on. We’re headed up a steep hill,” he said and turned onto a narrow road.
Gabi grabbed the door strap to secure herself for the bumpy road as she gawked at the landscape. They continued riding for several more moments, then Finn took a sharp turn.
“This is one of the reasons you couldn’t stay in your hotel room all afternoon,” he said, pulling next to a breathtaking waterfall.
Gabi shivered at the beauty. “Oh, wow,” she said and nodded. “It’s just beautiful.”
“And it’s one of many,” he said.
Gabi glanced upward from the falls. “Look, a rainbow.”
“We see those many times a month,” he said. “That was one of the reasons I could adjust to living here. The sight of a rainbow brought me a sense of peace, especially when I first moved here.”
Feeling a sense of peace herself, Gabi nodded. “I can see how you’d feel that way.” She looked at Finn and felt the connection between them snap and sizzle. The sensation was so strong it took her off guard.
Suddenly a pouring rain descended on them.
Finn laughed. “Oops. Guess we’d better cover up,” he said and raced outside the car to put the convertible top in place. Gabi scrambled to help him, but there wasn’t much she could do, so she climbed back in. Finn returned to the driver’s side and smiled at her. “Ready for your next Kauai super sight?”
“Sure,” she said, even though she was drenched.
For the next couple of hours, Finn drove past beautiful jungles and more waterfalls. She gasped every time she saw the falls. It seemed every other time she saw a waterfall, she also glimpsed a rainbow. The sights were so beautiful they took her breath away.
“Do you see these falls every day?” she asked.
“Pretty often. It’s great, but remember we also have a rainy season, so there can be flooding” he said.
“Do you live close to here?”
He glanced at her. “As a matter of fact, I do. Would you like to visit Hale Beckett?”
“Does Hale mean house?”
“It does,” he said.
She smiled at him. “I most certainly would.”
He made a turn worthy of a superhero and roared away. “As the lady wishes.”
He took several turns and pulled into a clearing surrounded by trees next to a beach. A house stood in the middle of the greenery. No sooner had Finn stopped than Kai opened the door and stood on the landing, waving his arms.
“Daddy-Finn,” Kai yelled at the top of his lungs.
Finn laughed, stepped out of the Jeep and pulled Kai into his arms. “Have you had a good day?”
“Yes,” Kai said. “But you promised a swim today.”
“So I did,” Finn said. “Look who I brought with me.”
Kai glanced toward the Jeep and his eyes lit up. “Gabi!”
“Miss Foster,” Finn corrected.
“Miss Gabi,” Kai said, and ran to her side of the car.
Flattered by the boy’s enthusiasm, Gabi got out of the car and opened her arms. Kai immediately hugged her. “Will you go swimming?”
“Soon,” she said. “I should check my cell phone first.”
Kai frowned and turned to Finn. “Let’s go swimming.”
“We have a guest,” Finn said. “Let’s show Gabi our house first. She may want some water and a snack.”
Kai shifted from one foot to the other. “Do we have to?” he asked.
Finn ran one of his hands through Kai’s hair. “Yes, we do.”
He led Kai and Gabi to the house. A slightly plump Polynesian woman sat in the kitchen, her hair pulled back into a bun.
“We have four bedrooms, just in case Nanny Alani wants to stay overnight and we have a guest,” Finn mentioned. “How are you feeling, Alani?”
The woman slowly fluttered her eyes. “I’m just a little tired.”
“Have you made an appointment with the doctor?” Finn asked. “You’ve been tired often, lately.”
Alani nodded. “I have an appointment in a few days. Introduce me to this lovely woman.”
Gabi couldn’t help smiling at her graciousness.
“Gabi Foster, this is Nanny Alani,” Finn said.
“So nice to meet you,” Gabi said.
“And you,” Alani said. “Welcome to Hale Beckett.”
Finn led Gabi through the living room, dining room and bedrooms. She noticed that toys were scattered across Kai’s bedroom floor. The house was filled with
windows and Finn finally led her to a lanai that afforded a gorgeous view of the forest surrounding the house.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you,” Finn said. “I had some work done on it, and since this is an island, getting anything done takes some time.” He led her and Kai outside of the screened porch to two swings attached to strong trees. “They work for adults, too,” he said.
Gabi gazed at the swings longingly. “They couldn’t hold me.”
“Bet they could,” he said. “I built them for grown-ups.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Will you take me to the hospital if they fail?”
He chuckled. “Yes, but you overestimate your weight.”
“You’re too kind,” she said.
“Try it. I dare you,” he said.
Gabi took a deep breath. “You know, I almost drowned the first time I took suggestions from you.”
“And I saved you,” he said.
She groaned. “I hope I don’t end up in the hospital,” she muttered and headed toward the swing. After setting her purse aside, she plopped onto the rubber seat, pushed off and began to pump. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t fall and the swing didn’t break. Gabi simply soared. She felt like a child again. It was the most freeing feeling she’d experienced in ages.
The breeze flew through her hair and she devoured the experience. She pumped for several moments, wishing she could swing forever, but she could tell that Kai was growing impatient. He’d been waiting for a swim since yesterday. She couldn’t deprive him, she thought, and slowed.
Skimming her feet on the ground, she came to a stop. “That was the most fun I’ve had in years,” she confessed to Finn.
“Then you should do it more often,” he said, and she saw a mix of emotions in his eyes that fascinated her.
“Time to swim,” Kai yelled.
“He’s right,” Gabi said. “He’s been waiting since yesterday at least.”
“Let’s go, then,” Finn said and extended his hand to her. She ran along with Finn and Kai to the beach.
Kai ran right into the surf.
“Kai, you know the rules. Wait for me,” he called and swore under his breath.
Island Promises: Hawaiian HolidayHawaiian ReunionHawaiian Retreat Page 17
