Her father stared at her in shock, speechless.
“I’m not going back to Chicago.” She felt she needed to make it perfectly clear.
Her father moved his mouth a few times, then he finally spoke. “Is this temporary?”
“I don’t think so,” she said. “I’ve fallen in love.”
Realization crossed her father’s face. “It’s the surfing instructor. Honey, you can’t make a long-term decision based on a short-term affair.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t,” she said. “But I learned something about myself during this trip. And it’s partly a quality I got from you, I think. When I’m all in, you can’t stop me. I can’t stop me. Tell me you don’t understand that, Daddy. Tell me you don’t understand being all in.”
Her father was fighting what she was saying. She could see it. Gabi turned and motioned for Finn and Kai to join her. Kai ran ahead of Finn and looked at her father.
“You Gabi’s daddy?” he asked.
Gabi saw her father’s expression soften. “Yes, I am. And you are?”
“I’m Kai,” the boy said, beaming.
“And I’m Finn,” Finn said, extending his hand to her father. “We’ve met.”
Her father frowned and reluctantly accepted Finn’s hand. “How are you going to take care of my daughter on a surfer’s salary?” Preston was revealing what a protective father he was.
“I haven’t always been a surfer. I have a little in the bank,” Finn said.
Her father lifted his eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“Yes, it is,” Finn said.
Her father looked from Gabi to Finn to Kai and raked his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to say,” he said. He glanced at Kai and gave a half-smile. “The only thing I know is that your mother is going to love having another grandchild.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“I GOTTA GO to the bathroom,” Kai said in a stage whisper for the fifth time.
Finn shot Gabi a sideways glance and she smiled. “Here we go,” Finn said, unfastening Kai’s seat belt and walking him down the aisle of the jet that was taking them to Chicago.
Gabi leaned her head back against her seat. A lot had happened during the past four weeks. While Gabi had gotten into the groove of taking care of Kai, doctors had helped Alani stabilize her diabetes. Now they could leave Kai with his nanny again, though they made sure to check in with her frequently.
Kai and Finn returned from the restroom. Kai turned to her. “I can’t wait to play in the snow.”
“You need to remember that it’s very cold,” Gabi warned.
Kai nodded. “I can’t wait.”
Gabi grinned at Finn and he returned her smile. They’d taken an extra day in California so they could buy Kai a coat and boots.
“We’ve got a ways to go, guy,” Finn said to Kai. “Try to take a nap.”
“Can I have a snack?”
Gabi pulled out some dry cereal and fruit. Kai munched on it and took a few sips of water, then fell asleep, his head resting against Gabi.
Finn stretched his hand across the top of the seats and squeezed her shoulder. She looked at him and felt her heart squeeze at the love that rushed through her. It was amazing how much her feelings and commitment had grown in the short time she’d known Finn. Her priorities had turned upside down. Although she’d expected her father to let her go, he’d allowed her to continue working in a different, unofficial position. She was determined to continue, she had to continue to wear him down for the ultimate position she wanted. A consultant with the ability to manage her own time.
Although she was very responsive to work issues, things had changed greatly. Before Finn and Kai, she’d been glued to her cell phone, determined to make the ultimate deal—the deal that would win over her father and shut down anyone who said she couldn’t be a success. But something amazing had happened since she’d gone to Kauai. She’d learned what was truly important to her. She glanced at Kai and Finn and closed her eyes. They were most important to her these days.
During this trip to Chicago, she planned to attend a baby shower for her friend Helen, and she wanted to visit her nieces, her brother and his new wife, and of course, her mother and father. But there was still this never-ending flight.
Luckily, no sooner had she closed her eyes than it seemed the attendants were announcing preparations for landing. Gabi yawned and glanced down at Kai. He was kicking his seat in anticipation. “Awmost there,” he said in an excited stage whisper.
Gabi and Finn had worked with him to keep his voice lowered in public, and he was doing his best. Her heart twisted at his effort.
The jet landed and they made their way to the baggage claim. “Here’s your coat,” Gabi said, helping Kai into the garment he’d never worn. “I don’t want you to get cold.”
She and Finn put on their own parkas and caught a cab to her apartment. Gabi’s parents were dying to have the three of them stay at their house, but Gabi wanted to give Kai a chance to acclimate to his new surroundings before adding her parents to the mix. They would have to cram in several visits during the next few days.
When they arrived at her apartment, Finn hauled in the luggage while Kai begged to go outside. “Give us a few minutes,” Gabi said. “Daddy Finn will take you out soon.”
Finn bundled up both of them again, then took Kai into the yard. Gabi watched from the window as the two of them ran in the snow and Finn taught Kai how to throw snowballs. It wasn’t long, however, before both returned to her apartment.
“Brrr,” Finn said as they burst through the door. “My skin has gotten way too thin for this kind of winter.”
Kai shivered. “Too cold.”
“I warned you,” she said, pulling off the boy’s mitts and rubbing his chilly little hands. “We’ll put on more layers when you go sledding. My dad will take you. There’s a hill behind his house.”
Kai’s eyes widened. “Swedding? Can we go now?”
Gabi laughed. “No. We’ll go visit my mom and dad tomorrow. Tonight we’re going to have my favorite comfort meal. Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.”
Kai wrinkled his nose. “Soup?”
Gabi smiled. They didn’t eat soup very often. “It’s hot,” she said. “You’ll like it.”
It took a while for the apartment to warm up, so they kept their coats on. When she served the food, they ditched the extra layers and dug in. Even Kai. He stuck out his tongue at first, but then he slurped down the warm soup. He devoured half of the sandwich, then laid his head down on the table.
Finn put him to bed then returned to the kitchen nook. “He’s out. I just hope he doesn’t wake up at three in the morning and want to go sledding.”
Gabi chuckled. “I’m hoping the flight and your time in the snow wore him out.”
“Me, too,” he said and tugged her away from the table to the couch in the den. “Sometimes I wonder if you realize you’ve gotten in over your head with Kai and me. I mean, he’s not really your kid.”
She shot him an indignant look. “Oh, yes, he is,” she said.
He met her gaze for a moment then laughed and pulled her against him. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“I could say the same,” she said. “It may sound crazy, but my life felt like it all came together when I met you.”
“Same for me,” he said. “When are we visiting your parents?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Preston Foster always works in the morning,” she said.
“I’ll bear that in mind. I need to run an errand first thing. Do you mind covering Kai?”
“Not if we go to bed now.”
“No objections from me,” he said.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, Gabi woke to Kai jumping on the bed beside her. “Where’s Daddy Finn?” he dem
anded.
Gabi struggled to open her sleepy eyes. “He’s gone out for a little while. Don’t you want to sleep a little longer?”
“No,” he said. “Want to swed.”
“Sled,” she corrected. “Try to make the L sound.”
Kai clearly made an effort to correct his speech. “I want to sled.”
“We’re not sledding until after we visit my parents this afternoon, but I can fix you some breakfast. Do you like that idea?”
Kai nodded and jumped off the bed.
Gabi sometimes wondered where he got his energy. She sure didn’t have nearly as much get-up-and-go as he did. Dragging herself from bed, she scrubbed her face and brushed her teeth, then scrounged in her cabinets and made Kai some pancakes. He scarfed them down, then planted himself in front of the television to watch a cartoon.
No sooner had she cleaned up the dishes than Finn walked through the door. “I don’t see how you lived here so long,” he said, shuddering. “Too cold.”
She walked toward him and rubbed his arms. “We’re only here for a few days,” she reminded him.
“Good thing.” He sniffed the air. “Smells like pancakes.”
“All gone,” she said. “Kai had a hole in his leg. He ate four, and I had the rest.”
“Four?” he said, looking at Kai. “How did you do that?”
Kai rubbed his tummy. “Good pancakes.”
“I’d like to shower, if that’s okay,” she said.
“Take your time,” Finn said. “Your boys are chilling.”
Gabi showered and dressed then tiptoed into the den. Both Finn and Kai were napping. Her heart turned over at the sight of them. She couldn’t imagine her life without them.
Later that day, her father played in the snow with Kai and her mother made hot chocolate for everyone. After her father brought Kai inside, he invited her and Finn into the formal parlor.
“I was reluctant about the two of you getting together so quickly,” he told both of them. “I thought it was a rash move for Gabi to move to Kauai for a surfing instructor and his little boy. But I’m pretty sure there’s more to you than meets the eye,” he said to Finn.
Finn shrugged and Gabi said nothing. If Finn wanted to keep his secrets, then she wouldn’t fight him. She’d been willing to take a low-wage job to be with him and she was still willing to do that.
“My problem is that one of my clients is, well, distraught, that Gabi is no longer a full-time marketing representative with my company. I would like to offer you a consultant position. You would only need to come to Chicago every three or four months. You can work from Kauai.”
Gabi gasped and looked at Finn. “What do you think?”
“I think it sounds perfect,” he said and grinned. “Much better than a cabana girl, although I’m sure you’d do well at that.”
“Dad, thank you,” she said, throwing her arms around her father.
“This isn’t nepotism,” he protested, although he squeezed her tight. “I’m just protecting my business.”
“Of course you are,” she said, smiling at him.
That night, after they returned from her parents’ and Kai fell asleep, Finn took Gabi onto the balcony of her apartment, even though it was freezing. Gabi shivered. “I thought you didn’t like this cold weather.”
“I don’t. But I want the good luck from the stars looking down on us when I do this,” he said. “I didn’t do this the way I wanted to the first time.”
“What do you mean?”
Pulling a jeweler’s box from his pocket, he knelt down and took her hand. “I love you, Gabi. You make my life complete in ways I never dreamed. Will you marry me?” he asked. He opened the box to reveal a large, stunning diamond ring.
“That’s big,” she said. “Are you sure you can afford it?” She couldn’t help asking.
“That wasn’t the response I was expecting,” he said.
“Yes. Yes, a thousand times over. I just don’t want you to go into debt for me.”
“I’ll let you in on a little secret. I did pretty well in my days on Wall Street,” he said, and put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly.
“You didn’t have to do this,” she said. “Your love is enough.”
“All the more reason why I want to do it,” he said, and rose to his feet. “I don’t want a long engagement. I want you to be my bride as soon as possible.”
Gabi felt as if all her dreams were coming true.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460324585
ISLAND PROMISES
Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY
Copyright © 2014 by RaeAnne Thayne
HAWAIIAN REUNION
Copyright © 2014 by Marie Rydzynski-Ferrarella
HAWAIIAN RETREAT
Copyright © 2014 by Leanne Banks
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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