very least Jared figured it would keep her busy enough to limit her meddling in his life.
“Then it’s settled.” Glory’s radiant glow transformed everything around her. “I know you’re busy planning the party, Kahlia, but if you have a minute, I’d like to introduce you to someone very special. His name is Bennie.”
“I do have time. Will you come to Pono’s party? With Jared?”
“Barring emergencies, I’ll try.” Glory glanced his way, one eyebrow uplifted in a question. “Jared?”
“I’ll try, too. Only you must promise not to be offended at the gift we give Pono, Kahlia.” Jared grinned, watched Glory’s face. “I’m putting her in charge of choosing one.”
“What?” Rose flooded Glory’s smooth cheeks. “But I don’t even know Pono.”
“You don’t seem to have a problem getting to know people.”
She arched one eyebrow at his snipping tone.
“You will love my husband, Glory. Just as I do.” Kahlia beamed. “And you must advise Jared about gifts, because he once gave me a turtle. An ugly turtle.”
“It was a stool.”
“It was a homely, ugly turtle.” Kahlia chuckled at his indignant snort. “You need all the help you can get, son. Now let me meet Bennie, visit Phil and then get home. For so long the days have dragged. Now I have too much to do and not enough time to do it in. I love it.”
“You can tell me more about this turtle. Coming, Jared?” Glory asked sweetly.
And watch Kahlia’s face when she saw Bennie’s likeness to Nicholas? No. Jared didn’t need the reminder.
“You ladies go ahead. I have to make a phone call.”
“As long as it’s not to a turtle shop.” Kahlia and Glory giggled like two conspirators, then hurried down the hall, chatting a mile a minute.
“They seem to get along.” Leilani stood by his side, watching.
“Maybe a little too well. I might have created a monster,” he admitted. “Both of them seem determined to gang up on me.”
Leilani opened her mouth as if to say something, thought better of it and clamped her lips together.
“What?”
“I have to get to work.” She turned her back on him and walked away.
“Must be something in the water,” he muttered as he strode toward his office. “Everyone’s acting weird today.”
Including him. He’d wasted ten minutes this morning wondering if Glory colored her hair or if the highlights were natural. And now that he was alone he couldn’t quite banish the snapshot of that blazing look of love she’d lavished on their newest patient.
Time to concentrate on work.
But the image of beloved brown eyes he’d known for only three years stayed in his mind.
The man who’d extinguished Nicholas’s life could not be allowed to escape his punishment. Not as long as Jared breathed.
He had to make another trip to Honolulu.
Soon.
Glory knew she was spending too much time with Bennie, but this child was different, special. He grabbed hold of her heart and she couldn’t break free. Nor did she want to. So she sat by his bedside, waiting until the painkiller had taken full effect. She heaved a sigh of thanksgiving as his little chest lifted and settled in a rhythm much like the tides outside.
“You’re a special boy, Bennie. I know you’re here for a reason.”
Glory pressed a kiss to his damp brow then hurried to the other wards to keep the promises she’d made. Soon after, Jared came surging through the doors of the makeshift craft room she’d commandeered, his cool blue eyes iced frostier than Penny Glacier when the summer sun tried to melt its ancient Arctic ice.
“What is going on here?”
She took the small drum Toby had constructed from a can and held on to it so she could hear. “I beg your pardon?”
“This is a hospital, not a rehearsal hall.” He opened his mouth but the words seemed stuck in his esophagus as he took in the painted rocks stacked at the end of the room. His face tightened even more, if that was possible. He glared at her.
“Then it’s settled.” Glory’s radiant glow transformed everything around her. “I know you’re busy planning the party, Kahlia, but if you have a minute, I’d like to introduce you to someone very special. His name is Bennie.”
“I do have time. Will you come to Pono’s party? With Jared?”
“Barring emergencies, I’ll try.” Glory glanced his way, one eyebrow uplifted in a question. “Jared?”
“I’ll try, too. Only you must promise not to be offended at the gift we give Pono, Kahlia.” Jared grinned, watched Glory’s face. “I’m putting her in charge of choosing one.”
“What?” Rose flooded Glory’s smooth cheeks. “But I don’t even know Pono.”
“You don’t seem to have a problem getting to know people.”
She arched one eyebrow at his snipping tone.
“You will love my husband, Glory. Just as I do.” Kahlia beamed. “And you must advise Jared about gifts, because he once gave me a turtle. An ugly turtle.”
“It was a stool.”
“It was a homely, ugly turtle.” Kahlia chuckled at his indignant snort. “You need all the help you can get, son. Now let me meet Bennie, visit Phil and then get home. For so long the days have dragged. Now I have too much to do and not enough time to do it in. I love it.”
“You can tell me more about this turtle. Coming, Jared?” Glory asked sweetly.
And watch Kahlia’s face when she saw Bennie’s likeness to Nicholas? No. Jared didn’t need the reminder.
“You ladies go ahead. I have to make a phone call.”
“As long as it’s not to a turtle shop.” Kahlia and Glory giggled like two conspirators, then hurried down the hall, chatting a mile a minute.
“They seem to get along.” Leilani stood by his side, watching.
“Maybe a little too well. I might have created a monster,” he admitted. “Both of them seem determined to gang up on me.”
Leilani opened her mouth as if to say something, thought better of it and clamped her lips together.
“What?”
“I have to get to work.” She turned her back on him and walked away.
“Must be something in the water,” he muttered as he strode toward his office. “Everyone’s acting weird today.”
Including him. He’d wasted ten minutes this morning wondering if Glory colored her hair or if the highlights were natural. And now that he was alone he couldn’t quite banish the snapshot of that blazing look of love she’d lavished on their newest patient.
Time to concentrate on work.
But the image of beloved brown eyes he’d known for only three years stayed in his mind.
The man who’d extinguished Nicholas’s life could not be allowed to escape his punishment. Not as long as Jared breathed.
He had to make another trip to Honolulu.
Soon.
Glory knew she was spending too much time with Bennie, but this child was different, special. He grabbed hold of her heart and she couldn’t break free. Nor did she want to. So she sat by his bedside, waiting until the painkiller had taken full effect. She heaved a sigh of thanksgiving as his little chest lifted and settled in a rhythm much like the tides outside.
“You’re a special boy, Bennie. I know you’re here for a reason.”
Glory pressed a kiss to his damp brow then hurried to the other wards to keep the promises she’d made. Soon after, Jared came surging through the doors of the makeshift craft room she’d commandeered, his cool blue eyes iced frostier than Penny Glacier when the summer sun tried to melt its ancient Arctic ice.
“What is going on here?”
She took the small drum Toby had constructed from a can and held on to it so she could hear. “I beg your pardon?”
“This is a hospital, not a rehearsal hall.” He opened his mouth but the words seemed stuck in his esophagus as he took in the painted rocks stacked at the end of the room. His face tightened even more, if that was possible. He glared at her.
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