the seas, stole the men they favoured, ravished them and put them and any male children to death by feeding them to giant man-eating griffins.
The young man decided California would be his next stop. And eventually he made his way to the City of the Angels.
It was close to paradise. The air was clear, he could see the distant Santa Ana mountains, the sun was warm, the streets had palm trees. And there was the beach and the ocean almost as beautiful and magical as he imagined the Islands of Hawaii to be.
Come the summer he took a job as a lifeguard at the beach. He soon became known as the strongest swimmer at the beach and he saved several people from drowning, stroking strongly to reach them and pull them back to shore.
It was one such grateful survivor who handed the shy young man a wad of money. And that gesture of thanks allowed him to live through another winter in LA when there was no work. He was able to concentrate on swimming and running, keeping his body fit, his mind clear and dreams intact.
3
M OLLIE DROVE THROUGH THE morning peak hour Sydney traffic, which was slower than normal due to a slight drizzle.
Beside her Catherine looked at the rows of neat suburban red-roofed houses and remarked, âEverything looks so tidy, so straight-laced after the rampant greenery and casualness of Hawaii.â
âHawaii sounds lovely. Youâll notice a difference when you get to Peel. Itâs been dry. Your mum said Heatherbrae needs rain.â
Catherine nodded. Hawaii had stolen her heart. Sheâd thought about it on the flight home and while she knew her love of Hawaii was bound up in her love for Bradley, there was still a pull about the Islands that held her. A promise of so much to discover. She couldnât wait to get back there.
She hadnât yet told Mollie about her engagement. When Mollie had offered to meet her, Catherine had planned to rush straight to her from Arrivals and wave her hand in her face and cry, âIâm engaged!â But her bag had been lost and by the time itâd been located and sheâd exited the customs hall, Mollie was there, jumping up and down and grabbed the bag from her, saying, âQuick, quick, Iâll get booked. Iâm parked illegally.â
So theyâd rushed to the car, Mollie chattering nonstop about her new job, a fellow sheâd met and mutual friends, then sheâd needed to concentrate on driving out of the jammed airport and the moment had been lost. Catherine began to plan a little scenario about how sheâd break her news to Mollie. She also wanted her advice as to how she could tell her parents. She knew her mum would have very mixed emotions, primarily because she would be marrying a foreigner and wouldnât be living close by.
Settled in Mollieâs flat, Catherine had a shower while Mollie boiled the kettle for a cup of tea.
âSo what would you like to do for the rest of the day?â asked Mollie. âThey say itâs best to stay awake till bedtime to get on local time.â
âIâd love a snooze, you could wake me up in an hour and then we could go out. Iâm so sleepy.â Catherine stifled a yawn.
âWhatâs that?â Mollie grabbed Catherineâs hand away from her mouth and bent over the ring on her left hand.
âOh. Iâve been trying to find a way to tell you. Iâm engaged.â
âOh my God! Oh my God! â shrieked Mollie. âWho? Where? When? How could you keep this a secret? Is it that American?â she demanded. She leaned closer to examine the ring. âItâs just beautiful.â She sat back and folded her arms. âOkay, tell me everything.â
Catherine smiled and settled back with her cup of tea, anxious to recount once again every detail of meeting Bradley and their friendship in London, despite what sheâd already told Mollie in her letters.
âWere you lovers?â interjected Mollie.
âIn London? No. He
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