"Thanks, Mom."
She went off towards the front door, and I stepped
over to look out the back windows again. There was no one in sight. I felt
another twinge of disappointment, until I turned around to see Zane’s face
about three inches from my own. I jumped a foot.
"Sorry about that," he chuckled, stepping
back. "You moved a little quicker than I expected."
He had changed clothes again, this time favoring a
deep green muscle shirt and cargo shorts. He surveyed my own outfit, a backless
Hawaiian beach dress I had picked up in Haleiwa our first day here, with
obvious displeasure. "You’re not really going out on a blind date, are
you?"
I suppressed a grin. "It’s not a date. He’s
just giving me a tour. And he’s only doing it because his dad’s making
him."
Zane’s frown deepened. "What do you really know
about this guy, anyway?"
I swallowed, trying hard to hide my amusement. The
whole overprotectiveness thing, if that’s what this was, was new to me. Girls
were supposed to be offended by it for some reason, but I couldn’t see why. I
thought it was kind of cute.
"Would you be serious?" I said with a
smile. "We’re not going clubbing in Waikiki. We’re going for a drive
around the island in broad daylight."
"That’s what he’ll say while he’s deciding
whether he’s interested," Zane continued, his voice edgy. "Once he gets interested, it’ll be for dinner. Then, there will be some great local landmark
or other that you just have to see, and of course, this whatever-it-is
will be at its best at sunset…"
"Will you stop?" I interrupted, still
smiling. "Where are you getting all this?"
"My mind," he said flatly. "Because
if I were going out with you in that dress, that’s exactly what I would
do."
I stared at him a moment.
I had no response to that.
"Kali?" my mom called out from the hall.
Clearly, the guy in question had made his way up the steps to the front door. I
could hear a deep voice in the background in addition to her own.
"Thanks for the… compliment," I whispered.
"But there’s nothing to worry about, really. I happen to be a very good
judge of character. If at any point I get the slightest inkling that he’s a
serial killer, I promise to ditch him and call home. Satisfied?"
"I’ll check him out for you."
Footsteps started down the hall.
"You will not!" I hissed. "You
promised. No interference!"
He raised one eyebrow, then disappeared.
"Kali, this is Matt," my mother explained,
stepping out into the great room and gesturing for her guest to follow. She
caught my eye as she said it, her unspoken message clear. Not bad, eh?
I turned my gaze on the newcomer. He was a little
over six feet tall; not fat, but heavily muscled; with deeply tanned skin and
short-cropped, wavy brown hair. His neck was on the thick side, but he had the
kind of honest looking, down-home baby face that softened the effect. The
instant my eyes met his piercing light blue ones, I could read his thoughts as
clearly as I could my own mother’s.
Wow, that’s a relief. She’s not ugly!
I couldn’t help but laugh. I was, after all, thinking
pretty much the same thing.
"Hi, Matt," I introduced myself casually.
"Sorry you got roped into this. But I am looking forward to seeing Oahu—so
thanks."
He smiled back, revealing both perfect teeth and
undisguised relief at my candor. It got me into trouble with girls sometimes,
but guys always seemed to appreciate it. It didn’t make them want to date me,
of course—they preferred the silly, simpering type for that—but they
appreciated it.
After a minimum of polite small talk, my mother
excused herself to return to her paperwork, and Matt and I headed for the door.
"Will you get a coat?" Zane’s voice
demanded irritably. I had no idea where he was, but I could hear him.
"You’re going to freeze in that dress!"
Matt reached the door and started to open it for me,
but after surveying me with another approving look, he stopped. "You might
want a jacket or
She went off towards the front door, and I stepped
over to look out the back windows again. There was no one in sight. I felt
another twinge of disappointment, until I turned around to see Zane’s face
about three inches from my own. I jumped a foot.
"Sorry about that," he chuckled, stepping
back. "You moved a little quicker than I expected."
He had changed clothes again, this time favoring a
deep green muscle shirt and cargo shorts. He surveyed my own outfit, a backless
Hawaiian beach dress I had picked up in Haleiwa our first day here, with
obvious displeasure. "You’re not really going out on a blind date, are
you?"
I suppressed a grin. "It’s not a date. He’s
just giving me a tour. And he’s only doing it because his dad’s making
him."
Zane’s frown deepened. "What do you really know
about this guy, anyway?"
I swallowed, trying hard to hide my amusement. The
whole overprotectiveness thing, if that’s what this was, was new to me. Girls
were supposed to be offended by it for some reason, but I couldn’t see why. I
thought it was kind of cute.
"Would you be serious?" I said with a
smile. "We’re not going clubbing in Waikiki. We’re going for a drive
around the island in broad daylight."
"That’s what he’ll say while he’s deciding
whether he’s interested," Zane continued, his voice edgy. "Once he gets interested, it’ll be for dinner. Then, there will be some great local landmark
or other that you just have to see, and of course, this whatever-it-is
will be at its best at sunset…"
"Will you stop?" I interrupted, still
smiling. "Where are you getting all this?"
"My mind," he said flatly. "Because
if I were going out with you in that dress, that’s exactly what I would
do."
I stared at him a moment.
I had no response to that.
"Kali?" my mom called out from the hall.
Clearly, the guy in question had made his way up the steps to the front door. I
could hear a deep voice in the background in addition to her own.
"Thanks for the… compliment," I whispered.
"But there’s nothing to worry about, really. I happen to be a very good
judge of character. If at any point I get the slightest inkling that he’s a
serial killer, I promise to ditch him and call home. Satisfied?"
"I’ll check him out for you."
Footsteps started down the hall.
"You will not!" I hissed. "You
promised. No interference!"
He raised one eyebrow, then disappeared.
"Kali, this is Matt," my mother explained,
stepping out into the great room and gesturing for her guest to follow. She
caught my eye as she said it, her unspoken message clear. Not bad, eh?
I turned my gaze on the newcomer. He was a little
over six feet tall; not fat, but heavily muscled; with deeply tanned skin and
short-cropped, wavy brown hair. His neck was on the thick side, but he had the
kind of honest looking, down-home baby face that softened the effect. The
instant my eyes met his piercing light blue ones, I could read his thoughts as
clearly as I could my own mother’s.
Wow, that’s a relief. She’s not ugly!
I couldn’t help but laugh. I was, after all, thinking
pretty much the same thing.
"Hi, Matt," I introduced myself casually.
"Sorry you got roped into this. But I am looking forward to seeing Oahu—so
thanks."
He smiled back, revealing both perfect teeth and
undisguised relief at my candor. It got me into trouble with girls sometimes,
but guys always seemed to appreciate it. It didn’t make them want to date me,
of course—they preferred the silly, simpering type for that—but they
appreciated it.
After a minimum of polite small talk, my mother
excused herself to return to her paperwork, and Matt and I headed for the door.
"Will you get a coat?" Zane’s voice
demanded irritably. I had no idea where he was, but I could hear him.
"You’re going to freeze in that dress!"
Matt reached the door and started to open it for me,
but after surveying me with another approving look, he stopped. "You might
want a jacket or
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