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With a sigh, she pushed those thoughts away and focused on getting ready for work. Thankfully, she didn’t have to spend time on her hair. About six months earlier, she stopped with the extensions and flat irons and the like. She loved the way her natural hair looked on her and while she had to do some maintenance on it, it was nothing like the pain in the ass it had been previously. It had been a freeing experience.
She cleaned up her face, poured more coffee into her travel mug, then stood in front of the mirror to take a quick check of her attire. She studied her outfit for the day. The power suits were a thing of the past. Now, she could wear jeans and short sleeved shirts, and—thank the baby Jesus—comfortable shoes. She didn’t mind heels when she was socializing, but even the most comfortable low heels didn’t compare to wearing her short boots.
She nodded her head, then grabbed her phone and keys before heading out for the day. The moment she opened the door, the sweet Hawaiian air wrapped around her. She knew that many people liked the sunsets, but she had always been a morning person. And there was nothing like the air at the break of dawn in Hawaii. Maybe there was, but Tamilya had never experienced it.
As she turned the corner, she saw her father. Okay, so she didn’t own her little house next to the ocean in Hawaii. It was the in-law suite her parents had in their backyard. It wasn’t uncommon for families in Hawaii to live like this due to the housing shortage and the pricing, but it was usually the other way around, with the retired parents living in what was essentially a pool house. Still, it was better than that townhouse she owned in Virginia. Just walking to her car left her freezing the rest of the day. Nowadays, she had her mother’s home cooking, time with her father, and private pool she could use any day of the week.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” her father said as he sat down on the edge of the pool and dipped his legs into the water. Another benefit of the house was living close to her parents. Her father had been an executive with one of the top construction companies in the Southeast when he’d had his heart attack a few years ago. After that, her parents had packed up everything and moved back to Hawaii. She’d thought they were crazy until she visited them. After that, she worked to get transferred here with Dillon Securities.
She’d been on island for close to two years, and each day, she fell a little more in love with it.
“Morning, Dad,” she said leaning down to kiss his cheek.
He was in his trunks, but he was still wearing his top, albeit unbuttoned. Anyone looking at him would think he was in peak health, that nothing had ever gotten close to killing him. That is until you saw the scars on his chest from his surgery.
“Running late?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Did you eat?”
She shook her head. “I’ll grab something on the way. We had a body come in last night, and I have paperwork I need to finish before we have the briefing on that.”
He nodded. “Tell your mother you ate. She worries.”
“I will if I see her.”
She leaned down and kissed his cheek.
“Be good, Tamilya.”
“I always am.”
“Tamilya?”
She turned and waited.
“You’re happy, right? You don’t mind living here, do you?”
She walked toward him. “No. Why?”
He shrugged. “I was just thinking this morning that your talents are wasted here. I know you came here because of us.”
“In fact, with the rise of cyber terrorism from Russia and China, along with some militant religious groups, Hawaii is in a unique position. They have a lot more threats than people think.”
“But you’re not working for the FBI.”
“No. I’m working with them on a few things. Along with my contacts in the military and ATF, I have a wide range of different organizations to deal with. It’s much more interesting than the job I had when I worked at the Bureau.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded, even though a tiny bit of her always would mourn her FBI career, dead as it was. She had never really loved it the way she loved the TFH job. From their unique cases to her coworkers, she had found her place. Then there was the biggest benefit of all: her parents.
“Besides, the real reason for being here is to be with you and Mom.”
“You’re a sweet girl.”
“I know. Mom tells me I get that from her.”
