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Kai silently stroked Jun’s hair, and Jun leaned into him. For so long, she’d relied on Po for all her hugs and her connection to another person, and yet here, now, she realized how much she’d missed a genuine connection with an adult, someone who’d understand her. The storm rumbled on outside, and in the circle of Kai’s warm arms, she found herself growing sleepy. With Po’s night terrors, she’d not been getting a lot of sleep. Before she knew it, her heavy eyelids closed, and she fell asleep against Kai’s chest.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
KAI LAY VERY STILL, listening to Jun breathe. He felt closer to her than he ever had before, and his blood still seethed when he thought about that no-good man who’d left her when she was pregnant. And about her mother, who’d simply left her all alone and just as scared. He’d never be that man. If it was his ’ohana, he’d not turn his back. He was determined not to be like his own father, discarding the family that wasn’t convenient, only to go start another. Or Jun’s mother! He couldn’t imagine Aunt Kaimana doing the same thing. Prodding him and trying to get him to do things her way? Yes. Being a pain in the butt? Sure. Turning her back on him? Never.
Kai badly wanted to be the safety net Jun had never had. He found himself wanting to take care of her. She needed him, and Po did, too. He only wished he could help her see that.
Just as the thought entered his head, he found himself surprised. Was he falling for Jun? Really falling for her? It had been so long since he’d actually fallen in love with a woman that he wasn’t sure. All of his relationships in the past year had come with their own expiration dates. But not this one. For the first time in a long time, he wondered what it would be like to really be in a relationship. To fall in love.
Kai closed his eyes and fell asleep.
He didn’t intend to sleep through the night, but sleep he did.
The next thing he heard was a soft knock on the door. “Mama?” came a little voice. Jun shot up in bed next to him, naked, frantically searching for her clothes.
“What’s wrong?” Kai murmured.
“Shh!” she hushed him as she grabbed a robe from a hook in her closet. In another second, she’d thrown his clothes at him and pantomimed getting dressed.
“Just a minute, sweetie,” Jun called through the door, her back against it, her hand trying to keep the knob still as she flicked the small button lock. Kai started pulling on his clothes, figuring Jun didn’t want to scare the boy by opening the door when he was naked. He got that. He tugged on his shorts and shirt. Jun stood on her nightstand and pushed open a window, which led to the walkway outside the front door. He stood sleepily, blinking at the open window. Was she kicking him out?
Furiously, she gestured to the window. She was! She was kicking him out. He couldn’t believe she wanted him to sneak out the window like...like someone sleeping with his friend’s wife. He shook his head. No way.
She frowned at him, her face growing flush. She gestured again, and this time she threw his flip-flops straight out the gaping window. He couldn’t believe it. The woman had thrown his shoes out the window. Then, she tossed his wallet. His wallet. She was about to toss his brand-new smartphone, but he grabbed it and angrily climbed over the windowsill to fetch his shoes and wallet. The nerve of this woman!
After he was free of the window, she promptly shut it and locked it. Then she pulled the blinds closed. He was now officially locked out. He picked up his wallet and slipped into his flip-flops and glanced around, seeing the shocked expression of an old woman with a tiny little poodle on a leash sidestepping him. She shook her head at him and minced by, her wide hips covered by a billowing pastel sundress.
The dog snarled at him as he went by.
This was beyond embarrassing now.
He ran a hand through his messy hair and thought about knocking on her front door but hesitated. She probably wouldn’t open it, and there wasn’t any need to freak Po out. Kai had done his share of sneaking out of bedrooms, but usually it was on his own terms. He’d never had a woman kick him out before.
He shook his head, amazed, as he followed the path to the stairs and his waiting Jeep.
