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“Which is exactly what she’ll refuse to pay for if there’s ‘even a grain of sand’ in their meals.”
“Talk to the groom. If he can’t handle her, he shouldn’t be marrying…”
I hear a familiar laugh that distracts me from the conversation. It’s a laugh I’ve heard before but can’t quite place.
There is a group of women near the pool giggling about something. I hold a finger up to tell Kaeo to give me a minute and step out to the pool area. There’s one woman in particular who grabs my attention.
I can’t see her face, only long sable waves that cover most of her back, a narrow waist, flared hips and a perfectly delectable ass covered only by white bikini bottoms.
My mouth quirks up in a smile when she tosses her head back and laughs again. A shiver of attraction works its way down my spine. I step closer and keep walking until I have the attention of a few of the girls. A couple of them give me a flirty smile, but for some reason, I need to see who the brunette is.
“Are you ladies enjoying yourselves?” I ask.
The brunette tilts her head then and turns toward me. That’s when I’m gob smacked.
“Nita?”
ChapterTwo
Nita
Iknow that voice. I’ve had dreams and fantasies about that voice. I turn slowly because I don’t want to be disappointed when I find that it belongs to someone else. But then there he is. The sight of him pulls the air from my lungs.
My ultimate crush, my stepdad. Er, former stepdad? Waylan Holland. Even his name makes me smile.
He looks different, but still so good. He’s grown a bit of a beard and his hair is longer. I let my eyes drink him in. He’s in a rash guard T-shirt that clings to every single one of his muscles, some board shorts, and leather sandals.
“Way?”
His brows lift in surprise as he looks at me. I’m glad I wore my new bikini. I was hoping I’d meet a surfer up here on the North Shore.
“What are you doing in Hawai'i?”
“I start school in a few weeks. I’m going to the university of Hawai'i.”
He laughs. “Leave it to you to find a way to get closer to the beach while going to college.”
I shrug. I do love the beach. I used to tag along with Way whenever Mom would let me. She’s not much of a beach bunny, but I am. Then again, the biggest reason I wanted to go to the beach was to watch Way surf.
I loved watching him move and balance, or even paddle out on his board. Mom would never let him teach me, but a few times he let me paddle out with him and one time, he let me cling to the board while he took us in. He stayed up all the way until the sand stopped us. Then he hopped off and helped me up.
I sigh as I realize that my crush on Way hasn’t gone anywhere, even though I haven’t seen him in almost three years. I know he never saw me as anything more than a kid, but there’s something new in his eyes when he looks at me now.
“You’re not going to let your grades slip with all the time you’ll be spending on the beach, will you?”
“No, Daddy,” I joke, but the words make him pause and something flares to life in his eyes, something that looks a lot like heat.
“Well, as long as you keep those grades up,” he says with a smirk.
“How do you know I have good grades? Do you still talk to Mom?”
He shakes his head. “Not in years. I’m sure she’s doing fine, though.”
I nod. I don’t tell him that she remarried within a year of the divorce. My new stepdad, Jerry, is a nice guy. He’s a lot older than Mom, where Way is a bit younger.
“Maybe I’ll finally learn how to surf, now that I’m an adult.”
“You have definitely grown up, Nita. And if you’re really looking to learn, I’ll teach you.”
