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“Are you arguing with someone?” Ransom steps in close and inspects me. “Are you in your unmentionables?” His brows hike a notch and his expression smooths out as if he approved.
“I, uh—yes. I was arguing with myself. And well, I wanted a dip in the hot tub and thought I’d do something spontaneous.”
Good grief. Where is the Grim Reaper when you really need him?
“Arguing with yourself? You are tenacious.” His expression softens. “Are you feeling all right?” He cocks his head as he comes in close. “Is your ex getting to you again?”
“Yes, actually. He’s firmly to blame for this malfeasance.” I’m pretty sure every other malfeasance in the free world could be pinned square on his shoulders as well. The ghost I just formally broke up with isn’t so innocent either.
I climb out of the water and pull on my dress, forcing it down my wet skin so as to minimize the show for poor Ransom—who is obviously not a ghost.
I’ve never felt more duped in my whole life.
“Hey”—he pulls me close—“I’m sorry if I came off as a jerk at dinner. How about I make it up to you tomorrow in Oahu?”
I look up at the handsome, breathing man before me and land my hand to his chest.
“You have a glorious heartbeat,” I say, breathless at that fact.
Ransom takes up my hand and kisses the back of it. “I’ll plan something that will make both of our hearts pound out of our chests. You might want to bring your bathing suit. We may be in public.” He winks. “I have to go. I have a security situation I need to tend to. Will you be all right getting to your room?”
“I’ll be more than fine.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up bright and early. And you can tell me all about what’s bothering you.”
“Sounds perfect.”
He dots a tender kiss to my lips before taking off.
Ransom Baxter is no apparition. He’s alive and well and sane—and that last part is more than I can say for myself.
I won’t be telling Ransom one iota regarding what’s bothering me.
Much like Jane Hunt, I’m keeping my secrets close to the vest.
Ransom may never get my secrets out of me, but Jane isn’t going to be as lucky. She may not be talking, but I’ll winnow out her secrets one way or another.
After all, Ransom called it. I am tenacious, and Jane Hunt is going to find out exactly how tenacious I can be.
And so is that wily ghost.
CHAPTER 9
Oahu is one of the eight major tropical islands that comprise Hawaii, and its principal port city, Honolulu, serves as the state’s capital.
Some of Oahu’s famous features include the Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor Memorial, and Hanauma Bay, all of which I’ve visited with Bess and Nettie during past cruises.
On the morning we pull into the harbor, Ransom and I head for the Blue Water Café, right here on the ship, where we load up on pancakes slathered in mango and coconut syrup as if our lives depended on them.
Once we’ve inhaled our weight in carbs, we head over to the omelet bar where we bump into Bess and Nettie, each with a nest of bacon sitting in their custom culinary creations. Ransom doesn’t hesitate to invite them to join us on our island adventure, and they don’t hesitate to say yes.
He wouldn’t say a peep about what he had planned for us this afternoon but assured me I’d have fun—if I survived.
He said that last bit with a wink, which did nothing to assure me of my safekeeping.
As usual, Ransom has a rental car waiting in the wings once we disembark and away we go as he drives us along Waikiki Beach.
I will never get over how blue the Hawaiian waters can be—and juxtaposed against the whitewash and the tenebrous lava rocks, it creates a feast for our visual senses. But that’s far from the only visual treats this tropical wonderland affords—the pink and yellow plumeria trees that perfume the air with their sweet scents, the glossy green palm trees swaying in the breeze, the verdant hillsides in the distance that have a Jurassic jungle feel to them—they all lend to the beauty.
