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CHAPTER SIX
When Nick dropped Lucyand Sniper off at her Airbnb last night he hadn’t suggested any plans for the next morning, and she definitely hadn’t wanted to ask.
He’d talked about being a writer. Maybe she’d interrupted his schedule too much already and he was impatient to get back to work.
Or, since he was such a personable guy, maybe he had plans with friends. She could hardly blame him for wanting to do other things besides serving as her pro tem tour guide.
He probably even had a girlfriend, though the thought gave her an unexpected twinge of longing.
Which was ridiculous.
She barely knew him. And it didn’t matter anyway, because she hadn’t sought a relationship with anyone since Jason died.
And she would beleavingOahu in three weeks at the latest, so she should only wish Nick well and hope he found happiness. He certainly deserved it after losing his wife.
But still...every now and then she glanced at her text messages in case one had slipped in without her hearing the chime.
After taking some photos of Sniper with her cell phone, she chose the best one, powered up her computer, and went online to Petco Love Lost. After searching the database, she uploaded a photo of Sniper and signed up to receive alerts. Then she searched for other sites online and did the same.
“So, little buddy...” Sniper looked up at her expectantly. “Now you’re on the internet, and I’ve searched for your photo on all of the Hawaiian rescue sites I can find. Should we go for a walk?”
He ran to the door and wagged his tail. “You sure are a little smarty-pants. You knew those words?”
He spun around, wagging his tail while she put on her swimsuit and a beach cover-up. After stuffing some dog waste bags in her little shoulder bag, she led Sniper down the hall towards the elevator.
A retriever mix and its owner were already inside. The woman nodded to her. “Beautiful day to be outside, isn’t it?”
“Back home it’s below zero with thirty miles an hour winds today, according to my phone.” Lucy shivered. “I’ll take this any day. Where are you from?”
“I came from Illinois for a job ten years ago and never went back. I’ve been renting a place in this building ever since.”
Sort of like what Nick was doing, she supposed. He’d already been here six months, and now he’d probably never want to move back to the Upper Midwest. “Are there any safe dog parks in this area?”
“There’s one about two miles away. But I usually just go jogging along the beach.” The woman waved when she stepped out of the elevator. “Have fun.”
Lucy headed down the quiet avenue in front of the building, letting Sniper sniff everything at his leisure.
Each cross street leading toward the beach was filled with people carrying beach chairs and towels, families with children, and couples with their arms slung around each other’s shoulders.
Many were carrying colorful surfboards, bodyboards, or stand-up paddleboards—which were apparently not as heavy as they looked, because a tiny woman in a bikini trotted by with a paddle and a bright yellow paddleboard twice her size.
The whole scene was so festive and filled with such vibrant energy that Lucy stopped to watch.
“Hey, there!”
She turned at the familiar male voice and saw Nick weaving through the crowd with a surfboard under his arm. Water glistened on his broad shoulders.
With his deep tan, dark sunglasses, and wind-tossed hair, he looked like a movie star from the pages of People Magazine come to life. “Looks like you’ve been having fun.”
“Always, when I can be in the water.” He took off his sunglasses. The dimples bracketing the side of his cheeks deepened when he smiled. “The waves here are pretty consistent and great for beginners, but a lot of surfers come here because it’s close. If you’re interested, I can recommend some good surf instructors.”
Over his shoulder, she could see a small crowd of people in the water. They were laying on surfboards close to a man who seemed to be helping each of them catch a wave, one by one.
In quick succession, three of them tried to stand, wobbled, and toppled over.
She shuddered. “Um...maybe not.”
“Are you a strong swimmer?”
