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And it also sounded like an awfully big imposition.
“I really don’t want to be in your way. You have your own routines, your writing...”
“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”
“Can I at least pay you?”
“No.” He clapped a hand over his heart as if mortally wounded. “What kind of friend would make you pay?”
Friend.
How long had it been since she’d taken even a single day to hang out with friends?
After years of raising kids, twelve-hour shifts, and far too much overtime, she simply hadn’t had the time or energy—especially through the worst of the pandemic.
When she got home, she was going to change that and a lot of other things in her life.
But she now found herself wishing that she and Nick might eventually become more than just friends.
A crazy, impossible thought, when they lived over 4,000 miles apart.
“So that’s settled.” He glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard touchscreen. “It looks like we missed our snorkeling reservation at Hanauma Bay. So here’s an idea. We could take a long, pretty drive up Highway 61 that cuts through the island, then follow the leeward side back down toward Waikiki so we can catch the sunset from one of the western beaches. By the time we get back, it’ll be obvious if anyone has consistently followed us.”
His caring and thoughtfulness again touched her heart. “Thank you, Nick.”
“I made a phone call while you were being interviewed. Just to be safe, on our way back we’ll stop at the place where I leased this SUV. I reserved a gray sedan instead, so it won’t be recognizable in case that guy is still looking for you. He certainly got a good look at this one.”
“That he did.” She gave him a grateful smile as her tension began to ease. “Can we stop somewhere so I can buy a cell phone? I’d like to call my daughter and make sure everything is all right back home.”
“Use my phone to ask Google if your cell service provider has a location here. If not, we can pick up a pre-paid phone almost anywhere.”
“Perfect.” She reached into the back seat and stroked Sniper’s head. “Then I can get back to calling the local rescues again. Maybe there’ll be some news about this little guy’s owner.”
She googled cell phone providers on Nick’s phone while he drove. “No luck. If my provider had a store on Oahu, they could’ve restored my backup to a new phone and I’d have all of my phone numbers reloaded. At least, I think that’s how it works.”
“Let’s swing by a store. Maybe they can help you find something.”
An hour later, she had a pre-paid phone and they were headed up the Pali Highway. “Thanks again. Nick. Now the trick will be to remember some of the phone numbers in my old one. Do you mind if I make a call?”
“Of course not.”
From memory, she punched in the numbers for her daughter’s phone and impatiently listened until the voicemail finally kicked in. “Hi, sweetie. I just wanted to check in with you and see how things are going in Vermont. It must be beautiful there.”
She reined in the wistful tone creeping into her voice. “My phone was...lost, so this one is temporary until I get home. I don’t know if you can see this number on yours, but it is—”
She grabbed the receipt in her purse and rattled off the number. “Have you heard from your brother? Please give me a call. Love you.”
She ended the call, sighed, and dropped the phone into her purse. “I know they are always in God’s hands, but I don’t suppose I’ll ever stop worrying about my kids. Do you hear from your daughter often?”
“Maybe once a week or so.” He shot a rueful glance in Lucy’s direction. “I think she worries about me more than she needs to. She insists that I’m isolating myself here and says I should come home.”
“You both have had to face such a great loss,” Lucy murmured. “I lost my mom when I was a teenager and I still think about her almost every day.”
He tipped his head in silent acknowledgment.
“She’ll miss her mom even more when the baby comes. All the milestones she’ll wish she could share. All the bonding over nurturing the little one. And she’ll miss you—” Lucy bit back her words. He hardly needed reminding.
Nick’s eyes stayed focused on the road ahead. He didn’t answer.
