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She paused at the front window of the Coach store. “I do see something I need right now. Could you hold the dog for a minute?
She hurried inside and made her purchase, then came back outside with an exquisitely stitched leather dog collar and leash. “At least now I won’t need to carry him. But now I suppose he needs a name.”
Nick watched as she quickly put the collar on and set the pup down on the sidewalk. “You have quite a protector there. Bodyguard comes to mind. Bruiser. Shark. Sniper. Or Tank.”
“For this little thing? He couldn’t weigh more than ten pounds.” She thought for a moment. “I guess I like Sniper best. It’s cute.”
She looked up at Nick and thought she caught him rolling his eyes. “Well, super tough, then. Crazy, isn’t it? He went after that man on the beach with a vengeance. Yet we’re total strangers and he accepts the two of us without question.”
“Dogs can sense who the good guys are.” A corner of Nick’s mouth lifted in a wry grin. “Thank goodness. I’d like my ankles in one piece, thank you.”
Keeping a surreptitious eye on the people around them, she tried to relax as they continued wandering through the crowds.
Whenever she glanced over her shoulder there were just families and couples sightseeing along the crowded sidewalk. Teenagers jostling each other and laughing too loudly. People exuding wealth and carrying shopping bags with exclusive labels.
Even with her new little bodyguard on a leash, she felt on edge every step of the way.
But now, after they turned right onto a quiet street away from the bright lights and busy traffic, there didn’t seem to be anyone following them after all. Maybe she’d been worried over nothing.
A number of food trucks sat parked on a brightly lit corner ahead. Each of them looked clean and inviting, and the aromas made her mouth water.
Nick slowed and looked down at her. “Have you had anything to eat tonight?”
“I guess I haven’t. With the time change and long flight, and—well, other things, I haven’t even thought about it.”
“I highly recommend the coconut shrimp from the truck on the left, and rolled ice cream from the one on the right. I stop here way too often.”
She insisted on paying. After they ordered, he headed for one of the bright red picnic tables in the back corner, where he took the side facing the street.
She led Sniper to a stainless steel dog water bowl at the edge of the green Astroturf carpet covering the entire area, then joined him.
Their eyes met across the table.
“I can’t thank you enough for taking me under your wing tonight.”
“I was an Eagle Scout,” he said gravely. “It’s a lifetime commitment.”
“And I’m beyond grateful for that. I never expected my first night in Waikiki to end up like this.”
When a server brought out their food, she stared at her golden, perfectly done coconut shrimp in awe.
At her first bite, she closed her eyes to savor the moment. “Oh, my. I order this whenever I see it on a menu. But this is the best I’ve ever had, bar none.”
“I’d guess anything would be wonderful after the danger and adrenaline high you experienced.” Nick watched her with gentle amusement. “Maybe it just feels like a return to normalcy. Except I totally agree about the food here.”
“Do think it would be safe to give the puppy some shrimp?”
“If he’s the stray we think he is, he’s been scavenging on every unhealthy thing you can imagine. But best to remove the coating. You’d hate to be dealing with him losing his lunch in the middle of the night.”
“Enough said.” She removed the coating from two pieces of shrimp and offered them to the pup at her feet. He wolfed them down and begged for more. “Are you vacationing, or do you live in the area?”
He gave her a wry smile. “I came to the Islands for a vacation six months ago, and I’m still here.”
“Wow.”A six-month vacation. Who had that kind of money?
He caught her expression. “I don’t own a place in Waikiki. Property is way too expensive for average folks like me. I’m leasing a little bungalow here on Oahu, but now and then I go island-hopping just to explore.”
She glanced at his ring finger.Married.
