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He squeezed her hand. “As short as you are, that spear would’ve hit you low in her groin or belly. I’ll be okay.”
She held on a moment longer, then bent to press a kiss to his forehead. “I miss how close we were as kids before our grandfather passed.”
Makai nodded. “Me, too. My father cashed in on his inheritance and squandered it. Your dad did it right. Did you know he offered me a job?”
Leilani nodded.
“I didn’t take it because I didn’t want charity or hard feelings between us. I wanted to make it on my own, surfing.” He shifted slightly and winced. “Jesus.”
“The ambulance will be here soon,” Leilani said. “Maybe they’ll give you something for the pain. I need to see Captain Dave for a minute, then I’ll be back to ride with you to the hospital.”
“You don’t have to go with me,” Makai said. “You have a tour to guide.”
“Josh is here now. Between him and Reid, they can handle it.” She patted his shoulder. “I’m going with you.”
Leilani hurried to the dock and walked out to the boat.
Angel’s gaze followed her. He didn’t like that she was so far away. If something happened to her, he wouldn’t be right there to protect her.
“Leilani is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” Makai said, his words strained through clenched teeth. “Her father was the same. I came down here today because I’d heard about what happened yesterday with someone crashing into her boat. I took the day off to go with her on the water. I’m worried about her.”
“Me, too.” Angel’s gaze stayed with Leilani as she stopped to talk to Reid.
Reid shot a glance toward Makai. He and Leilani exchanged a few words while Reid’s gaze remained fixed on Angel and Makai.
Leilani left Reid and then climbed to the upper deck to speak with Captain Dave. He came to the edge of the deck and stared across the distance to where Angel waited with Makai, his brow deeply furrowed.
Angel’s cell phone chirped with an incoming text. He pulled it from his pocket. It was a text from Reid.
Reid: It wasn’t an accident, was it?
Angel: No
Reid: Fuck
Angel: Yeah
Leilani came down from the top deck, followed by Captain Dave. They stopped to talk to Reid and Josh. The two men nodded and went to work on the deck, gathering life vests.
Leilani hugged Captain Dave, left the boat and hurried back across the dock.
Sirens sounded nearby. By the time Leilani made it back to where her cousin lay by the shed, the ambulance had arrived.
“I’m suspending tour operations until further notice,” she said.
“I’m sorry, Leilani,” Makai said.
She looked at him, her brow wrinkling. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do this. You didn’t ask to be skewered by a speargun. I can’t in good conscience send my crew and guests out, knowing there’s a chance they might be attacked like we were yesterday. I should have canceled operations yesterday. If I had, you wouldn’t have been shot in the leg.”
Angel frowned. “You can’t blame yourself,”
“He’s right,” Makai said. “You didn’t shoot me.”
“No, but I should’ve shut down after the crash.” She lifted her chin. “It’s done now, and since it’s too late to let the guests know, Captain Dave will greet them and let them know I’ll refund their money. In the meantime, you’re going to a hospital to get that thing out of your leg.”
“I’m all for that.” Makai’s face was pale, and he was turning slightly gray around his lips.
The emergency medical technicians eased Makai onto a stretcher. Angel helped to stabilize the leg with the spear until they could get him onto the stretcher and into the back of the ambulance.
