AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lucy's arrival in his life was like one of those whales. She brought ripples everywhere she went, and soon they turned into massive tsunami waves that threatened to drown him. He didn't know where he stood with her.
But he knew where he wanted to stand. He wanted to be on that boat tour with her. He'd wanted to do the lava tour with her yesterday too.
The cave diving had been a different story. He'd been so worried about her getting her shoulder wet that he hadn't enjoyed it very much. Even though he'd been worried for her safety, he'd felt a certain calm at having her so close. The idea of not seeing Lucy every day was gnawing at him.
It was only when he'd lost sight of her in the cave that his frustration had mounted and his worry had threatened to drown him. Why did he have this overwhelming need to protect her, love her and keep her safe?
He approached the finish line, no closer to solving the problems in his life than he'd been before. There was nothing to do but continue the path he was running. They had to go their separate ways in Texas. He might still be a Ranger, but that just meant he still had people to save. He could do that with the Rangers or the FBI; it didn't really matter.
And by going back to work, he wouldn't trap Lucy into a relationship she didn't really want.
But that didn't mean that he had to ignore her for the rest of their trip. They still had a few days left in paradise. He wouldn't be doing any more work for the FBI while he was here, so he might as well do what his heart wanted and spend every moment with Lucy.
He panted and glanced around as the crowd dispersed now that the race was over. This was dumb. Why had he decided not to go whale watching with her?
He texted her.
What's the rest of your plans for today?
I'm done with my run.
Can we spend the rest of our time here together?
He walked around town for maybe half an hour before he got a reply.
The rest of our time in Maui?
Our flight back to Honolulu is in two hours, but sure.
Not just today.
I want to spend the rest of our vacation together.
The three dots drove him crazy, and he bounced on his toes as he waited. He didn't want to trap her and would set her free when they got back. But he needed to soak up as much time with her as possible.
That sounds good to me.
He breathed a sigh of relief and walked to a little cafe on the edge of town that overlooked the ocean. He texted her his location and waited for her whale watching tour to end. The next few days would be everything she wanted. He wanted to make them perfect for her. Not just because he was trying to make up for getting her kidnapped, but because he wanted to see her happy.
Chapter 35
The last few days since the whale watching tour had been full of gentle adventures. They explored a few more places, including the botanical gardens' cherry blossoms. Lucy tried to keep their conversations lighthearted, ignoring the trauma and trying to move on.
But it was hard when he did such sweet things. He'd tucked flowers into her hair, held her hand almost everywhere they went, and asked about her book. He teased her about it, but also helped her talk through her plot problem as they explored.
Slowly, she got used to having him constantly at her side. They also spent a few days just lounging on the beach. It was Mason's idea, a compromise for a way to enjoy her vacation and still get something accomplished on her book. She worked on her tan while typing away on her tablet. She wasn't getting as much writing done as she'd like, but it was a vacation, after all.
Finally, her shoulder scabbed over. She got the all clear for swimming with just a few days left in their trip. Mason had insisted on taking her to the doctor to get the approval for water sports.
It was sweet that he'd insisted on the doctor's approval. She was in elementary or middle school the last time someone took such good care of her. He'd not touched her since the kidnapping though.
After they left the doctor, Mason had asked, "So now that you're approved for water sports, what's your plan? I assume you have an itinerary ready to go?"
She'd grinned, a small thrill going down her spine. "You know me so well," she chuckled. "I want to go whale watching or snorkeling."
He'd snorted and turned the car back toward their resort. "You're kidding, right? Those are way too dangerous."
"They're perfectly safe. I'm more likely to get kidnapped than hurt—oh wait, I've already done that."
