Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (best affordable ebook reader TXT) 📗

‘I obviously have the magic touch, if only I could have the same skill with my own parents, hey?’

‘I think we’re as bad as each other where our own parents are concerned.’

‘Lucky us!’ They shared another look, both knowing the other hurt and neither knowing how to fix it. ‘I’m just glad you could come and stay, Zo. I feel like I have a whole life here but it’s not the same without having you guys to share it with.’

Zoe’s smile was small. ‘I know what you mean.’

‘Oh, speaking of which, I haven’t asked you: how long have you decided you can stop for?’

‘A week, I need to be heading on to New Zealand then.’

‘New Zealand – how awesome! Another long-haul flight, though? I don’t know how you do it.’

‘Hey, no rest for the wicked, right?’

Malie’s heart pulsed in her chest as she heard her mind replay someone else quoting that exact phrase to her just a few days ago. Todd, on their day out. She remembered the fun, the easiness with which they’d spent that day and her belly flipped over, her heart starting to dance. Quit it.

‘None at all,’ she said softly, heading out and reminding herself that she had Zoe to help her quit it, quit him. And for a whole week too. That left only another week in which to avoid him and the chaos he’d kicked up inside her.

She could cope for a further week, there was plenty she could throw herself into to keep out of his way.

And she could start by asking Kalani to take over his one-to-one lessons, no matter how much he griped. After that morning’s brutal session, Todd may have even taken it upon himself to ask Kalani. Now wouldn’t that be a bonus.

She ignored the dead weight forming in her gut at the prospect of not seeing him alone again and focused on seeing to Zoe. Her friend was her first concern, Todd shouldn’t even be on her radar. Outside of her work with the charity, that is.

Chapter Sixteen

‘NO ONE TOLD ME we’d have to work today, Mr Masters,’ Tara grumbled, bending to dip her brush in the paint pot and blowing her fringe out of her face with a huff. ‘This is like slave labour or summat!’

Todd laughed. ‘You’re getting paid in ice cream, surely that’s fair?’

Tara threw him a look but then grinned. ‘It is nice ice cream.’

‘Plus, you get to spend the day with me here, while your parents get their boring sightseeing done.’ He was quoting Tara on that.

‘True. Not sure why they’d wanna go see that pearl thing anyway. Didn’t they get enough history in school?’

Todd shook his head but didn’t argue with her. He was just glad he’d been able to help out and the fact that it meant her parents truly were enjoying their chance at a holiday and spending time together was a good sign.

‘Right, I think Kalani wants us—’

‘Todd?’

His heart pulsed – Malie.

He turned to see her staring at him wide-eyed, mouth parted, her colourful rash vest clinging to her upper body, her black swim shorts a mere belt. He smiled, trying to hide his body’s instinctive overheating and looked to the petite blonde woman in a wheelchair beside her. She was similarly dressed but wearing fashionably oversized sunglasses and a far warmer expression, although her smile suggested she was amused by something, like she’d just been told a joke that only she was privy to.

‘Morning, or is it afternoon now?’ He dropped his brush into the paint tray and glanced at his watch – it was almost one.

‘If it is, you owe me lunch.’ Tara beamed at him before looking at their new arrivals. ‘Hey, Malie! Is this your friend Zoe?’

‘Hi, kiddo,’ Malie frowned, ‘How did you—?’

‘I might have mentioned you have a friend staying,’ Todd jumped in, wiping a hand on his trousers and offering it out to Zoe. ‘Nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.’

Her smile grew as she shook his hand. ‘And I you.’

Todd glanced at Malie as he straightened and combed his fingers through his hair, brushing back the strands that had fallen forward. ‘Sounds ominous…’

‘Doesn’t it just.’ He could hear the teasing in Zoe’s voice and felt her eyes watching him closely.

‘What are you doing here?’ Malie’s voice was tinged with silent accusation, the flush to her skin making her eyes appear brighter, ever more piercing as they speared him.

‘What does it look like?’ he said, his tone light and easy in such contrast to hers. ‘I helped Kalani out yesterday after you left and when he mentioned he was helping you ladies today, I said I’d carry on with it. Figured it would keep Tara out of trouble too.’

‘Hey, I’m not trouble,’ the girl blurted out, waving her paintbrush at him and sending droplets flying through the air. Thank heaven he’d thought to put a dust sheet down, as for him, he had to jump back to evade being splattered. ‘Say it again and I’ll come over there and paint you.’

He chuckled at her threat. ‘I would be careful who you’re threatening if I were you.’

Tara laughed as she returned to her task, ‘Whatever you say, Boss.’

‘Cheeky! You’ve been hanging around Jonny too long.’ He looked back to their new arrivals, Zoe was all smiles whilst Malie continued to frown at him.

‘But…’ she flustered. ‘Don’t you have work you should be doing?’

‘It’s Saturday,’ he shrugged. ‘And wasn’t it you who told me I should take some time off and try my hand at DIY?’

‘That’s not what… that was…’

She opened her mouth and closed it again, Tara coming to her aid. ‘If I had time off, I’d spend it doing something fun, not painting.’

‘Would you rather be walking around a war museum?’ Todd said to her.

She laughed. ‘Nope.’

Malie looked ever more baffled. ‘So why is Tara here?’

‘I’m helping out her parents,’ he explained. ‘They’re having a day out together, checking out Pearl Harbor among