14. Mila

FOURTEEN

There is nothing I would not do

for those who are really my friends.

I have no notion of loving people by halves;

it is not my nature.

~ Jane Austen

Some people come in like a gentle rain, others like a squall. My best friend is the latter—rarely subtle, always making her presence known. She holds within her the capacity to be as fierce as she is fun.

And today, Chloe is on the warpath, or so it seems, as she storms through my front double doors, letting them fall shut with a bang behind her.

"Mila Rose Mitchell, what on earth?!" Her voice echoes off the old wood paneling and high ceilings in the main room

"Calm down," I whisper hoarsely, even though it's midafternoon. "You'll upset the guests."

"Upset the guests? Upset the guests?" Chloe pops her hands on her hips and stares at me, her eyes narrowed.

"What is going on?" I walk around from behind the reception desk and approach her like I'm nearing one of the wild monkeys that inhabit our island.

Yes. Wild monkeys. As you may know, a movie was filmed here years ago that called for wild animals. After production finished, the animals were left to roam on the back side of the island. Only, being animals, they multiplied. And they don't always know they're supposed to stay on the uninhabited portion of Marbella. Sometimes they end up in shops—or my trash cans.

Right now, my bestie looks as feral and dangerous as one of those primates when he's got a whopping chunk of my garbage in his hands.

"What is wrong?" I ask in my most unoffending tone of voice.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No."

I can feel my brow furrow in confusion. What is she so … ?

Oooooh. Nooooo.

Chloe must have heard about me and Kai. From someone else. I truly hope that's not what this is, but one more appraisal of Chloe's face and I know. She thinks I started dating Kai and didn't tell her.

"Kai?" Chloe moves her hands from her hips and crosses her arms over her chest. "Really, Mila? You started dating Kai and didn't even bother to tell me."

I reach my hand out to rest it on her shoulder assuringly, and she shrugs it off. Yep. She's mad. I don't blame her. I would be upset too.

"It's a long story …"

Chloe's eyebrows raise, and her lips purse. "Is that why you didn't even call me? It would take too long to tell me this long story? About your new boyfriend?"

"Chloe, please. Trust me. You're my best friend. I tell you everything. Do you really think I'd keep it from you if I were dating Kai?"

"So, you're not dating Kai?"

"Not exactly."

"Not exactly?"

"Right. Here. Sit down. I'll tell you everything."

And, without even a second thought, I decide she needs to know. Chloe has been my best friend my whole life. She has kept every secret I ever told her. And I've kept hers.

She sits on one end of a sofa and I take the opposing end, swiveling to face her.

"So, that day Brad came by?"

Chloe nods, her arms still crossed over her chest, but her face softening just the slightest.

"Kai was here, at the inn. And before I knew it, he had stepped onto the porch and introduced himself as my boyfriend."

"He whaaa … ?" Chloe's expression shifts from confused to hopeful in less than a second. "Oh! Okay, now. This we can work with."

"No. No. Uh uh. We cannot work with this. This is me and Kai doing what's necessary. That's all."

I go on to tell Chloe about the day I had breakfast with Brad, only this time I share all the parts I left out the first time I told her: how Kai showed up and stepped in, how he put his arm around me and kissed my temple, how we talked that afternoon and agreed to put up a front to keep Brad at bay.

"So, let me get this straight. You and Kai are only pretending to date because of Brad? Kai's not secretly into you? Are you sure?"

"Yes. That's it. I'm sure. And I just broke a rule."

"A rule?"

"You know. Like they set rules in the romance books—when there's a fake dating trope?"

"Mmmm. I love those. Simply delicious."

"Right. Well, I borrowed a page from the books and we made rules—guidelines, like no catching feelings, stuff like that."

"Why on earth would you set that as a rule, Mila? Kai is hot. Yes. I said it. He's a darn good looking man. I mean, those eyes alone. And then you add in the surfer bod … my heart is completely devoted to Davis. But I'm not dead. I know a handsome man when I see one. And Kai's handsome in a way that makes you look—like when you really look at a Dutch painting, like one by Rembrandt, and it just gets more and more beautiful the longer you stare at it, or those rare sunsets where every single shade of pastel and neon vie for your attention in a display that makes you ponder things beyond this earth. You simply have to look. Tell me you can at least see Kai's attractive."

I nod, not appreciating the fact that Chloe noticed Kai, or that she has such a poetic way of describing his uncommon beauty, then chiding myself for caring. Why should I care? Kai is handsome. It's not like that's a secret. After Chloe's rant about Kai's looks, I'm unfortunately assaulted by images of Kai—helping in my kitchen, laughing, surfing with Noah, running his hand through his hair, his dad face, the way he looked down at me like a man who wanted to kiss a woman.

Chloe continues her campaign. It's like Kai for President, only it's Kai for the most eligible bachelor in your life.

"And he's kind. He's good with Noah. Plus, he's always over here pitching in. I don't know why you haven't caught feelings already."

"And, this?" I wave my hand in her direction. "This is why I hesitated to tell you. It's not that I don't trust you with my secrets. I know you guard my confidences with your life. It's just … I can't fall for Kai. And I don't want him falling for me. And I don't want you getting all excited about a potential love match when this is strictly a practical decision to keep lines clear between me and Brad."

"A practical decision? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Chloe laughs.

"You mock me. But, seriously, I can't have Brad thinking he's got a chance with me."

"So, tell him. Tell Brad you'd never date him again if it were the zombie apocalypse and it were up to the two of you to perpetuate the human race."

"I don't think that's the exact phrasing I'd choose."

"Whatever, just make it firm. That's what adults do, Mila. They set boundaries. They talk. They don't … fake date a hot guy just to keep their ex-husband from making a move."

She's got an expression on her face that's half annoyed, half compassionate. I'll admit I haven't always been the most direct communicator. I love peace. I could wear a T-shirt that says something like, Why can't we all just get along? Or Play nice. Come to think of it, I do own two graphic T's that say, Be Kind. That's really the way I like to do life—non-confrontational and agreeable, with a side of baked goods.

But having a peace-loving personality doesn't mean I can't set boundaries. Maybe it used to, but Chloe knows me. I've grown. I have limits and I set them kindly and firmly. Going through a divorce and owning my own business where I serve all manner of customers has sent me through two orientations by fire. I've learned my limits and how to communicate them diplomatically.

I look at my best friend, so grateful for her mama bear tendencies when it comes to me and my life. She'd take a bullet for me. Knowing her, though, the bullet would take one look at her when she's all riled up, and retreat to shoot in the opposite direction.

"So, you think I should just tell Brad he doesn't have a chance? And he'd just accept it? He'd leave me alone? He'd honor that line if I drew it?"

Chloe pauses. She knows Brad. "Okay. Yeah. You're right. He'd act like he accepted your wishes, and then he'd double down, trying to win you back."

"And that won't ever happen."

"I know. Because if there were even a smidge of a chance of anything happening between you two, I'd be over here in his face—and in yours—tackling that mess like a linebacker."

I chuckle. "Yeah. You would. But you won't have to. I'm never going back to Brad. I'm not even dating any man until after Noah is out of the house. I've already decided that. It's too complicated. And Noah needs me. The inn needs me. But even when I do start dating—if I do—Brad is on the list of men I will never date, not even then."

"Decisions can change." Chloe's face looks so unfortunately hopeful, not about Brad, obviously, but about me dating before Noah leaves.

"Not that decision."

"What about the rules?" Chloe's arms have lowered at some point. She's relaxed back into the cushions of the couch, making a playful face.

"The rules are there for a reason. Kai and I want to preserve our friendship. And we need the guidelines to help us carry this off. And we can't let Noah suspect anything."

"Of course not." Chloe nods emphatically.

We stare at one another, the weight of Noah's situation hanging between us. The unknown influence of Brad's sudden reappearance like an anvil overhead, dangling by nothing but piano wire and hope for the best.

"Well, my lips are sealed," Chloe promises me. "I'm in on this charade now. I'll just act like you and Kai are dating. Is this just in front of Brad? Or …?"

"Oh. Yeah. Right." I sigh. "Well, it was supposed to be. But then someone saw me and Kai with Brad outside Horizons. And then people talked. And it got back to my aunts."

"Oh, no! What did you tell them?"

"Thankfully, they assumed the rumors were true, and I didn't correct them."

Chloe smiles warmly. She's not upset at me for duping my aunts. I feel a little guilty, but it had to be done. In time, I'll explain everything to them. I'm not sure when, but I will.

"So, I'm the only one who knows?"

"Yep. You, me, and Kai."

The day rolls on with dinner preparation and service for my guests, then they take off to places I've recommended where they can enjoy island life. And finally, after the inn is quiet and empty for the evening, Noah settles in for his bedtime routine. I convinced Chloe to bring a book over and read in the main room while I run to Kai's. I need to talk to him about my choice to tell Chloe about our fake dating situation, and that's not a conversation that feels right to have over text or even a call.

The night air whips my hair around as I cycle through our neighborhood, then up and down a few hilly streets with the ocean's inky glow off to my left, sometimes barely visible in glimpses between houses and then suddenly in full view when I pass a cove, the moonlight reflecting in luminous lines along the peaks and valleys of the water's surface.

I pedal toward the resort side of Marbella. Something about riding my bike brings back childhood memories, and not one memory in particular, but all of them, in one blurry haze of bliss. It's the feel of freedom, the rush of air past me as I glide forward. Nothing can touch me when I'm coasting down a hill. I can outrun responsibility, decisions, and deadlines with each depression of my pedals. I'm lighter and nearly giddy by the time I make my way along the street that runs between the beach and the resort.

I reach Kai's neighborhood in fifteen or twenty minutes, park my bike outside his house, and walk up the walkway toward his porch toting the dessert I packed in my bike bag.

Kalaine's dog barks repeatedly, alerting Kai to my presence, and the front door opens before I even have a chance to knock.

Kai stands on the other side of the screen door, shirtless, framed in light. There's a sheen of sweat across his brow and maybe his pecs. I'm trying not to count his one … two … three … Yep. Six pack of abs. Whew. It's been a long, long time since I've been this close to a shirtless man who wasn't on a beach at a decent distance from me. That's what this is. A case of overexposure, plain and simple.

I clear my throat.

"Mila? What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

I was, until you answered the door like that.

I'm not dead. Chloe's words echo through my head. Well, apparently I'm not dead either.

Shaka's tail is wagging and he's pressing his wet, pink nose to the screen door separating me from Kai. That door feels like a buffer—one I apparently need right now. It's late. Chloe filled my head with all this Kai's attractive propaganda. That's all this is.

"Mila?"

"Oh. Yeah. Hey. I'm here. On your porch. As you can see. From looking at me, you could tell it's me. Out here. At your house. I'm … sorry."

"You're sorry?"

Kai's mouth turns up in a half-grin, crooked smile that does nothing to still the thoughts I'm having about how he looks right now. Muscles, muscles, muscles, and that golden skin. I look up at the porch light and back at Kai who is still sporting an amused smirk.

I feel like I need to get on my bike and fly down a few more hills. I could use the ocean breeze on my overheated skin right about now.

"Sorry. I should have called."

"No. No. It's fine. I was just exercising." He looks down at Shaka, who is rubbing against Kai's calves on one side and then the other, wagging his tail effusively like he's the luckiest dog in the world.

Can't argue that. Gah. Get a grip, Mila.

Kai sidesteps the dog.

Shaka follows along, not willing to put one centimeter between himself and Kai.

Kai makes a grimacing face down toward Shaka.

The dog gives him the most adoring look in return.

"After surfing today? You still have energy to exercise?"

"I couldn't settle my brain tonight. Exercising relaxes me. That or playing guitar," Kai says, as he pushes the door open. "Want to come in?"

"Um. Yes. I brought you dessert. Apple cobbler."

Suddenly, I feel beyond awkward about bringing Kai dessert. I've never been awkward about sharing my baking with him before.

"Awesome. Thanks. I love your cobbler."

Kai takes the outstretched container of dessert from me as I step over the threshold.

I walk past Kai, who should smell at least a little offensive from working out, but he doesn't. He's sunshine and tropics, earthy, but warm. Manly.

Shaka saves me from this weird mental trail I'm on about my friend. Shaka's wagging his tail even harder now that I'm inside the house, and he's obviously about to jump up to greet me when Kai firmly says, "Hey! Off."

Shaka sits, his tail wagging on the floor like a swiffer in overdrive.

"Hey there, good boy. Who's a good boy?" I say to Shaka, scrubbing his head and under his chin.

"Not that one. Don't let him fool you," Kai says in a grumbly tone that makes me smile.

He walks into the kitchen, setting the bag on the dining table and then coming back into the living room. Shaka follows Kai.

"What did Shaka do?" I ask.

"He's just everywhere I go. And he's … well, look at him."

I do. Shaka smiles the way some breeds do. An actual dog smile. Then he lets his tongue loll out for an extra dose of adorableness. Shaka's obviously oblivious to the way Kai feels about him because he looks up at Kai as if no one else in the world exists.

"Well, the feeling sure isn't mutual. That dog adores you."

"Hrmph." Kai makes a grumpy old man noise.

I burst into laughter. "I've never seen this side of you."

"It's that dog."

"Mm hmm. Well, you're a saint for putting up with him. I can see that he's absolutely horrible."

Kai gives me a side eye.

Then he waves his arm toward the couches and overstuffed chair. "Come in. Make yourself at home."

Kai looks around as if he's trying to size up whether the house is guest-ready. It's immaculate. Surfing magazines are stacked neatly on a side table. Blue and white abstract paintings of the ocean line the walls, interspersed with a collage of surf photos of Kai, Kalaine, and Bodhi. I walk closer so I can see them better.

I've never been in Kai's space alone. I've attended a few barbecues, but then I was only out back in the yard, entering through the gate from the alleyway behind the houses like the rest of the guests. I came in to use the restroom once during a party, but I never ventured into the living room.

"Wow." I breathe out my awe in one word that doesn't do justice to what I'm seeing.

Kai on a wave. This photo looks like it was taken by a professional with a high-quality camera. The details are vivid. He's surfing in Hawaii or somewhere tropical. The wave is twice as tall as Kai, and he's riding down the face with his body bent. I can feel the intensity of his focus, the way every inch of him is engaged in the ride. I study the next photo. Kai's on the top of a wave like a skier on a slope. His board is aimed with the nose out of the water, spray arcing behind him. Every muscle flexed. The smile on his face is broad and free.

He's gorgeous. Most days I forget Kai was a pro-surfer. He's just Kai to me.

"Do you miss it?" I ask.

"Sometimes."

He walks over so he's just behind me. We stand there, silently absorbing the photos together.

Kai points at one. "That was the best day. I won all my heats. Took first in the whole contest."

"You're a superhero," I nearly whisper.

He chuckles low and deep. "Like Aquaman."

I make the mistake of turning to smile at him. He's right there, a light dusting of end-of-the-day stubble covering his jawline, dark and inviting. His golden-amber eyes find mine. We're locked in this moment, so close I can hear his breath, for one … two … three seconds that feel like they defy time, and then I come to my senses, and it seems like he does too.

Kai steps back. "You never said what brought you knocking at my door this late at night. Surely it's not so you could take in the history of Kai Kapule's pro-surfing days."

"No. Actually, I need to talk to you."

"Okay. Everything alright?"

That protective edge is back in his voice and it hits me in a way it never had before we started faking a relationship. I've always known Kai excelled in providing for and protecting those he loves. I've been the grateful recipient of his care over the years. Right now, his protectiveness feels more masculine. And this dormant feminine side of me can't help but wake up and stretch in response.

Go back to sleep, I try to coax myself. It's not time to wake up.

It's late. Kai's shirtless. I'm confused.

In the light of morning, I'll be less vulnerable, I'm sure of it.

"Can I get you a drink?" Kai offers.

"Sure. Water, or nothing. Or whatever."

"Water coming right up. Have a seat, Mila. Make yourself at home. But be forewarned. That dog will climb up next to you."

"Thanks for the heads up. I would hate it if a dog were to snuggle up with me without warning."

Kai turns around and raises his eyebrow. "You're making fun of me, right?"

I hold my fingers up in a pinch. "I mean, Kai, look at him. He's so well behaved. And cute. And he obviously loves you."

I take a seat on the couch. Shaka jumps up next to me, turns around once, and curls himself into a ball at my side. Then he lifts his fluffy head and rests it on my thigh.

I run my fingers through his hair and he lets out a whoosh of breath and settles in even more.

"The mutt's alright. I wouldn't have him here if it weren't for Kala. But you know how I am with her. She's my baby sister. I'd do anything for her."

I smile. The mutt. I've never seen this side of Kai before. It's amusing.

"I do know how you are. Best big brother in the world."

"Tell Kala that. She thinks I'm overbearing."

"Sometimes we don't see what's right in front of us. Deep down she knows you're the best."

"So, what's got you on the other side of the island after dark?" Kai walks back into the living room with two glasses of water. "You seemed a little flustered when I opened the door. Did something happen?"

Besides you walking around shirtless? Not much.

Kai sets his water on the side table next to mine. Then, as if he read my mind—which I'm begging and hoping he didn't—he grabs his shirt from where it was draped over the back of the love seat and puts it on. Unfortunately, putting on a shirt is nearly as sexy as walking around without one. His muscles bunch and his hair is tousled in the process, and then he runs one hand through his hair to tame it, but that movement isn't any less offending.

I grab my water and take a big gulp. Then I nearly choke.

"You okay?" Kai's face fills with concern.

"Yeah." I sputter-cough a little. "Just a long day. I'm always a little less pulled together by this time of night."

I take a big breath, running my hands over Shaka's back in soothing motions. "We need to talk."

"What's up? Does this have to do with Brad? Did he contact you again?"

"No. He didn't contact me. But Chloe came by today. She heard we were dating—and she didn't hear it from me."

"Oh. That can't have gone well."

Kai knows Chloe.

"She was upset. But I made a snap decision. And then I realized I broke one of our rules."

"Fine."

"Fine? You don't even know which rule I broke."

"I'm assuming you told her the truth."

"I did. In the moment it was either lie to her and damage a lifelong friendship, or come clean with her."

"That's fine. I'm glad she knows."

"Really?"

"Of course. You trust Chloe. This is your thing. We're fake dating for you—to protect you. I'm just pitching in. If you want to tell someone, tell them. I know Chloe is your best friend. It makes sense."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Hopefully that's the biggest hurdle we'll face."

The words, "Yes. Hopefully," are what I say. But in my heart, I have a feeling we've only barely started clearing the hurdles we'll be facing with this charade of ours.