Chapter 8

Layton frowned, looking at her cell phone. "Problems?" Emersyn asked, shooting her sister a worried look.

"No, everything's fine. I just need to send a quick text before we head to lunch."

"Okay. I'm gonna get my purse and finish getting ready." Emersyn strode down the hall to her bedroom, grabbing her own cell phone from her dresser. When she'd awoken this morning, she'd been surprised to see a goodbye text from Aaron. No doubt he'd been rushing around finishing whatever last-minute preparations were required for his deployment, but he'd still taken the time to send her a message. She swiped the screen, smiling as she looked at his texts.

Aaron: Stay safe for me, Em. I'll be in touch when we're back.

Aaron: Promise me no kayaking while I'm gone. ;)

Her skin heated as she reread his words. His text wasn't sexy or romantic in the least, but just knowing he'd been thinking about her made her heart flutter. Something about his gentle orders made her feel good. It was flattering to have a man she'd just met worry about her. Some guys might play it up and lay it on thick when they didn't really give a crap, but she sensed that Aaron was genuine. Real. The man had literally helped her haul boxes and furniture around without expecting a thing in return.

She hated to admit that a part of her missed him already. They hadn't even gone on a date yet, but she was eager to see him again and learn more.

Emersyn was getting way ahead of herself though. Maybe he'd turn into a major jerk like so many other men. Maybe he was a horrible kisser. Maybe he was hot as hell but a rotten person inside.

Or maybe they'd date and it would be the start of something amazing.

Shaking her head, she moved to her closet and slid on a pair of flat sandals. There really wasn't anything she could do aside from wonder about it now. Aaron was gone, deployed someplace no doubt dangerous, and she was settling into her new place. Life would go on with or without him.

"It's looks empty in here," Layton said as she poked her head in the room.

"No kidding. I can't believe the box with my bedding and pillows was lost in shipment. These cheap sheets I quickly grabbed are worthless."

Layton giggled. "I don't know. I doubt Aaron would have any complaints," she teased.

"Well, he's not here, is he? Even so, I'd like to at least have a couple dates before I think about sleeping with him. Aren't you supposed to be the responsible big sister?" Emersyn pointed out.

"I know, I know. I'm just enjoying my last few days of vacation."

"That's right. You did want a vacation fling," Emersyn joked.

Ignoring her comment, Layton moved into her bedroom, looking around. "Let's go shopping after we eat," Layton suggested. "I want to grab a souvenir or two anyway, and you could use some better bedding and pictures for those bare walls."

Emersyn ran a hand through her blonde hair, then held up her compact and swiped on some lip gloss. "Sounds good. I want to get my mirrors hung as well. Once work starts, I won't have much free time. It's always busier when starting a new assignment. Where do you want to have lunch? We could check out that place Coconuts that Aaron told me about."

"Sounds fun," Layton agreed. "But it's the middle of the workday. If Aaron, Hudson, and their friends typically go there for happy hours, there probably aren't other military guys hanging around right now, just a bunch of tourists."

"I know, but I still want to check it out. It sounds like they have good food and drinks."

"Fine by me. I'm dying for a pina colada. How touristy is that?" Layton asked with a laugh.

"Well, you get an excuse because you're on vacation. I live here now. What will the locals think if I'm ordering fancy, fruity drinks?" Emersyn joked.

"They'll think you're hella fun like your older sister."

Emersyn snorted. "What's gotten into you?" she asked as they walked out of her apartment and she paused to lock her front door. "You seem really happy today."

Layton linked arms with her as they moved down the hallway. "I'm just excited to be in Hawaii. You're safe and moved in, and we've got a few more days to explore and have fun before I go home. Let's make sure we head down to the beach later this afternoon, too. I've got a good book with my name on it and need some more of this glorious Hawaiian sunshine."

"Sounds like a plan," Emersyn agreed.

They took the elevator down to the ground floor of her building, walking out into the gorgeous day. While Emersyn had hoped to live closer to the beach, it was crazy expensive here in Honolulu. They'd have to drive to get to one of the beaches later on, but living here in paradise was still one hundred percent worth it. "Look how pretty it is here," Emersyn said. "One of the locals told me the city cuts coconuts off the palm trees in the median strips so they don't fall on cars or people. Isn't that wild?"

"Huh. I never would've thought. Guess that's one danger we can safely avoid in Virginia—no falling coconuts."

Emersyn smiled, clicking the key fob to unlock the doors.

"What's the plan for your rental car?" Layton asked. "Maybe you should look into leasing now that you're here for six months."

"I really need to figure something out," Emersyn agreed as she climbed in. She adjusted her floral sundress, smoothing the material over her thighs. Too bad she hadn't worn anything cute like this when she'd seen Aaron. She always managed to be super casual when he was around. "It wasn't worth shipping my old car," Emersyn continued, "but I'll be paying crazy prices to rent a vehicle for months on end."

"You should definitely visit a car dealer. I'm sure they'd have a short-term lease option."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll add it to my ever-growing to-do list," Emersyn said. "I need more household and grocery items, laundry detergent, probably an entire case of sunscreen, plus I've got to hang up some artwork, mirrors, curtains—ack! How am I going to have any time for fun?"

"I'm sure you'll manage. Just make sure the guest room is fully stocked," Layton joked. "I'm planning on another visit out here while you're living in Honolulu."

"Oh, I like the sound of that." Emersyn started the car, then paused with both hands gripping the steering wheel. "Also, I just realized I have no idea where we're going. Pull up Coconuts on Google Maps."

"Yes, ma'am," her sister teased.