Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

“Good God, it’s cold up here,” Aeden said. She smiled at him as they walked up the long, steep pathway that led to the Pali Lookout. The wind whipped his newly bought Hawaiian shirt around as she walked beside him. “I didn’t know it got this cold in Hawaii.”

“It is one of the things I love about this island. So many people just think of beaches, but there are a number of different climates here. Rain forests, volcanoes, landscape that looks like the desert. Then, you come up here and it feels like the Northeast in the fall. I come up here when I start missing New York.”

“So, you just come up here and it does the trick?”

She laughed. “Not always, but a little nip in the air is good.” There was a woman sitting at a table with painted pictures of Hawaiian scenes. “I do need to make a trip back there soon, but I’ve been busy.”

“So you’re telling me you miss cold winters?”

She nodded. “But then, there is snow on the Big Island.”

He stopped, and it took her a few steps to notice. She turned and held back her hair, as a big gust of air whooshed through.

“What’s the matter?”

“They get snow on the Big Island?”

She nodded. “On the upper elevations.”

He shook his head and started walking again. “I didn’t know that.”

“Every now and then, there’s a winter storm warning. I was there one time when they had one. It was odd to be on the beach that day knowing it was snowing on top of the mountains.”

They reached the top easily. It was especially cool with high humidity, so there was a bit of fog in the area. The cool, clean air washed over her, and hopefully kept her awake. She’d not slept that well the night before or the night before that. She liked to blame it on the stress of work and the fundraiser she was planning with Alana, but she knew the real issue.

How she wished she could have daydreams and fevered thoughts about the nice man beside her. He was tall, funny, gorgeous as the day was long, and he was easy. Complications were not something she was looking for.

“Earth to Lalani,” Aeden said, snapping his fingers. She shook her head and brought her attention back to the matters at hand.

“Sorry. My mind tends to wander when I am up here.”

“Easy to do. Has that sort of reflective feel to it.”

She smiled and turned to face the view. The ridge looked out on a view of the valley and then further out to the ocean. It was clear enough to see the sun dancing on the waves.

She glanced at her companion. “So, have you been enjoying your time here?”

He nodded. “I hate to admit it, but Chief might have been right. It’s not a good idea to have my mind on other things while at work.”

“How long have you been a fireman?”

“Ten years. It’s a family thing; although, our sister went into speech pathology, and we have a chef in the family.”

“I always find big families a bit intimidating. When Marco starts talking about brothers and cousins, I can’t keep them all straight.”

“I thought you had some family here?”

“My father lives here, and I live in my uncle’s apartment right now. He’s got a job on the mainland, so he’s letting me stay there as long as I pay some of the fees and take care of the utilities. He doesn’t have any kids though.”

“A bachelor for life?”

She shook her head. “No, Uncle Adam and his partner Brett didn’t want to adopt or use a surrogate.”

“Ah.”

She laughed. “You handled that well.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Some men have issues with that.”

He chuckled. “I was best man at my best friend’s wedding a couple years ago.”

“And, what does that mean in this conversation?”

“He and Mark are very happy.”

She smiled.

“So your uncle and his partner don’t want kids.”

She shook her head. “They always said they already had a daughter with me, so they didn’t need another child.”

“And you?” he asked.

She turned to face him, leaning back against the stone wall. “Not yet. I like being Auntie to Jon and working with kids. But not sure I’m ready to settle down. And aren’t we getting a little too personal?”

He laughed. “Sorry.”

“No worries. I can deal with it, if you want to tell me about this lost love.”

His smile faded. “She’s not lost, just an idiot.”

“Oh, sounds like you two are a match made in heaven.”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You’re as bad as Kaitlin. Of course, she probably wouldn’t be happy if she knew I was calling her best friend an idiot.”

“If she left a catch like you, I would say she wasn’t that smart.”

The lookout area was starting to fill with people, so she motioned to the path that led back to the parking lot.

“She didn’t leave me, really. And I can’t fault her. She’s volunteering in Africa for a few months.”

“Like a missionary?”

He shook his head. “She’s a nurse working with Ebola patients.”

“And she asked you to wait?”

“No, because we don’t have a relationship.”

She stopped next to the attendant who was still playing his ukulele. “I’m confused.

Aeden glanced at the attendant and motioned with his head. She followed him. “We had one night…okay two.”

She looked at him as she stood by the driver’s side door. “Ohh, wow. You’re pining over a woman you don’t even have a set relationship with?”

He frowned. “I wouldn’t call it pining.”

She laughed. “It’s sweet.”

He said nothing else as he slipped into her car. She didn’t realize until she was backing out that he was blushing.

“Oh, lord, and you blush.”

“Fuck, okay, so I’m missing her, and it’s made me a pain in the ass, I know that. But don’t go telling Santini.”

She had a good idea that most of the family already knew about it. There was a reason his sister had suggested a trip. And knowing the Santinis, they all gossiped about it. None of them could keep a secret from what Alana said.

“I promise,” she said with a smile. “How about I take you to the best shrimp food truck on the island?”

“Sounds like a great idea. I’m starving.”

It was really a shame that she couldn’t find a sweetheart like this man. Oh, he was rough in his way, and she knew he had a bad mouth on him. After spending time with him, she knew Aeden was definitely a catch.

If the woman who captured his heart didn’t treat him right, Lalani might just hunt her down and hurt her.