Chapter Twelve

 

The boat rocked, soothing me as it motored through the waves of the ocean. Niko was at the helm of the yacht and Sawyer sat next to me, a drink in one hand, my hand in the other. The sun shone brightly and I enjoyed the heat on my body after spending the last six months indoors, for the most part. I leaned my head back on the giant lounge chair and sighed. I’ve been wound tighter than a drum the past five days since the second note was delivered. I spent most of my time in the daycare center working on the renovations and meeting with contractors. We had a long meeting of the minds a few days back and everyone is ready to do their part to get the center moved and open. Flynn will be running the electric today before the carpenters finish the walls tomorrow. By the time we get back from Honolulu the walls will be in the process of being painted, then the carpet will go down, and they’ll turn it over to me for the finishing work. Sawyer decided we would go to my appointment and while in Honolulu we could shop for the appliances we would need. The big island has more selection and stores to choose from, which meant we might be able to look at the appliances in person rather than online.

“I can’t believe you convinced Niko to cruise us to Honolulu,” I said, letting my head fall to the left, a smile on my face.

“He was heading to the hospital anyway. I figured it sure would be easier to get the appliances on the yacht than ship them, since Gideon’s helicopter can’t fit them all.”

“True,” I agreed. “I would love to have them with us when we get back. They’ll have the countertop and cabinets installed by the time we return, which means we’ll be ready for the appliances immediately. All we’ll have left to do for the meal aspect is the menu planning.”

He kissed my hand and smiled. “We have lots of time for planning. I want you to enjoy the ride over to the island. Hawaii is an amazing plethora of beauty and you don’t want to miss a thing.”

I nodded, centering my head again to watch the tiny islands go zipping by. We were on the viewing deck of Niko’s yacht. He used it to go back and forth to the hospital in Honolulu where he works, since flying isn’t practical when he goes as often as he does. He docks the boat in a marina and sleeps in it instead of maintaining an apartment or staying in a hotel. Sometimes Lei and Bim head over with them when Lei’s not working, which is rare. As the general manager of the resort, she’s basically tied to the place with an umbilical cord. A few years ago, when her life was in danger, Niko was the one to rescue her from the drug dealers who were after her, but he also rescued her from herself. She was so convinced she was going to die that she forgot how to live. I didn’t want to go as far down the rabbit hole as she did. I want to live, and I’ll fight to stay alive. The man holding my hand had a lot to do with my conviction. He’s barely left my side since the night the second poem was delivered. When he’s finished in the kitchen each night he brings me dinner and after a walk on the beach or a movie snuggled in bed, he sleeps beside me, holding me in his arms. He’s taking his job seriously, and I’m falling deeper and deeper in love with him. If only I could say it, but the words won’t come. I try, but every time I can’t get past ‘I’. I can see it hurts him terribly, but there’s nothing I can do right now. I have to take it one day at a time or I’ll go as crazy as Jarrett.

“You know what I love?” I asked, and he shook his head. “How expressive you are about your feelings. It’s rare these days to find a man who isn’t afraid to put himself out there and share in the beauty of nature, express empathy for others, and still be masculine and charming.”

“You know what I love?” he asked and I shook my head. “You,” he answered, kissing my knuckles and smiling at the sky.

“Sawyer, I…”

He shushed me with his finger to my lips. “You don’t have to say it back. When the time is right it will fall from your lips without reservation. In the meantime, I’ll keep proving my love to you one day at a time.”

He sat up and pointed into the water. “Look, humpbacks,” he said excitedly. He yelled to Niko and the boat slowed, then stopped to bob in the water. Sawyer helped me to the edge of the deck where two humpback whales played. Their blowholes sent plumes of water into the air as they frolicked in the deep blue sea. They twisted and turned, dancing through the water like sixty-thousand-pound ballerinas. Sawyer held me around my waist and kept kissing my cheek as we watched them play. I pointed toward a fin in the water.

“Oh no! It’s a shark,” I gasped.

Sawyer laughed in my ear. “No, sweetheart, those are dolphins.”

I searched the water and sure enough, as they got closer I could see their long narrow beaks and rounded grey bodies. There were ten or twelve swimming around and through the two whales. The whales turned and followed the dolphins closely, the twisting and turning resembling a child’s game of tag or follow the leader.

I pointed. “The whales are going to eat them. What should we do?” I asked concerned.

He kissed my cheek and held me tighter. “These whales don’t eat dolphins; they don’t have teeth. They eat krill, plankton, and small fish. Whales and dolphins are known to play like they are, but it’s rare to see. This is quite an unusual sight. I’ve only seen it a few times in my life, and I’ve lived here for thirty years. I think your magical enchantment is affecting more than just me.”

I kept watch of them, my hand shading my eyes as they frolicked in the rolling waves, the sun glinting off their smooth gray skin. My ears caught the sound of a bird singing and I pointed to my ear. “Where’s the bird singing from?” I asked.

“It’s not a bird; it’s the whales. They’re communicating with each other. They’re using what are called pulse calls to socialize with each other. It sounds like singing or squeaking to us. You might hear them clicking, too. They usually click closer to shore to navigate rocky areas. The sound bounces off objects and tells them what areas to avoid.”

I reached backward and cupped his face. “How do you know all of this?” I asked, surprised, but pleased with the lesson on Hawaiian sea creatures.

“I’m a native, sweetheart. I might not have the typical physical traits of a Hawaiian, but I was born and raised here. Hawaii is in my blood.”

I swiveled and put my arms around him, hugging him as the boat picked up speed and soon we were propelled through the water again. “Thank you for exposing me to new experiences. You don’t know what it means to me to feel like a normal woman even if it’s only for a few moments at a time.”

He led me to the lounger and sat down, helping me down onto his lap where he cuddled me into his arms. “You are a normal woman, Rose. It must be frustrating to have this hanging over your head, but I refuse to behave as if we have to hide. There is too much beauty in where we live to hide inside. I’ll keep you safe, but I also want you to experience the world with me.” He ran his hand down my face and smiled. “Do you look more like your mom or your dad?” he asked out of the blue.

Taken aback I had to think about it for a moment. “Most say my mom. They call me her ‘mini-me’. My mother is a beautiful woman, so I don’t mind in the least.”

He ran his thumb under my eye. “You’re damn beautiful yourself, Miss Scott.”

I smiled and kissed his lips. “Thank you. What about you? Who do you resemble, and where do your parents live?”

A shadow passed in front of his eyes and I waited, afraid I had dug myself into a hole that would be awkward to escape. “I don’t resemble either of my parents. Like Bim, I was adopted.”

I leaned down and kissed his lips again. “I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

He smiled lazily and held me close. “Don’t apologize. It isn’t something I go around advertising. My early years on the island weren’t your typical childhood. I moved from home to home and when I was eight decided enough was enough. I lived on the street for about three weeks, thinking I was fine and could do it forever. Then a group of older boys beat me up and a man found me lying on the beach, covered in sand and bleeding from a head wound,” he held his hair back, and a scar ran the length of his forehead near his scalp line.

“Holy cow,” I whispered.

He dropped his hand and picked mine up. “It was bad. The doctors said they almost scalped me. By the time I got to the hospital I had lost so much blood I was nearly dead. Apparently, they caught an artery when they cut me. They also broke my arm and two ribs.”

“My God, Sawyer. I had no idea,” I whispered.

He shrugged. “I healed, and enjoyed the two weeks in the hospital where I had food, a bed, and clean clothes. I worried about where I would go when they released me, since I had a broken arm and couldn’t walk long distances without severe pain from the ribs. I expected to go back to some foster home already bursting to the seams with kids. Instead, the man who found me, George, came to see me every day with his wife, Laken. They brought me toys, games, clothes, and a soft warm blanket I still have to this day.”

“Really? How sweet. I would love to see it,” I whispered, the swaying of the boat relaxing me deeply.

He bopped my nose with his finger. “You’ve seen it. It lays on the foot of my bed. I covered you with it the other night when I went to shower and you laid down.”

I kissed him chastely again. “I had no idea. It was the perfect mix of softness and warmth. Not too hot, but just right. What happened after the two weeks were up?”

“I went home with George and Laken Kanki, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“What an awesome story. Do you have any brothers or sisters? I don’t.”

He shook his head. “Laken was barren, so they never had children of their own. When they adopted me, they were in their late sixties. They took care of me when I needed them, and I was grateful to be able to do the same. They passed five years ago, within days of each other. After they were gone I sold the house and moved to Maui, which is when I started working for Gideon.”

I laid my head on his chest and hugged him. “Such a bittersweet story. I’m sorry you lost them so young.”

He kissed the top of my head and rested his chin on the same spot. “I miss them every day, but I always knew they likely wouldn’t meet my wife or see their grandchildren. It didn’t matter to me though, because they’re watching over me from the stars. I’m happy with knowing my babies, one day, will have the best guardian angels.”

“This. This is what I mean by how willing you are to share your feelings. Most guys would have said they were adopted and never said another word,” I explained, glancing up at his face. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity and love which both scared and thrilled me.

“Our lives are stories lived to share with the world. If I didn’t tell others about my struggles then how can they learn from them?”

I nodded. “I’ve often thought about talking to other women about what I’ve been through, but I can’t yet. I’m not emotionally there.”

My faced turned to his, he kissed my lips, sucking my lower lip through his teeth for a heartbeat. “No, you aren’t, because you’re still dealing with it. A year from now, I could see you making a real difference with some of the women in the community. When you’re ready, I’ll take you to a dinner and you can help out with serving, or whatever your leg will allow you to do.”

I sat up a bit and rested on his legs. “A dinner? What do you mean?”

He cocked his head. “I thought you knew I was on the Community Table board. Once a month the chefs from Kupid’s Arrow provide dinner to battered women and children at the community center. Kate comes along and offers free legal advice. Usually they have medical services, counselors, and even hair stylists or free clothing. The meals are offered several times a week and are provided by all different businesses and churches. It’s a small thing we can do to help others who are struggling.”

“I’m in,” I whispered. “I’ll figure out something I can do to help that doesn’t require me to be upright for long periods. Maybe I can watch kids while moms get pampered, or rock babies so moms can eat while their food is hot,” I said, my hand on my heart. “I had no idea. I love this so hard.”

He sat up and put his arms around me, opening his legs, so I could sit between them. “And I love you so hard. We’re almost to Honolulu. Let’s watch as we pull into the marina and then we’ll go to our hotel and grab something to eat. Tomorrow is a big day,” he said, his lips light on my neck.

The sun was setting as we motored closer to our destination. It sat like a giant, glowing, orange ball on the edge of the water. The stars shimmered above us separated only by the final glow of the sun’s rays as it went to sleep for the night. It wasn’t even five p.m. yet, but sunset is early in January. It was magical and I stared silently at it until there was nothing left of the sun, and the moon began to rise. The sky was free of clouds and the moon was nearly full as it laid a moonbeam down across the water for miles. He lifted my left leg down and swiveled me on the chair, pointing over the front of the boat. I gasped as the lights shimmered against the water, guiding us into the harbor.

I glanced backward and smiled at him, mouthing ‘thank you’. I couldn’t tell him for what, but it was the emotion running through my veins as we approached the island. He lowered his lips to mine and drank from them thirstily. For a brief second, I forgot about the man who was gunning for me, and got lost in the man who wanted to love me.