Landon

After our “swim,” Zara and I showered together and got dressed and ready for our evening. She comfortably moved around her sister’s house, setting us up in the guest room, before we went downstairs to the family room. She put on some music and poured us some wine.

As we were relaxing on the couch, I asked, “How often do you see Annia?”

“I try to get here once a month. She desperately wants me living here, but until I have a job I can’t justify picking up and abandoning my parents. Plus, I’m selfishly socking away every penny I make,” she admitted with a grin.

“Do you think they’d follow you?”

“Yes, but they wouldn’t be as happy here in Honolulu as in Lanai. My dad depends on the low-key, no-fuss life he lives. He chose Lanai for that specific reason. Going to work at the hospital where my mom also works gives him a sense of purpose.” She took a sip of her wine and sighed. “He’s so difficult.”

“Are you nervous, babe?”

Her eyes searched mine for a moment before she responded. “Yes, but not for the reasons you think.”

“What are you nervous about?”

“How he will react when I choose you.”

“Baby, when it’s time to tell him, I’ll be there with you. I’ll talk to him and explain to him what you mean to me. I’ll make him see how much I love you.”

“He won’t care, Lance.” My gut twisted at her words. There wasn’t a doubt our relationship would ruin the one she had with her father. In my conscience, I couldn’t allow that to happen.

She put her wine on the table and turned to face me. “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I hope, through our relationship, I can finally make him realize how insanely paranoid he is. I understand what he went through, what both my parents went through. I can’t imagine losing a child. I’d most definitely do everything in my power to not let it happen ever again. But I would never stop my children from living their lives. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts. Lance, I can’t continue to enable him. It’s time for me to live my life.”

I picked up a piece of her hair and played with it between my fingers, considering my words carefully. “Baby, I can’t relate to what your dad is thinking or what he’s been through. I can sympathize with it, though…especially being on the other end of the spectrum regarding privacy. It may not result in his greatest fears of his past finding him. If it hasn’t yet, it might never happen.”

She went to respond, but the sound of a key in a lock stopped her. “Where’s my sister?” I heard a woman’s voice call out.

“In here!” Zara smiled widely, and kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry about me. Everything will be fine, I promise,” she said just as Annia came barreling around the corner into the kitchen.

“Ahh!” She bolted toward us, and Zara barely had time to stand before her sister threw her arms around her. “I missed you so much!”

I stood, watching the sisters hugging each other. Annia’s eyes met mine over Zara’s shoulder and widened. She suddenly pushed her sister away forcibly. “Ze Ze, that’s Landon Price!”

“Yes.”

She turned on her sister and gripped her upper arms. “Why didn’t you tell me your new boyfriend was Landon Price?”

“Well, because I didn’t know.” My girl pulled away and moved to my side, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Lance, this is my sister Annia.”

“Lance?”

“Nickname,” I said with a smile, while extending my hand. “Hi, Annia. It’s very nice to meet you.” She gawked, giving me the response I was very used to but hadn’t received once since arriving in Hawaii.

“Can I get a hug?”

“Of course.” She came into my arms and squeezed tightly. Shorter than Zara and a bit curvier, the sisters were very much alike. The fiery spark I always saw in Zara’s eyes was also evident in Annia’s. Her smile wasn’t dimpled, but otherwise identical to her sister’s.

Zara pulled me away, saying, “Okay, that’s enough.”

“Fine.” She released me and sighed. “I just love your movies!”

“Thank you so much.”

“I’m grabbing a glass of wine, and then you two are telling me all the details of how you met.”

As Annia pulled out two wineglasses, Zara moved back into my arms. “Sorry, I did not expect that at all.”

“It’s totally fine.” I leaned closer and said into her ear. “How is it one sister had no idea who I was and the other did?”

“All my father’s fault.” She looked into my eyes, giving me a sideways smirk. “Annia left two years ago, and like a teenager getting a taste of freedom, she went nuts—”

“And,” Annia interrupted from the kitchen island, “I’m waiting for my baby sister to catch up. Look at her, she’s too beautiful to be stuck in Lanai,” she said with a wave of her hand.

“That she is,” I conceded easily. My affirmation earned me a hard, fast kiss, although that wasn’t why I’d said it.

Obviously her beauty was what attracted me, as well as her inner spirit, her honesty, and even her simplicity. But since getting to Oahu there was something else I had noticed. I hadn’t quite been able to figure it out until now. Being here made Zara carefree, and that made her even more beautiful.