Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (novels for beginners txt) 📕

‘He needs me to push him out and give him power, but he can surf with me or without me.’

‘Wow!’ Tara’s eyes widened as she went back to watching Nalu prancing in and out of the water.

‘You mean he can ride a wave standing up?’ It was Louis who asked. In the time it had taken to get into the water, they’d gained a mini audience of the other class members who were all looking on, fascinated.

More importantly, Tara wasn’t hiding her face, she wasn’t shying away, she’d forgotten it all in her excitement. Exactly as Malie had hoped.

‘You bet he can,’ Malie said.

‘But it’s so hard to balance,’ Louis said.

‘He’s had many years of practice, haven’t you, Nalu?’

Another bark which had Jonny saying, ‘This is so cool.’

They entered the water and Malie set the longboard down on the water, letting go of Tara’s hand as she helped Nalu to hop on. Once he was ready, she started pushing him out.

‘What do you reckon, Tara, with or without me?’ she called back.

‘With you,’ she blurted, her excitement shining in her face and making Malie smile even wider.

‘Good choice! Come on, Nalu, let’s show them what we’re made of.’

She carried on out, spying where the waves were breaking and picking the best spot, the one that would give them something decent to watch, but at the same time keeping herself close by. She shoved up onto the board and paddled, turning the board at the right spot and letting Nalu find his balance. His tail was wagging, his tongue hanging out as he watched the kids back on the shoreline and lived through the fun with them.

Malie looked over her shoulder, assessed the waves approaching from behind, and waited, waited, and then, ‘Here we go, Nalu!’

She lunged forward, her arms propelling them through the water at a speed to match the wave. As the board started to lift, Nalu gave a bark and Malie popped up to standing. It was exhilarating to feel the board take off, but it was more exhilarating to watch the awe in the faces of their all-important audience. The magic of it.

Tara tapped her fists together beneath her chin, her body taut with the thrill of spectating. There was no anxiety, no worry about what people thought, of being an outsider, she was wholly involved in that moment, very much a part of the group.

Malie knew she still had some way to go but it was a start. A start she could work with and as she leaped from the board back at shore and watched Nalu being fussed over by all four kids, she felt elated. The greatest sense of achievement that only this job could provide.

‘Hey, that was impressive!’

She started. It was Todd. She knew it without looking and then when she did, she wished she hadn’t. Her heart was already high on the kids, the waves, the lesson, now it practically fluttered up and out of her throat.

He was wearing a lightweight shirt, black and unbuttoned at the collar, swanky beige shorts that could have been part of a suit had they been longer, and his hair was swept back, perfectly groomed. He looked more boardroom than surfer, but he’d lost the trainers this time. It had her remembering their moonlit stroll, the whole thing unfolding in fast action replay and setting her body on fire as she reached the pinnacle – their kiss.

‘How long have you been here for?’ It came out clipped as she forced the memory out, her body to chill, and his eyes narrowed on her, not much but enough to know he caught the edge to her tone. She wanted to kick her tactless self and was grateful the kids were too busy with Nalu to notice. ‘Sorry, I just meant, how much did you see?’

His expression softened, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth as he looked from her to the kids. ‘Enough to see how amazing you are at your job.’

She felt her cheeks heat, her heart throb in her chest. She heard compliments all the time when it came to her skills on the board: you ripped it up out there; way to go on the hang ten; wow, check out the air you caught. She also got positive feedback on the lessons she ran; it was an integral part of being able to meet the needs of the children by having them and their parents offer up such insight after their lessons.

But hearing Todd say it, and in such a way…

‘Malie!’ It was Tara, her head poking up above that of her classmates. ‘Can I have a go?’

‘With Nalu?’

She gave her a beaming nod, and it melted Malie’s heart to see she didn’t avert her face, she looked right at them both. ‘Hey, Mr Masters!’

All the kids turned to look then, each shouting their own cheerful greeting before going back to Nalu, save for Jonny who eyed Todd suspiciously. ‘You here to check up on us, Boss?’

Todd laughed. ‘At ease, Jonny, I trust you guys to do me proud. I’m only here to get a sneak peek at what I’ve let myself in for.’

‘You’re here to surf too?’ he asked.

‘Too right I am.’

Jonny grinned wide. ‘Have you surfed before?’

‘No. I’m a newbie, just like you.’

Malie watched their little interchange and realized, Todd wasn’t just the money and the face of the charity, he knew these kids. And they knew him. The easy way they spoke to one another, the mutual respect, even affection, it was written in their faces. She shouldn’t be surprised, not anymore, but she was. How could a man like Todd, with his success, his company commitments, his workload, find the time to get to know these kids individually?

Even more surprising was the rush of warmth she felt towards him, pulsing around her heart, far too close to where she didn’t want it to be.

‘What do you say, Malie?’

They all looked to her expectantly.

‘Sorry?’ She frowned, missing their question entirely