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

‘Wow,’ Zoe exclaimed. ‘DIY and babysitting—’

‘Hey, I’m no baby!’ Tara’s head snapped around so quickly her black hair flared out. ‘And I don’t need looking after.’

Zoe laughed. ‘I can see that!’ Then she smiled up at Todd. ‘That’s really nice of you… Isn’t it, Malie?’

He’d swear she would have given Malie a shove if she’d been close enough and he couldn’t help grinning back. Malie wasn’t so pleased, though, her teeth looked gritted, her eyes flashing above her friend’s head.

‘Yes… yes, it is,’ she bit out eventually and letting go of a gust of breath she scanned the area. ‘Where is Kalani, anyhow?’

Todd gestured down the beach. ‘He’s prepping the equipment for you and keeping Nalu out of the paint. I think he’s already had to clean blue pawprints off the floor inside.’

‘Right, sounds like Nalu.’

‘He also mentioned that he’d left the rolling beach chair out for you, it’s just inside the door. Here, I’ll go get it for—’

‘No need, I’ll do it… thanks.’ The last was added as more of an afterthought, her tight smile, too, he was sure. ‘Give me your sunglasses, Zo, I’ll tuck them inside with our bags.’

Zoe slipped them off and passed them to Malie. ‘Thanks.’

Malie took them and fled the scene like she had a crocodile snapping at her heels. He watched her go, not knowing whether to be insulted, hurt or happy that his presence clearly affected her as much as hers did him.

‘Don’t mind Malie,’ Zoe said, looking up at him with another smile, her eyes striking with their crystal-like quality now that the glasses were gone. They were green like Malie’s, but lighter, almost ethereal.

She was beautiful, just as Malie was, but couldn’t be more different. To Malie’s golden bronzed skin, Zoe was creamy white. To Malie’s wild curls, Zoe was all smooth blonde waves that ran free down her back. And where Malie was all curves and strength, Zoe was petite and porcelain-like, fragile even.

Though he knew from Malie that she was far from that underneath. He could fully believe the strength of will that existed behind that smile and her astute green gaze that was now considering him with far too much interest.

He cleared his throat. ‘It’s OK, she’s just surprised to find me here, I get that.’

‘I think it has more to do with the fact that we polished off two bottles of wine last night and are now suffering the consequences.’

‘Two,’ he said, and gave an impressed nod. ‘Not bad going.’

‘Why do you think I was wearing the glasses before?’

He chuckled. It was true it was overcast today, warm but in no way bright enough to warrant the accessory.

‘That brutal, hey?’

‘Pretty much, Malie’s a bad influence.’

‘She is that.’ Only Zoe wouldn’t realize just how much he meant it as he laughed with her. Malie had certainly corrupted his whole life plan. ‘It was a good night, then?’

‘The best. She’s always fun to have around.’

‘Very much so.’

Zoe squinted up at him and he knew he’d overstepped, again; she was far too astute not to miss the way his voice caught, the mess of emotions that he hadn’t had the time to get a handle on yet coming through.

‘You must miss her?’ he said, throwing the focus back on her.

Zoe’s eyes softened, her genuine love for her friend shining through in her face, just as it had in Malie’s when she’d spoken of her friends. ‘I miss them all.’

‘You’re lucky to have that kind of friendship. I think it’s rare these days.’

‘I think you’re probably right.’ Her eyes narrowed once more and he could feel the question coming: Do you have friends like that?

‘So, last week…’ he got in before she could, his eyes going back to the surf school, to Tara happily painting in spite of her complaints, ‘did you manage to sort out your problem?’

She gave him a confused frown and he immediately regretted his choice of topic.

‘My – oh!’ Her brow lifted, her eyes widening. ‘You mean, last Sunday?’

He nodded, wondering whether he would have been better keeping quiet since he now felt like a prize fool. Had Malie played him when she’d run out of his place claiming Zoe needed her?

‘No, yeah, everything was OK, just having some… er… guy trouble.’ She looked less pale and more lobster-coloured all of a sudden, her eyes now evading his own. ‘I was really sorry to interrupt… things.’

‘Things?’ His own brow lifted, just how much did she know and how far was he willing to push her to find out?

‘Yes,’ she said, her voice rising. ‘Dinner, wasn’t it?’

Dinner and so much more… His grin couldn’t be doused now, played or not. ‘That’s right.’

‘What’s right?’ Malie reappeared, pushing the all-terrain beach chair in front of her, its fat grey tyres big enough to work over the sand.

‘I was just saying to Zoe that she didn’t need to apologize for interrupting our dinner last Sunday.’

He saw Malie’s cheeks colour, her eyes flitting from him to Zoe and then to the beach. ‘Oh yeah, sure, that was fine.’

‘Maybe I could make up for it by treating you both to dinner this evening?’ Zoe said, and both Malie and Todd looked to her like she was crazy. Not that Todd didn’t want to say yes, but Malie…

‘We have plans!’

‘Do we?’ Zoe asked all innocent, ‘I wasn’t aware of—’

‘Right, come on, Kalani’s waiting.’ She shoved the chair up alongside Zoe.

‘Can I help?’ he asked.

The words were barely out of his mouth when Zoe said, ‘That’s very kind,’ and Malie gave a sharp, ‘No! I’ve got it.’

She positioned herself between him and Zoe and lifted her friend into her arms as if she weighed no more than a feather. He shouldn’t be surprised, really, not when he considered how hard Malie trained and how very slight Zoe’s frame was, but still he admired her. Especially when he was gifted the most glorious view of her behind as she bent forward. He dragged his