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

I kind of have this thing I’m invited to and it has a plus one?’

‘You know I can hear you, right?’ V piped up.

Malie’s grin widened. ‘All right, bridezilla, keep your hair on…’ She turned back to Todd. ‘Would you be my date to V’s wedding?’

‘I’d be honoured.’

‘Hear that, loves,’ she brought the phone back to her face, ‘I have a plus one… and an old surf school to check out, it’s going to be a busy summer.’

‘A surf school!’ Lils blurted. ‘What are you saying, Malie? Are you coming back to the Cove?’

She was already losing her focus on the call, caught up as she was in the glow of Todd’s gaze as he pieced together what she was saying.

‘Malie?’ Lils prompted. ‘Malie?’

‘I figured since you’ll be back helping your dad,’ she explained to Todd softly, ‘I could be back working on the family surf school, looking at recreating what we have here.’

‘I love it.’ He smiled at her, pulling her in.

‘Gotta go, loves, but yes, Lils, I’m coming home.’

She heard Lils excited squee as she cut the call, could imagine the happy faces of both V and Zo too.

‘You know they probably got an eyeful when you flashed your phone back and forth,’ Todd murmured.

‘They’ve seen worse.’

He leaned back before she could kiss him. ‘Worse?’

‘Remind me to tell you all about Ibiza when we have time.’

‘Ibiza?’

‘Mm-hmm.’ She probed his lips with her tongue, teasing him into kissing her.

‘Do I want to know?’

‘Maybe save it until after the wedding.’

‘Whose wedding? V’s or…?’

It was her turn to lean back. ‘Are you asking me to marry you?’

‘I don’t know, were you meaning V’s wedding or…?’ He widened his eyes, nodded his head.

She grinned, so full of love for him and the promise of a future she never thought she’d have. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know…’

And then she kissed him, leaving him in no doubt as to whose wedding she’d meant, because she had no doubt whatsoever that one day in the not too distant future, it would be her saying, ‘I do.’

Acknowledgements

Writing the acknowledgements for my second book feels slightly surreal, knowing that you are coming on this joyous journey with me is something I appreciate more than words can do justice.

Rachael Stewart - you’ve made this book incredibly special. I feel so lucky to have embarked on this wonderful writing journey with you.

To my fabulous and incredibly patient editor Becky Slorach, thank you for your guidance and support past, present and future – my WhatsApp warrior! Thank you so much.

Huge thank you to everyone at Mills & Boon as well as HarperCollins, especially to Kirsty Capes, Katie Barnes-Wallis, Sophie Calder and Tom Keane. A second book finished! Pinch me!

Thank you to Lucy Truman and Kate Oakley for such a happy and vivid cover, it suits Malie’s warm and adventurous personality to perfection.

To my wonderful managers, your enthusiasm and assurance has been crucial over the past few months of writing this book.

Friends and family who supported me on my journey writing Malie and Todd’s story who I am so happy to have in my life. I love you all dearly. My grandfather Bertie who sadly passed away before my first book was released, but whom I consider an endless source of inspiration and strength. Most importantly my darling PH, your support for my career is unparalleled.

I am eternally grateful to all my loyal readers and supporters. Your encouragement has given me the push I needed to finish Malie’s road to self-discovery and happiness, I hope her bravery inspires you.

If you loved Meet me in Hawaii, read on for an extract of Zoe’s story Meet me in Tahiti from Georgia Toffolo and Mills & Boon

Coming September 2021

Chapter 1

ZOE TAYLER’S MOBILE PHONE pinged, alerting her to an incoming email.

Her fingers froze on her computer keyboard.

She knew that email would be from [email protected].

Yep, her parents not only owned a domain name, they also had a dedicated address for corresponding with their only child. That was how serious they were about keeping a not-so-proverbial eye on her.

Whenever Zoe was on an international job her parents’ email obsession ratcheted up to frenzy level—particularly on day one, which brought an avalanche. Only gradually did the frequency taper off in the ensuing days, easing fraction-by-fraction with each of Zoe’s instantly returned ‘I’m-fine-no-need-to-worry’ replies.

Today—sigh—was day one, this would be their fourth email of the day, and the just-roll-with-it process of allaying their myriad concerns lay depressingly ahead of her.

It was noon in French Polynesia, which made it 11pm in England. There should only be time for only one more communique before her parents went to bed, so within the hour she should be free.

Unless…

Well, unless she decided not to answer this one. In which case she could be free immediately.

Her fingers twitched on the keyboard as the idea of going off the grid took hold…

And then she laughed.

Futile to hope her parents would shrug their shoulders, assume she was fine and go to bed. The more likely scenario was that they’d call Zoe’s mobile, and keep calling, and when Zoe didn’t answer (because answering would render her little rebellion redundant) they’d fret over what ills might have befallen her—everything from a fever-inducing cold caught during her plane trip to her lying unconscious on the floor with a cracked skull. Within twenty-four hours they’d be knocking on her bungalow door with an ambulance on standby.

Yeah, hard no to that!

She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her hands up and down her thighs to remind herself why her parents needed to know she was all right, and knew she was going to reply.

‘Fight your big battles to the death but don’t sweat the scrappy skirmishes if you want to win the long war,’ she murmured, and her hands abruptly stopped moving as she realised what she’d said.

Not that those words didn’t suit the situation, but it shocked her that she could recite them—verbatim—after…what…twelve years?

Yes, it had been twelve years since