Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
Maliea stared at the road ahead as they drove across the island, going over everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, from the break-in at her apartment to finding her father’s apartment similarly trashed.
Now, she was heading to the tiny cabin she and Nani had holed up in earlier that day before they’d met the man Tish had insisted was a good guy who would protect them with his life.
After being with Reid for the better part of the day, she could understand why Tish trusted him and would send her friend and that friend’s child to him for protection.
Reid appeared to be a man of grit, strength and integrity. A man she could trust.
Trust was something Maliea had a hard time giving, especially after the man who’d promised to love, honor and cherish her had cheated and had an affair with his Teacher’s Assistant while lying to his wife about his whereabouts and activities.
She didn’t even know why Reid had divorced his wife and left his daughter. Suddenly, knowing more about this man protecting her and her daughter seemed more important. How did she approach the subject?
Should she just ask him why he’d divorced his wife, or had it been the other way around?
Excuse me, Reid, did you get a divorce because you cheated on your wife?
Maliea shook her head. Too personal. The man was a bodyguard. What did it matter if he’d cheated on his wife? He wasn’t Maliea’s husband or even her boyfriend. All she should care about is that he kept her and Nani safe.
Still, she couldn’t help being curious about the ruggedly handsome man who had their lives in his hands.
Maliea sighed.
“Why the big sigh?” Reid asked.
She started, her cheeks heating. “A lot going through my mind.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“Crashes, break-ins, treasure hunters and lying cheaters,” she said and wished she hadn’t added the last .
Reid’s lips twitched. “Did you know he was cheating?”
“I had a suspicion, but I was too busy working and taking care of our home and our daughter to dig deeper or dwell on it.” Her lips twisted. “Turning a blind eye doesn’t make it go away.”
“True,” he said, staring at the road ahead. “I understand the part about being too busy to see the signs. I was too busy being deployed one mission after another to slow down long enough to see the signs. One day, I returned home, and she immediately asked me to sign divorce papers.”
Maliea’s heart dipped into her belly. “Wow. That’s harsh.”
“I was na?ve enough to think all was okay while I was out fighting for our country.” He snorted softly. “I feel incredibly stupid that I didn’t see it coming. She remarried within a month after our divorce was final. Abby thinks of her new husband as her real daddy. I’m just her bonus daddy who takes her on vacation every so often.”
Maliea had started the conversation to get the answers she’d wanted. Now that she had them, she didn’t feel any better. She hurt for the man who’d been selflessly defending his country while his wife had been screwing around on him. The worst part was losing his daughter to another man.
“I’m sorry.”
Reid shrugged. “Don’t be. I should’ve been more attentive, provided more emotional support and been there for my daughter.”
“You were serving your country,” Maliea argued. “Surely, your ex-wife knew what she was signing on for.”
“I don’t think she really understood what it meant to be a military wife to someone in Special Operations and DEVGRU. We belonged to the Navy first, family second. She wanted to be first and found someone who could give her that.”
As they left Honolulu behind, Reid kept glancing into the rearview mirror.
Maliea looked over her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “That car behind us has been following us since we left your father’s apartment complex. Could be a coincidence.”
Maliea looked back again, making note of the dark sedan trailing them by several car lengths. “What can we do to make sure?”
After another brief glance in the rearview mirror, he said, “Look ahead at the map and find me a neighborhood with a few streets. I want to see if the car follows us through.”
Maliea opened her cell phone and brought up the map application. “There’s a neighborhood ahead on the left. Slow down to make the turn.”
Reid did as she suggested and turned onto a street leading into a neighborhood with around a dozen different streets crisscrossing each other .
After they entered the little community, Maliea looked back. The sedan hadn’t turned in to follow them. “Think he went on?”
“I’ll zigzag through the streets for a few minutes to make sure,” Reid said.
He made a right on the next street and a left at the following corner. Another left brought him to the road that had led them into the group of homes.
Maliea swiveled in her seat, looking all around for the dark sedan. “I don’t see the car.”
Reid slowed, looked both ways and into his rearview mirror and nodded. “Probably just a coincidence. Even so, keep an eye out in case he shows up again. We don’t want to lead anyone out to the cabins.”
“Right,” Maliea said, on high alert for trouble. Reid might be used to watching over his shoulder, but this was new to Maliea. The situation felt so clandestine, like something you’d watch in a thriller movie.
By the time they reached the cabins, Maliea’s neck ached from constantly looking behind them or checking for dark sedans coming out of side roads. She was ready to be safely tucked into Reid’s cabin, which would lead to another set of anxieties that had nothing to do with bad guys chasing them. Those feelings would have everything to do with her unexpected attraction to the man and the close proximity of living with him in a one-room building .
When Reid drove past the cabins, Maliea twisted in her seat. “Aren’t we going to the cabin?”
He nodded. “After we pick up something for dinner. I don’t know about you, but I think Nani might be hungry and need to call it an early night. We can order a meal to go and take it back to the cabin to eat.”
Maliea relaxed, glanced at her daughter in the back seat and smiled.
Nani lay with her head leaning against the side wings of the car seat.
Maliea was glad Reid had thought ahead about a meal for her daughter. She felt a little guilty that she hadn’t and, even worse, had no money to purchase their meals.
“I’ll pay you back as soon as I get paid,” she said softly.
“Don’t worry about it.” He pulled into the parking lot at the diner and shifted into Park. “Let’s just get something to eat and head back to the cabin.”
“I can stay here with Nani while you order the food.”
He shook his head. “I’ll call in the order and wait with you. They can bring the food out when it’s ready.”
Maliea nodded. The man thought of everything. What a difference from Taylor. He’d expected her to do all the grocery shopping, all the take-out food ordering and make any appointments necessary. He’d never offered to help other than to pick up an occasional loaf of bread on the way, grumbling that she hadn’t taken the time to run to the store since she wasn’t working a day job.
“Do you like working in Hawaii?” she asked in an attempt to fill the silence.
He nodded. “I wasn’t sure I would, but so far, I do. The weather is nice, and there’s a lot to do. It can get hot here, but not like it does in South Texas. At least we get rain and a breeze here.”
Maliea smiled. “I love my home state.”
“Have you ever lived anywhere else?” Reid asked.
She shook her head. “I can’t imagine living anywhere I can’t see the sea. It’s in my blood... my heritage. I think that if I lived in a land-locked state, I’d feel trapped.”
He nodded. “I can see that. The islands are beautiful, lush and green. We’ve had years of drought in San Antonio. It gets dry and dusty.”
“I would like to visit other states,” she said. “Someday. I want to see fall foliage and a real winter with snow. I’ve never seen snow, except in movies or the news. I think it would be great if Nani could experience a white Christmas just once.”
“We didn’t get snow in San Antonio, either. At least not enough to even make a snowball. My folks used to take us on trips to New Mexico during our Christmas vacations. We got to play in the snow, sled down hills and learn to snow ski. We had to drive twelve or thirteen hours to get there, but it was worth it,” he said with a smile. “I had hoped to take Abby someday when she was old enough. I think she’d like the snow.”
Maliea nodded, staring at the building in front of her, thinking about the dreams she’d had when she, Taylor and Nani had still been a viable family. “We’ll do those things eventually. I just need to go back to college, earn a degree and make enough money to support us and have some left over for travel.”
Reid gave her a brief nod. “I believe you will. You seem to be very determined, and you care about your daughter.”
“I’d do anything to make her happy and her life easier.” She turned in her seat to glance at Nani. “She deserves a joyful life full of adventure and discovery. I should never have dropped out of college halfway through my junior year.”
“Why did you?” Reid asked.
Maliea grimaced. “I got married and then pregnant soon after. We decided it would be best if I stayed home to raise Nani.”
“We?” Reid asked gently.
Maliea glanced toward him briefly. “Childcare is expensive. Taylor had just finished his master’s degree and landed a job as a teacher at the university. He didn’t make enough money for me to pay for childcare while I completed my degree.”
“The cost of living is high here,” Reid commented .
She nodded. “It made sense for me to quit school and raise Nani. Only he didn’t even make enough money for me to stay home full-time. We agreed that I could work nights as a hula dancer like I had when I was a single college student. The extra money meant we could afford diapers and groceries. He would be home at night to care for Nani when I went out to dance.”
“How long did that arrangement last?” Reid asked.
“Until Taylor said he had to teach night classes or stay late to work with students who needed additional tutoring. Or so he said.” Maliea looked away, embarrassed that she’d been na?ve enough to believe his lies. “My father and my friends helped by watching Nani on the nights I danced. I put Nani in a mother’s-day-out program when I worked at a local supermarket stocking shelves or working as a clerk.”
“I take it you did a lot of juggling,” Reid said.
Maliea nodded. “But enough about me. So, home for you is South Texas?”
“It was,” Reid answered. “I grew up there.”
“Have you been back often?” she asked.
“Not very,” he said. “Not since I joined the Navy fourteen years ago.”
“Don’t you like Texas?”
He shrugged. “I go back occasionally to visit my parents and siblings, but I don’t miss the heat in Texas. ”
“Do you like Hawaii and think you’ll stay? Or will you eventually go back home to Texas?”
“I hadn’t decided. I was glad to land a job after leaving the Navy. It’s hard to get work when all you have on your resume is weapons training and combat experience. When Hawk offered us work here, we jumped on it.”
I hope you stay.
Maliea almost said the words aloud but clamped her lips closed before she could.
Jenny from the Burger Bar came outside just in time to keep Maliea from blurting out anything else that might sound stupid or needy. She carried a sack full of food and handed it through Reid’s window with a friendly smile. “Enjoy!” she said with a wink and flounced back into the restaurant.
Reid handed the sack of food to Maliea.
Her round of questioning ended, Maliea sat silently as Reid shifted the SUV into reverse, backed out of the parking space and pulled out onto the highway. The sun had set with a brilliant display of red and orange as it slipped below the horizon.
Maliea marveled at the stunning display of nature. She never got tired of the beauty of her island.
A few minutes later, Reid parked behind the cabin.
Nani woke as the lights blinked on inside the SUV. She yawned and stretched as Maliea helped her out of the car seat and carried her to the cabin.
Reid grabbed the sack of food and hurried ahead to unlock the back door.
Before Maliea could enter, three men surrounded them.
Reid spun and crouched, ready to spring.
Maliea clutched Nani close, her heart beating fast until she recognized two of the men as Logan and Rex, Reid’s teammates.
Reid recognized them a few seconds sooner and cursed under his breath. “Don’t sneak up on me like that unless you want to end up in a hospital.”
“Dude,” Logan said. “You’re getting slow.”
“I heard you coming,” Reid grumbled.
Rex chuckled. “And you were going to take us out with a bag of Burger Bar food?”
“It could be done,” Reid assured him. He reached out a hand to the man Maliea didn’t recognize. “Jones, good to see you. Did you draw the short straw?”
The man he’d called Jones grinned. “On the contrary, I drew the long straw. I’ve been looking forward to spending some time on Oahu. Just want to know if I’m working Kualoa with these two boneheads or taking over for you…?”
“Let’s get inside,” Reid said.
Rex frowned in the light from the stars beginning to appear overhead. “Worried about something? ”
“Maybe,” he said and unlocked the back door.
When Maliea started to go in first, he touched her arm. “Wait.”
She nodded and stood still, holding Nani close.
Reid entered, switched on the light inside and was back out a moment later. “Clear.”
The three men surrounding her waited for her to go in first, then followed her up the steps and into the small cabin.
With all four men inside with her and Nani, Maliea almost felt claustrophobic.
“About time you got home,” Logan said. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Reid set the sack of food on the table and turned to face the others. “We had business to take care of at the university and at Maliea’s father’s apartment.”
Reid swept a hand between Maliea and the new guy. “Maliea Kaleiopu, Jackson Jones. He’s another one of the Brotherhood Protectors.”
“Nice to meet you,” Maliea said.
“Pleasure’s mine,” Jones responded and then all focus turned to Reid.
Maliea worked on laying out food for Nani, hoping her daughter wouldn’t be disturbed by Reid’s briefing of his teammates.
Reid told them about sorting through the two university offices and then arriving at her father’s apartment to find it had been treated similarly to Maliea’s .
Maliea was glad he’d left out all the details that might upset Nani. Fortunately, her daughter was hungry and dug into the chicken strips and macaroni and cheese Reid had ordered for her.
Even though Nani appeared focused on the food in front of her, Maliea knew her daughter. She was smart and listened to everything going on around her, taking it all in.
When Reid finished his short briefing, Rex asked, “So, what’s it to be for you, Kualoa or bodyguard duty?”
Maliea breathed a sigh that Reid’s teammates seemed to realize having a child in their midst meant keeping the information they shared to a minimum or shared in an abbreviation or code.
She understood what they were asking, but Nani probably wouldn’t. Still, Maliea held her breath. Reid had a choice of handing Maliea and Nani off to the new guy, Jones, and going back to the security detail at the film production site on the Kualoa Ranch. Or he could continue to provide protection to her and Nani.
Reid stared down at Nani, happily biting into a crispy, fried chicken strip. Then, his gaze went to Maliea. For a long second, he hesitated.
It was the longest second of Maliea’s life.
“Bodyguard,” he finally said.
Maliea released the breath she’d been holding, her chest filling with air and hope .
Logan clapped Jones on the back. “If you love rogue cattle, sneaky teenagers and sweating, you’re gonna love the ranch.”
Jones clapped his hands together. “I’ve done a little research on it. Sounds amazing. Some of my favorite movies were filmed there.”
“Like Jurassic Park and King Kong?” Rex asked.
Jones grinned. “Those along with Pearl Harbor and Fifty First Dates.”
Rex met Reid’s gaze. “Well, with that settled, we’ll leave you to your meal. If you need anything, let us know. We’re only a shout away.”
“Thanks,” Reid said.
After the men left the cabin, Maliea felt she could breathe again. So many large men in one tiny room was a bit overwhelming.
“You could’ve passed us off on Jones,” Maliea said softly.
Reid shook his head. “Couldn’t.”
“Why?” Maliea asked.
Instead of answering, Reid opened the bag and dug out one of the wrapped hamburgers. “Let’s eat, shower and get some rest. I’ll take the sofa. You and Nani can have the bed. And, for the love of Mike, don’t argue.”
“Who’s Mike?” Nani asked.
Maliea laughed, a feeling of relief washing over her. She and Nani were beginning to get to know this man and felt safe with him around. That went a long way in Maliea’s books after everything that had happened.
She hoped he’d be around long enough for them to figure out what was going on and who was behind it. Until then, she couldn’t let down her guard. Not even with this man she might foolishly be starting to trust.