Chapter 11
ELEVEN
When Cora woke up in the morning, it was to that scary 'falling feeling.' It was something she was used to, given that she'd always been someone who slept on the edge of her bed. When she was younger, those 'rails' were her biggest savior and even when she was older, she piled up a bunch of cushions on the floor next to her bed.
She could usually stop herself from falling all the way off, but not all the time.
The fact that she hadn't piled a bunch of cushions beside the bed said how tired she'd been the night before.
Releasing her hand from the side of the mattress, she turned over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling and the broad-bladed fan slicing through the air above her head.
It was crazy how warm it was compared to her bedroom in Chicago.
It was likely a good thing that she hadn't changed clothes and crawled under the blankets.
With the warmth in the room, she probably would have tried to kick the blankets off and that, most definitely, would have ended up with her falling to the ground beside the bed.
The creak of the mattress beside her made her tense up.
For a heart-stopping moment she held her breath before she remembered who was in bed beside her.
Vince.
Taking in another breath, she turned onto her other side and found him sound asleep beside her. She didn't blame him for sleeping so soundly. She was more than a little jealous of it, to say the least.
In the warm light of dawn she could see the stubble on his cheek and jaw, and she was hard pressed to keep herself from reaching out and running her finger along his jaw.
Vince looked a little different in the morning light from the night before beside the fire.
Kawehi and Maile weighed in on him, and Cora had a feeling that Kawehi knew that she and Vince had only just met. It was something in her eyes as she looked over at them.
Cora was fairly sure that Kawehi wasn't going to say anything to Cameron. Unlike Maile who seemed to be on edge around her brother.
There was something almost electric between the two and Cora had a feeling that her brother was in over his head when it came to Maile.
She was petite, but she was fierce, and Cameron should be careful how he treated her, because Cora was sure that Maile could go toe to toe with him and she could probably take him down. Smiling to herself, she felt her body shake with laughter.
"Oh, hey..."
Cora cringed and bit into her bottom lip. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
Vince opened his eyes and managed a smile for her. "Kind of, but I've been hovering half in and out for a bit. You, okay?"
"Yeah. I woke up with that horrible feeling that I was falling off the bed."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why sleep on the edge if you're worried about that?"
"It's just how I've always slept. When I sleep in the middle of the bed without an arm hanging off the side, I can't get to sleep."
His expression said he wasn't sure what to make of her sleeping habits, but she didn't either, so...
"I know it's a little crazy. When I bought a bed for my apartment in Chicago, I sent a picture to Cam, and he sent me a text back a few seconds later asking me why I would waste the money on a queen-sized bed when I barely slept on a twin."
"It's your bed," he spoke softly to her, "you can get whatever you want."
She folded her hands together and tucked them under her cheek. "I must make him sound like a complete jerk. He's not, though."
Vince turned fully on his side and wrapped an arm around the pillow. "I think you love him a lot. That, I can hear in your voice when you talk about him." He stifled a yawn and gave her a lop-sided smile. "If he was a jerk, you wouldn't love him the way you do."
Her heart warmed in her chest hearing Vince's words. It was nice to think that he could hear that in her words.
She really did want him to get along with Cameron, not just because she wanted her time in Hawaii to go smoothly. Cora felt herself drawn to Vince in a way she'd never felt for anyone that she'd met. Definitely not for someone in a romantic way.
There was a chance that the odd way that they met might make things more difficult than she'd like, but so far things were... progressing in a way that made her cheeks warm right along with her heart. There was just something about Vince that made her believe that there was something building between them.
"He really is a good brother." Her heart constricted when his smile deepened. "And even though he's acting like an ogre at the moment. I feel like everything is going to be okay." She felt an impish grin curl up the corners of her mouth. "If not, Maile said she's going to kick him in the nuts for me."
Vince's expression was suddenly pained, his brow twisting. "Did she really say that?"
Her lips pressed into a line as she thought over Maile's actual words. "Not exactly. Kawehi had to translate for me. She said that the more upset Maile gets, the more she uses Pidgin."
The furrow between his brows deepened. "Pidgin?"
"We didn't get to talking about that on the plane because I don't understand it much myself. It's actually Pidgin English, which is a combination of slang words and phrases that developed as a number of ethnicities made Hawaii their home."
Vince's expression eased. "Kind of like a stew of languages in one?"
She nodded and relaxed into the cushions. "That's a neat way to explain it. So, Maile said it in a very colorful way that her cousin had to translate into a... kinder, more concise way."
"So, kick him in the nuts." Vince shrugged. "I'd pay for a ticket to see her try."
Cora looked at him with her cheeks blazing with heat. "Me, too."
"You know," Vince reached out a hand and brushed a lock of her hair back from her face, "I have a feeling that your brother doesn't know what to make of Maile."
She nodded, adjusting her hands under her cheek. "I think the same is true for her. Kawehi mentioned that they argue a lot, but the steam seems to be less from anger and more from-"
"Interest?" Vince's eyebrows lifted a little. "I think it's going both ways if I'm reading things."
"Yeah?" She grinned at him and leaned in closer. "I think I'm seeing the same signs, and I have to say, it's sweet that I'm here to see it."
"Your brother is really lucky to have you as his sister."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't think he'd say that right about now, but I'm hoping things will even out between us before long."
He reached out his hand and she felt his fingertip gently stroke the skin between her eyebrows. "Don't worry so much, I'm sure it'll even out, especially before the end of Thanksgiving dinner."
She grinned at him. "Until I beat his butt at bowling."
"You're competitive?"
She shook with laughter, and he did, too. "You know it. Especially with Cam. He's always been competitive with me. Neither one of us let each other win anything ."
"Oh, boy. I'm going to have some fun on Thursday."
A moment of silence fell between them, and she couldn't help but feel like things were getting off to a great start.
"We should get up and give Buck a call. I can't wait to see some of Hawaii with you."
He nodded and sighed. "Let's go."
A few hours later, they were enjoying the beach park in Kailua when a little bit of a commotion started in the parking lot.
Cora turned over on her towel and looked over in that direction. "Huh..."
Beside her on his own towel, Vince sat up and looked in the same direction. "Looks like a food truck."
Almost on cue, her stomach growled... loudly.
"Oh boy," she groaned, "I can't believe I just did that."
Vince chuckled softly. "Don't feel bad about it. You can't control your stomach. It's not like you had a lot to eat this morning."
"I was still working off the food from last night, but yeah, the food we grabbed at McDonald's was enough to tide me over, but-"
"But now, you're really hungry."
She grinned. "Guilty."
Reaching under the edge of his towel, Vince pulled out his wallet. "I'll go grab us something to eat."
Cora tried to scramble to her feet, but he waved her off.
"My treat."
"Vince-"
"Any food allergies or foods you really don't like?"
She shook her head. "I have a stomach like Cam. I can eat pretty much anything. I like pretty much anything, too. I haven't met a meal I don't like."
Vince dusted some sand off of his legs and she tried not to stare.
The man had a gorgeous body, and she could tell that he worked out a lot.
She hadn't been in the habit of working out all the time since she was living on her own. It was different when Cam was around, and they'd go running together. Still, Vince had admired the way she'd looked in her suit earlier. She wasn't all that vain about her body, but who didn't care about their looks when they were spending time with a hot guy who definitely caught their interest?
As Vince walked away across the grassy sand, she had a chance to admire him without worrying that he'd see her staring.
She wasn't the only one looking at him either.
A couple of ladies who were washing off the sand at a free-standing shower stopped their conversation to take a long look at him as he walked by.
He did look amazing in his board shorts.
She'd been right that he hadn't had a swimsuit in his bags. Being from Alaska, she knew that swimming wasn't the activity of choice in Northern states in late fall and winter, unless it was an indoor pool.
But it came in handy that Buck had been living in Hawaii for a while. He knew someone who worked at a local store where they catered to clothes for outdoor activities. Swimwear of all kinds lined the shelves and hung on the racks. She'd found the whole concept of rash guards fascinating but she was thrilled when Vince had decided not to get one to wear and picked a pair of board shorts to wear to the beach.
The pattern on the fabric even made her smile. Large hibiscus flowers in white against a sky-blue background helped him cut a dashing figure on the beach.
She had a feeling that everyone around them had them both pegged for tourists given their pale skin, but no one said a thing or gave them any looks. The beach had been teeming with families and friends enjoying the day in the sunshine.
Cora lifted her sunglasses and set it on the top of her head as she watched Vince work his way through the line at the food truck.
She smiled when he turned to talk to someone behind him.
The man gestured at the whiteboard menu on the side of the metallic silver vehicle and leaned in to talk.
Gauging the interaction by the smiles and laughter that the men were sharing, things were going well.
A PING from her phone turned her head and Cora sat up, folding her legs on the towel.
Reaching into her bag, she took out her phone and looked at the screen.
Her eyes fell on a reply from one of the girls at work.
JENNY: OMG! That's a great suit! You look stunning!
She'd sent the work chat a picture of her on the beach with the awesomely blue ocean behind her. There were a few other pictures of her with Vince, but she'd save those for later.
If she sent a picture of the two of them together, Cora knew that she'd be fending off wave after wave of texts and some calls.
The newest message after that was from Cam.
Taking a breath to steady her nerves she touched her finger to the message and read it to herself.
CAM: You look like you're having fun.
Smiling, she answered back.
CORA: I am! The beach, the ocean, it's all incredible!
CAM: Good. I'm going to be on base until just before dinner. Are you going to be okay?
Cora bit the inside of her cheek as she answered back, wondering how much she should say and then decided to say what was on her mind.
CORA: We're great! Vince went to get us something to eat from a food truck. Curious what he's going to bring back.
Three dots trailed across the screen of her phone as Cam typed out a reply.
She let her attention shift to the food truck where Vince was at the window, talking to the women inside the truck. It looked like she was asking him some questions.
PING
Cora looked down at the screen and smiled.
CAM: Can't go wrong with any of the trucks in the area. Stay safe.
She shook her head. Cam was always telling her that.
Always.
And she loved it. He was and always had been someone who protected people.
That's probably why she hadn't gotten all that upset with his comments and complaints so far.
Cora hastily typed out a reply as she saw Vince working his way across the parking lot back to her.
CORA: We will! Love you, Caminator!
She dropped her phone back in her bag as Vince walked up with two clam-shell boxes on one hand and a couple of bottles of water in the other.
"Here," she got up on her knees, "let me help you."
"Thanks." He let her take the drinks from him and the napkins and forks that he was holding between his fingers. "The guy behind me knew that I wasn't from here, not that it was a secret."
She laughed out loud at that. "I'm sure we both look a little green out here."
Vince sat down, folding his legs and grinned at her. "Let's just hope we don't end up red later on."
She sighed out loud. "I hope not. We certainly put on enough sunscreen."
He looked away at that, his cheeks reddening a little, too.
She didn't know what to think about that, but she remembered what it was like trying to catch a few glances at him when he was applying the sunscreen on his skin. It was a sight that she'd keep in her memories for a long, long time.
"So," she craned her neck a little, trying to see what was in the plates, "did the man behind you have any helpful suggestions?"
He nodded. "I know you're hungry. After smelling the food in that truck, I'm really hungry, too." Vince opened the top of one container and turned it around to show her. "This is a hamburger steak plate. Two hamburger patties with brown gravy and onions. There's the two scoops of rice and mac salad." He looked up at her with a good-natured grin. "When Kawehi said locals don't kid around with their rice and salad, she wasn't joking."
The brown gravy in the plate looked thick and delicious. "Nice."
The top fell halfway forward shielding the plate and he set it on the towel next to his knees. "This other plate got thumbs up from the people behind me as an option. Fish jun," he paused for a moment, "I think I said that right. It's fish battered and fried and comes with two-"
"Scoops of rice and mac salad." She said it with him.
"And...," he continued with a flourish, "cucumber kimchee. I know I said that right. I eat a lot of it at a Koren BBQ near work."
She clapped her hands together, excited. "I love kimchee, too. But I've never heard of fish jun."
"You get your choice of plates."
Biting into her bottom lip, she looked at one and then then the other. "I don't know... You pick."
He looked at her with one eyebrow lifted. "Want to share?"
"Yes!" She jumped at the chance. "That's the best idea, ever!"
They made quick work of cutting up the food and splitting them up into the two plates, laughing and talking as they did, but it was Vince who said something that was music to her ears.
"You offering me the chance to come with you to Hawaii was the best idea."
She looked up at him and felt her heart swelling in her chest. "You agreeing to come was even better."