Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
Maliea had never slept so well. For a few hours after making love with Reid, they lay in bed, cocooned in each other’s arms, skin to skin.
She’d never felt so protected, satisfied and cherished as she did wrapped in Reid’s embrace.
Yeah, it might only be for one night. She’d promised him no strings and wouldn’t expect him to make what they’d done anything more than what it was—one night of incredible, life-changing sex.
In the wee hours of the morning, Maliea left the bed, dressed in a long T-shirt and panties, and crossed the sitting room to check on Nani.
Her daughter slept on, unaware of the earth-shattering change in her mother’s world.
As Maliea stared down at her daughter, Reid joined her, dressed in boxer briefs. He slipped an arm around her waist, drew her body close to his and kissed her temple.
They didn’t say anything, just stood there looking at Nani.
For the first time since she’d given birth to Nani, Maliea could imagine what a real family would be like. She’d always provided the nurturing love and care for her daughter. Taylor had rarely contributed anything close to love and concern.
Yet, this man she’d known for such a very short time had shown her and her daughter more compassion than Taylor had in the three years of Nani’s life.
She could already sense how sad it would be when her troubles were resolved, and Reid went on to his next assignment. He had no reason to remain in their lives.
Pushing any future sadness aside, Maliea basked in the warmth of his body next to hers and the strength of his hand resting against the small of her back.
For the moment, she chose to pretend this fantasy was real. It gave her a brief burst of happiness when she’d been so mired in grief.
They returned to the other bedroom and crawled beneath the sheets.
Reid pulled her close, spooning her against his body, holding her gently in his arms.
Maliea fell asleep, warm, sated and desired .
Sun streamed through the windows of the French door, warming her face and nudging her awake.
She rolled onto her back and stretched out her arm, expecting to encounter a muscular body in the bed beside her. When all she touched was bunched sheets and a pillow, she opened her eyes and stared at the empty space beside her.
Maliea sat up and quickly scanned the room. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed to her feet, listening for the sounds of movement from the other room. The door to the bedroom was almost all the way closed.
No sounds came from the sitting room or the other bedroom.
She pulled open the door and hurried to her daughter’s bedroom, where she found an empty bed, neatly made.
“Nani?” she called out as she crossed the bedroom to duck her head into the adjoining bathroom.
There was no sign of Nani or Reid. Any other time, Maliea would be concerned about her missing daughter. Knowing Reid was looking out for her calmed any fears.
A high-pitched squeal caught Maliea’s attention. She went to the French door and stared out through the panes to a barn resting on a gentle slope a hundred yards away from the house and the people between them.
Nani held hands and skipped between Kalea and Hawk as they walked up the hill toward the house. She grinned and laughed at something Kalea said.
Reid followed close behind, a smile lifting the corners of his lips.
Having agreed to go with Reid to follow the clues in her father’s storybook, Maliea was relieved to see how happy Nani was with Hawk and Kalea.
Anxious to get moving and find a way to the islands her father had visited in his research, Maliea hurriedly changed into jeans and a mint-green pullover shirt that clung to the curves of her breasts. It was one of her favorites, and she always felt sexy wearing it. Not that Taylor had ever noticed.
She’d bet Reid would.
Shoving her feet into her hiking shoes, she grabbed a swimsuit from the trash bag, a change of clothes and underwear and stuffed them into the small backpack she’d salvaged from her apartment. Not knowing how long they’d be gone, she added a toothbrush, toothpaste and a hairbrush.
Satisfied she was prepared for a possible overnight excursion, she descended the staircase, arriving at the bottom in time to hear her daughter’s happy voice coming from the direction of the kitchen.
Maliea found Nani, Reid, Kalea, Hawk and Mr. Parkman in the kitchen. A short man, wearing an apron and wielding a spatula, scraped fluffy yellow scrambled eggs into a large serving bowl.
Hawk carried the bowl to a large kitchen table set with six place settings. He laid the bowl between platters of pancakes and bacon. A basket of toast, jars of various jellies and a small pitcher of syrup rounded out the selection of food.
Hawk smiled at Maliea. “Just in time for breakfast.”
The man in the apron set a large pitcher of orange juice on the table.
Hawk waved a hand toward the man. “Maliea, this is Ule, the ranch cook. Ule, this is Maliea, and I believe you’ve already met Nani and Reid.”
Ule nodded. “I have. Welcome to Parkman Ranch. Sit. Eat before it gets cold.”
Everyone gathered around the table, including Ule, and took seats. Reid helped Nani into a chair between himself and Maliea and then held Maliea’s chair as she settled into it. His hand brushed her shoulder briefly, sending a rush of heat through her body.
Images of his hands exploring every inch of her body send more heat rushing up her neck into her cheeks. She settled her napkin across her lap. “I’m sorry I slept in. Did I miss anything?”
“Not at all,” Hawk said. “Reid said you needed the rest, so he brought Nani down.”
“We took Nani down to the barn to help us feed the horses.” Kalea smiled across the table at Nani. “She was a big help.”
“I petted Dante’s nose,” Nani announced, excitedly. “His lips tickled my hand.” She held up her hand.
“Don’t worry,” Kalea said. “We washed up as soon as we got back to the house.”
“Aunt Kalea and Uncle Hawk are going to teach me how to ride a horse,” Nani said.
“Only if your mother is okay with it,” Kalea reminded the child.
Nani looked up at her mother, her eyes rounding, pleading. “Can I? Please?”
“We’ll be very careful,” Kalea said. “We will only lead her around an enclosed corral on one of the gentlest mares.”
Maliea frowned. The thought of her tiny daughter on top of a huge horse scared her. “Nani’s really small. Is she too young to learn now?”
Mr. Parkman let out a bark of laughter. “Kalea learned to ride before she learned to walk. I had her on a horse as soon as she could sit up on her own.”
Kalea nodded toward Hawk. “She’ll have both of us making sure she doesn’t fall off. Hawk grew up on a ranch stateside. He’s as experienced with horses as I am. But if you’re uncomfortable, we’ll find something else to do.”
Maliea looked down at her daughter, who stared up at her with her big brown eyes. How could she say no? She nodded. “You can learn to ride.”
Nani squealed, stood in her chair and threw her arms around Maliea’s neck. “I’m going to ride a horse.”
Maliea smiled and hugged her daughter for a long moment. Then she settled her back in her seat. “You’ll need to eat a good breakfast. Riding takes a lot of energy.” She loaded Nani’s plate with a single pancake and a spoonful of scrambled eggs. After pouring gooey syrup over the pancake, she reached for a small pitcher of milk and poured some into Nani’s cup.
Nani struggled with her fork and knife to cut off a piece of the pancake.
Reid leaned over from the other side and cut the pancake into small pieces.
Maliea filled her plate with eggs, toast and bacon.
“Reid tells us you’re going to follow your father’s clues in his research of the lost treasure of Red Beard,” Hawk said.
Maliea nodded as she chewed on a bite of toast.
“Since I’m staying with Nani today,” Kalea said, “I contacted a pilot friend of mine who can fly our seaplane out to Niihau. However, you’ll have to get permission from the chief of the community out there to visit the island. I’ve heard they aren’t keen on visitors, and it can take time to get them to agree to let you land on the island.”
“I’ll see if I can pull some strings to get you in,” Mr. Parkman said. “We supply their beef. It may or may not help convince them.”
“My father was just there. I assume he was invited. You could tell them I’m retracing his footsteps before the plane crash. Maybe they’ll feel sorry for my loss and let me in.”
“I’ll do that,” Mr. Parkman said.
After they finished breakfast, Mr. Parkman went to his office and called the Niihau community’s leadership. Kalea coordinated with the pilot.
Hawk took Reid to the Brotherhood Protectors’ offices to outfit him with a satellite phone. When they returned to the ranch house, Hawk volunteered to take Nani out to feed the chickens.
Maliea carried her backpack out to the porch, ready to leave as soon as arrangements were finalized. Her gaze followed Nani and Hawk out to the chicken coop. Hawk held Nani’s hand as she danced alongside him, probably talking his ear off.
The image made Maliea smile.
Reid joined her, carrying a similar backpack to the one she’d packed. He dropped it on the porch and came to stand beside her.
“So, we’re picking up where my father left off…?” Maliea asked.
Reid moved his head slowly from side to side. “I got to thinking about Mark Laster, the guy listening in on our conversations in the cabin. I read most of the storybook out loud. If he caught it all, he might be on his way to Niihau now.”
“I’m worried about the people there. This guy, and whoever he’s working for, might not be as considerate as my father in his pursuit of the treasure. I knew my father, and he wasn’t interested in the riches so much as the heritage. He loved Hawaii. Our family has lived on these islands for centuries. He would have wanted to preserve the treasure for future Hawaiians to see and enjoy.”
Reid’s lips twisted. “I’m sure the people who trashed your apartment and his aren’t nearly as altruistic.”
“I shudder to think what they will do to anyone who gets in their way,” Maliea said softly.
“Okay, folks,” Mr. Parkman’s booming voice sounded behind them. “Looks like you’ve got an official invite to Niihua.”
Maliea spun, her pulse quickening. “We did?”
The older man nodded. “I spoke to the owners. The beef angle did nothing to impress them. When I told them Professor Hasegawa’s daughter wanted to visit, they were quick to approve. Your father must have made quite an impression on them. The owners are sending a message to the island as we speak to let them know of your arrival.”
“Thank you, Mr. Parkman.” Maliea hugged the man’s neck. “You’ve been so helpful and kind.” She stepped back, letting her arms fall to her sides.
The old man’s face stained a ruddy red. “Oh, well now, it was just a phone call.”
“Niihau was the last place my father was seen alive,” Maliea whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Mr. Parkman laid a hand on her shoulder. “I was so sorry to hear of his plane crash. I’d heard of your father and some of the good things he did to help preserve Hawaiian heritage. He was a good man.”
Maliea nodded, blinking back ready tears. She was saved from trying to speak past the lump in her throat when a voice sounded behind her.
“They’re pulling the seaplane out of the hanger now.” Kalea emerged from the house, tucking a cell phone into her pocket. “Should be topped off with fuel and ready to go by the time you get to the landing strip.”
“I’ll take you there,” Mr. Parkman said.
“Thank you,” Maliea said. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all you’ve done for me and my family. I hope someday that I can pay you back.”
Mr. Parkman shook his head. “No need. We’re one big community on this strip of islands. We help each other the best we can.” He waved a hand. “Come on, let’s get you on your way. I always thought the lost treasure of Red Beard was nothing more than a fairytale. I’m interested to know how this treasure hunt turns out.”
Maliea wanted to know the same. The treasure had been lost over a hundred years ago. What were the odds it had survived the horrible storm ?
A shiver of excitement rippled through her. Were they about to find out what had really happened to the lost treasure of Red Beard? If it existed, there were people who might be willing to do anything to claim it as their own. Her excitement turned to a bone-cold chill.
They needed to warn the people of Niihau that trouble could be on its way.
Hell, it might beat her and Reid there.