“A real live mermaid.”
“I like to think of myself more as a fish.”
He laughed. “Of course you do. A fish that has led quite a life. To go through what you did and still have love in your heart, that says something about your resilience. Another gift.”
“I did what any kid would do.”
“No, you didn’t.”
She kicked her feet in the water, enjoying its coolness. “I had the sharks.”
The damselflies were giving off their own light, if that were possible, and the surface of the pond glowed as red as a lava lake. It was beautiful, and eerie. They sat for a while in silence, Minnow wondering what was coming next. Because when insects swarmed or animals behaved oddly, it often portended some kind of impending disaster. She tried to tell herself it was only her imagination conjuring up some doomsday scenario.
But of course a disaster was coming. Tomorrow morning, bright and early.
Eventually they ended up back in the house, and she realized she didn’t want Luke to leave. The note had shaken her up and the idea of being alone here all night was causing shortness of breath.
She worked up the nerve to ask him. “Would you stay here tonight? It just feels kind of scary knowing there’s possibly someone who is ex–Special Forces out there somewhere. And if not him, then someone else.”
“Trust me, I would have slept on that wall out front if I had to. I’m glad you asked.”
“Thank you—”
“And don’t worry, I’ll sleep in my own bed.”
He had nothing with him, though.
“Where’s all your stuff?” she asked.
“In my truck back at the hotel. George said I could stay in an old coffee shed on his property in Holualoa for a while, so I’ll probably take him up on that.”
“Where’s Holualoa?”
“Up the mountain, above Kona. It’s gorgeous, like another world up there.”
She motioned across the room. “Well, take your pick of beds. That one over there will leave you swaybacked, though, and the one by the door is completely lopsided. And that one is made out of bricks, but it may be your best bet.”
He grinned and his smile sent shock waves through her. Minnow shook it off. They washed up and luckily for Luke there was a box full of extra toothbrushes. When he came out of the bathroom, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She was already lying in bed in nothing but a skimpy tank top and underwear. Any more clothes than that and she’d wakeup in a pool of sweat. The lantern was next to her on a stool that doubled as a bedside table. She watched him flip back the quilt and ease in between the sheets, lying on his back with his hands folded behind his head.
He stared up at the ceiling. “So what’s our plan for tomorrow morning?”
“Ourplan?”
“I’m a hundred percent Team Shark, Minnow. Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do.”
“You don’t have—”
He cut her off. “I need to do this for my own peace of mind. I still kind of hate myself for what I thought I was capable of doing, all in the name of getting my feet back on the ground.” He rolled onto his side and faced her, one bed between them. “Plus, I want to make it up to you.”
Whatever was happening here, she couldn’t fight it.
Right then, the phone rang. Minnow had no choice but to climb out of bed in her undies and sheer top and get it. “Kaupiko’s,” she said.
“It’s me, Woody. Sorry to call so late, but I wanted to tell you not to wait for me in the morning. Just drive the boat to Honokohau and get there before sunup. Bring Nalu with you, and also get ahold of Josh Brown and tell him to get down there, crack of dawn.”
“What’s happening?”
“Trust me on this. You’ll see.”
