"You said you came to babysit me. I'm a full-grown woman, Cameron Cox." She squared her shoulders at him and the hold of his arm loosened.
Nodding in satisfaction she twisted her shoulders and sidestepped, freeing herself from his hold.
"And I can get my own damn bags!"
To prove her point, she stepped around him and pulled up the handle on the bag he'd pulled from the carousel and move it closer to the conveyor belt.
She turned her head to the side to look at the other bags coming her way.
She felt like Axl had moved up to stand beside her.
She didn't dare to turn and look.
But she swore she could feel him.
Like a big ol' wall of asshole standing beside her.
She watched the bags come at her on the belt. Big hard sided luggage. Soft bags. The usual packing taped wrapped coolers and plain cardboard boxes with Sharpie marker names on the sides.
Frowning, she swore she saw the same bags come around a second time.
"What the fu-"
"Maile? Hey... Maile?"
She turned around toward the sound and saw U'ilani Velasco coming her way.
"Hey! What's up?" Maile grinned at her friend. "Didn't get enough of me in Vegas?"
U'ilani tossed her head and then shook it, her dark and glossy hair swishing around her shoulders. "Never."
Maile gave her a hug. "Here. A big ol' hug after hours on a plane... enjoy the gross!"
Her friend laughed and squished her right back. "You get my gross, too!!"
"Ewww..." Maile loosened her hold and leaned back "Gross!"
U'ilani rolled her eyes. "We're both sooo mature."
Maile heard a snort of laughter at her side and turned her head enough to glare at Axl. "Shut up, you bit oaf!"
U'ilani lifted a brow at her and leaned in. "Who's this? Your man?"
Maile reared back, her jaw falling open. "Bite your tongue! Eww!!!"
U'ilani's eyes widened. "No?"
"Hell, no!" Maile enunciated the two words clearly. Very clearly. "Pallas sent him to get me. Kawehi's not feeling all that hot."
U'ilani nodded slowly. "Is it the baby?"
Maile nodded. "All I can say is I'm going to be a very cool aunt. I don't think I'd want to go through stuff like she is."
Shaking her head, U'ilani gave her a half-smile. "You might change your mind later."
"Nope." Maile gave a resolute shake of her head. "I want to be the cool aunt and do all kinds of cool stuff, fill the kiddos with pounds of sugar and then BOOP, drop them off and let my cuz deal with the fallout."
U'ilani scoffed softly at that. "I guess I can see that. You were an only child. Our family has eight kids."
