Libby pressed her lips together again, and Dan got the distinct impression that she was trying not to laugh.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.I’m pathetic,” he said.God, the press would have a field day back home if they ever found out about this.“Please come, Libby.”
“Sure, I’ll come,” she said, flashing one of those smiles that always made him blink.“To be honest, it beats cooking tonight, and I haven’t had this much fun since a mouse in this hostel we were staying at in Wellington caused a stampede out through the kitchen door.”
“See, you always come out with random nonsense like that.”
“Gee, thanks.It’s a special gift.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Of course, Mr.Sunshine,” she drawled.“I’ll need to put Karim to bed by nine.His usual bedtime is eight, but he had a long nap today, so he should last the distance.Also, that restaurant I suggested?It looked fancy, so you’ll have to deal with me wearing my sundress.It’s the best thing I have.”
“You’d look good in anything.”
“Ha, thanks.False flattery will get you everywhere.”
Dan rolled his eyes and turned to the window again.He’d been telling the truth.Libby had a beautiful face, a lush, curvy body, and a sparkling personality.She knew it.Everyone knew it.And Dan had other things on his mind right now than showering her with compliments she’d heard a thousand times before.
The giggle beside him had him turning back to look at her.“What?”
“Your face when he grabbed your mom’s—”
“Not helping, Libby.”
“His biceps are thicker than my thighs, which is saying a lot.And did you see the size of his pecs?Your mom is one lucky—”
“Yep…still not helping.”
Tenminuteslater,thecab stopped outside Tia Rosa’s.Libby unclipped Karim from his seat and got out.The building in front of her, with its white walls and flat roof, wasn’t as pretty or as big asAre Moana,but Tia Rosa—a friend of Mr.Hehu and Serita’s—greeted them with open arms.“Kia Orana!”
“Kia Orana,” Libby said, bouncing Karim on her hip as she returned the woman’s smile.She nodded toward Cranky behind her, who was getting their bags and Karim’s stroller out of the car.“We have an extra person with us.Is that all right?”
“Of course, Serita has already told me.She’s paid for everything for tonight.She told me what happened.Hehu and computers are not a good mix.”Rosa chuckled.“Come with me.I’ll show you to the hut.”
The hut?
Libby shot a glance at Dan just as he shot one at her.
“That doesn’t sound great,” she mumbled.
They followed Rosa around to the back of the main house and into a yard, where a low-roofed hut—like a beach shack, really—was surrounded by tropical plants and flowers.
“Oh, this is gorgeous!”Libby said.“Look, Karim.Pretty petals.”
“Frangipani,” Rosa said as she picked a pink and yellow one.“Are you single or married?”
“Single.”Well and truly.
“In that case, you place the flower behind your right ear,” Rosa said.“That tells men you are available.If you’re spoken for, you place it behind your left ear.”
“That’s so cute.”
Rosa gave a flower to Karim, who twirled it in his little fingers for all of two seconds before losing interest and wriggling free.He tugged on Libby’s hand, pulling her toward the hut.
“Excuse us.He wants to explore.”Libby thanked Rosa and followed Karim into their temporary new home.He kicked off his little sandals and ran around the room.
The hut was very basic, containing a small kitchen unit, a table with four chairs, and a door to the left that revealed a small bathroom.The two doors to the right presumably were the two bedrooms.“This is just lovely and all we need, isn’t it, sweet cheeks?”
