Chapter Four
“I still say, we should have just rented a car.”Doug followed Amy and Emily aboard the mega–tour bus for the around-the-island day trip.
“The concierge said, if I wanted to visit and enjoy the day, that this would be the best way.No hassles with maps or parking, and plenty of time to talk and have fun.”Amy knew that, as a take-charge sort of guy, Doug would have insisted on doing the driving, and his attention would have been on the road.She was just selfish enough to only want to share him with Emily for the day.
Despite the early hour, Doug and Amy and Emily were the last to be picked up due to their hotel’s location.Most of the seats on the bus were already taken.Doug stopped near the back at a row of empty seats.“You two sit on that side.I’ll sit over here.”
Amy nodded and waited for Emily to slide over to the window.
“Nonsense.”Emily plopped instead into the seat across the way.“You guys have waited months for this day.You should sit together.”
Standing in the aisle, Doug shifted his gaze from one side to the other.This was the first time Amy had seen anything that even closely resembled indecision in her brother’s eyes.He seemed torn, as though choosing who to sit by was a matter of life and death.Finally, winking at Emily, he swung around and into the seat beside Amy.Deep in her gut, she already knew today would be one of the best days of her life.
Across the aisle, Emily had her iPad open to the map page for the tour, reading off about the first stop.As far as Amy was concerned, they could tour the city dump.She didn’t care; she was just so happy to be here with them.According to the tour schedule, they should have been on their way already, but a few chatter-filled minutes later, another handful of people from their hotel boarded the bus.
Recognizing the pretty brunette from the lobby yesterday, Amy wondered if Mr.Towel would be joining them.Next to board was a tall handsome man, his hands clasped with the pretty brunette.Mrs.Towel appeared, followed by a striking redhead, and lastly, yesterday’s hero, Mr.Towel himself.The group of five had to split up, the redhead taking a seat beside Emily, the other two couples filling the remainder of spots at the rear of the bus.Amy had to admit Towel Guy looked as good in shorts and a polo shirt as he did in a hotel towel.
“Earth to Amy.”Doug waved a hand in front of her.
“Oh.”She turned her attention back to her brother.“My mind wandered.”
“Wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain accommodations-challenged tourist?”
It took Amy a few seconds to realize her brother meant the guy locked out of his room.Rather than respond, she settled for rolling her eyes and wasn’t sure if that made her the sulky teenager or him the clueless male, but either way they both laughed.
Doug glanced a moment at his fiancée chatting away with the redhead.The wordsceremony, ushers, andministerdrifted across the aisle, and Doug leaned into Amy and whispered, “She’s probably having more fun sharing wedding plans with her seatmate than talking to me.”
Amy snickered.He was probably right.Most women loved talking about weddings, and most men would rather have a tooth pulled.“Mom and Dad want to know when they get to meet you,” Amy said.“And I think my brother, Brandon, is a bit intimidated.”
“Intimidated?”
“He says he’s happy you reached out to me, and I know he is, but Brandon is a twenty-year-old college kid.My suspicion is the idea of a big bad navy bomb expert has him feeling a little insecure.”
“He’s a smart kid who wants to be a doctor.”Doug shook his head and swallowed a humorless chuckle.“You did tell him thebig bad navy guyis just a scuba instructor?”
Amy rolled her eyes again.Doug didn’t see himself the way the world did.He was a bona fide hero who’d fought terrorists and would have kept on doing so if he hadn’t lost his vision in one eye during an explosion.All he saw was a grown-up foster kid from a crappy family with a career-ending injury.At least he did consider himself damn lucky to have a woman like Emily in love with him.Amy didn’t want to think of where he’d be if not for Emily.Certainly not on a bus tour to the North Shore of Oahu with his long-lost little sister.
The driver picked up the mic and turned on the overhead speakers, making further conversation difficult.Amy listened as the guy explained the history of their next destination, where the restrooms were, and how long before the bus would leave.She had grown up taking family vacations to places like Disney and the Grand Canyon, but they’d never come to Hawaii.Along with finding her brother and walking the Great Wall of China, visiting the famous surfing mecca of Oahu’s North Shore was tops on her wish list.
At a full stop, the bus door opened, and the driver reminded them they had twenty minutes to roam about.Emily and the redhead exited ahead of them and continued to talk about weddings while the rest of her friends descended.Mr.Towel was the last to join them, and Amy chastised herself for even noticing.The guy was taken.
The pretty brunette with Towel Guy’s group turned, scanned the area, and, settling her gaze on the hilltop views, sucked in a deep breath.“Wow.”
“Yeah,” Mrs.Towel muttered.“Definitely not Oklahoma.”
“You got that straight,” Mr.Towel added, then, turning to face the group, he smiled at Amy.Slowly he shifted his attention to Doug and stuck out his hand.“We never got around to introductions yesterday.I’m Ray Varner and thank you again.”
Doug smiled and accepted the proffered hand.“Doug Hamilton.And, like I said, I know exactly how you felt.”He gestured toward her.“This is my sister, Amy.”
For a split second Amy noticed Mr.Towel’s—Ray’s—mouth fall open, then snap shut.Or at least she thought she had.
Extending his arm, Doug grabbed hold of Emily’s hand, tugging her to his side.“And this is my fiancée, Emily Everrett.”
“Amy,” Emily interrupted the introductions excitedly, pointing at the redhead.“Courtney is getting married at the hotel on Saturday too.”
“You are?”
Grinning like a Powerball winner, Courtney bobbed her head.“Yeah, my fiancé is in the navy.He’s due to arrive in port sometime today.”She spun about and gestured to her friends.“This is Lisa, my maid of honor and sister of the groom, and her husband, Matt.”
