Excitement crept over Samantha as she looked down at the tiny dots of green surrounded by a never-ending expanse of blue water. The captain’s voice came over the intercom. “In a few minutes, we will begin our descent into Honolulu. Please put away all electronic devices, put up your trays, and return your seats to their upright positions.”
Anthony was furiously typing away on his laptop like there was an unseen taskmaster cracking a whip over his shoulder. Assuming he hadn’t heard the captain, Samantha brushed his arm. “We’re landing in a few minutes. You should probably put that away.”
He jerked his arm away from her touch. “I’ll put it away when I’m finished,” he grumbled, turning his attention back to the computer.
She nodded as a cold pit settled in her stomach. She angled herself away from him and stared unseeingly out the window. Was this how it was going to be between them? Ever since she agreed to marry Anthony, small changes had crept into their relationship like pesky shadows lurking just beyond the scope of her vision. At first, she attributed his behavior to stress. After all, he was a busy man with lots of irons in the fire. And he was doing so much to help her family. She owed him everything. The least she could do was overlook a few shortcomings in his personality.
After that fateful day in the attorney’s office, Anthony did a debt assessment and came to the same conclusion as the lawyer: they were in a desperate situation, and the only solution was to sell the house. In what Samantha considered to be the paramount act of kindness, Anthony bought the mansion for top dollar and was letting them live there rent-free. Also, he was considering investing in her mother’s business.
Even before Anthony popped the question, she knew the answer had to be yes. How could she refuse him after all he’d done? Most of the time, she was okay with her decision. Anthony was a solid guy who was loyal and dependable, and from what she’d experienced in the dating scene, those traits were hard to come by. Plus, a marriage to him would ensure stability for her mom and Dani. He was intelligent, a go-getter, and not bad-looking … although the tiniest part of her was disappointed that his kisses didn’t evoke any sparks. Then again, maybe that only happened in the movies.
She had to look at the arrangement analytically. So what if Anthony wasn’t the man of her dreams? She would find other areas to focus on, such as becoming a teacher. For as long as she could remember, Samantha wanted to teach elementary school. After the wedding, she was planning to continue her education at Sacramento State. She still had two years left to get her undergraduate degree. After that, she might even consider getting her master’s. It was something to consider—and something to help keep her mind off of romance.
She’d never been to Hawaii, and she wanted to get to know Anthony outside of the influence of her mother. So when Anthony suggested she tag along on this business trip, she jumped at the chance.
Samantha had been hoping for a long engagement—at least a year—but her mother had other ideas. She suggested they get married in Hawaii, and Anthony, perhaps sensing Samantha’s apprehension about the marriage, was anxious to seal the deal as quickly as possible.
Before she had the ring properly sized, the date was set and all of the arrangements made. She and Anthony would spend the next month at his condo at Turtle Bay, after which they would get married on the grounds of the resort overlooking the ocean. Dani would be her maid of honor, and her mother would dab her tearful eyes. A European honeymoon tour would follow before settling into a home in Sacramento. Her entire life was wrapped up in a tidy bow that was as inflexible as iron. She’d been praying for strength and guidance; despite all of her misgivings about marrying Anthony, she felt like coming to Hawaii was a good thing. She had to have faith that things would work out well in the end.
A flight attendant halted in her trek to the back of the plane. “Sir, you need to put away your laptop.”
Anthony’s jaw went hard. He nodded, but kept typing.
“Sir,” she said more insistently, “I’m going to have to ask you to put that away.”
“I’m well aware of the rules,” he said, his upper lip curling.
The flight attendant looked to Samantha for help.
Samantha touched his arm. “Anthony.” He ignored her and kept typing.
The woman continued to stand there, eyeing him, her hand planted on her hip. Finally, after a tense couple of minutes, Anthony closed his laptop and put up the tray. The flight attendant gave him the evil eye before moving on to other passengers.
He cursed under his breath and rubbed his forehead with both hands. “I don’t know what that bird-brained flight attendant’s problem was. We don’t land for another twenty minutes. That’s twenty minutes worth of work I could’ve gotten done.”
Samantha just sat there, her arms crossed.
It was at this point that he actually looked at her. “Hey.”
Silence.
He nudged her arm, a hint of impatience in his voice. “I’m talking to you.”
She turned to him. “Was that really necessary?”
His eyes narrowed. “What?”
“The poor woman was only trying to do her job. You didn’t have to act so put out about it.”
The veins on the side of his neck turned to ropes. “I only have so much time in the day to get work done. Unlike you, I don’t have the luxury of sitting around and twiddling my thumbs. Supporting your family in that big house doesn’t come cheap.”
She gasped, and a sickening feeling clawed at her insides. It was her worst fear coming to light. He already resented her family, and they weren’t even married yet. This was never going to work.
He studied her for what seemed like an eternity before shaking his head and blowing out a breath. “I’m sorry.”
She looked straight ahead.
“Hey,” he said softly. “I shouldn’t have said that. Look at me.”
Hesitantly, she turned.
“I’ve been under a lot of stress. I’m working on a volatile deal that could blow up in my face any minute.” He sighed heavily. “I was taking it out on you, and I shouldn’t have.” He stroked her hair, and she moved away. “I’m sorry, okay?” he snapped. Then his voice went kind and pleading, as if the old Anthony had suddenly replaced the hostile one. “Say something, please.”
“That comment about my family …”
“Totally out of line.” Remorse lay heavy in his voice.
She cocked her head, studying him. “Do you regret helping my family? Is that what this is about?” Her voice cracked. “Because if you do, then we need to get it out in the open right now.”
“Not for one second. I would do it over a hundredfold if necessary.”
She wasn’t sure what to think. Which Anthony was real? The volatile one or the kind one? “I don’t want to be a distraction. If things are as hectic as you say, then maybe I should just go home.”
“Nonsense. I want you here.”
Really? He certainly wasn’t acting like it. “Why do you want to marry me?” She’d never asked that question outright, even though she’d wondered it a thousand times. They were thirteen years apart and had very little in common.
“Because you’re beautiful and fun and witty.” He gathered her hands in his. “I fell in love with you the first minute I saw you. I want us to build a life together. The deals … everything I’m working on, I’m doing for you.”
He was saying all the right words, but somehow they weren’t ringing true. A deep weariness settled over her, and she wanted nothing more than to find a quiet spot where she could be alone and think things through.
“Give me another chance,” he implored.
It wasn’t as if she had much of a choice. If she ended it now, her family would be out on the street. And there would be little hope of saving her mother’s business.
He cupped her cheek. “Please?”
She felt herself soften. “Okay.”
“I love you.” He beamed.
The air around her gulped in a long, hard breath, waiting for her to respond. She’d never told him she loved him. How could she? It would be a blatant lie. At this point, she wasn’t even sure she liked him.
When she remained silent, he looked disappointed. Resignation settled over him as he reached for her left hand and rubbed his thumb over her naked ring finger. “Maybe it’ll start to feel more real when your ring arrives this week.” A tentative smile spread across his face. “At least, I hope that’s the case.”
She forced a smile. “I’m sure it will.” Anthony purchased the ring before he proposed and accidentally got a size too small. He had instructed the jeweler to resize it and ship it to his condominium, but she couldn’t help but wonder if the ring was an omen that she was marrying into a life a size too small for her comfort. Surely there was another way to help her family. Things were happening too fast. She needed time—time to come to terms with the marriage. Time to truly consider her feelings, or lack thereof, for Anthony.
“You’re going to love Turtle Bay. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth—a great place for us to begin our life together. It’s really neat because the condos are built on the front section of the property. So you get the benefit of owning your own place, and yet you have access to the amenities of the resort.” He linked his fingers through hers, then leaned back against the seat. “In Hawaii, everything’s better. You’ll see.”
She could only hope he was right.
* * *
Samantha leaned over the carousel, craning her neck to see the luggage coming through the opening and down the ramp. Anthony had only brought a duffel bag, which he carried onto the plane.
When they landed, Anthony suggested that it would make things easier if she went alone to the baggage claim while he picked up the rental car. While it would’ve been nice to have his help with the luggage, she didn’t mind getting a short break from his uptight behavior. Hopefully, he would settle down once they got to his condo and once again become the patient, solicitous man that had convinced her to accept his marriage proposal.
She dismissed thoughts of Anthony and focused instead on the humid air and the syrupy scent of flowers coming from the nearby lei stand. She was in Hawaii! She couldn’t wait to walk on the beach. A smile curved her lips at the thought.
She glanced across the carousel to find a man with windswept hair and a golden tan staring at her. Her pulse bumped up a notch. Dani always accused her of having a thing for the hunky surfer types. This guy was the embodiment of every crush she’d had since age twelve. There was a casual confidence about him that was refreshing. He wore shorts and a T-shirt that molded to his defined muscles.
He smiled, revealing adorable dimples. She returned his smile, warmth rushing over her. She could imagine that life with him would be a constant thrill and make her appreciate what it meant to be alive. He was openly staring, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
His pull was so magnetic she had to force herself to look away. What was she doing? She was engaged, for goodness’ sake. Even though she wouldn’t let herself look in his direction, she was acutely aware of his presence. It seemed strange—and sad—that she would have a stronger connection with a complete stranger than she had with her fiancé. Don’t look. Forget you ever saw him. Despite her best effort to avoid eye contact, she stole another glance, but he’d disappeared like a seashell in the waves. One minute he was there, perfect and beautiful, and the next, he was gone. Disappointment settled over her.
She tucked her hair behind her ear and focused on getting the luggage. Her black suitcase was nondescript, so she’d tied a blue bandana around the handle to make it more recognizable. She spotted it the minute it came through the opening. When it came around, she lifted it off, then placed her duffel bag on the suitcase and raised the handle. Her phone buzzed. Balancing the bag so that it wouldn’t fall off the suitcase, she reached in her purse and retrieved the phone. It was a text from Anthony letting her know he was waiting outside. She put the phone back in her purse. No need to respond. She’d just go outside and meet him.
“Hey!”
She heard a man calling out behind her, but she ignored him and kept walking. He couldn’t be talking to her, because she didn’t know anyone here.
“Hey!”
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned, startled to see the surfer guy. His eyes were vivid green with tiny flecks of gold, which gave them a dreamy, translucent appearance.
Her phone buzzed, dragging her back down to earth. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” she mumbled.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
She frowned. “What?”
He pointed. “Not with my suitcase.”
She looked at the suitcase in question. “I beg your pardon? This is my suitcase.”
An easy smile spread over his lips. “You sure about that?”
“Absolutely.” She was sure. Wasn’t she? She’d grabbed her suitcase the minute she saw it, not thinking to check the tag.
“Do you make a habit of stealing other people’s luggage?”
She was about to retort when she saw the sparkle in his eye and realized he was teasing her. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she just shook her head.
He laughed. “Unless your name’s Finn Croft, then I think there’s been a mistake.”
Her brows knitted. She flipped over the tag and about died when she saw the name. Heat rose in her cheeks. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. I put a blue bandana around my suitcase handle so I would recognize it.”
“Does it look like this?” He motioned to the suitcase at his side. “I guess great minds think alike.”
“
Is that my suitcase?”
“Is your name Samantha Fairchild?”
“Yes. How did you know that one was mine?”
“I saw you grab mine, and then I saw another one coming down the carousel. I took a chance that it was yours.” Amusement danced in his eyes. “You know … if you wanted to meet me that badly, you could’ve just said hello.”
Was it that obvious she was attracted to him? “I wasn’t trying to meet you,” she blurted. Her phone buzzed again.
“A pity,” he murmured, his eyes caressing hers.
She stood there, tongue-tied, wondering how she could be so attracted to a man she’d just met. Was this fate’s way of tormenting her? Giving her a glimpse of heaven, and then forever barring her entry? More buzzing from the phone. It was starting to get annoying.
“Sounds like someone’s trying to get in touch with you. Do you need to get that?”
“No.” She removed her bag from the top of his suitcase, and they made the switch.
“So… Samantha, what brings you to Hawaii? Business or pleasure?”
His voice had an upbeat, lyrical quality to it. It would be pleasure to be able to spend time with you. Panic raced over her as she squelched the treacherous thought. Luckily, she’d only thought it, not said it out loud. “Um… a little of both.”
He cocked his head. “Really? How so?”
More infernal buzzing from the phone. Would the stupid thing ever stop?
This was where she should tell him she was engaged, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice the words. All she wanted was a few minutes of bliss with this dreamboat, and then she would go back to her stale little world without complaint.
“Where’re you staying?”
“Turtle Bay.”
“Great place—one of my favorites. I go surfing there sometimes. Do you surf?”
“
No, I’ve never had the opportunity to learn. But I want to.”
“I could teach you… if you’d like.”
The hopeful expression on his face carved out a section of her heart. Why had she met him? She could’ve gone on with her life and been just fine. Now she would have a flesh-and-blood mental picture of all that she was giving up by marrying for money. Ugh, that sounded so cold. Until now she hadn’t allowed herself to even think the phrase marry for money. She didn’t like the picture that painted—especially since she saw herself with a shovel going after a pile of gold. Yet that’s what she was doing, in a way.
Except that Anthony cared about her and her family, and she cared about him. Not like a newlywed wife, but maybe like a fifty-year wife who had drifted apart a little. “I don’t think so.” The words cut as they left her mouth.
He nodded, and she thought she might’ve seen disappointment flicker across his features. “Well, Samantha, it was indeed a pleasure.” His eyes locked with hers. “I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“Thank you.”
“Samantha.”
Anthony’s voice was a bucket of ice water that jarred her back to reality. She turned to see him coming through the glass doors. Panic engulfed her. “I have to go.”
Finn frowned. “Who’s that?”
“My brother.” Her brother. Really? She was pathetic.
“He looks upset.”
“Yeah, he usually is,” she said dryly. Their eyes met one final time, and she had the impression she was saying goodbye to the sun—doomed to spend the rest of her life in dismal clouds. He looked like he was going to say something else, but she hurried away. Just before she reached Anthony, she turned, allowing herself one final glance at Finn. As he smiled and waved, she committed his face to memory. Then she gave him a nod and quickly turned away.
“Where were you?” Anthony said.
“Just getting my luggage.”
“Who was that guy you were talking to?”
“Nobody. We got our luggage mixed up and were sorting it out.” Guilt churned in her gut, and she feared it was written all over her face. She tried to keep her expression bland as Anthony scrutinized her.
“You didn’t answer my calls.”
“Yeah, it’s so loud in here… I guess I didn’t hear it. Sorry,” she said absently, her mind tracing the outline of a certain set of shoulders.
