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When she opened the door on the ground floor, she found Pete leaning against the wall beside it.
“Whoa! Shelby, stop running.” He caught her arm to ensure she did as he ordered.
“Let me go!”
“Why? You’re supposed to join us for dinner.”
She glared at him. “I’ve changed my mind!”
“Why?”
Shelby tried to twist her arm free of his hold, but he wouldn’t allow it. “Because I don’t like the idea of Dan’s plan!”
Pete studied the young woman he was holding. Last night he hadn’t been at all attracted. Her sharp tongue had cut him with one too many sassy retorts. At times she’d been aloof, at others, downright surly, and always uninterested. In everything except Dan.
Today, though, her blue eyes flared to life, her red locks flamed in the sunshine pouring through the lobby doors. She looked like another person. A very attractive person.
Last night he’d had a name for her. Not one he could repeat in mixed company. Right now he was tempted to call her a looker.
He felt a tug deep within him, both surprised and delighted at the same time. Relishing the feel of her, he had to force his concentration onto the topic at hand.
“You know what Dan’s plan is?” he asked in surprise.
“Don’t you?”
“No, Dan didn’t explain it to me.”
“I don’t believe you. You’re helping him, aren’t you?” Shelby demanded. “Why would you do that if you don’t know what the plan is?”
Why? Because Dan Jackson had saved him once upon a time. Pete feared thinking what he’d be, where he’d be, if he hadn’t been lucky enough to meet Dan. Raised on Oahu by a single mother who worked two jobs, Pete had no family around him. Dan had become his family, especially when his mother died while Pete was in college.
He looked Shelby right in the eye and said, “Because Dan is more than my boss. He’s my best friend. Because Dan became my Big Brother when I was a teenager, replacing my father, whom I hadn’t seen since I was a little boy. Because Dan kept me from going down the wrong road and showed me the right way. Because I trust him.”
“Even if what he wants involves spending the evening with a stiff, unfriendly, unattractive woman?” Shelby asked. So apparently she’d overheard part of his conversation with Dan back in the office. He’d hoped not.
He shot her a grin. “Even if.” Then he began walking toward the elevator, pulling her with him.
She yanked on her arm again. “Let me go. You couldn’t pay me to have dinner with you, or Dan!”
He stopped and she looked at him expectantly. “Do you want to disappoint Kay? She’s spent all day talking about you.”
“Oh, that’s what’s wrong. She bored you to death today.”
“No, she didn’t. Now, come on, let’s go join them.”
“Where is Kay? She wasn’t in the office.”
“She excused herself to freshen up.” He gazed down at her, thinking how good she looked, like a spitfire, with her eyes squinting at him in suspicion. His voice lowered and he stepped a bit closer. “Come on, Shelby. You can convince me my description was off base.”
She seemed taken aback, but held her ground. “I’ll do no such thing!”
“So you are stiff, unfriendly and unattractive?” He smiled at her.
“Stop being silly!” She tried again to get loose. “I need to know what Dan’s plan is.”
“But I told you I don’t know what his plan is.”
“Will you help me find out?”
Pete stared at her. “You’re asking me to betray my friend and boss? Why would I do that?” Unbelievably enough, he wanted to get on her good side, which he knew helping her would do. But how could he go against Dan?
“Because Kay is my only family. Because she took care of me and loved me when I needed it. Because she deserves to be treated fairly!” Shelby stood taller, daring him to say differently.
Pete couldn’t. “I won’t argue with that. And she’s quite charming.”
“Then you’ll help me?”
“I won’t do anything to hurt Dan.”
“But will you help me protect Kay?”
Pete assessed her relaxed posture, how she seemed to soften right before his eyes. “You’re certainly not stiff and unfriendly now, are you? And of course you were always attractive.”
She ignored him. “You haven’t answered my question.”
“I promise I’ll try to help you protect Kay, because I don’t want her hurt. But I don’t believe that is Dan’s intention.”
“All right. Then I’ll go to dinner,” she finally conceded.
He let his hand slide down her arm until it reached hers. He lifted it to his lips. “I salute your wisdom. Let’s go. They’re waiting for us,” he said as he pushed the button for the elevator. This time it opened at once.
“Now it comes,” Shelby muttered.
“It’s all in the wrist,” Pete said with a grin.
Pete watched Shelby as she answered one of Dan’s questions over dinner. Now that he’d seen the fire and the loyalty in her, he saw her differently. She was gradually relaxing, becoming the woman that matched her beautiful russet hair.
“Kay, what did you think of the stores you saw today?” Shelby asked.
Kay smiled. “Well, needless to say I think my store is more organized and takes in a better quality of furniture. But the stores today seemed to be doing a remarkable business.”
“Really?” Dan asked, smiling at her.
“Yes, Dan. It was quite impressive,” Kay assured him. “I think I could move my business here and make a good living.”
“Aunt Kay! You aren’t thinking of doing that, are you?” Shelby demanded.
“Of course not! I was just thinking—”
“Why not?” Dan asked quietly.
“Because it’s not home!” Shelby answered for her aunt.
“But it could be,” Dan said. “Home is made up of the people you love.”
Shelby had a panicky look in her eyes as she turned to Pete, as if to say, See what he’s doing!
Kay finally gave her opinion. “You’re right, Dan. But Shelby is like a daughter to me. I could never leave her in Cleveland and come here, no matter how beautiful Hawaii is.”
“So, to get you here, I’ll have to persuade Shelby to move here?” Dan asked, his voice light, as if he were teasing.
Shelby gave Pete a quick, questioning look, but he could only shrug his shoulders. He had no idea if that was Dan’s plan. And truthfully tonight he didn’t have much objection to it. Last night was another matter.
“I have no intention of moving to Hawaii. To pass the bar I’d have to learn an entire set of new laws. That would be too hard,” Shelby told her aunt, softening her staunch words with a slight smile.
“Maybe we’ll talk later,” Pete said. “I might find other reasons.” He wasn’t surprised to see Shelby’s outraged expression. But Dan drew the most interest from him. With a twinkle in his eye, his friend raised his glass in Pete’s direction.
Was that it? Did he want Kay to stay? Was he in love with her? Not that she wasn’t attractive, but Dan had dated more than his share of beautiful women before.
The waiter arrived just then with their dinners and Pete didn’t have to respond when Shelby whispered, “You promised!”
Maybe he could get her alone later and they could have a discussion. He wouldn’t mind that. And apparently Dan wouldn’t either, as he’d be left alone with Kay.
Dan offered to take them on a tour of Oahu the next day, and Kay eagerly accepted for both of them.
Pete caught Shelby’s hand as she opened her mouth, no doubt to protest. He didn’t want her to decline the invitation, especially since he planned to invite himself. “I’d like that, too, Dan, assuming I’m included,” Pete said with a smile while he squeezed Shelby’s hand.
“I—” Shelby began.
“We’ll enjoy ourselves, Shelby,” he hurriedly said.
“You’ll come, won’t you, Shelby?” Kay asked, worry in her voice.
Shelby drew a deep breath before she spoke. “Yes, of course.”
Pete continued to hold her hand below the table. She hadn’t pulled loose, and he saw no reason to give up the warmth of her skin against his.
As if she’d read his mind, she removed her hand from his. “What shall we go see?” she asked in a bright voice.
“Would you like to climb to the top of Diamond Head?” Dan suggested.
“Will it be too hard?” Kay asked.
“Well, it’s a challenge,” Dan said. “I have an idea. You and I can go by elevator up to the bar on the top floor of your hotel and wait for the other two while they climb up to the top. It has the same view.”
“Wait a minute!” Pete protested. “I’ve already been to the top of Diamond Head. I’ll join you two in the bar. Shelby can tell us all about it when she finishes the climb.”
“How gentlemanly of you!” Shelby said sarcastically.
“Okay, okay,” Pete teased. “We’ll let you in the elevator, too.”
“But that’s not so exciting, going up in an elevator to look out a window,” Shelby said.
Pete leaned toward Kay. “Your niece is a hard woman to please, did you know that?”
“I’m sure she doesn’t mean to be,” Kay said with a smile toward Shelby.
“I’ll tell you what. After drinks in the bar, we can go on a dinner cruise for the sunset. How about that, Shelby?” Pete asked.
“That would be exciting.”
“Is that okay with you two?” Pete asked.
Dan nodded to his friend. “It sounds good to me. How about you, Kay?”
“That sounds great. And Shelby and I can try out the beach during the day while you two work.”
“Aw, spoilsport! I was hoping to see Shelby in a swimsuit,” Pete said in a playful tone of voice, though he truly meant it. “Do you wear a bikini, Shelby?”
He loved her flustered look. He was seeing more sides of her tonight, and they were all beautiful.
Dan played along. “How about you, Kay?”
Kay’s cheeks turned pink. “No, Dan. I’m afraid I have a one-piece suit.”
“Looks like we’ll have to work tomorrow, Dan,” Pete said.
“Hmm, maybe half a day.”
“Why only half a day?” Kay asked.
“I have my reasons,” Dan teased.
To say Pete was shocked by Dan’s comment was an understatement. As long as he’d known him, Dan had put in minimum twelve-hour days. Now he was taking time off for some secret reason? Maybe Shelby was right to be suspicious.
Pete owed Dan a lot. He’d worked closely with him for the past seven years and known him for thirteen years. He couldn’t accept that Dan would do anything to hurt Kay.
Dinner continued, but he noted that Shelby was not as relaxed as she had been. She was back to giving one-word answers to any questions.
When the waiter offered dessert, Pete insisted they all indulge. “I want Shelby to get sweeter,” he insisted.
When Shelby protested, he added, “Of course, it’s really because I love chocolate. They’ve got a fudge brownie sundae to die for. But I’d look terrible if I ordered it and none of you had any, right?”
“Yes, you would,” Shelby retorted. “But I’ll sacrifice and join you because that sounds too good to pass up.”
He was surprised by her words but pleased as well.
After the dessert, which they all shared, they exited the restaurant, chatting excitedly about their plans. Suddenly Shelby grabbed Pete’s arms and came close to him, her mouth mere inches away from his ear. As she spoke, her warm breath on his neck stirred his fantasies. He imagined she whispered sweet nothings to him. Instead she said, “We need to talk!”
