course.”
Damn. She probably thought he wanted to get her alone.
It took some maneuvering and pretending to be engrossed with the menu before the girl finally got the hint and left him alone. Thankfully the waiter was efficient and brought his meal quickly.
He bit into his hamburger. It was good, but not as good as the burgers Sammy’s mother had made.
His eyes scanned the crowd. The place was filled with families, mostly tourists. They were all smiling and having a good time. He was the only one sitting alone. For some reason, that bothered him.
He took another bite of his food. Well, he had to get used to being alone now. There was no way he was going back home.
He heard a familiar high-pitched giggle and nearly choked.
Candy’s here?
He stood and saw Candy Hu talking to a group of guys near the stage. Of course she was there, the restaurant was named after her. He took in the slinky bikini top that barely covered her.
Well, she certainly grew.
His heart thumped faster. If Candy was here, maybe, just maybe . . .
Stepping away from his table, he scanned the area carefully, this time looking for the familiar spiky hair and brown eyes.
Music filtered through the speakers near his table. Candy squealed, running onto the stage. The music shifted, and a voice sang out. Candy danced across the stage, followed by a group of girls. The girls were dressed similarly, wearing a red sarong and a white flower tucked behind their right ear. The flowing movement of their arms and swaying of their hips was enchanting.
Leilani should’ve been up there. She should’ve been the one at the center of the stage.
“Yeah, baby!” one of the guys at the table yelled.
On second thought . . .
Jeremy frowned as he eyed the table of guys Candy had been flirting with. He felt bad for the girls. The testosterone-filled morons didn’t appreciate the beauty of their dance. The music, the light, the movement—it was angelic.
He swallowed thickly, pushing the lump in his throat away. They were like angels, their arms like wings. They were so graceful, the way their arms lifted and dropped as if dancing on air, especially the one at the end.
I know her! He stepped forward, keeping his eyes on the young woman.
It couldn’t be her.
Was it?
He stood frozen beside a pair of flaming torches as the voice sang about Kalua’s love. The young woman’s slender torso swayed as delicate arms waved, mimicking the ocean waves. Thick, dark hair rested on her shoulder, shining like black silk. Her ruby lips were slightly open as if ready for a kiss. She was lost in the music. Her eyes down as if lost in a dream.
He rubbed his eyes, knowing perfectly well there was nothing wrong with his angelic vision. He could see every dark lash, every sensuous curve of her lips, and every pore on her lovely face.
He waited with bated breath as the young woman raised her head. Long lashes slowly lifted, and soulful brown eyes gazed out into the audience.
Leilani.
She’d done it. She was doing what she’d always wanted to do. She was dancing.
He was mesmerized. Even when she moved back, allowing Candy to take center stage, he couldn’t take his eyes off Leilani. Something inside him stirred.
No. Not that.
Immediately he took a step back. He shook off the crazy-ass feelings running rampant through him.
He was lonely. Yeah, that was what he was feeling. Leilani was a nice friend. And so was Sammy. He was only there to make sure they were okay. Now that he’d seen that she was fine, he could leave. Leilani would never let anything happen to her little brother.
The music stopped, and the crowd roared with applause.
There. It was over. It was time for him to leave. There was no reason to stay. He’d seen what he’d needed to see.
He whipped around, ready to make his way to the other side of the island, when a lanky boy with baby blue eyes and chocolate stains on the corners of his mouth blocked his way.
“Jeremy?”
3
J eremy’s heart lurched
Damn. She probably thought he wanted to get her alone.
It took some maneuvering and pretending to be engrossed with the menu before the girl finally got the hint and left him alone. Thankfully the waiter was efficient and brought his meal quickly.
He bit into his hamburger. It was good, but not as good as the burgers Sammy’s mother had made.
His eyes scanned the crowd. The place was filled with families, mostly tourists. They were all smiling and having a good time. He was the only one sitting alone. For some reason, that bothered him.
He took another bite of his food. Well, he had to get used to being alone now. There was no way he was going back home.
He heard a familiar high-pitched giggle and nearly choked.
Candy’s here?
He stood and saw Candy Hu talking to a group of guys near the stage. Of course she was there, the restaurant was named after her. He took in the slinky bikini top that barely covered her.
Well, she certainly grew.
His heart thumped faster. If Candy was here, maybe, just maybe . . .
Stepping away from his table, he scanned the area carefully, this time looking for the familiar spiky hair and brown eyes.
Music filtered through the speakers near his table. Candy squealed, running onto the stage. The music shifted, and a voice sang out. Candy danced across the stage, followed by a group of girls. The girls were dressed similarly, wearing a red sarong and a white flower tucked behind their right ear. The flowing movement of their arms and swaying of their hips was enchanting.
Leilani should’ve been up there. She should’ve been the one at the center of the stage.
“Yeah, baby!” one of the guys at the table yelled.
On second thought . . .
Jeremy frowned as he eyed the table of guys Candy had been flirting with. He felt bad for the girls. The testosterone-filled morons didn’t appreciate the beauty of their dance. The music, the light, the movement—it was angelic.
He swallowed thickly, pushing the lump in his throat away. They were like angels, their arms like wings. They were so graceful, the way their arms lifted and dropped as if dancing on air, especially the one at the end.
I know her! He stepped forward, keeping his eyes on the young woman.
It couldn’t be her.
Was it?
He stood frozen beside a pair of flaming torches as the voice sang about Kalua’s love. The young woman’s slender torso swayed as delicate arms waved, mimicking the ocean waves. Thick, dark hair rested on her shoulder, shining like black silk. Her ruby lips were slightly open as if ready for a kiss. She was lost in the music. Her eyes down as if lost in a dream.
He rubbed his eyes, knowing perfectly well there was nothing wrong with his angelic vision. He could see every dark lash, every sensuous curve of her lips, and every pore on her lovely face.
He waited with bated breath as the young woman raised her head. Long lashes slowly lifted, and soulful brown eyes gazed out into the audience.
Leilani.
She’d done it. She was doing what she’d always wanted to do. She was dancing.
He was mesmerized. Even when she moved back, allowing Candy to take center stage, he couldn’t take his eyes off Leilani. Something inside him stirred.
No. Not that.
Immediately he took a step back. He shook off the crazy-ass feelings running rampant through him.
He was lonely. Yeah, that was what he was feeling. Leilani was a nice friend. And so was Sammy. He was only there to make sure they were okay. Now that he’d seen that she was fine, he could leave. Leilani would never let anything happen to her little brother.
The music stopped, and the crowd roared with applause.
There. It was over. It was time for him to leave. There was no reason to stay. He’d seen what he’d needed to see.
He whipped around, ready to make his way to the other side of the island, when a lanky boy with baby blue eyes and chocolate stains on the corners of his mouth blocked his way.
“Jeremy?”
3
J eremy’s heart lurched
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