Playing for Love (Summer Beach Vets 1) - sweet vacation romance Read Free Page A

and ended up back near where she started.
    She paused on the corner and looked around in frustration. There were signs with street names, but nothing that said: THIS WAY TO THE BEACH. To be fair, this wasn’t a big city like Sydney with enough tourists visiting to make it worthwhile putting up special directions for them. The locals probably knew the way in their sleep.
    Sara turned and noticed that there was an old man sitting on the veranda of the house right on the corner. Their eyes met and he gave her toothy smile. Sara hesitated, then let herself into his garden as he waved her over. As she got closer, she could see that despite his age, the old man was still impressively built, with a thick torso dominated by a huge belly and massive, meaty arms that were covered in intricate tribal tattoos. His short, curly hair was startlingly white against his brown skin and he had dark brows above eyes twinkling with humour. But the strangest thing about him was the white-and-yellow flower he wore behind one ear. Coupled with his big, beefy appearance, the delicate flower seemed silly and incongruous.
    Sara smiled sheepishly as she realised that she was staring. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. I’ve just never seen a man wearing a flower in his hair before.”
    He nodded placidly. “It is the way in Samoa.” He pronounced it Sar-moa . “Flowers are very important for my people. They are part of our identity. Even if they’re born an Aussie like me.” He gave her that toothy grin again. Then he reached up and plucked the flower from behind his ear and held it out to her in the palm of his hand. “This is the tipani .”
    Sara looked down and saw what she knew as a frangipani flower. She reached out and gently picked it up, looking at it up close. Its delicate five-lobed petals were creamy white, darkening to yellow in the centre, and it gave off a sweet perfume. “It’s beautiful.”
    “Keep it.” He smiled. “I have many more from the tree in my backyard.”
    “Thanks,” said Sara, returning his smile.
    “The tipani is the flower of love. In Polynesian culture, how you wear the flower tells others about your heart. Behind the right ear means your heart is free and behind the left means it is taken—that is, you are married or have a partner.”
    Sara tried to remember which side he had been wearing the flower on. As if reading her mind, he said softly, “I wear mine on the left. My wife, Teuila, is gone now, but my heart will always be with her.”
    He said it simply, with no drama or sentimentality, and yet Sara felt a lump come to her throat. How amazing to have experienced a love like that, she thought. She imagined him sitting here, quietly dreaming and remembering their life together.
    “You’re lost and looking for the way to the beach?”
    Sara blinked at him in surprise. “Yes, how did you know?”
    He shook his head, smiling. “Go to the end of the street. Turn right, then take the first left. You will come to a T-junction. The right side leads into town, the left goes down to the beach.”
    “Thank you.” Sara put her hand out. “It was nice to meet you… er …?”
    “Ru.” He inclined his head and took her hand in one of his weather-beaten ones.
    “Nice to meet you, Ru. My name’s Sara.”
    He nodded again and, after a moment, Sara bade him goodbye and let herself out of his garden. It had been a strange but enjoyable encounter—almost like her whole Australian experience so far. She followed Ru’s instructions and soon found herself arriving at a T-junction just like he had said. She looked to the right, shading her eyes against the bright sunlight. That must be the way into the centre of town. She could see the tops of buildings, which were the commercial shops and offices of the main street. Sara turned and looked the other way. The road sloped downwards and she could see the glimmer of blue water in the distance.
    Feeling a burst of excitement, Sara headed in that direction.