Page 49 of Try Me

“You knew my mother?” she asked, craning her head to look up at the giant man.

He nodded, tears coming to his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said. “I was in love wit’ her, yeah? We all were. Every man who saw her.” He held his hand over his heart as if it was still broken.

Declan told Mahoe not to be so dramatic. “Since you scared off our driver, can you give us a ride?” he asked. “We can use a phone to call McKenna. We’ll see if he can send the helicopter to us.”

Pearl glanced from Declan to the others. Each one of them bigger and more broad-shouldered than the next. They were the very definition of intimidating, even with the smiles playing around their mouths. “What happened to Jack?” she asked.

“We already told ‘em,” Mahoe grumbled. “No pictures, eh?”

“Kauai’s our secret.” Clive — or was it Chuck? — said, flexing his chest and making the muscles twitch as if he wanted to crush something or someone. “We catch him wit’ dat camera again, we buss ‘em up real good.”

Pearl nodded and slid Declan a look that said I told youso. Declan raised one eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth lifted as he nodded at her. I know,he responded without saying a word.

Declan and Pearl left their borrowed boards at the top of the beach for Jack to collect later and climbed into the bed of Mahoe’s truck. Squatting between surfboards, scuba gear, fishing rods, and Styrofoam coolers, they sat on their duffel bags for cushion.

Pearl’s teeth chattered as the wind ripped through her hair. Declan shifted and dug in his bag for his jacket, then draped it over Pearl’s shoulders.

“Thanks, eh?” She snuggled inside the jacket. It was the same one Declan had worn on the motorcycle ride to Sharp Park. It smelled like fresh soap and cedar and him.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine.”

“You could have sat up front,” he said.

Pearl shook her head. “I wanted to see the sky,” she said, leaning back to do just that. “It reminds me of Maui.”

The sun shined its last rays of daylight, painting the sky gold and pink. The hint of stars showed behind a layer of clouds. There was nothing between them and the sky, only swaying palms and craggy mountains. No skyscrapers blocked the incredible view.

Pearl turned to look at Declan. He had his face tilted to the sky and seemed lost in thought. Pearl took advantage of the moment to study his profile. Declan’s face was more familiar now, but no less stunning. Every time she looked at him, her heart fluttered, and her insides turned to melted butter.

He was better looking than a man had a right to be, but he wasn’t flawless. A star-shaped scar marred his cheek under his right eye, and his nose was slightly crooked. She wondered if his accident had left him with any other scars she hadn’t seen. That got her wondering about the rest of his body, and she felt a shiver of desire race through her.

What would it be like to have a man like Declan in her life? A man so easy to be with, who loved surfing as much as she did? A man who could finish her sentence before she knew what she wanted to say?

A fantasy life unfolded in Pearl’s mind. She and Declan would surf the world’s best breaks side by side until exhausted, then fall into bed in each other’s arms.

The truck hit a pothole, jarring Pearl out of her dream. There were a few problems with her fantasy. Number one: she was deathly afraid of flying, which made it hard to jet between continents. Number two: she was never giving her heart to a man, not even one as fascinating as Declan.

The thought of getting back into the helicopter made her shiver.

“You cold?” Declan asked, putting his arm around her shoulder.

Pearl shook her head, snuggling closer before she could stop herself. His body was warm and solid. Familiar after only a few days of knowing each other.

They hit another crater in the dirt road that sent Pearl sprawling on Declan’s lap. He shifted, settling her against his thighs where it was much more comfortable than the metal truck bed. His hard body cushioned her, and his strong arms protected her.

The dirt road turned into a well-worn paved road that led into the small town of Princeville. They crossed a wooden bridge over the Hanalei River, and the stretch of deserted road gave way to small houses with wide porches.

Unlike Oahu, there were no high-rise hotels or luxury condominiums on Kauai. The Garden Isle reminded Pearl of Maui, where you could drive for miles on a country road and not spot another soul.

Mahoe turned into the parking lot of a store where a sign swinging from the solitary gas pump said, Last Store on the North Shore.

As the truck slowed to a stop, Declan jumped out of the truck bed. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

He came back outside a few minutes later, saying he had good and bad news.

“Which one do you want first?” he asked.

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