Page 42 of Trust

She wanted to tell him to fuck off. She wasn’t someone who used a lot of profanity. It came from going to a Catholic elementary school and having an aunt who was a nun. So, the thought almost made her laugh. Instead, she gave him a smile. “I’ll find you.”

He smiled. There was that same dimpled grin that had first captured her attention. None of the surfers had ever really paid attention to her past the business they had together. She usually would say she wasn’t the type they went for. But Rick had been different. He had asked her out the first day they’d met.

Rick leaned closer as if to kiss her on the cheek, but she pretended not to notice and moved away. “Give me about thirty minutes,” she said as she hurried away. Her cheeks were burning from her deception. That was why she was never a good liar. She blushed.

Thankfully, she hurried out of the reception without a backward glance. She didn’t want to see if Rick was watching her, and she didn’t want to make eye contact with her brother. She was sure he would question where she was going if she did.

Her stomach muscles clenched, but someone grabbed her arm when she thought she was cleared of everyone. She looked behind her, ready to smack the person who dared to touch her without permission, and found herself face-to-face with Jakob.

“What did surfer boy want?”

“He wanted to talk. I said I would be back in thirty minutes.”

“Not bloody likely.”

She snorted. “I know. I’m not coming back tonight.”

“You’re not staying here?”

She shook her head.

“That opens the possibilities of places to eat. Let’s go.”

She had her purse with her. “We can take that behemoth of a vehicle. Let’s go.”

Thankfully, they avoided anyone from her family or interested parties. However, she couldn’t be sure some tourist hadn’t seen Jakob and snapped a pic. Currently, she didn’t care. All she knew was that he was rescuing her from hunger and having to deal with her idiot ex.

They were waiting at the valet stand when she felt his attention her. She looked over at him. “What?”

“I just never get used to your beauty. It stuns me that you seem to grow more beautiful every time I see you.”

She blinked at him, then shook her head. “You don’t have to compliment me, Jakob.”

His eyes narrowed. “As I have said before, you have dated stupid men.”

“True story.” She saw the valet returning with the SUV. “How about you drive? My feet are hurting, and I just want to collapse.”

He nodded. “Anything you ask.”

She was opening her purse to tip the valet, but Jakob had already tipped the guy before she could pull out any cash. Once they were in the car, she slipped off her shoes. “So, what do you want? I guess we could have stayed at the hotel to eat.”

She shook her head as he drove down the long driveway that led out of the resort. “Naw, you know what I want. Some local cuisine, like Zippy’s or Rainbow. Or Sidestreet Inn.”

“Tell me which one, and I will take you there.”

She smiled. “Great, you’re gonna want to get on Kam Highway.”

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in a Zippy’s eating. Jakob had been there once or twice in his travels, but it was definitely interesting to be there with Lani. She’d insisted on the Mililani location because she said it was her favorite. There was a smattering of people in the place, but no one seemed to pay attention to them.

She was smiling at him, holding up a SPAM musubi. He liked the smiling, which was much better than the frowns she usually threw his way.

“Jake, come on. Try it.”

SPAM, ugh. He was not about to eat that. The idea disgusted him.

“One bite, and I’ll let it go.”

Her eyes were sparkling, and her whole face lit up with…he didn’t know what. It was just good to see that she wasn’t so stressed anymore. He sighed and took it from her.

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