Page 24 of One Night in Hawaii

“Espresso, please,” Ryder said.

I walked into the kitchen and quickly made two cups of espresso. Penelope sauntered inside. “Hello,” she said, smiling.

“Hi,” Shiloh greeted her.

“I didn’t know you were coming over.”

Ryder was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table. I saw the moment Penlope noticed him. She practically recoiled at the sight of him making himself at home in the living room.

“Uh, who are you?” Penelope asked in a tone I only heard her use when she was with her friends. It was haughty and full of disdain.

Ryder got up and walked into the kitchen to get his espresso. “Doesn’t matter who I am, but who are you, sweetheart?” He flashed a grin and winked at her.

Penelope’s mouth dropped open before snapping shut. She looked down her nose at him and stormed back outside. Ryder just grinned and sipped his coffee.

“Ready for this hike?” Shiloh asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said with a chuckle.

“You sure? I thought you might be a little sore after surfing yesterday. You took some pretty good hits.”

“I’m fine.”

“I have a better idea,” Ryder said. “Let’s go to Hanauma Bay. It shouldn’t be too busy, given it’s the middle of the week.”

“What’s Hanauma Bay?” Penelope asked and casually made her way back inside.

I smiled and shook my head. She could pretend she wasn’t interested, but it was pretty clear she wanted to tag along. I didn’t know why she was playing coy.

“You’ll love it,” Ryder said. “Get your swimsuit.”

“I don’t need you to tell me what to do,” Penelope snapped.

“Fine, swim in your white dress. I wouldn’t mind.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Who are you?!”

“I’m sorry,” Shiloh said. “This is my friend Ryder. He’s housetrained, but that’s about it. Ryder, be good.”

“I’m always good.” He winked.

“That sounds good to me,” I said. “I am going to trust your judgment.”

“You’ll want to wear your trunks as well,” Shiloh said. “While it won’t be busy, there will be some people there and skinny dipping will get us in trouble.”

“I wasn’t naked,” I reminded her.

“No underwear either,” Shiloh said, laughing. “Not everyone appreciates a show.”

I liked that she suggested she did appreciate the show. “I’ll be back in a minute. I bet Penelope might be convinced to go.”

“I’ll talk to her,” Shiloh said. “Ryder isn’t as obnoxious as he lets on.”

10

SHILOH

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay was one of my absolute favorite activities. The crystal-clear waters, teeming with vibrant marine life, made it a paradise for anyone who loved exploring the underwater world. And today, it was even more special because I had the chance to do it with Archer. Ryder thought I was crazy for wanting to do what was basically what I did every day, but it was different when I got to do it with friends and I wasn’t being paid.

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