Page 29 of One Night in Hawaii

I left the gym before I did something she may or may not have wanted.

As I took a quick shower and tried to calm down, I couldn’t help but think about what Shiloh had in store for me. She was always full of surprises, and I was excited to see what she had planned for the day.

I put on some fresh clothes and walked into the kitchen. Shiloh was leaning against the counter, sipping on a cup of coffee. She looked up when she saw me, her eyes locking onto mine.

“Ready to go?” she asked, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of her lips.

I nodded, feeling a tingle of anticipation run down my spine. “I am. Are you coming with us, Penelope?”

“Not today,” she said. “I’m hanging out on the deck with a book and a cold drink.”

12

SHILOH

Iwas thrilled that Archer wanted to join me on my boat. It wasn’t a luxurious yacht or anything extravagant, but it was my little slice of heaven, and I loved every bit of it. I could honestly say Ryder was the only man that had been on my boat. It was bringing someone into my private space and it made me a little nervous.

“I hope you don’t mind that it’s not a yacht,” I said to Archer, a touch of nervousness in my voice. “It’s nothing fancy.”

He smiled warmly, his eyes lighting up. “Are you kidding? I think it’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to experience life on a boat. I can’t believe you live here and take this out on your own.”

Relief washed over me, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in my quirky, cozy boat. It wasn’t fancy, but it was home to me, and that made it special. As we stepped onto the deck, I gave Archer a little tour, showing him the small kitchenette, the compact but cozy living area, and the tiny cabin where I slept. His genuine curiosity and appreciation made me smile even more.

“So, you’ve been living on this boat since college?” he asked, his eyes wide with interest.

“Yeah,” I replied, nodding. “After I graduated, I inherited some money from my uncle. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for me to buy this boat. I’ve been living here ever since. It’s my job and my home.”

Archer’s admiration was evident, and I felt a tinge of pride for the life I had chosen. It hadn’t been easy, but it was a lifestyle that suited me perfectly.

“I think it’s incredible,” he said, his gaze lingering on me. “You’ve created an adventurous life for yourself. It takes a lot of courage to do anything unconventional. I don’t think I could ever do it. You are the definition of a free spirit. You march to the beat of your own drum.”

I blushed slightly, feeling a sense of warmth at his compliment. Not many people understood my choice, but Archer seemed to appreciate it. “Thank you, although most people think I’m just plain crazy.”

As we set sail, the wind caught in our hair, and the sense of freedom was invigorating. I took him out to a reef I loved to explore. Few people knew about it. I dropped anchor and took two bottles of water out to the deck. I didn’t have the big fancy couch like the yacht did. Instead, Archer and I sat on the deck, our legs dangling over the edge as the boat bobbed up and down on the waves.

“Do you ever go to the mainland in your boat?” he asked.

“No. I stick to the Hawaiian Islands. There’s plenty of work here.”

“You mentioned you wanted to follow whales?”

“That’s the plan,” I said, smiling. “I want to follow the migration from Hawaii to Alaska.”

“What is that?” he asked.

I was more than happy to explain it. Most people didn’t know anything about it. “Every spring, the whales move back to Alaska. Think of it as a circle. The whales travel back and forth between here and Alaska. In the winter, they come here to have their babies. When it gets warm, they head back to Alaska.”

“No shit?”

I laughed. “Yep.”

“How long does it take them to go that far? How far is it?”

“It’s about three-thousand miles,” I said. “They do it over a few weeks. They go to Alaska to eat and basically party. It’s their mating season. When winter sets in, they come back here. The whale-watching cruises they do around the Pacific Northwest in the fall and winter are at the height of the mating season. That’s when the males are showing off and jumping out of the water and stuff.”

“I had no idea,” he said with a shake of his head. “You’re going to follow them and do what?”

“Basically, just to study them,” I said. “In my community, we want to learn more about what they feed on and if they have any impact on the environments they travel through. There might also need to be some safety zones put into place, you could say. We want to make sure it’s a healthy population. My job will be looking for things we can do to make sure they are allowed to continue to thrive.”

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