Getting Lei'd by Ann Omasta Read Free Book Online

there?”
    I shake my head, bugging my eyes out at her and holding a finger to my mouth, silently praying that she’ll be quiet for once in her life. Some higher power must have been listening to my request because she remains silent as she slowly peeks up over the rock.
    I stay below the surface of our hiding spot, not yet daring to look back out. Had he heard her? What am I thinking . . . of course, he heard her. She was so loud Ruthie probably heard her from the resort. Did he see us?
    I slowly raise myself to peer over the ledge of the giant rock. Kai has wrapped the navy towel around his waist and he is scanning the trees in our direction. He definitely heard something, but the good news is that he would have to swim across the spring or go up and around to get over to us, and either would give us time to get away. I don’t think I could face him right now.
    Baggy and I watch as he gives up on his perusal and bends to pick up a water canteen. “Ooh-wee! Look at that tush!” Baggy says—much louder than I would have dared speak. I nudge her with my elbow but keep watching Kai. He proceeds to take a drink from his water container, seeming unfazed by Baggy’s loudness.
    “You s’pose he’s naked under that towel?” Baggy has returned to her loud whisper.
    I grit my teeth before whispering near Baggy’s ear. “Just because you don’t hear anything doesn’t mean that others can’t. You’re being too loud.” She huffs out a breath but she doesn’t say anything else. Then she plops down on the ground with her back against the rock, pouting.
    I wonder if our cover has been blown, but I’m scared to look. Finally, I decide I need to check, if for nothing else than to make sure that he hasn’t set off in our direction. When I raise myself to look in Kai’s direction, he is looking right back at me. I quickly lower myself, but not before I’m almost positive he winked at me. When I work up the nerve to look again, he is gone.
    “Come on, Baggy,” I say to my grandmother, taking her hand and pulling her upright. “We need to get out of here before he catches us.”
    Baggy’s sense of adventure kicks in, and she quickly forgets that she is angry with me as we scurry back to the resort.
    “You think he saw us?” she questions me quietly, looking around as I use my key card to enter our villa.
    Now she decides to be quiet , I think to myself. “I hope not,” I answer her honestly, even though I’m almost positive that he did.
    I’m surprised to find that Ruthie is up and showered. I join her to sit outside on our balcony enjoying the fresh air while Baggy takes her bath. When Baggy emerges from the bathroom, she informs us that she and Jim are taking a drive to explore the island in his Range Rover today. “You are welcome to come with us,” she offers, but we both immediately shake our heads to decline.
    Ruthie declares that she plans to sign up for parasailing lessons. I am certain that her newfound interest in watersports has to do with the handsome guy who gives the lessons.
    I ponder their plans for the day for a minute, trying not to focus too much on the fact that they have both already found love interests.
    They decide to head down to breakfast. When I inform them I am staying in the room for the day, but would love it if they could bring me a croissant with guava jam, they both look concerned.
    “I want to paint today,” I say breezily in explanation. They still seem uncertain if they should leave me in the room alone, so I add, “Besides, I don’t want to get sunburned.”
    They seem to buy this excuse as plausible and leave. “I’m not hiding from Kai.” I say the words aloud, once they are gone. “I’m not,” I say again, unsure whom I am fighting with.
    I let my inner turmoil go once I make the first swipe of my brush across the canvas. From then on, I am swept into the world my brushstrokes want to create.

Chapter 13
    Just because my painting turned into a waterfall scene,