Page 42 of This Could be Love

“Yeah, I did, but not that Chip—” I broke off and thought about how I wanted to phrase it. “That Chip had been there.”

“Big-wave surfers are never alone out there.” His glance drifted to the ocean. “Keiko was Chip’s tow-in buddy.”

I nodded though I didn’t know much about the term. Kay hadtalked about Jet Ski pilots, but that probably wasn’t the official designation.

“He towed him out into the big waves with his Jet Ski,” Vince explained, looking at me. “And he knew what the dangers were.”

Was Vince implying that Chip didn’t play any role? That it had been Keiko’s decision to accompany him that day? Both of us fell silent.

“In any event, you don’t have to be afraid. The kind of waves that Chip surfs don’t show up here at Sunset Beach.” He shot me a bright glance before turning back to his board.

Chapter 18

Saturday evening found me in my walk-in closet, wrinkling my nose in annoyance. Tennis outfits in every color of the rainbow were dangling from the hangers, but party clothes were in short supply. In fact, I’d only brought one dress, and I’d worn it to the barbecue, so I guess I had to resort to shorts and a T-shirt after all.

There was a knock at the door. I stuck my head around the corner and called out, “Come in!”

Kay opened the door and stepped into the room. She was wearing a short, lavender-blue jumpsuit with an elastic waist, and there was a white plumeria flower in her hair. I couldn’t tell whether it came from her garden or a store.

“I just wanted to say goodbye. Gabe’s about to pick me up.”

“Have fun at the luau.” She cast a skeptical eye at my getup, the towel I’d carelessly wrapped around my body, my wet hair clingingto my shoulders. “Didn’t you want to go to that party today?”

“Yeah.” I glanced at my watch and mumbled, “Shit, already so late!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Of course you don’t.”

I was counting on her reminding me that I hadn’t come to Hawaii to go to parties. Instead, she said, “Come on,” and motioned for me to follow her. Frowning, I trudged after her down the corridor and down the stairs to her bedroom. It was the first time I had been in there. It was decorated as tastefully as the rest of the house. A king-size bed with smooth sheets and gray-blue decorative pillows, a bedside table, a chest of drawers, and a closet taking up the entire wall. Kay slid the door to the side and purposefully reached for a hanger. The dress was short, pistachio green, and made of a light, flowing fabric. As far as I could tell, the straps ran together at the back of the neck.

“Wow, that is super nice.”

“Try it on!”

“You think it’ll fit?”

She nodded confidently. “We should be around the same size.” She handed me the hanger, and I couldn’t help but see the tag.

“But this is brand-new.”

“It hasn’t been worn, but it’s not new. It’s been hanging here for years. No idea what got into me. It’s far too short.” She shrugged. “But it will definitely look good on you. You could wear yourmetallic-looking shoes with it. Or the white sneakers, if you want to go for a more casual look.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You were against me going to this party. Why are you helping me now?”

“I wasn’tagainstyou going,” she said. “I just don’t think Griffin Chipman is the best person to hang out with. But you’re old enough to make up your own mind.” She waggled the hanger. “So?”

With a laugh I accepted the dress. Back in my room, I tried it on and looked at myself in the mirror. It fit like a glove and was pleasantly light against my skin. As opposed to the clothes I usually wore, the dress was indeed pretty short, but I liked my legs. The only thing that bothered me was the dramatic tan lines around my ankles. But that would be fine once I put on sneakers.

“And?” Kay’s voice reached me from the hall.

I smiled at my reflection contentedly. “It’s perfect.”

* * *

Blow-drying my hair would have been a pure waste of time. Aside from the fact that it immediately grew curly in the humid air, on the brief way to the Greenfields’, sweat began to bead upon my neck. The fact that I was late and had to hurry didn’t help matters. I hurried up the stairs to the terrace and on my way almost tripped over Vince, who was kneeling on the ground to nail down a loose board.