by Anna Lowe
“I’m okay. Just feeling dumb.”
“Care to tell us what’s going on?” Connor asked in his harder, edgier voice.
She glanced up. Tim had introduced Connor as his brother, and it showed. Not so much in the details but in the overall impression. They had the same hazel eyes, the same bristling sense of authority, and the same wary stance.
Did she want to tell them what had happened? Not really, no. But she owed these men an explanation after everything they had done for her.
“I came to Honolulu for a wedding. Turns out it was my own wedding.” She rolled her eyes. “Or so Jonathan thought.”
The men looked at each other in confusion, so she backed up.
“I’ve only known Jonathan for about two months. We were seeing each other off and on. More off than on, honestly. When he invited me to his sister’s wedding, it didn’t seem right to break up with him just then.” She let out a bitter chuckle. “But it turned out not to be his sister’s wedding. It was a surprise wedding he’d planned for us.” Her voice rose as the appalling scene replayed in her head. “He got down on one knee in front of everyone.” She shook her head. “He actually thought I’d say yes.”
Connor’s eyebrows tightened. “I guess he was wrong?”
Hailey uttered the same mirthless chuckle. “You bet he was wrong. Trying to pressure me into a wedding? No way.” She gnashed her teeth. “But with everyone there, watching… I guess I panicked. His security guys were closing in on me–”
“Wait. What?” Tim broke in. “His security guys were going to force you?”
Hailey kept her eyes on the water because it was too hard to look him in the eye while explaining how naïve she’d been. How flighty, like a silly teen. But when she replayed the scene in her head, she saw Lamar coming toward her with those wide, mercenary eyes. And her mother – her own mother! – trying to pressure her to agree. So maybe she hadn’t been so crazy to run. Maybe they were the crazy ones.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what Lamar would have done. But when I ran, he followed. He and the other security guys, coming after me like I was a criminal to say no.” Her voice was shaking and her hands, too. “Jonathan joined them, and I couldn’t stop running. All I wanted was to get away.”
An uncomfortable silence ensued until Tim surprised her with a low, grumbled comment. “I guess I would have run too.”
She nearly laughed out loud. She didn’t believe for a second that Mr. My Chest is a Mountain, My Arms are Tree Trunks would ever contemplate any such thing. But it was sweet of him to say.
“So, what’s the plan?” Connor shot a sidelong glance at Tim like he expected his brother to have an entire strategy plotted out in his mind. But Hailey had a feeling Tim was just as lost about what to do as she was, and he proved it by scrubbing a hand over his chin.
She spoke before he could. It wasn’t Tim’s responsibility to solve her mess. She would have to find a way out on her own.
“I haven’t had time to think of a plan. But this is a good start – getting away from Oahu and Jonathan.” Not to mention the press, she nearly added. But neither Tim nor Connor had seemed to recognize her, and things were already too complicated to mention that. “I just need to find a place to lie low for a few days.”
“Lie low?” Connor stared. “Don’t you have someone to call?”
She pursed her lips. All she had was her mother. No brothers, sisters, or close cousins to call for help. The one person she really would have loved to call was her grandfather, but he had died years before. And as for friends – well, she hadn’t made too many in the fashion world. The friends she had grown up with, she hadn’t seen in years.
She frowned at her reflection in the window. Had her mother been sheltering her from those friends all along?
Just doing what’s best for you, honey, she could picture her mother saying.
Hailey thumped a fist against her thigh. Well, fine. She had a bank account, and there was plenty in it. She just had to figure out how to access it. Maybe she could call her lawyer. She did have her phone, and his number was on it.
She scowled. Her mother had that number too. In fact, her mother had all the numbers, having taken care of all the details, all the time. Too many details, in hindsight.
Hailey thought it over. Hopefully, she could go to a bank and prove who she was. Once she got access to her money, she could fly home. Then she could make that public statement she’d been planning about stepping away from modeling. And as for Jonathan…
She shuddered. He had never threatened her before, but the way his eyes had narrowed when she was getting ready to run… How far he would really go?
She took a deep breath. One thing at a time. She could get a restraining order if necessary. In fact, she could get one against her mother if push came to shove. Then she’d find herself some nice, quiet place far away from her old life and make a completely new start.
“Do you have money? A credit card? Someone to call?” Tim asked.
She gulped, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat, and shook her head. No, she didn’t have any of those things.
“I’m sure we can figure out some way to help you for a couple of days,” Tim said.
Connor’s jaw hung open, and though he didn’t say anything, she could read the words on his lips.
A couple of days? Are you crazy, man?
But Tim gestured forward, bringing her attention to the horizon.
“Maui,” she whispered, gaping at the view.
Oahu was nice, but Maui was much more rugged. The mountains were higher and wilder. Surely, there was a place among them she could hide away in for a few days.
No one spoke after that, and Hailey tried to clear her mind for a while. She nearly succeeded, marveling at the emerald colors of the land and the turquoise hues of the sea. But the closer they got to the golden strip of shoreline, the more doubt welled up in her mind. Where would she go? What would she do?
Connor maneuvered the helicopter toward a concrete landing pad on what looked to be a hell of a nice estate on a quiet corner of the island. She caught sight of three or four roofs between the palms, but the rest was all neatly trimmed lawns and thick stands of trees. There was a big garage, too – a really long one with space for at least eight cars. Hailey looked from one of the men in the front seat to the other. They lived on an estate like that?
Her thoughts must have been spelled out on her face because Tim gestured. “The guy who owns the helicopter lives on this estate.” Then he pointed farther right. “We live next door, working a little caretaking, a little security.”
Security fit Tim and Connor to a T. But little? No way.
“Nice,” she said, trying not to get her hopes up. Surely people with that much land would have a little corner she could hide away in. Maybe she could do some work in exchange.
Then she snorted softly. Her line of work was not exactly useful, not in any practical sense. Her best bet was to borrow enough money for a cab to a hotel where she could try to straighten the rest out.
The helicopter bumped down, and a man and woman stepped out of the line of palm trees, sheltering their eyes from the sun with their hands. Were they the owners? Hailey steeled her nerves, trying to think of what to say and how.
“They’re the caretakers,” Tim said, leaning in. “Looks like the owners are out right now, but don’t worry. They’re friends of ours.”
Connor’s pursed lips said he still didn’t like it, but Tim jumped to the ground and helped Hailey out before his brother could say a word. The rotors slowed over their heads, and Tim led her to the waiting couple.
“This is Hunter Bjornvald,” Tim said, introducing the big, burly man. “A fellow be— buddy from our Special Forces days.”
Hailey started to wonder what the be-buddy stutter was all about, but then Tim got to the Special Forces part and blew her away. No wonder they all looked so badass.
The woman, on the other hand, was a gorgeous islander with long, silky ha
ir. She should have looked fragile beside the big man, but she had her own understated aura of authority.
“Dawn Meli,” Tim said, continuing the introductions. “Meet—”
“Hailey Crewe,” Dawn said right away.
Hailey’s stomach lurched as Tim stared. God, she hated when that happened. Some people recognized her; others didn’t give a damn. Either way was fine with her, but she always felt like a liar for not mentioning anything up front. On the other hand, she didn’t want to go around announcing, By the way, I’m a successful model, to everyone she met.
Connor’s mouth hung open, and the man named Hunter looked just as confused. “Who?”
Dawn laughed and smacked Hunter between the shoulder blades. “Hailey Crewe, the model. I really have to get you out more often.”
“Hailey Crusak, actually,” Hailey said, as if that helped at all. “My agent thought Crewe would work better.”
“And what brings you here?” Dawn asked.
Hailey looked at Tim, wondering how much to say.
“It’s a long story,” she sighed at last.
The men looked at each other for a moment, and Hunter scrubbed a hand over his chin, clearly unsure about what to do. But when a calico cat wandered by with a plaintive meow, Hunter broke into a huge grin and scooped it into his arms.
“Hey, Keiki,” he murmured, nuzzling it under his chin.
Hailey smiled as the cat looked at her with an expression that said, Don’t I have it good?
You sure do, she thought, glancing around at the grounds and at the obvious outpouring of love the cat received.
“Don’t worry. We’ll deal with this,” Tim said with a firm look at Connor. “Come on over to our place.”
He led the way down a long, snaking footpath that led to the neighboring land. It was obvious when they crossed the property line — not so much from the rickety old fence but from the way the manicured grounds of the estate gave way to the tangle of what looked to be an abandoned farm of some kind.
“We’re still fixing the place up,” Tim murmured apologetically.
Hailey looked around wistfully. Fixer-uppers had always appealed to her, but ever since her career had taken off, her mother had insisted on nothing but the best. When Hailey wasn’t on the road for work, she lived in a state-of-the-art, cubical condo with no character at all. But this…
She gazed around, taking it all in. The focal point of the plantation was a grand old house that had been restored right down to the gingerbread trim on the eaves. A friendly, welcoming place, in contrast to the reserved woman who met them on the porch.
“Hailey Crewe, meet Cynthia…Brown,” Connor said when they ascended the steps.
There was a tease to his voice, and the pause between the first and last name made the woman shoot Connor a pointed look. Cynthia had a regal air to her — not snobbish, but definitely aloof. At least, until a little boy with red hair and gorgeous green eyes ran up with an excited, “Mommy! Mommy! Who’s here?”
That warmed Cynthia right up, and she took his hand. “I was about to find out for myself, honey.”
Hailey shook hands with Cynthia then crouched down and offered the boy her hand. “I’m Hailey.”
His eyes went wide. “Like the comet?”
She laughed. She had cometed into these people’s lives, but other than that… “Not really, but I have seen the moons of Jupiter,” she tried. “My granddad used to show me.”
Her heart warmed then ached as it always did when she thought about him.
“Oh! I can show you my comet book.” The boy ran back into the house.
“Joey…” Cynthia called, then gave up with a sigh.
“Hailey Crewe!” a spunky young woman exclaimed as she bounded up to the porch.
“Hiya, Jenna,” Tim said.
Connor, who’d been gruff and reserved until then, broke into a huge smile at the sight of Jenna, and when they kissed, it was long and hard. Then along came a woman who looked a lot like Jenna, and it was time for Hailey’s jaw to drop.
“Jody Monroe?” she asked.
The blonde smiled and took her by both arms. “Hailey Crewe. Wow. Another fugitive from the modeling world?” She said it with a laugh, and Hailey warmed. Maybe she wasn’t crazy for wanting to leave that world behind.
“You know each other?” Connor asked.
“We modeled for competing ad campaigns,” Jody explained to the others. “Hailey did Boundless, and I did Elements.”
“Yours came out really well,” Hailey said, and she meant it. The modeling world had gone wild about the fresh new face in the industry. But Jody had dropped out of modeling as quickly as she’d started.
Smart girl, Hailey decided. Smarter than she was for getting sucked in so deep.
Jody laughed. “I discovered modeling wasn’t exactly my thing. Surfing — and Cruz — are.” She pointed to the dark-haired man at her side. “But Boundless did really well, too. From what I hear, the big boss of the company I was working for — Moira — was really angry. Like her fragrance was the only one that could succeed. Ha.”
Hailey chuckled, but at the mention of the name Moira, the others frowned and exchanged hard looks. What was that all about? Moira LeGrange had quite a reputation, but still.
Cynthia cleared her throat. “All right, everybody. Settle down so Miss Crewe can tell us what this is all about.”
Everyone took a seat around the huge table on the porch, and Hailey steeled herself with a deep breath. Then she told them the whole story from the time she’d met Jonathan two months earlier to the moment she set foot on the estate next door.
Two more men came along and quietly introduced themselves — an easygoing man with a golden beard named Dell, and another brother of Tim’s — Chase, who quietly listened in. Cynthia tapped her fingers on the table, listening intently as Hailey continued with her story. Chase paced, and Dell wandered off to read the books Joey had brought down. Dawn and Hunter had come along, listening as intently as the rest. Long silences stretched out whenever Hailey paused, and she had the strange feeling that they were communicating somehow. The little nods and hand gestures matched those of people talking to one another — but no one’s lips moved, and no one uttered a sound. Keiki, the cat, wandered under the table, rubbing against their legs, purring with love.
When Hailey finished, Jenna gave her a grim nod. “I was on the run once. I know how it feels.”
Connor pulled Jenna closer to his side. “No running anymore,” he whispered, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Cynthia glanced over to where Joey sat inside, and a haunted something flashed through her eyes.
Hailey looked around. Hunter and Dawn were the kind of warm, loving couple you could spot from a mile away. Connor and Jenna, too. Tim, on the other hand, kept his eyes firmly on the ground as if uncomfortable around such open displays of love. Dell and Chase looked happily single, while Cynthia wore an air of sorrow around her shoulders like a cape. Each of them had a different story, but it was clear they were a tight-knit community as well.
Hailey looked down as Keiki wound around her ankles, purring to comfort her. She reached down to pet the cat’s soft, tricolor tail.
“Unfortunately, you can’t stay here,” Cynthia said, more gently than Hailey expected. Still, Hailey’s hopes plummeted, until Cynthia added, “But I believe I know where you can stay.”
“Where?” Tim blurted before Hailey so much as peeped in relief.
Cynthia looked at Hunter. “What’s the name of that place? Where you grew up?”
Hunter nodded immediately. “Pu’u Pu’eo. A small place on the other side of Maui.”
Dawn’s eyes sparkled. “Pu’u Pu’eo. That’s perfect!”
“Pu’u what?” Connor and Tim asked at the same time.
“It’s Hawaiian for Owl Hill,” Hunter explained. “My foster mother’s place. I grew up there.” His eyes took on a wistful, faraway look.
“It’s a great place,” Dawn adde
d. “Far from the road and totally off the grid. No one – and I mean, no one – would ever think to look for you there.”
“Precisely,” Cynthia said, giving Hailey the distinct impression she knew all about getting away from…something.
Hailey knotted her fingers nervously. Off the grid sounded like exactly the kind of place she needed right now.
“Are you sure? I’d hate to impose.” Then she caught herself. “Shoot. I already have imposed. A lot. On all of you.”
She looked at Connor and then trained her eyes on Tim. From the very beginning, he’d given her the benefit of the doubt. Not only that, but he’d put himself out on a limb by bringing her to his friends for help. But his steady eyes told her he’d do it all over again.
She gulped. She barely knew him, yet she already owed him so much.
“It would be our pleasure,” Dawn assured her. “Believe me. We want to make more use of the place so the jungle doesn’t swallow it up.” Her grin faded and her voice grew hushed when she went on. “Besides, we’re happy to pay our luck forward. We’ve been where you are, you know. And we came out of it stronger and happier.”
Jenna nodded and wove her fingers around Connor’s. Was she thinking about whatever dire circumstances had driven her here?
“It would be perfect,” Tim said carefully. “But there’s no protection there. If anybody managed to track Hailey down…”
Hailey grimaced. She could just picture the media spectacle that might ensue.
Cynthia scratched her head. “I don’t see how. None of us will say a word. But you’re right. It would be better not to leave Hailey totally alone.” She looked around. “She’ll need someone to stay with her, just in case.”
Dawn must have sensed Hailey’s alarm because she spoke up in a soothing tone. “Just to get you settled in. Like I said, it’s off the grid. You have to haul water from the creek, use kerosene lanterns, all that. Oh — or maybe you don’t like roughing it?”
Hailey laughed out loud. Roughing it? She’d been dreaming of roughing it for the last three years. Of heading out into the woods, pitching a tent, and staring at the stars. Living a simple life away from the glitz and glamour she’d been sucked into.