Finding Paradise

by Laura Westbrook

  Cassie gave her a knowing smile. “Was he a gentleman?”

  “You sound like my mom.”

  “Would she have asked that?”

  “She used to,” Hanna said softly. “Back when I was in high school.”

  “Then I’ll take that as a compliment.” They walked along in silence for a few moments. Then Cassie’s curiosity bubbled up again. “So did he open doors for you? Did he treat you right? You didn’t kiss at the coffee shop, did you?”

  Hanna laughed and shook her head. “Cassie, really? You expect me to tell you everything?”

  Cassie shrugged “Well, someone has to be the responsible one now that my level-headed best friend has become impulsive.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m not that impulsive. I’m just…trying to enjoy the moment and see where things go.”

  Cassie seemed to accept that, and Hanna couldn’t blame her for being a little worried. After all, she’d never acted like this before. There was no telling what she might or might not do, but Hanna was sure it was the right choice. Even if she and Josh didn’t work out, she knew she needed to give him a chance. Otherwise, she’d always wonder about what could’ve been, and she didn’t want to live with that kind of question hanging over her.

  * * *

  Hanna and Cassie ended up doing a little shopping and plenty of sightseeing that afternoon, with Hanna keeping her mouth shut and not saying a word about how overpriced everything was. Then they went back to their hotel room and got dressed for their night out together. They helped arrange each other’s hair and discussed the merits of their shoes before deciding on their outfits and taking a taxi to the bar. Sabastian had said it was within walking distance, but after walking around all afternoon, they felt like they’d earned the right to go for a ride instead.

  Hanna got out of the car to see the sky above full of stars, like tiny bits of glitter hanging suspended in the air. The air was cooling down as the horizon grew darker. It was beautiful, dramatic and elegant. And the bar Cassie had picked was perfectly suited to the climate and atmosphere. It was beachy and relaxed in a classy sort of way that most city bars didn’t manage. It felt special and fun, like another treasure, and for a moment, she wondered if Josh knew about this place. It seemed like something he’d enjoy.

  “Good choice,” Hanna said.

  “Thanks. Like I said, I had some help. I figured we’d relax, unwind and have some fun before heading back to the hotel for the night.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  They wandered in, and Hanna was relieved to find that they fit right in.

  The atmosphere seemed casual but refined. She glanced back at Cassie, and her friend seemed to grin her way, as though she had some surprise up her sleeve. Her excitement was infectious, and she found herself wondering what Cassie was up to now.

  She caught sight of something in the corner of the room. She turned around, and there he was. Josh stood there at the end of the bar. For a moment, Hanna couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d been thinking about him all day, of course, even when she’d been trying not to, but this was Cassie’s night out. She was sure she was just imagining it. I’ll look away, and he’ll disappear. Someone who looks a little like Josh, but not really. Someone else with a casual smile and deep, blue eyes.

  It couldn’t be him. That would just be too good to be true, the icing on the cake of a day that had already been one of the best in her life.

  Then she turned and saw Cassie’s expression, and suddenly, she realized why her friend had been so excited. She knew now why she’d fussed so much over both of their makeup and hair back at the hotel.

  She really was the best.

  Chapter Seven

  “You invited Josh here?” Hanna asked. “I thought tonight was about spending time with you. Girl time.”

  “It was, but I thought about it, and you can always see me. And you gave me all afternoon, so I thought I’d surprise you.” Cassie shrugged. “How about you be happy instead of playing twenty questions? Look, we can talk about all the details later. Don’t you want to go talk to him? You can’t just leave the poor guy stranded at the other end of the bar.”

  Hanna turned her head. He didn’t seem to mind standing there. He looked comfortable, leaning casually against the polished wood of the bar. Still, it couldn’t be fun to stand alone, not when he knew she was there. Walking in a bit of a daze, Hanna headed over with Cassie at her side.

  It didn’t take long to pick their way through the crowd of people. Josh’s look had Hanna blushing, filling her with a warm, soft fluttering sensation. She felt, for just a fleeting second, like she was wanted—for her company and her heart—and it was a feeling that had her floating on cloud nine.

  Then Josh shifted his gaze to Cassie. “Thanks for inviting me.” He turned back to Hanna. “Surprise.”

  Hanna couldn’t think of a word to say. She could hardly believe that Josh was here, by Cassie’s invitation.

  “Okay, but…can you fill me in? Please?” Hanna couldn’t take her eyes off him. He looked amazing in his fitted, black T-shirt. He looked like he was made for this casual-yet-put-together look. It was a step up from their date and the outfit he’d worn then, and Hanna was starting to think he looked good in almost anything. He looked fabulous in a casual bathing suit and he looked stunning in casual, evening wear. She could only imagine how great he’d look in a tuxedo—if he ever needed to wear one.

  His voice cut into her thoughts. “Can I buy you ladies a drink?”

  “Sounds great. I’ll just have a white wine,” Hanna said. “No particular preference. Get me a local one if you know any.”

  “Something with umbrellas,” Cassie said. “Lychee flavored if they have it.”

  “Lychee, huh?” Josh’s gaze drifted back to Hanna. “Where did she get that from?”

  “It might have been from me,” Hanna said, “and before that, a particular someone.”

  “Sounds adventurous,” he said.

  “Yeah, that’s been me lately,” Hanna said. “No thanks to you. I introduced her to your favorite treat, although she didn’t like it as much as she should.”

  “It was good,” Cassie said, “just not exactly my go-to. Nothing wrong with it.”

  “Fair enough. Be back in a moment.” He walked toward the nearest bartender.

  Hanna turned to Cassie, still feeling bewildered. “I’m still shocked you invited him.”

  “Of course I did. Look, I know how hard this has been on you, feeling like you have your best friend on one side and him on the other. I didn’t want to spoil what time the two of you have together, so…I looked up his phone number. I knew where he worked, so it wasn’t all that hard to get in touch with him. Once I mentioned your name, he knew exactly who I was. It was easy.”

  Hanna reached out and hugged her friend, feeling warmth blossom inside her. Cassie was amazing, and she made a wish that, somehow, she’d find romance and happiness of her own. “Thank you. You’re a really great friend, and I’m lucky to have you.”

  Then Josh returned with their drinks in his hands. He was balancing them carefully, and Hanna noticed that he’d grabbed what looked like a beer for himself. He passed her glass first, then handed a fruity-looking drink over to Cassie.

  “Thanks.”

  No problem. Anything for you.” The teasing tone in his voice sounded a little different. There was something more between them, if they could only figure out what in time.

  “So, Josh, what do you do for a living?” Cassie asked, batting her eyelashes. “What’s your star sign? Do you come here often?”

  “Ignore her,” Hanna said. “I can’t take her anywhere. You should’ve seen her shopping today.”

  “Very funny,” Cassie said. “I’m in the mood for fun. I’m on vacation, remember?”

  He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it.” He looked back at Cassie and adopted a serious-looking expression, though his eyes still twinkled. “I go underwater for a living, I don’t believ
e in horoscopes unless they’re good news, and in my past life, I was a sea turtle.”

  “I can almost believe that,” Hanna said, nodding.

  “As for coming here…” he continued. “Well, you might not believe this, but someone very convincing told me that a pretty woman would be here, and I couldn’t pass up that opportunity. I had the night free and figured I could do worse than hang around for a few hours, hoping she shows up.”

  “Well, good luck,” Cassie said. “She’s been spending all this time with some dreamy scuba guy, so you may be waiting around for a while.”

  Cassie! Hanna’s cheeks grew warm, and she wished her friend would keep her jokes to herself. Although, it was more truth than joke.

  He smiled. “Sounds like a lucky guy then.”

  “He is,” Hanna said, and she surprised herself at how she played along. She hid her face by taking a sip of her drink at the exact right moment.

  “So where are you both from?” he asked. “I know you said the mainland, but that covers a lot of ground.”

  “Guess,” Cassie said.

  Hanna made a face. “That’s not fair. That’s forty-nine other states to guess.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’re not from Alaska,” he said.

  “See?” Cassie said. “He’s on a roll.”

  He looked between the two of them, as if he was slowly reading their minds. “You don’t have accents, so it can’t be anything too far south.”

  “Getting warmer,” Cassie said.

  “And you don’t have that rushed feel to you, so I don’t think you’re metro people. They usually call in advance, plan every second, and rush everywhere. So not from New York City or LA or somewhere like that.”

  “Still on track,” Hanna said. “Although you’re getting narrower.” She was starting to enjoy this, seeing him under a little bit of pressure. A good test.

  “But you also don’t seem like back-country people either, so my guess is a smaller city. Nothing too bustling, but with some activity to it. Somewhere near a beach, because I could tell the open water didn’t scare you, but not somewhere where you’re on a beach, like here.”

  Cassie gave Hanna a look. “Sounds like he’s got Coopersville pegged. Not too anything…just home.”

  “But where is Coopersville?” he asked.

  “I think you’re close enough to winning the game to tell you,” Hanna said. “Coopersville is just like you said. It’s in North Carolina, and…well, I think it’s a special place. It’s only a few hours from the beach.”

  “Obviously, not nearly as nice as the beaches here,” Cassie said. “We went there for our last trip. Though that didn’t take so much work to convince Hanna as this trip did.” She looked past her friend, and she must’ve seen something she liked, because she said, “If you’ll excuse me…I think I see my chance to let you two talk to yourselves.”

  Thank you, Cassie. Now I really owe you one.

  “So you didn’t want to come here?” Josh asked.

  Hanna took a sip of the wine he’d picked. It was a light drink, with more than a bit of sweetness to it. He must have thought her disposition was sweet too. Maybe it was because of the setting, but it tasted tropical to her. It seemed everything did there. It was something she could get used to. Maybe another Hawaii trip was in store before long.

  “It’s not that. I always liked the idea of coming here. I love the water, and our time on the shore in North Carolina was great, but…it was a big step for me. I overthink things.”

  He smiled. “You? Never.”

  She slapped him playfully on the arm.

  He rubbed his arm. “You’re so strong.”

  “You’re fine. Walk it off, soldier.”

  “On the other hand, you don’t seem like the type to always overthink things. I mean, our spontaneous dates, and your…offer.”

  Right. About going to Maui with him for the rest of my vacation. She hadn’t thought about that for a few hours. “What can I say? Sometimes, you just know something is right, and you go for it.” It was the right thing to do. Right?

  Their eyes met, and she felt a wave of electricity flow through her. There was something magical about this moment, about being with him. She didn’t want it to end. She knew she wasn’t supposed to, that this hadn’t been in anyone’s plans, least of all hers, and she didn’t really need to get involved with a man who lived at the opposite end of the country, but she couldn’t help herself. He drew her in. It was crazy how she couldn’t get him off her mind.

  But at the same point, she knew that, soon, she’d be travelling back home. The worst thing she could do was fall for a man and then get on a plane and leave him. She needed stability, and she needed to be smart about this. Instead, she followed a man she barely knew around, and in all likelihood, never see again after this vacation.

  But isn’t that the reason to do it? Because I may never see him again after this?

  Despite what her head told her, her heart insisted she needed to see where this rabbit hole took her. Cassie, and Hanna’s schedule book, would just have to understand. So when she looked back toward him and saw him smiling at her, she couldn’t help it. She took a deep breath and took the plunge into the waters of attraction just as she’d taken the plunge into the unknown of the ocean.

  He’d kept her safe before, and she had a feeling he wasn’t about to hurt her now. And as for the future…they would have to take things one day at a time.

  Chapter Eight

  The night was going beautifully. Cassie was working the room with the effortless charm she seemed to exude at all times. She was smiling and flirting and seemed to be enjoying every moment of it. Being a social butterfly, she found her way about more easily than Hanna did.

  Meanwhile, Hanna felt closer to Josh than ever before. Except for breaks where Cassie would revisit, they had a great conversation, talking about how he grew up, what his parents were like, his dreams, everything. At least, it seemed like everything. Everything important.

  During a lull in the conversation, she took him in, appreciating the casual grace of his stance, the way he seemed at ease despite being thrown into plans Cassie had wonderfully concocted. He seemed at home anywhere, on the beach, in a bar, by a shave ice shop, or in a coffee house. She’d never seen him look awkward—not arrogant, just easy-going in a way that he was fine with whatever life brought him.

  There was something in his gaze now, something that was almost hesitant and definitely thoughtful. She had a feeling that he wanted to tell her something, so she decided to help him out. “What’s up?”

  “Hmm? What do you mean?”

  “Well, you look like you’re pretty deep in thought. I figured something has to have you so thoughtful. Penny for your thoughts?”

  He chuckled, and for the first time, he sounded a little reserved. “No, nothing really.” He sat down on the bar stool next to her. “Just thinking about how tonight’s been pretty great.”

  “I think there’s more to it than that.” Josh looked down for a moment before meeting her gaze again. “You got me. How is it you know me so well after only a couple days?”

  “Well, you know, I’m good at reading people. Didn’t you know? That’s part of my job back home. I amaze crowds everywhere by reading their minds.”

  “Somehow I doubt that.”

  “That I can amaze people?”

  “No. That I can believe.” In a softer tone, he added, “You do it to me all the time.”

  She almost let the topic go as she gazed at him, lost in his mesmerizing, blue eyes. Then she took a deep, steadying breath and said, “That doesn’t really answer my original question.” Get a hold of yourself, Hanna. You’re in public.

  “You didn’t really answer mine.”

  “True. I guess…it feels like we’re in sync. Both on the same page, or enough to where I can tell when something’s on your mind.”

  “So now it’s my turn to tell you what I was thinking about, huh?”

  “Only if you
want to.”

  He leaned back in his seat. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was thinking about tonight. I’m enjoying our time together.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “Me too.”

  “And I want to spend more time with you. I know you offered to follow me, but that isn’t really fair to you. If I go and work with my friend, I’d be busy all day, and…” He tapped his fingers against his glass, not looking at her for a moment. “I’ve been looking into it, but I don’t think it would work out.”

  Her hand froze with her drink halfway to her lips. She felt cold in the pit of her stomach, and she felt like she couldn’t move. This is it. Reality has finally struck and he realizes he doesn’t want a tagalong. She set the drink down on the bar before she dropped it. Why be so nice all night then, just to say something like that?

  She had thoughts of running out of there. She wasn’t sure she could take the other half of what he was about to say. Maybe Cassie was right to be more cautious. She usually was.

  He set down his drink too. “So I called and let him know I wouldn’t be able to make it for the next few days. He won’t be too happy with me, but I can live with that.” He shrugged, fixing his blue eyes on her again.

  Relief flooded her body. In a very different way, she felt just as stunned. She’d never expected him to put work on hold just for her. After all, they hadn’t known each other forever. Although, when she thought through it, she’d done effectively the same thing for him, changing things and putting other things on hold for him.

  That only reminded her of her problem. She had to laugh, and he gave her a weird look when she did. “No, no, it’s not you,” she said. “It’s just…I changed my flight this afternoon. To Maui.”

  He leaned against the back of his chair, chuckled, and shook his head. “Unbelievable. We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “It could only be taken as one. Who knew we’d both change our plans to be together a little bit longer, only to not tell each other and have them cross.”