her boyfriend.”
“We’re friends, little buddy.”
Jeremy locked eyes with Leilani. The problem was he did want to be her boyfriend, as juvenile as it sounded. It was also painfully obvious that Kai did too.
“Crap! My shift starts in an hour. There’s no way I can make it back home in time on the bus,” she said.
“I’ll give you ride,” Jeremy and Kai said in unison.
“I told you,” Sammy said, his eyes dancing. “It’s just like that Young and the Reckless show Auntie Anela likes to watch.”
“Sammy,” Leilani warned.
“You never let me do anything fun,” he muttered.
“Oh, all right. You can go with Kai.”
“Cool. Let’s go, Kai, before she changes her mind. Maybe later we can go to Queen’s Bath.”
Jeremy pursed his lips trying to fight a smile as Kai looked at Leilani and then Sammy, clearly torn.
Thank you, Sammy! He loved that kid. He was going to treat him to a triple scoop cone for sure.
“Uh, okay,” Kai finally said.
“No Queen’s Bath!” she yelled after them as they left. “I don’t care what the people say. The waves there are too dangerous. Bring him home after the movie, Kai!”
16
S he shouldn’t have been this happy. She was broke, they were behind on the electric bill, the property tax bill was due soon, and Mr. Hu had mentioned that he might have to reduce her work hours soon.
And yet, as Leilani watched Jeremy park his car in front of the house and turn off the ignition, she couldn’t help but be elated.
Why shouldn’t she be happy? Jeremy was finally seeing her beyond the teenage girl with spiky hair. And he liked her more than a friend!
“Hold on,” he said when she reached for the door handle. He jumped out of the car and ran to her side, opening the door.
He opened the door! Kai never did that for her.
“Thank you.”
As she stepped out, he gave her that drop-dead sexy grin that never failed to turn her knees to jelly. Ever since she’d taken him hang gliding, he’d been doing that a lot. It was proof that he was into her. Right?
So why didn’t he take it to the next step? She was so ready for it.
“I’ll get the surfboards,” he said when she reached up to untie the boards from the car’s rooftop.
“Okay, thanks. It’ll only take me a few minutes to change.” She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. He was such a gentleman, opening doors, carrying things that she could carry herself. It used to irritate the hell out of her when he’d done that before. Mostly because it had felt like he thought she couldn’t do anything for herself.
This time it felt different. It was if he was doing those things because he sincerely cared for her. She could get used to the new Jeremy.
The best thing Kai had ever done was to knock him out. Yeah, she should’ve felt bad about that, but she couldn’t. It had brought Jeremy closer to her.
“You haven’t met Auntie Anela yet. She should be up from her nap by now.” She bounced up the path leading to the back porch.
Yep, she was bouncing now—that was how happy she was. Now if only she could figure out how to get him to ask her out.
His arms flexed as he lifted the boards above his head and followed her as they walked to the backyard.
Good god! Enough waiting. She should ask him out herself.
“Toss the boards in there.” She pointed to a small shed in the yard. Opening the screen door, she yelled inside, “Auntie! There’s someone I want you to meet!”
“Auntie! Auntie!”
“Cool. A talking bird,” Jeremy said, tapping the cage sitting outside on the back porch.
Oh, crap! Auntie had left that crazy bird outside.
Giggles sat on the cage’s perch, looking at Jeremy curiously from inside the cage.
“Behave,” she muttered under her breath, hoping Auntie would hurry up and come outside. Auntie was the only one Giggles would listen to.
Giggles leaned her head forward and laughed. Leilani had never heard her laugh so long and hard. And just when she thought it was over, Giggles
“We’re friends, little buddy.”
Jeremy locked eyes with Leilani. The problem was he did want to be her boyfriend, as juvenile as it sounded. It was also painfully obvious that Kai did too.
“Crap! My shift starts in an hour. There’s no way I can make it back home in time on the bus,” she said.
“I’ll give you ride,” Jeremy and Kai said in unison.
“I told you,” Sammy said, his eyes dancing. “It’s just like that Young and the Reckless show Auntie Anela likes to watch.”
“Sammy,” Leilani warned.
“You never let me do anything fun,” he muttered.
“Oh, all right. You can go with Kai.”
“Cool. Let’s go, Kai, before she changes her mind. Maybe later we can go to Queen’s Bath.”
Jeremy pursed his lips trying to fight a smile as Kai looked at Leilani and then Sammy, clearly torn.
Thank you, Sammy! He loved that kid. He was going to treat him to a triple scoop cone for sure.
“Uh, okay,” Kai finally said.
“No Queen’s Bath!” she yelled after them as they left. “I don’t care what the people say. The waves there are too dangerous. Bring him home after the movie, Kai!”
16
S he shouldn’t have been this happy. She was broke, they were behind on the electric bill, the property tax bill was due soon, and Mr. Hu had mentioned that he might have to reduce her work hours soon.
And yet, as Leilani watched Jeremy park his car in front of the house and turn off the ignition, she couldn’t help but be elated.
Why shouldn’t she be happy? Jeremy was finally seeing her beyond the teenage girl with spiky hair. And he liked her more than a friend!
“Hold on,” he said when she reached for the door handle. He jumped out of the car and ran to her side, opening the door.
He opened the door! Kai never did that for her.
“Thank you.”
As she stepped out, he gave her that drop-dead sexy grin that never failed to turn her knees to jelly. Ever since she’d taken him hang gliding, he’d been doing that a lot. It was proof that he was into her. Right?
So why didn’t he take it to the next step? She was so ready for it.
“I’ll get the surfboards,” he said when she reached up to untie the boards from the car’s rooftop.
“Okay, thanks. It’ll only take me a few minutes to change.” She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. He was such a gentleman, opening doors, carrying things that she could carry herself. It used to irritate the hell out of her when he’d done that before. Mostly because it had felt like he thought she couldn’t do anything for herself.
This time it felt different. It was if he was doing those things because he sincerely cared for her. She could get used to the new Jeremy.
The best thing Kai had ever done was to knock him out. Yeah, she should’ve felt bad about that, but she couldn’t. It had brought Jeremy closer to her.
“You haven’t met Auntie Anela yet. She should be up from her nap by now.” She bounced up the path leading to the back porch.
Yep, she was bouncing now—that was how happy she was. Now if only she could figure out how to get him to ask her out.
His arms flexed as he lifted the boards above his head and followed her as they walked to the backyard.
Good god! Enough waiting. She should ask him out herself.
“Toss the boards in there.” She pointed to a small shed in the yard. Opening the screen door, she yelled inside, “Auntie! There’s someone I want you to meet!”
“Auntie! Auntie!”
“Cool. A talking bird,” Jeremy said, tapping the cage sitting outside on the back porch.
Oh, crap! Auntie had left that crazy bird outside.
Giggles sat on the cage’s perch, looking at Jeremy curiously from inside the cage.
“Behave,” she muttered under her breath, hoping Auntie would hurry up and come outside. Auntie was the only one Giggles would listen to.
Giggles leaned her head forward and laughed. Leilani had never heard her laugh so long and hard. And just when she thought it was over, Giggles
Similar Books
