took another breath and kept going.
Jeremy chuckled. “She’s funny.”
“Yeah, that’s Giggles.”
“I see where she got the name.”
“Yeah, she’s a barrel of laughs.” Giggles turned her direction, her beady eyes glaring.
Uh oh. That couldn’t be good.
“She’s Auntie’s cockatoo. Watch what you say around her, she repeats everything. And don’t try to pet her, she’ll—”
Her jaw dropped when Giggles tilted her little head, letting Jeremy stroke the top of it.
Why that little . . .
“She must be in a good mood. She won’t even let me touch her.”
She reached out her hand, jerking it back when Giggles snapped at it.
“Crazy bird!”
Jeremy laughed. “Hi, Giggles. I’m Jeremy.”
“Jeremy! Jeremy!”
“You’ve just met him and he’s already your BFF?” She rubbed her finger, scowling at Giggles.
Giggles bounced her head up and down.
“Traitor! You like Jeremy more than the person who feeds you.”
“Sexy Jeremy! Sexy Jeremy!” Giggles squawked, bouncing on the perch.
Kill me now.
“So she repeats everything she hears, huh?” Jeremy grinned.
“I, uh, she . . .” Her face was on fire. “She’s old. She doesn’t hear very well.”
“Uh-huh.”
She fiddled with the bird feeder, avoiding the amused expression on his face. “So Auntie should be out any minute now.”
She was about to open the screen door again to call Auntie again when he placed his hand over hers.
“Leilani, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Oh my god! This was it!
Butterflies whirled around her stomach as he held her hand. Her lashes slowly lifted and gazed into loving sapphire eyes.
He was going to ask her out! Okay, stay calm. Don’t look desperate.
“Sure. What’s up?”
He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “I know it’s been rough for you and Sammy with your parents gone. And you work so hard at the restaurant just to make ends meet. You’ve given up a lot to make sure Sammy has what he needs. You shouldn’t have to. I know you think winning this surfing competition is the answer, but—”
“Thanks for helping with that, by the way. You probably have better things to do.”
“I love being with you—I mean, I love helping you and Sammy.”
EEP! He was going to ask her now. She could feel it.
“The feeling’s mutual,” she said, fighting back the urge to jump his bones.
“So anyway . . . now don’t get mad. Uh . . . here.” He slapped a thick envelope into her hand and quickly took a step back.
“What’s this?”
“Just a little something to help you and Sammy.”
“A little . . .” She looked inside. It was filled with crisp hundred dollar bills.
He was giving her money! And not just a little. She lost count at twenty.
“I’m not taking your money. I don’t need this.” She slapped the packet back into his hand.
“Yes, you are, and yes, you do.” He stuck it back into hers.
“No, I don’t,” she said through gritted teeth, throwing the packet back at him. “I’m not a charity case.”
Was that all she was to him? She couldn’t believe she’d actually thought he was going to ask her out.
“You work almost all the time, and when you’re not, you’re practicing for that stupid contest.” He tried to put the money in her hand, but she kept both hands fisted.
“It’s not stupid, and stop trying to give me your money.”
“It’s too dangerous. And for what? To win a few dollars?”
“I’ve got bills to pay.”
“So take the money.”
“No.”
“Take it.”
“I said no, Jeremy!”
“Sexy Jeremy!”
She stared at him, eyes blazing, as she ignored Giggles bouncing on her perch yelling, “Sexy Jeremy,” as they glared at each other.
He wasn’t budging. Well, neither was she. He could inch his way as close to her as he wanted with those sexy blue eyes. She still wasn’t giving in.
She stood firm, clenching her fists when she felt the heat coming off his powerful body. He was so close she could see
Jeremy chuckled. “She’s funny.”
“Yeah, that’s Giggles.”
“I see where she got the name.”
“Yeah, she’s a barrel of laughs.” Giggles turned her direction, her beady eyes glaring.
Uh oh. That couldn’t be good.
“She’s Auntie’s cockatoo. Watch what you say around her, she repeats everything. And don’t try to pet her, she’ll—”
Her jaw dropped when Giggles tilted her little head, letting Jeremy stroke the top of it.
Why that little . . .
“She must be in a good mood. She won’t even let me touch her.”
She reached out her hand, jerking it back when Giggles snapped at it.
“Crazy bird!”
Jeremy laughed. “Hi, Giggles. I’m Jeremy.”
“Jeremy! Jeremy!”
“You’ve just met him and he’s already your BFF?” She rubbed her finger, scowling at Giggles.
Giggles bounced her head up and down.
“Traitor! You like Jeremy more than the person who feeds you.”
“Sexy Jeremy! Sexy Jeremy!” Giggles squawked, bouncing on the perch.
Kill me now.
“So she repeats everything she hears, huh?” Jeremy grinned.
“I, uh, she . . .” Her face was on fire. “She’s old. She doesn’t hear very well.”
“Uh-huh.”
She fiddled with the bird feeder, avoiding the amused expression on his face. “So Auntie should be out any minute now.”
She was about to open the screen door again to call Auntie again when he placed his hand over hers.
“Leilani, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Oh my god! This was it!
Butterflies whirled around her stomach as he held her hand. Her lashes slowly lifted and gazed into loving sapphire eyes.
He was going to ask her out! Okay, stay calm. Don’t look desperate.
“Sure. What’s up?”
He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “I know it’s been rough for you and Sammy with your parents gone. And you work so hard at the restaurant just to make ends meet. You’ve given up a lot to make sure Sammy has what he needs. You shouldn’t have to. I know you think winning this surfing competition is the answer, but—”
“Thanks for helping with that, by the way. You probably have better things to do.”
“I love being with you—I mean, I love helping you and Sammy.”
EEP! He was going to ask her now. She could feel it.
“The feeling’s mutual,” she said, fighting back the urge to jump his bones.
“So anyway . . . now don’t get mad. Uh . . . here.” He slapped a thick envelope into her hand and quickly took a step back.
“What’s this?”
“Just a little something to help you and Sammy.”
“A little . . .” She looked inside. It was filled with crisp hundred dollar bills.
He was giving her money! And not just a little. She lost count at twenty.
“I’m not taking your money. I don’t need this.” She slapped the packet back into his hand.
“Yes, you are, and yes, you do.” He stuck it back into hers.
“No, I don’t,” she said through gritted teeth, throwing the packet back at him. “I’m not a charity case.”
Was that all she was to him? She couldn’t believe she’d actually thought he was going to ask her out.
“You work almost all the time, and when you’re not, you’re practicing for that stupid contest.” He tried to put the money in her hand, but she kept both hands fisted.
“It’s not stupid, and stop trying to give me your money.”
“It’s too dangerous. And for what? To win a few dollars?”
“I’ve got bills to pay.”
“So take the money.”
“No.”
“Take it.”
“I said no, Jeremy!”
“Sexy Jeremy!”
She stared at him, eyes blazing, as she ignored Giggles bouncing on her perch yelling, “Sexy Jeremy,” as they glared at each other.
He wasn’t budging. Well, neither was she. He could inch his way as close to her as he wanted with those sexy blue eyes. She still wasn’t giving in.
She stood firm, clenching her fists when she felt the heat coming off his powerful body. He was so close she could see
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