warm night air, Julie saw that the balcony ran the full length of the house, the roof reaching out to shelter it. It overlooked a swimming pool, its shape barely discernible in the flickering light of two flame torches. Beyond were shrubbery and more trees.
"My very own balcony!" It seemed like a dream. It lacked only a moon and a canopy of stars.
Julie turned to share the delight she felt with Malia, but Dan had entered the bedroom with her luggage, and Malia was telling him where to set it. Julie put aside her pleasure for the business at hand and returned to the bedroom closing the doors.
"Aloha ahiahi," Dan smiled to Julie as he withdrew from the room.
Uncertain how to respond to that, Julie simply nodded and smiled. When the door closed, she turned to Malia, unable to keep the puzzled look out of her pale brown eyes. One comer of her mouth lifted in a confused smile.
"What did he say?"
"It means 'good evening,'" Malia explained with a beaming and understanding smile. "Now you just show me which of these bags has your night things and I'll unpack it for you while you bathe."
"No, you don't need to do that," Julie refused. "I can take care of it."
"Of course you can, but I'm going to. Now you tell me which one and go relax in the tub."
"No, please, I can't let you. Besides, maybe Miss Harmon will want you for something," Julie argued.
"No, Miss Emily knows there's a cold tray of food on the table and her tea is hot on the warmer." Sparkling black eyes surveyed Julie. "Now, you're tired—you've got circles under your eyes. You go take that bath and tell me which of these suitcases has your night things, otherwise I'll open every one of them."
Julie knew when she had been defeated by a superior force and pointed to the small weekend case. "But you leave the rest of the unpacking to me. I work here, too, Malia." A thought occurred to her. "I should have met Deborah tonight, but I was so tired that I never thought about it."
"Debbie will understand. She's a good girl."
Running a hand over the carved headboard of the bed, Julie began wandering about her private student. Was she spoiled? Willful? Filled with self-pity? Wouldn't it be awful if she were chained to a know-it-all little bitch for five months or more?
"What's she like, Malia?" She studied the woman's face as she answered.
"She's a wonderful girl—happy, generous. She loves everybody!" The light that had been shining in her expression faded as Malia sighed and lifted the suitcase onto the beck "That's why it hurts so to see her lying in that bed."
"She was in a car accident," Julie prompted.
"Yes. Debbie and some of her friends went to a rock concert in Honolulu. They were on their way home when some car tried to pass another car on a curve. They nearly crashed head-on, but the boy who was driving swerved into a ditch."
"Were any of the others in the car hurt?"
"One had a broken leg and another a broken arm. Otherwise, it was just cuts and bruises. Debbie was the one who was the most seriously hurt. Luckily all the doctors have said there isn't any permanent damage. It's just going to take a long time for her to heal and—" Malia glanced up just as Julie yawned. She hadn't meant to be rude, but she was so tired she couldn't help it. "Go take your bath before you fall asleep leaning against the bed."
"I guess you're right," Julie conceded. As she straightened from the bed, the lei around her neck brushed her chin. "What about my lei? Do you suppose it will keep?"
"Ginger? No, they're very short-lived." Malia shook her head slightly.
"Oh, well," Julie sighed in resignation and took the lei from around her neck to drape it over the bedpost.
A half an hour later, when she slipped beneath the covers, bathed, refreshed, and tired, the spicy fragrance of the blossoms scented the air she breathed. As she closed her eyes, she decided it was an excellent way to go to sleep on her first night in Hawaii.
Chapter Three
JULIE AWOKE
"My very own balcony!" It seemed like a dream. It lacked only a moon and a canopy of stars.
Julie turned to share the delight she felt with Malia, but Dan had entered the bedroom with her luggage, and Malia was telling him where to set it. Julie put aside her pleasure for the business at hand and returned to the bedroom closing the doors.
"Aloha ahiahi," Dan smiled to Julie as he withdrew from the room.
Uncertain how to respond to that, Julie simply nodded and smiled. When the door closed, she turned to Malia, unable to keep the puzzled look out of her pale brown eyes. One comer of her mouth lifted in a confused smile.
"What did he say?"
"It means 'good evening,'" Malia explained with a beaming and understanding smile. "Now you just show me which of these bags has your night things and I'll unpack it for you while you bathe."
"No, you don't need to do that," Julie refused. "I can take care of it."
"Of course you can, but I'm going to. Now you tell me which one and go relax in the tub."
"No, please, I can't let you. Besides, maybe Miss Harmon will want you for something," Julie argued.
"No, Miss Emily knows there's a cold tray of food on the table and her tea is hot on the warmer." Sparkling black eyes surveyed Julie. "Now, you're tired—you've got circles under your eyes. You go take that bath and tell me which of these suitcases has your night things, otherwise I'll open every one of them."
Julie knew when she had been defeated by a superior force and pointed to the small weekend case. "But you leave the rest of the unpacking to me. I work here, too, Malia." A thought occurred to her. "I should have met Deborah tonight, but I was so tired that I never thought about it."
"Debbie will understand. She's a good girl."
Running a hand over the carved headboard of the bed, Julie began wandering about her private student. Was she spoiled? Willful? Filled with self-pity? Wouldn't it be awful if she were chained to a know-it-all little bitch for five months or more?
"What's she like, Malia?" She studied the woman's face as she answered.
"She's a wonderful girl—happy, generous. She loves everybody!" The light that had been shining in her expression faded as Malia sighed and lifted the suitcase onto the beck "That's why it hurts so to see her lying in that bed."
"She was in a car accident," Julie prompted.
"Yes. Debbie and some of her friends went to a rock concert in Honolulu. They were on their way home when some car tried to pass another car on a curve. They nearly crashed head-on, but the boy who was driving swerved into a ditch."
"Were any of the others in the car hurt?"
"One had a broken leg and another a broken arm. Otherwise, it was just cuts and bruises. Debbie was the one who was the most seriously hurt. Luckily all the doctors have said there isn't any permanent damage. It's just going to take a long time for her to heal and—" Malia glanced up just as Julie yawned. She hadn't meant to be rude, but she was so tired she couldn't help it. "Go take your bath before you fall asleep leaning against the bed."
"I guess you're right," Julie conceded. As she straightened from the bed, the lei around her neck brushed her chin. "What about my lei? Do you suppose it will keep?"
"Ginger? No, they're very short-lived." Malia shook her head slightly.
"Oh, well," Julie sighed in resignation and took the lei from around her neck to drape it over the bedpost.
A half an hour later, when she slipped beneath the covers, bathed, refreshed, and tired, the spicy fragrance of the blossoms scented the air she breathed. As she closed her eyes, she decided it was an excellent way to go to sleep on her first night in Hawaii.
Chapter Three
JULIE AWOKE
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