Kona Winds Read Online Free PDF

EARLY the next morning. Of course, by Boston time, it was late. She shrugged away the time zone difference and fluffed her long hair one last time with the brush. The radio clock on the dresser indicated 8:35. Her employer had said to join her for breakfast at nine on the lanai.
    Smiling at her reflection, she murmured, "But I forgot to ask what or where is a lanai"
    With a characteristic shrug, she walked out of the door into the hallway. There was bound to be someone around the house who could point her in the right direction. If not, she'd find it somehow.
    Rain beat against the windowpanes in the corridor. Hawaii was anything but sunny today, she observed. She peered out one of the windows, but could see little but the sheets of rain. She decided that she much preferred it to snow and sleet.
    Her shoes made little sound on the stairs, their rubber soles treading quietly on the steps. With two tiers behind her, she turned down the last one. At the sound of male voices approaching the large entryway at the base of the stairs, her foot hovered on the next step. She glanced up as two men entered the area from another part of the house. One of the men was tall, towering over the second shorter and broader man. It was the tall one that caught Julie's interest.
    His hair had the color and sheen of rich mahogany, growing thickly to his collar. The white material of his shirt was stretched across the set of his broad shoulders, then tapered to the trim waistband of his dark trousers. He looked remarkably fit—in excellent physical condition.
    The shorter of the two men spoke. "Ain't no work to do on a day like dis. Dem Kona winds are bad," he said in an enchanting kind of local Pidgin English.
    "Yes, I know, Al. Those Kona winds never bring anything good." As if sensing a third party was listening to the conversation, the tall man made a leisurely turn and looked directly at Julie.
    Even though she had been caught accidentally eavesdropping, there wasn't a shy self-conscious bone in her body. Since her presence had been noticed, she continued her descent of the steps. The white of her slacks gave her a long and leggy look. Her lemon-yellow pullover top had three white bands at the waistline, which completed the outfit.
    "Maybe dem Kona winds will blow all away by tomorrow," the shorter man commented.
    "Maybe. I hope so, Al." His gaze never left Julie.
    "I'll be goin' now. See ya tomorrow."
    "Right."
    Now that the man faced her, Julie could see his masculine features were hard and vital, browned by long hours of exposure to a tropical sun. A pair of arresting blue eyes were making a cool and thorough appraisal of her. The line of his mouth held no gentleness but contained an abundance of cynicism. It didn't curve into a smile as she approached.
    "You are Julie Lancaster," he identified her without hesitation.
    But it was only logical, she decided. After all, she was the one who was the stranger in his house. Immediately, she wondered why she had reached the conclusion that he lived there. Was it his superior attitude?
    Taking his lead of not issuing a formal greeting, she replied, "Yes, that's right. I'm afraid you have the advantage. You know who I am, but I don't know who you are." She softened the challenge with a smile.
    "I'm Ruel Chandler."
    The unusual name clicked in her memory. Emily Harmon had mentioned it yesterday at the airport. Despite his lack of friendliness, this Ruel Chandler intrigued her. The fascination she felt must have registered in her look, because she noticed the shrewd and knowing gleam that glinted in his eyes.
    "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Chandler." Her head bobbed in a demure nod. She wondered what his position was in the house. "You are. . . ." She hesitated deliberately so he would fill in the blank.
    "I'm Debbie's brother," he stated, vague amusement in his voice.
    Julie didn't have to feign surprise. "Oh. I didn't know Debbie had a brother. Her name is Chandler?''
    "Yes."
    "Then Emily Harmon