come in the shallows and this boat doesn’t go into the deeper water. But I have some great recommendations for whale tours if you’re interested.”
“How many times have you given this tour?” asked Robert.
“I don’t really consider it a tour. It’s more like a relaxing day out. You can go where you want, within limits, and don’t have to rush or take time.” Her normal spiel included the whole “your wish is my command,” but considering the company, she bit her tongue on that one.
She’d given the trip enough times to know the schedule for the folks who wanted to see it all. She started out with the sea turtles that were always a favorite. When she’d first come from the mainland, she’d thought all turtles were relatively small. Not the ones in Hawaii. Most of the ones they passed in the boat had shells over three feet long from head to tail.
The sight of the majestic reptiles even managed to get Robert to leave her alone as he tried to snap a few photos with his phone.
From there, she steered the boat to the secret beach. It was no secret to the locals, but most people stayed away.
The water was the perfect depth so that she could pull the boat up close enough to the beach to allow the passengers to hop out into the shallow water while the motor didn’t skim the bottom.
Malia allowed them to wander around as she anchored the boat and unloaded the food and drinks.
Before she could maneuver the cooler out of the boat, Robert was behind her. “Why don’t you let me take that?”
She was torn between refusing any form of help and making the rich boy do manual labor, but she ultimately decided to hand him the cooler. Knowing her unreliable sense of balance, she wouldn’t be a graceful sight as she hauled the cooler out of the boat. She was really good at not falling, but there would definitely be some swaying and stumbling involved.
After she collected the rest of the supplies, she jumped out of the boat, getting half of her shorts soaked in the process but managing to keep the bags of food above the water. She half expected Robert to start harassing her again once she was on land, but he was on his phone instead, speaking harshly to someone as he went to stand behind a grove of trees where she couldn’t hear him.
Colin and Jean were already making themselves comfortable. Jean set down towels for them to sit on while Colin met her halfway to take the bags for her. They certainly were a chivalrous group, which was surprising considering who they were.
Malia glanced over to where Robert was still on the phone. He paced in a small circle as he ran a hand through his hair. It was damn depressing to see someone so stressed out in a place so beautiful. “Does Robert spend a lot of time on his phone?”
Jean settled onto the towel next to Colin as he opened up a soda for her and handed it to her. The gesture was subtle but oddly sweet. She didn’t have to ask him or tell him what kind she wanted. He already knew and was taking care of her. So many other couples she’d brought out ended up with the women waiting on the men and serving them. It was nice to see the role reversal. Especially with a guy who looked as macho as Colin did.
Could he really be one of those hotshot executives like Robert? For that matter, Robert didn’t look like a normal executive. Unless it was normal for executives to bench-press over two hundred pounds no problem.
“From what I can tell, Robert is always working,” said Jean.
“It’s not his fault,” said Colin. “He’s always been the go-to whenever there’s some mess. Bet you that’s what he’s dealing with now.”
Malia looked over her shoulder again and back to Jean. The supposed sister. Every article or news clipping Malia had ever read about the Farrells never mentioned a sister. “It’s nice of him to arrange all this. Are you all a close-knit family?”
Colin let out a snort of laughter as Jean averted her eyes before she took a deep swig of her
R. C. Farrington, Jason Farrington