Somewhere on Maui (an Accidental Matchmaker Novel) Read Online Free PDF Page B

ball fishing floats and pots of orchids.
    “She’s getting a little better.” Tami sat with him on one of the cane-bottomed rocking chairs. “ Seems in good spirits since you came back to the house.” They gazed out at the view of darkened trees and moonlit sugarcane fields. The ocean glittered black in the far distance, and Adam could smell ripening fruit on the lychee trees. Their land was a good-sized lot, an acre set off of winding, pastoral Baldwin Avenue, a road connecting the “up-country” town of Makawao with the beach community of Paia on the coast.
    “You visit her?” Adam squinted at Tami. Her head was turned away, that fall of long hair hiding her face. The moon shed silver coins of light across the grass, but he couldn’t see her face.
    “Yeah, I stop by once a week or so.” Tami shrugged, a surprisingly shy movement. “She’s so sweet, and Auntie, she likes the company.”
    “Thank you.” Adam reached over, brushed her hair behind her ear, exposing her perfect profile. Moving slowly, so she could pull away if she wanted, he turned her chin toward him and leaned over to kiss her. She tipped her face up, and he set his lips on the lush contours of her mouth, thinking of her smile, which he liked, thinking of the smell of coconut and tuberoses, which he also liked, and willing something to happen. He deepened the kiss. Her hands slid up his arms, kneading the muscles of his shoulders.
    It felt disembodied, but he gave the kiss some effort. After all, she was the total package and would fit right into his life. Finally, he broke the kiss, touched her cheek. “Thanks, Tami. For being there for her.”
    She gave him a little pat on the knee. “No problem.”
    “We had to try, right?” He took a chance she was feeling the same way—that they weren’t quite a fit.
    “Right.” She smiled, and he saw her teeth gleam like pearls in the moonlight. “Auntie wants it to work so bad, but I’m sorry. I’m just not into you that way.”
    He winced. “Ow.” Perversely, her rejection made him gaze at her again. She’d stood, and her moon-gilded shape was that of a goddess.
    “Sorry, cuz.” She smiled. “We’re both hot, but it just doesn’t feel right. There’s someone else out there for us.”
    “You sure?”
    “Definitely. And if there isn’t, we can be each other’s fallback plan.”
    Adam grinned. “I like the sound of that. Thanks for visiting Mama.”
    “It’s my pleasure. Really.” She walked down the steps, gave a little wave. He watched her supple hula hips move away through the moonlight. Damn, the girl was fine—and he loved her energy, honesty, and sweet way with his mom.   
    Back in the house, Adam peeked in on his mother. Mrs. Rodrigues was raptly watching Downton Abbey . She said she loved seeing the period costumes and the characters, though her world of rural Hawaii couldn’t have been further from the television one.
    He went back into the bedroom he’d grown up in. It was, of course, too small for all the contents of his apartment. He’d just thrown all of his belongings in the garage and taken the room back over. He’d brought his drafting table in and had set his computer up on it, so he sat back down in front of the dating profile he’d started.
    It looked terrible. Hackneyed. Clichéd. Maybe too needy.
    He tweaked the words some more, scrubbed his hands through his hair. Hit Instant Matches and scrolled through the profiles presented to him based on “compatibility” on the series of silly to serious questions he’d muddled through.
    He grimaced and scrubbed his hands down his face as he scanned. The women seemed lovely, everyone smiling and putting their best foot forward (often literally), and he tried to remind himself of what Dr. Suzuki had said, that the Internet was just a tool for modern people to connect. 
    Not the last resort of losers in love that it felt like to him.
    He noticed several profiles he liked the look of and clicked on them. Then