Page 34 of Harmless Secrets

He rose out of his seat and grabbed a blanket.

“Lay back.”

For once she did as he told her, and he laid the throw on top of her. He had to fight the urge to rub the backs of his knuckles over her cheek. It was an intimacy he didn’t have a right to, but he wanted it. Yeah, he was still pissed about Bridget and missing out, but there had never been another woman who hit him in the gut like Ali did.

He just had to protect her and Bridget…then they could figure out where they went from there.

Alicia stepped off the plane and immediately noted the differences. She had spent the majority of her life hopping from one place to the next, never really staying anywhere for very long. She never had issues acclimating to a new climate or culture. Now though, things were different. She’d grown accustomed to her dark Washington woods and the cool weather.

Here, the air hung heavy with humidity and the scent of exotic flowers. Even on the tarmac, she could smell their fragrance. She pulled out her sunglasses and slid them on. It wasn’t too bright, but the sun still brightened the sky amongst the few stray clouds that lingered in the area. Again, she had become so accustomed to gray skies and cooler air.

A tall, rangy man with a wealth of golden brown hair came walking across the runway towards them. He was dressed casually, as she assumed most people in Hawaii did. The mirrored sunglasses hid his eyes, but the smile he offered was as warm as the Hawaiian sunshine. He was by himself. Four leis were draped over his forearm.

“Well, you must be Devon’s,” he said, slipping a lei over her head and kissing both her cheeks.

“Excuse me?”

Instead of explaining himself, his smile widened. “I’m Evan Chambers.

The South colored his voice. She heard a hint of South Carolina and maybe Georgia there, but another aspect caught her attention. It had to be the influence from Hawaii. She had heard it in Micah and Dee’s voices. He pulled off his sunglasses.

“I’m Alicia Hughes and this is my daughter Bridget.”

His smile widened and she had to blink. A set of dimples appeared and the man’s eyes fairly twinkled. She was embarrassed to admit she felt downright flustered. In fact, she found it hard to come up with what to say to him.

He apparently was accustomed to it. He winked at her and looked down at Bridget. “Hello, princess.”

Her daughter glanced up at the tall man and said nothing for a second. Bridget apparently was stunned by the charm tossed in her direction. Then…she giggled.

Alicia shook her head in amazement.

“Don’t worry, all the girls giggle around Evan,” Dee said, walking up beside Alicia.

“Except for you,” Evan said, leaning forward to put a lei on Dee, and then he gave her a fast, loud kiss on the lips.

“Oh, please. You couldn’t deal with a woman who could kick your…butt.”

He chuckled. “And there is the other princess.”

Alana came running to him and he picked her up. She gave him a large smacking kiss—much like the same one he had shared with Dee. This was a family, she thought. They weren’t all related, but she could see the connections easily. Evan might not be blood, but he was like an uncle.

“How was Seattle?” he asked.

“’K and I have a new friend,” Alana said with a smile.

Evan put the last lei on her. “I heard. Now I have another princess to spoil.”

“Yes.” Alana clapped. “And we can swim in Dev’s pool.”

“You always know what’s important,” Evan said.

Devon and Micah brought up the rear, duffle bags in their hands.

“Hey, Bra,” Micah said. “How are things going at the club?”

“Pretty good. Although, I’ve told Danny if he wants to take over running the club and give up being a doctor, we would be happy to hire him.” Evan looked at Devon. “I heard you had some issues.”

“Just a few,” Devon said with little emotion.

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