Page 59 of Pallas & Kawehi

Maile was at Axl’s side, the two of them shoulder to shoulder.

“I think she’s going to pass him!” Twinkie sounded amazed.

Kawehi shook her head. “Nope. Not there.”

She felt a hand on her elbow and looked up to see Dom standing beside her. Kawehi took his hand and got to her feet.

“What’s going on?” Dom’s voice was soft in her ear as he leaned in against her arm.

She gestured just beyond the pair, but she wasn’t sure that Dom would know what she was pointing at. “Just watch.”

“Hey!” Riptide waved in her direction. “Do they know-“

“She does!”

“Know what?”

Before she could explain to Dom, Maile started to pass Axl, and the Marine had his gaze on Maile instead of the ground in front of him.

“Oh no.”

She reached out and grabbed a hold of Dom just as Maile and Axl disappeared out of sight.

“Shit!” Kid started running.

Kawehi bit into her bottom lip and watched.

Kid came to a sudden stop just before the sand bank that led down to the river and shook his head. He turned back and made his way over to the rest of the group.

As pale as Kid was, the ruddy color on his cheeks was easily seen.

Twinkie met him coming back. "Are they okay?"

"They'll... they'll be fine as long as they come up to breathe eventually."

Kawehi laughed out loud and Dom joined her as he pulled her into his embrace.

He lifted a hand to brush her hair back from her face. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Well, I knew that she could easily beat him running across the sand. I just didn't know what would happen when she caught him."

"Or when he fell into the river."

She shrugged. "I knew they wouldn’t get hurt. I just didn't know what they'd do when they stopped running."

Dom turned so that his broad back was between her and the others. "Maybe that's their thing," he murmured to her, "they like the chase and the hunt."

She looked up at him grinning. "Maybe. Maile's been so busy trying to get me to get back out in the world, I don't think she expected Axl to stir her up like this."

"I think you've got me stirred up, Kawehi."

"And I'm glad you got me to step outside the bowling alley. There really is life outside of Lanikai Lanes."

He leaned in and kissed her. "I'm glad I stopped in that night. Imagine what I would have missed if I had walked past the door."

"Admit it," she laughed softly, "you secretly love bowling, and you only came into the alley just to feed that love."

She laughed, but he didn't. He kept his gaze steadily on hers. "I might take up a serious bowling habit to spend more time with you."

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