Page 88 of Resorting to Romance

“Lock the door to your hallway.” His face turns serious when he says this.

“I always do.”

“Good. I don’t want some bagpipe player sneaking in and talking in a brogue to you in the middle of the night.”

I laugh so hard I have to clap a hand over my mouth. When I try to speak I laugh again.

“Kai. The man is in his sixties. If he did have bagpipes withhim, I would have seen them. He does have a brogue, but I’m pretty sure he’s not trying to sneak in and talk to me overnight.”

I laugh again.

“So he’s not a brutish man in a kilt?”

“No!” I laugh again. “He wore board shorts today and a T-shirt.”

“Plaid board shorts?”

“Plain orange shorts with white piping.”

“Does he own a coo?”

“Kai!”

“He’s really sixty?”

“He is. Sixty-four to be exact.”

“Is he George-Clooney sixty or Marbella-Senior-Center sixty?”

“Kai Kapule. Are you jealous?”

“I’m concerned. I don’t like the idea of you being alone here with a Scotsman wearing nothing but a kilt and talking to you about his wee little coo.”

I lose it. I can’t help it. I can barely breathe, I'm laughing so hard. Kai isn’t laughing at all. He’s looking at me with a dead-serious expression on his face that only makes me laugh more.

“His … wee … his … wee … his wee …” Tears stream down my face. “His wee little … I can’t!” I gulp in a breath between laughs. “His wee … little … cooooo! Oh my! I’m dead! Kai!” I’m swiping at tears and catching my breath.

His mouth ticks up into a crooked grin.

“We’re fine,” I assure him when I finally regain most of my composure. “I promise the Scotsman isn’t any threat. Okay?”

“Okay. If you say so. I just don’t trust a man in a skirt.”

I chuckle. “What about a grass skirt?”

“That’s different. It’s a tribal thing. Tradition. For hula ceremonies. Besides, you don’t see me running around here in one, do you?”

Not that I’d complain, but no. I haven’t.

Kai grins at me and I smile back up at him.

“Are you good? Do you need anything else before I go?” He’s all serious and protective again.

I hesitate, but then I ask, “Can I have a hug?”

“Of course.”

I realize my error too late. I can’t hug Kai when I feel this vulnerable and he’s been so amazing.

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