Page 9 of Broken Hearts

“Good,” she says, pushing up on her toes to press a kiss to my cheek. “I’m gonna go take these up to her now. I’ll be back in a bit.”

She disappears back up the stairs to the apartment, and I turn back to the shop as I finish off the second donut.

The rest of the day passes quickly, the shop gradually picking up as the sun continues to rise. Even though we aren’t in a major tourist location, that doesn’t mean we don’t get tourists. They just tend to come in later in the day, when they’ve woken up in their luxury hotel and made their way around the island, trying to find the authentic Hawaiian experience. Mornings are when the locals drop by, hoping to score some tips from Mitch or grab something they need.

But it has been quiet this morning, and I guess that’s because everyone around here knows Mitch is gone and isn’t sure what that means.

“Okay, I’m gonna head out,” Alana says as we close up the shop. She’s barely been here all day, spending it with Sage, I think.

“You wanna go for a surf?” I ask, knowing Alana is always keen to hit the waves, her dream of becoming a competitive surfer something Mitch was helping her with.

“Can’t,” she says, smiling at me.

“Seriously?” I ask, genuinely shocked. Alana is always up for a surf.

“Seriously,” she repeats, nodding. “Sage and I are heading out. I’m going to show her around. You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

“I’ll pass, thanks,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“You gonna go for a surf?” she now asks, and I can see the worry in her eyes. Mitch was on a solo evening surf when it happened.

I drop my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side. “Nah, got one in this morning. Might just chill tonight,” I say, even though I would love nothing more than to get out on the water.

Alana slips her arm around my waist, her head resting against my shoulder. “You sure you don’t want to come with us? Could be a good way to get to know her.”

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I briefly consider going with them. Just as I’m about to answer her, Sage appears, a wary look on her face as she takes in Alana and me.

Dropping a kiss to the top of Alana’s head, I let her go as I say, “Nah, go have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, fine,” Alana replies, giving me a small pout before she turns to Sage. “Ready to go?”

Sage nods, briefly glancing at me before she turns back to Alana. “Yep, do you want to take my car?”

Alana laughs. “Nah, we’ll walk. It’s all good.”

It’s after ten when Sage finally comes back, walking around the back of the shop with her phone’s flashlight illuminating the way.

“Hey,” I call out as she rounds the corner.

“Holy shit!” she says, dropping her phone.

Chuckling, I stand from my chair, walking toward where she stands by the fridge that’s tucked under the stairs that lead up to the apartment. “Sorry,” I say, bending down to grab it for her.

“Thanks,” she says. She takes the phone from my hand, our fingers brushing, and I swear this time, I nearly drop it. “Wow, it’s beautiful back here,” she says, turning to the backyard that’s lit with festoon lights strung up all over the place.

“Yeah, we used to hang out here most nights,” I say, opening the fridge to grab another beer. “Wanna beer?” I ask, holding up a Corona.

“Ummm,” she starts, clearly not sure whether my offer is genuine or not. Can’t really blame her after the way I’ve behaved since she got here.

“Have a beer,” I say, handing her the bottle.

“Thanks,” she replies, taking it.

I grab another one for me before heading back to the circle of chairs that surround a central firepit. “So how was your night?” I ask, taking a seat.

Sage takes a swig of her beer, looking around the yard again before she eventually walks over and sits in the chair next to mine. “It was good. Alana’s really nice. She showed me around, introduced me to some of her friends.”

I let out a laugh. “Yeah, that’s Alana, always taking in strays.”

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