Page 46 of Keeping Kama

“What about when you worked as a lifeguard at Waikiki Beach? Wasn’t that a long drive?” asked Derek.

“Oh.” Leia replied, “I used to stay with one of my many great aunts who has an apartment in Waikiki. She let me sleep over at her place on the days I worked. I usually would work two or three days in a row then I would have the next three or four days off, so I’d go home. But I only worked there in the summers during college to save money for my expenses.”

“I know you’re plenty strong.” Derek glanced at the menu again. “You saved me after all, so don’t take this the wrong way, but aren’t most of the lifeguards on the island men?” asked Derek.

Leia whacked him on the arm. “Hey, you don’t think a woman can be a lifeguard?” She raised an eyebrow, giving him a pointed look.

“No.” Derek shook his head. “They absolutely can be lifeguards. Like I said, you were plenty strong to save me, but I’m only curious what made you want to do that when most of the other lifeguards were men.”

“Do you want the truth?” asked Leia while she fiddled with her silverware.

Derek shifted closer to her and placed his hand over Leia’s fidgeting hand. “I do.” He weaved his fingers through hers.

“I wanted to prove I could do it, do something most women couldn’t.” With her free hand, Leia took another sip of her water. “Kai was always making fun of how weak I was. He liked to say I used it as an excuse to get out of doing chores around the farm. The weak thing got stuck in my head, and I had to prove him wrong. If I could be strong enough to be a lifeguard with a bunch of men, then I was strong. Does that make sense?” She stared back at him.

Derek sat in awe. Her determination he found incredibly attractive. “A thousand percent,” he said.

Grinning, Leia said, “It also didn’t hurt that I spent my college days around a bunch of ripped guys. It certainly made the job more enjoyable.” Her lips twitched.

Derek laughed, “I’m sure it did.”

The server finally came by and took their order. Both ordered garlic shrimp along with a slice of macadamia nut pie for dessert. After the server left, they sat staring out at the ocean. The sun disappeared, being replaced by a full moon with bright glowing stars. Derek dreaded tomorrow.

Leia broke the peaceful silence. “When do you leave tomorrow?” She turned toward him, pulling her gaze away from the ocean to him.

With a quick glance at her, Derek stared out at the ocean not wanting to look Leia in the eyes. “Early,” said Derek. “I’ll be gone before you get up.”

Nodding her head, Leia paused then asked, “Do you think you’ll ever come back?”

“Boy, I hope so,” said Derek.

“Then I guess that’s that. You’ll go home. I’ll stay here. And this …” Leia waved a finger between them, “this will just end.”

Exhaling, Derek wondered how to reply. He wanted to say no, surely there was a way for them to be together. A way for the impossible to be possible, but he didn’t have a solution. Maybe Leia had been only a distraction from Heather? But the argument didn’t hold up. His mind was a muddled mess. Nothing made sense anymore. How could one woman make him question everything?

His throat suddenly dry, Derek gulped and replied, “I don’t want it to end, but I don’t know how to make it work either.”

“See?” asked Leia. “We both knew it was foolish getting involved with one another. I wish I had listened to my gut on this one.”

The air crackled with kinetic catastrophic energy. He knew what he needed to tell Leia was about to make everything a thousand times worse. But Derek couldn’t slink away. It wasn’t right, and if he did, she’d hate him even more than if he’d only fessed up.

Taking a deep breath, Derek said, “And, Leia, my investment firm is not investing in the farm.”

Her jaw dropped, and every sound in the universe was instantly silenced.

Chapter14

Derek left.

Leia stayed.

He called.

Leia didn’t pick up.

Derek texted, and Leia didn’t respond.

The funky dance of avoidance, Leia played it out for a few weeks, hoping she’d stop caring about Derek. Or better yet she dreamed of forgetting him all together. When her family asked about Derek, Leia quickly changed the subject. In the end, Derek ended up being nothing he claimed to be, and Leia was embarrassed she had thrown caution to the wind and acted so recklessly with her own heart.

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