Page 46 of Two Tickets to Paradise

And she loved it. He was and always had been someone who protected people.

That's probably why she hadn't gotten all that upset with his comments and complaints so far.

Cora hastily typed out a reply as she saw Vince working his way across the parking lot back to her.

CORA: We will! Love you, Caminator!

She dropped her phone back in her bag as Vince walked up with two clam-shell boxes on one hand and a couple of bottles of water in the other.

"Here," she got up on her knees, "let me help you."

"Thanks." He let her take the drinks from him and the napkins and forks that he was holding between his fingers. "The guy behind me knew that I wasn't from here, not that it was a secret."

She laughed out loud at that. "I'm sure we both look a little green out here."

Vince sat down, folding his legs and grinned at her. "Let's just hope we don't end up red later on."

She sighed out loud. "I hope not. We certainly put on enough sunscreen."

He looked away at that, his cheeks reddening a little, too.

She didn't know what to think about that, but she remembered what it was like trying to catch a few glances at him when he was applying the sunscreen on his skin. It was a sight that she'd keep in her memories for a long, long time.

"So," she craned her neck a little, trying to see what was in the plates, "did the man behind you have any helpful suggestions?"

He nodded. "I know you're hungry. After smelling the food in that truck, I'm really hungry, too." Vince opened the top of one container and turned it around to show her. "This is a hamburger steak plate. Two hamburger patties with browngravy and onions. There's the two scoops of rice and mac salad." He looked up at her with a good-natured grin. "When Kawehi said locals don't kid around with their rice and salad, she wasn't joking."

The brown gravy in the plate looked thick and delicious. "Nice."

The top fell halfway forward shielding the plate and he set it on the towel next to his knees. "This other plate got thumbs up from the people behind me as an option. Fish jun," he paused for a moment, "I think I said that right. It's fish battered and fried and comes with two-"

"Scoops of rice and mac salad." She said it with him.

"And...," he continued with a flourish, "cucumber kimchee. I know I said that right. I eat a lot of it at a Koren BBQ near work."

She clapped her hands together, excited. "I love kimchee, too. But I've never heard of fish jun."

"You get your choice of plates."

Biting into her bottom lip, she looked at one and then then the other. "I don't know... You pick."

He looked at her with one eyebrow lifted. "Want to share?"

"Yes!" She jumped at the chance. "That's the best idea, ever!"

They made quick work of cutting up the food and splitting them up into the two plates, laughing and talking as they did, but it was Vince who said something that was music to her ears.

"You offering me the chance to come with you to Hawaii was the best idea."

She looked up at him and felt her heart swelling in her chest. "You agreeing to come was even better."

TWELVE

Vince was regrettinghis choice not to get that rash guard at the store that morning.

Sure, he wouldn't need it in Chicago, and he would definitely not need it in Maine, but in Hawaii?

He should have worn it, or hell, he could have worn his undershirt at the beach.

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