Page 54 of His Hawaiian Heart
“The exact right thing to do,” I said, cutting her off. Since I’d seen the missing report in Kekoa’s hand, I knew he’d pick up and handle it and we could discuss options later. “I love you, Grammy, and you too, brother, but I’ve gotta go.”
Before I left, I stopped to kiss Grammy’s cheek. “Thank you.”
She reached out to take my hand. I thought she was going to just squeeze my fingers, but instead, she pressed something into my palm. When I just stared at her, she smiled. “It’s time, son.”
Closing my fingers around the small box, I then wrapped my arms around her. “I hope you know how much I love you.”
“I do, now go make sure Samantha knows the same.”
“I’m the best man!” Kekoa shouted as I strode out into the hall.
“That’s debatable, but I’ll let you play one at the wedding,” I called back. I just prayed I wouldn’t have to eat my words if Samantha didn’t believe in the very force that had brought us together.
Fate.
My pulse slowed as I repeated the word playing in my head. “Fate.” It not only sounded right, it felt right. With a huge smile,I tucked the box into my pocket and drove out the gates to discover what fate had in store for my future.
Chapter Twenty-One
Samantha
“This reminds me of the first time I saw you in your element.”
Sam.
I hadn’t planned on seeing him today, but I was so very glad he was here. Turning, I smiled. “Are you crazy or just suffering from island fever? There is nothing about this Eden that resembles anything at the airport.”
With a chuckle, he walked to me and wrapped his arms around me. “You may have passed through a thousand airports and may visit a thousand more, but not a single one could be referred toyourelement.” He brushed a finger across my cheek, capturing a stray curl and tucked it behind my ear. “I was talking about the daywebecame anus. You were standing waist deep in ferns. The sun’s rays turned your hair into flames that I wanted to reach and grasp regardless of whether they burned. You were wearing those sexy glasses, and all I could do was pray that you’d find it in your heart to give me a second chance.”
“And you stepped from the trees and my heart threatened to stop. I’d never been so grateful than to know I hadn’t destroyed any chance of knowing you, knowing?—”
“What makes youyou.”
No matter how many times it happened, I would never cease to be amazed at how connected we were. His grin told me he felt the same.
“Do you believe in fate, Sam?” I asked, pulling back to look up into his eyes.
“With every cell in my body,” he said without hesitation and then he shook his head, “Oh, babygirl, please don’t cry. I know I promised we’d go slow, but I couldn’t let another single moment pass before I told you that I love you.”
I felt tears sliding down my cheeks, but I couldn’t have stopped them if I tried. “I love you, Sam. I love you so much it hurts.” When his brow furrowed, I smiled. “In the best way possible, of course.”
His forehead smoothed and he wiped his thumbs across my cheeks. “That’s my beautiful, amazing, sweet and very, very dirty babygirl.”
My laugh, my joy, rang out across the forest where Sam had brought me that day we’d become anus.I’d spent weeks studying here and though he’d never returned with me, every time I looked toward the log or found a crinkled leaf, I would see him right beside me. I’d known that day I loved Samuel Blackwell and prayed that one day, he’d love me back. I’d capped the last vial yesterday and my team had moved on to finish up in another area, but I’d had to come back to say goodbye.
The thought of why I’d come back here tore at me in a way I’d forced myself not to think about. I didn’t doubt he loved me, but did he love me enough to let me go?
“What are we going to do?” I asked, too chicken to face the subject head on.
“We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing. You’re going to continue to save the world, and I’m going to make sure you have a home to come back to.”
“You-you don’t mind that I could be gone for months at a time?”
“Of course I’ll mind. But, babygirl, loving me doesn’t mean you have to give up loving what you do.”
For the first time since I’d looked through my father’s magnifying glass to peer at a ladybug, I felt torn. “I don’t think I could survive not seeing you for months.”
He pressed his forehead against mine. “I might not have ever ridden a camel or an elephant, but I have been known to ride in an airplane. There is nowhere on this earth I won’t go when you need me. Wherever we are, as long as we are together, it will be home.”
