Yuletide Stalker. Irene Brand

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      Flushing slightly, Linc said, “Yes, a nice room directly across the hall from mine. I really didn’t expect Maddie to be so…” He hesitated. “So mature. She’ll prefer the privacy of the guesthouse.”

      Ahonui’s remarks had made Linc more conscious of his responsibility while Maddie visited him. And he hadn’t been prepared for the emotional jolt Maddie’s appearance had caused. Since Stanley Horton had been his friend, Maddie probably thought of him as a father figure, and he’d have to be sure that he kept it that way. Trouble was, he didn’t know how a father should act, either. But he knew that he would be more comfortable if Maddie didn’t occupy the bedroom across the hall from his own.

      When Maddie showed up for lunch wearing white capris, a coral tunic and a pair of white canvas sandals, Linc groaned inwardly. The casual garments she’d exchanged for the light blue tailored suit she’d worn made her even more attractive. How could he spend a month treating Maddie as the daughter of his friend when he suspected that she embodied the traits he’d looked for in a woman most of his adult life? Since he didn’t date much, his friends often accused him of being too picky. And maybe he was, because he hadn’t found anyone before whose presence affected him as Maddie’s did.

      After lunch, Maddie said, “I’m very tired, but I’d like to take a walk down to the beach before I go to bed. I’m too keyed up to sleep yet.”

      “Just take a little nap,” Roselina advised, “and tonight you can get adjusted to the local sleeping schedule.”

      “I’ll show you around,” Linc said.

      Narrow stepping stones marked the path to the beach, and they walked single file. Following Maddie, Linc carried two lounge chairs.

      “It’s a small beach but fairly private except for pleasure boats traveling by.” Gesturing in a wide arc toward the palatial hotels dominating the coastline in both directions, he said, “You can see we’re situated in a cove between several large resort hotels.”

      Maddie kicked off her sandals, walked across the sandy beach and waded into the gentle surf. “I can’t believe it,” she said, jumping up and down, splashing water in her excitement. “Maddie Horton walking in the Pacific Ocean. I must be dreaming. Is it safe to swim here?”

      “Perfectly safe,” Linc assured her. “I usually take a swim when I come home from work.”

      “My swimsuit is in the piece of luggage we’ll pick up tomorrow, so I can’t swim today.”

      Linc unfolded the lounge chairs. “We can sit and enjoy the view until you get sleepy.”

      Maddie stretched out on the chair, leaned her head back and listened to the regular rhythm of the incoming whitecaps. A large white bird with red feet landed on the beach and strutted serenely through the water, turning its head toward Linc and Maddie as if expecting a handout.

      “Is that a seagull?”

      “We don’t have seagulls in Hawaii. That’s a Red-footed Booby.”

      Maddie frowned. “What an ugly name for such a pretty bird.”

      “You’ll notice many birds that are strange to you. There’s a bird book in your cottage for guests—you can use that to identify them.”

      The long plane trip had been exhausting and Maddie sighed. Despite the disturbing news she’d read about the naval officer’s death, she had never felt more content in her life. These few hours with Linc had proven he was the same thoughtful, caring man who’d supported Maddie and her mother through Stanley Horton’s funeral years ago. She went to sleep wondering if Linc was in love with Ahonui.

      Linc unashamedly watched Maddie as she slept. The breeze whiffed the long golden tresses around her face, and occasionally Maddie brushed them aside. Her face was relaxed and she seemed vulnerable, as if she was still the girl he remembered, but she wasn’t a child. Nor did he want her to be, although he didn’t dare hope that she would regard him romantically. Maddie sighed wearily and an agonized expression spread across her face.

      Suddenly Linc felt like a Peeping Tom, and he turned on his side away from Maddie, but not to sleep. The recent news that an investigation was being initiated into Stanley Horton’s death had come as a shock to him. If he’d had any notion of such a development, he wouldn’t have invited Maddie to visit. He didn’t want to ruin her vacation, but she should be made aware of these new developments. What was the best way to tell her? He decided to say nothing until she had rested.

      They ate their evening meal of chicken, potatoes and mixed vegetables in the dining room with a full view of the Pacific.

      “Except for some of the spices, this meal could have been served back home,” Maddie said. “I’m curious about what kind of food you prepare for Christmas. And how do you celebrate here in Hawaii? Are your customs different?”

      Laughing, Linc said, “Different from what I knew as a kid. I grew up in Iowa, and I remember going to Grandma’s house for a traditional Christmas dinner. We didn’t travel in a horse-drawn sleigh, but we had snow most of the time. You obviously won’t see any snow, but people do a lot of decorating. And we serve ham and turkey with all the fixin’s in my restaurants and people like that. I heard a news anchor say last week that you can always tell you’re spending Christmas in Hawaii when ‘Silent Night’ is played on a ukulele and Santa arrives on the beach in a canoe.”

      “That’s funny,” she said with a grin. “I’ve been thinking how strange it will seem to spend Christmas Day at the beach. Do you decorate a tree?”

      As Roselina cleared the table for dessert, she said, “Christmas trees are brought in by ship—sometimes by plane. Mr. Linc usually brings home a fir tree, and I decorate it for him. European seamen brought Christmas to the islands, but I don’t think much attention was paid to the holiday until Hawaii became a U.S. territory.”

      “I read in the newspaper last week that the first Christmas was supposedly celebrated in Hawaii when an English ship captain and his crew observed the holiday in the South Pacific not far from here.” Linc grinned and added, “Their menu consisted of roasted pig and coconut milk. I’ve always served roasted pork at my restaurants, and this year, as a specialty for the Christmas season, we’re serving chilled coconut milk.”

      Mention of the newspaper reminded Maddie of the article. Suddenly the joy of celebrating Christmas in Hawaii took second place to the suspicion that her father could have been murdered.

      Noting her change of expression, as soon as they finished the meal, Linc asked Maddie if she wanted to go to her cottage.

      Stifling a yawn, she said, “But I should help Roselina with the dishes.”

      “No, no,” the housekeeper said. “I have a dishwasher, and it will take no time. You can help next time, but you should rest your first night here.”

      As soon as the sun set, darkness came immediately, and Maddie felt apprehensive. She willingly agreed when Linc said, “I’ll walk with you to the cottage. I don’t have dusk to dawn lights because I like the peace of total darkness, but it might be intimidating if you aren’t used to it.”

      He turned on the light over the garage door, which was near the cottage. “I’ll leave this light on all night.”

      Maddie thanked him, because the darkness СКАЧАТЬ