“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “Luce?” He paused. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, big brother. After all, you’ve always been there for me,” she said softly. “I couldn’t have gotten through it all if it hadn’t been for you.” Her tone suddenly turned brisk. “So get out there and relive those wild times of your youth. And don’t worry about the twins!” She hung up before he could say another word.
“Goodbye to you, too,” he murmured, grinning.
Zach unpacked his clothing, put away his shaving gear and decided he had enough time for a quick swim before he needed to get ready for his dinner date with Ginna.
GINNA DIDN’T WASTE any time unpacking and hanging up her clothing. She made a trip to the vending machine and ice machine and fixed herself a glass of diet soda. With that in one hand and her cell phone and address book in the other, she walked out onto the balcony. She dropped onto one of the chairs and looked out over the ocean.
For several moments, she was content just to sit there and enjoy the serene setting.
“Oh, yes,” she murmured. “Denny, this is the absolute best thing you ever did for me, you scum-sucking bottom feeder.”
She switched on the phone and tapped out a series of numbers.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice answered.
“Hey there, travel agent to the rich and famous,” Ginna said cheerfully.
“I wish!” The woman chuckled. “So how’s it going? Did I do good?”
“You did better than good,” Ginna replied. “You are talking to one very satisfied client, and all I’ve seen so far is the lobby and my room. I braced myself for what I thought would be a flight from hell and, instead, met this great guy who took my mind off my fears. Let me tell you he was better than any over-the-counter medication. And he’s invited me out to dinner tonight. Luce, you are a miracle worker.”
Lucie Donner laughed along with her. She didn’t need to be psychic to know her plan had worked. Both her brother and her friend sounded happy, which meant their meeting had gone well. Now she could only pray the rest of their vacation would be just as rewarding.
“What can I say, Gin? For the past five years, you’ve kept my hair looking great. When you were awarded that money from your lawsuit, you told me you decided it was time to do something for yourself. You wanted an out-of-this-world vacation—I figured the least I could do was make sure you got one.”
Chapter Two
Zach was convinced he’d died and gone to heaven.
He had come downstairs ten minutes early. He spent some time in the gift shop, looking at bright-colored T-shirts and beach towels.
It was a man murmuring “Now that’s what I call a woman” that first caught his attention.
He turned around in the direction of the elevators. He instinctively knew the man was talking about Ginna.
Nick would have called her a hottie. For once Zach wouldn’t have disagreed.
Ginna had dressed for the warm climate in a silky cobalt-blue handkerchief halter top and a blue tropical-print ankle-length skirt. The high-heeled sandals she wore put her almost eye level with him. An exotic-looking white flower was tucked behind her right ear while her hair tumbled down her back in loose curls. Even with the sexy picture presented to him, all he could see was the intense blue of her eyes.
“When I look at your eyes, I feel as if I’m looking into the ocean,” he murmured, walking up to her.
Her smile warmed considerably. “Why suh, I do declare you are flattering lil ol’ me unduly,” she said in a syrupy Southern drawl.
“Sorry, sweetheart, Scarlett O’Hara, you ain’t.” He grinned.
“Damn Yankee,” she said, deadpan.
“Wasn’t that a baseball movie?” Zach took her arm and tucked it under his.
“Flatterer and quick on the uptake,” she said with a smile filled with approval. “I like that. Just don’t think your charming and witty answer will get you out of my drink with an umbrella in it. I intend to order the fanciest drink they offer.”
He inhaled the scent that drifted off her skin and at the same time noticed the shimmering glow on her bare shoulders.
As the hostess led them to a table on the lanai that overlooked the beach, he thought about the evening ahead. He didn’t need a psychic to tell him this was going to be an evening he’d remember for a long time.
Ginna didn’t disappoint him. She was warm and friendly to their waitress, discussed a variety of drinks and finally settled on one called Tropical Sunset. She was delighted that the drink not only sported an umbrella but a pineapple spear.
“There is nothing like the Hawaiian Islands,” she confided as she nibbled on the pineapple. “The minute you step off the plane you instantly relax. You want to put on your bikini, slather on some sunscreen and just lie on the beach.”
“I think I’d go for something that covers a little more than a bikini,” Zach said. “I’m the modest type.”
Ginna grinned. “Come on, Zach, tell me more about you. Likes and dislikes in foods, what you like to do on the weekends, any pets, where you go for haircuts.” Her bright eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Hate broccoli and cauliflower, like squash and green beans. Like to go hiking in the mountains when I can.” He doubted running after the kids at the local playground qualified as a weekend activity. “No pets. A very nice guy named Rupert cuts my hair every four weeks.” He grew suspicious at the look on her face. “What’s wrong with my hair?”
“Hate corn and lima beans, like green beans also, and carrots. I have Casper, a white German shepherd, who enjoys long runs on the weekend,” she replied. “One of my friends cuts my hair, and yours could use a good conditioner and some shaping. Sorry, occupational hazard. Rupert gives you a decent cut, but I can give you a better one.”
Why did he feel as if she’d just suggested something a lot more intimate?
He was ready to give her an enthusiastic yes, but managed to remain silent.
She leaned forward. “Am I unnerving you, Zach? For a minute there, you looked panicked.”
“I think it’s more panicking that I won’t remember how to relax,” he said. “You seem to have it down to a fine art.”
“I work very hard. I realize some people think that hairdressers are flaky individuals who don’t understand what work is. Trust me—” she lowered her voice “—it’s not easy standing there listening to a woman explain just how she wants to look, while deep down you know no matter what you do, there’s no way you can make her look like Heather Locklear. Explaining to her what will work better for her is diplomacy to the nth degree. But I love it. I love seeing women brighten up when they leave the salon. I love knowing that my efforts help them feel beautiful.”
“An artist,” he murmured, finding himself just enjoying the sound of her voice.
“Artist?” She looked delighted with his description. “I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler. I was the only child in my school’s history to flunk fingerpainting. Although, unlike my brothers, I didn’t stick the paintbrush in my mouth. Mark, my older brother, had a purple tongue for a month.” She stopped speaking and wrinkled her nose. “I’m talking too much, aren’t I? It’s a problem I have. Probably comes from growing up in a large family. If you don’t speak up, you don’t get heard.”
As their dinner was placed in front of them, Ginna dug enthusiastically into her mahi mahi.
“No,