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Where She Belongs

By Pamela Harstad

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CHAPTER ONE

Would it work for her? Leilani Hudson spotted the dwelling right outside the town of Lahaina, Maui. An old-style green and white plantation house with a rusty, tin roof. Tears stung her eyes as she pulled into the drive. No vandalism. No evictions here.
Thankful for this inheritance when she had nowhere to live, could she afford the expenses of a house?
Inside, she glanced around the small, one bedroom abode. A real home. So what if the house was rundown, moldy and out of date? But now to make it feasible to stay.
Outside, trade winds tousled her hair as she locked the house. Her mending business in Kahului would entail a forty-five minute drive from Lahaina. It made sense to work in Lahaina given the long drive to Kahului, the cost of gas, her ancient car and meager earnings. But Lahaina was a much smaller community near tourists and resorts. Without enough customers, there’d be less work for her here. But she adored this house. Could it be more perfect?
She stepped across the grass littered with plumeria blossoms toward her car.
“Well, well. Look who’s come out to greet me.”
The familiar, cynical voice jolted Lei to an abrupt stop. Acid churned its way into her throat. “Eric.” With arms crossed and adrenaline gushing through her veins, she hated the way her voice trembled. “Why are you here?”
He moved closer, invading her space. “Can’t an old friend wish you well on your move, evidently to this dump?”
Old friend? After the way he’d treated her? Breathing proved difficult, but she managed to spit it out. “I’m leaving now.”
He threw his head back, and his chin jutted out. “Why? I just got here.”
“I’m ready to go. What do you want, anyway?” She quivered inside, but managed to remain motionless enough to keep a strong stance.
“Why, nothing. Since you didn’t tell me you were leaving, I had to do all the work to find you myself.” He kicked hard at a few of the plumeria blooms in the grass and dug into the red soil.
Lei stepped to one side of the yard to bypass him and walked toward the car.
Eric blocked her path. “Course, you’re easy to track. Nothing to following you.”
Her leg muscles tightened, ready to sprint if necessary. Why wouldn’t he leave her alone? “I don’t try to hide where I go.” Could he hear the hitch in her voice?
“Remember, I can find you whenever I want, if I want.”
Every muscle tensed as her pulse rose at an alarming rate. Chin lifted high, she was so done with this. “So? Is this how you want to spend your time, following me around? Pathetic. You need to get a life.” She balled her hands into tight fists to keep them from shaking.
“Oh, but I do have one.” He snorted.
The pitch of her voice increased. “Then go live it and leave me alone. Do you want me to get a restraining order? I will if you keep bothering me.”
Eric chuckled. “Oh, please. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. So typical of you. And besides, everyone knows those things don’t work.”
Lei wanted to scream in his face but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He’d take it as weakness and an opportunity to upset her.
The hibiscus bushes behind her rustled. She turned and saw a man. Her stomach churned. Who was he? Did Eric bring someone with him?
He stepped out past the bushes into the yard and faced Lei. “Hi. I’m your new neighbor, Jess Park. I recently moved here from the mainland and will start security work at the Hawaiian Hotel. Nice to meet you.”
The tall, good-looking man mesmerized her for a moment. Was it his light brown, wavy hair tousled by the wind, or the sea-green eyes which caught her gaze? And what a polite manner after Eric’s harsh tone.
Eric sauntered forward and greeted the newcomer, his chest thrust out. “How sweet. I’m Eric. For the record, I do my own security and investigation. And I’m good at it.”
Heat filled her cheeks from the semi-veiled threat. “Please ignore those comments.” She extended her hand toward Jess and suspected he’d overheard the prior conversation with Eric. “Leilani Hudson. People call me Lei. I’m from Maui, but new to this side of the island.”
Eric glowered.
Jess pressed his lips into a tight line, but then the corners twitched upward.
Good. She liked him. “I’ll be moving in soon.” Her upper lip curled when she glared at Eric. “Alone.”
Her mind raced. In one day she’d viewed her new home, faced employment concerns, dealt with an encounter from Eric and met a man who captivated her like no one else.

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