Authors: Stella Kelly
“You did nothing to offend me. I just had to get
home,” Blythe said, hoping he’d drop it.
“Hmm. Okay. Whatever you say,” Chief Kalani
smirked suspiciously.
He was definitely on to her, she was certain.
She’d have to get him out of here, and quick. “Well, thanks again for your
help. Sorry that I inconvenienced your men.”
“You’ll get an extinguisher then?”
“Um, no. I’ll just never cook again. Easy.”
The Chief laughed, “That’s a shame. I like my
ham extra crispy.”
Was he coming on to her?
“Well, that’s nice. And thank you again. Sorry
to hurry you away, but I have company coming and I have a kitchen to clean and
take-out to order before they arrive. Goodbye, Chief Kalani.” She crossed her
arms, her posture screaming defensive and guarded.
He tipped his hat toward her and by the look on
his face, accepted her brush-off with grace and walked away.
Blythe watched him go and felt her stomach drop
from the guilt. She hadn’t meant to be so abrupt, but she’d run out of things
to say that didn’t involve self-admission. She didn’t trust herself not to
blurt out an apology for her scathing article and the ripple effect it had
caused. She only realized its impact once she’d moved to the island permanently
and word about the Chief had reached her. It hadn’t taken long for local women
to warn her about Makaio Kalani’s curse.
As Chief Kalani pulled away from the curb, a
taxi pulled up in his place. A willowy blond hopped out, followed by a muscular
man in preppy attire who helped the driver with their luggage before paying
him. The blond ran toward Blythe and hugged her tight, squealing excitedly in
her ear. “Let me look at you,” Rachel held her back to get a better look.
“You’re filthy! And why was there a fire truck here?”
Blythe wore a mischievous grin. “Okay, you
caught me. I had a slight problem with dinner.”
“What kind of a problem?” Rachel’s long-time
boyfriend Jarrod brought her into a bear hug. “Don’t tell me, you tried to cook.”
Blythe grinned wider, unable to suppress her
amusement. “As a matter of fact, yes. You guys are worth the effort.”
“Hope your insurance is worth the effort,”
Jerrod half joked as they went inside to assess the damage.
<><><>
Driving
back to the station, Mak’s mind was lost in thought as it usually was when
solo. What was it about that woman? For someone who seemed to treat him as if
he were a mere inconvenience, he certainly spent time thinking about her. She
couldn’t get him out of there fast enough.
Yep, Mak thought, she definitely knows that I’m
the cursed Fire Chief. She must have read the damning article all those years
ago like everyone else on the island. Either that or been informed by Big Lou,
a neighbor, or any local stranger she happened to meet. The way she shot down
and dismissed his deliberate flirtations confirmed it. She was repulsed by him,
and the only reason he could think of was the curse. Another opportunity with a
beautiful, intelligent woman bites the dust.
Chapter
Four
“Wow, this view is phenomenal,” Jarrod commented
as they stood at the rail of the observation deck. Being at the top of the
Haleakala volcano was equivalent to sitting on a cloud. The panoramic of the
ocean and surrounding islands took ones breath away.
“What’s that?” Jarrod asked, pointing toward a
small distant island. Although he’d been to Maui several times now with Rachel
and the rest of the family, they’d never had the pleasure of touring the
volcano before.
“That’s the island of Kahoolawe. It’s deserted,
but I don’t know much about it. Only what my Dad used to mumble. Something
about that island having significance during World War II.”
“Ah yes, the ramblings of David Davenport. Never
a dull moment,” laughed Jarrod.
“You’d better watch what you say about your
future father-in-law…if you ever decide to make a decent women out of my sister
that is.” Blythe pushed Jarrod away, noticing his cheeks grow red. She knew
he’d been waiting for the right moment to pop the question. He’d revealed his
plan for a Christmas proposal a few weeks ago and the entire family was in on
it. Everyone but Rachel, that is.
“This view never gets old. And didn’t you love
the smell of eucalyptus on the way up? Wasn’t it refreshing?” Rachel was lost
in the splendor of her surroundings and Jarrod quickly buried his attention in
a brochure, avoiding the subject of marriage proposals at all cost.
Blythe gawked around too, taking in the
experience. It had been years since she was up here. She felt relaxed and
content having her sister here, having missed her something fierce these past
few months apart. Her feeling of contentment quickly changed to one of acute
anxiety when she spotted a now familiar face amongst the other tourists. She
was positive it was his profile through the window of the gift shop. Chief
Kalani.
Straining, Blythe crept closer to get a better
look, all the while conscious of staying incognito. The last thing she wanted
was a one-on-one with the Chief after her embarrassing fire fiasco the other
day. Inching closer, Blythe’s curiosity spiked when she saw two tiny boys
accompanying him, especially since the boys resembled him and were clearly
comfortable in his presence. They swung from his outstretched arms like he was
a giant piece of playground equipment.
“I’m just going to check out the gift shop,”
Blythe announced before slipping away.
“Uh-huh, okay,” Jarrod and Rachel echoed without
looking away from their respective focus.
Entering the gift shop, Blythe pretended to
inspect some lacquered photos of the volcano. From a safe distance, she noticed
how casual The Chief was with the young boys, one about five and the other
around seven. He was attentive, crouching down to their level and making eye
contact, touching the tops of their heads as they browsed, or placing a strong
hand on their shoulders to guide them around. He was clearly over the moon in
their company, enjoying every minute.
“Anakala Mak, can we get some ice cream?” She
overheard one of the boys ask.
Anakala
…Blythe racked her memory for the word’s definition. She was
pretty sure it meant Uncle in English. At the revelation, Blythe found herself
breathing a sigh of relief. No wife, no kids. She shook her head, realizing the
thought was useless considering whom she was thinking about. Makaio Kalani
– the cursed Fire Chief. Sure, he was easy on the eyes. One might even
chance calling him drop-dead gorgeous. Still, this guy was off limits.
“Miss Davenport?”
Snapping back to attention, Blythe looked up right
into Chief Kalani’s open face. He looked puzzled, like he wasn’t sure why she
was here.
“Oh, hello. How are you?” she asked, realizing
how awkward she must sound. She dropped her gaze back to the volcano postcards,
making it look like she was searching for a particular one.
“Fine. What are you doing here? Are you alone?”
he asked as the two boys came around him and gawked up at her.
“Who’s she?” the smallest one asked. Blythe
noticed Chief Kalani laugh uneasily and put an arm around the boy.
“Kai, this is a reporter. I helped put out a
fire in her kitchen the other day.”
Blythe smiled then bit her bottom lip. She
laughed nervously. “Yes, about that. I’m totally mortified, but thank you
again. I guess I could have saved my own bacon, literally.”
Chief Kalani pointed at her and chuckled. “Good
one.”
“Hmm,” Blythe smiled again, not knowing what
else to say. She hadn’t planned on talking to him in the first place. Hadn’t
planned on being this close and having to witness his bulging biceps or bedroom
brown eyes roving hers. Even the smell of his cologne was an unexpected draw.
When he smiled, she noticed how the tanned skin around his eyes crinkled in a
relaxed way, like he did a lot of laughing. It was hypnotic.
“So, are you just taking in the sights?”
“Um, yes. My sister and her boyfriend are here
for the week, so…”
“You’re playing tour guide, got it,” he winked
and Blythe felt a little rush of excitement. “So that’s who you were cooking
for when the fire broke out.”
“Yes, they’re here from the mainland. Needless
to say, they weren’t surprised to hear that I burnt dinner. I have a tendency
of doing that.”
“Did you get yourself an extinguisher yet?”
Chief Kalani raised his eyebrows expectantly.
Blythe’s stomach twisted with unease. “Um, no.
Not yet. But I will. I promise.”
“Don’t do it for me. Do it for you.”
“Sure,” she said, thinking the line was a little
self-righteous. But then again, it was probably impossible for him to turn off
the Fire Chief mentality.
As if sensing her thoughts, he seemed to lighten
up a bit and his shoulders relaxed. “These are my nephews, Kai and Cade. I’m
giving my sister a breather and spending quality time with them. Guy bonding,
right?” He wrapped his arm around the older of the two and brought him closer.
“Yep,” the boys said in unison before reaching
out and lightly poking each other in the ribs. They broke free from his grip
and raced toward a toy display, their attention instantly diverted.
“Kids,” Chief Kalani shook his head, his smile
wide. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground before
turning those brown eyes her way. For a guy living under the umbrella of a
potent curse, he didn’t seem too phased. Life seemed pretty sweet and
easygoing.
“Well, I’d better get back,” Blythe thumbed over
her shoulder. She felt that urge to escape again.
“Yeah, okay. Nice to see you.” Chief Kalani
stood glued to the spot as if waiting for something. Blythe got the impression
he wanted to keep talking, but she knew that couldn’t happen. It was too risky.
“Bye.” Turning on her heels, she practically
raced to Rachel and Jarrod, feeling Chief Kalani’s eyes burn into her back.
Over
the course of the next hour, Blythe discretely watched as The Chief attentively
spent time with his nephews, pulling them close and reading the information
boards. She admired how he sounded words out slowly, attentively. They asked
question after question and his patience abounded as he answered with care.
With each tender response he gave, she pressed a palm firmly to her stomach,
easing down the intense feelings of butterflies.
The Makaio Kalani she’d written about all those
years ago had been a titillating fact sheet she’d dug up solely for the purpose
of filling article space in the Chicago tabloid she worked for. And now,
standing six-foot-three, dark skinned, dark haired, and full of taut muscles,
Blythe couldn’t for the life of her understand how something as silly as a
curse could keep women away; not from someone so magnificent. In the charged
circumstances at the cane burn, she hadn’t given him the inspection he’d
deserved. And at her kitchen fire, his fireman’s gear, although sexy, hid his
physique. Now, taking in the sight of him, she was sorry she’d ever written a
negative world about him.
But Chief Kalani would remain at arms length
– Blythe would make sure of that. She couldn’t risk him ever discovering
who she was or what she’d done.
<><><>
Mak
watched as Blythe Davenport moved with the ease of a modern woman. The altitude
made the air chilly and he admired how her outfit hugged her in all the right
places. She wore dark, tight denim on her long legs and stylish boots. No
hiking boots or Tiva sandals for this girl. A slouchy grey sweatshirt hung from
one shoulder revealing a black bra-strap. Not a typical college sweatshirt, but
some deconstructed thing that screamed mainland high fashion. She was stylish
and sophisticated, unlike most of the casual women he knew around Maui. This
made her seem even more unattainable.
The mid-afternoon breeze hinted at rain as it
sent the ends of Blythe’s fiery auburn hair teasing around her face. Everything
about her exuded poise and confidence and Mak felt his eyes draw uncontrollably
in her direction. Trying not to stare, she caught him looking and he broke into
an uncontrollable smile. She looked away quickly, as if she didn’t want him
knowing she was staring. But he knew she was. This girl had his senses in
overdrive, only he was positive she was avoiding him at all cost. He knew the
reason, but it didn’t stop him from indulging his fantasies. So maybe the curse
would keep her physically at bay, but his mind was right on top of her –
spinning with the possibilities. In another time and place, he would definitely
consider her the perfect match.
<><><>
Blythe
noticed she wasn’t the only woman in the lookout center with her eyes on Chief
Kalani. Two young women were checking him out from a distance, clearly ogling
him like some piece of succulent meat. Blythe admired their style, conservative
and posh. They were clearly tourists, on holiday from the mainland’s winter
chill. She watched as Chief Kalani nodded at the women and smiled back, aware
of their blatant stares, yet he remained discrete – the perfect
gentleman.