The Look of Love
Book Five of the Aloha Series
Chapter One
"Remind me again why we're here three hours before departure?" Madeleine Harper tugged at the handle on the last of her mother's three suitcases and thanked heaven for whoever invented four-wheeled luggage. The new spinner style suitcases made juggling all these bags and her carryon so much easier. For the last couple of days she'd watched her mother flutter from baby boutique to mega–box store like a merrily drunken butterfly. Now they were hauling her loot to Nick's house in Kona.
"Your mother is anxious to get to Hawaii." Randy Harper relieved his daughter of the two larger suitcases. "And just in case every baby shop on the Big Island has gone out of business, she's bringing enough merchandise for a tribe of grandchildren."
"Not everything is for the new baby." Yvette Harper tapped her toe, waiting for her husband to catch up. "There's plenty here for Bradley too."
"Of course." Madeleine took a deep breath and followed her parents into the terminal at LAX. She was just as excited about her brother, Nick's, soon-to-arrive second child, especially since she'd not met her nephew Bradley until he was almost six. But she'd have also been just as happy to sleep in an extra hour this morning rather than arrive at the airport at the crack of dawn only to hurry up and wait.
"Good grief." Maddie stopped short at the maze of passengers ahead. "Is that the security line?"
Like a matched set of bobbleheads, Yvette and Randy Harper scanned the crowd from one side of the cavernous airport to the other and nodded. "Looks like it."
"Maybe arriving insanely early wasn't such a bad idea after all." Madeleine tightened her grip on each suitcase, and, like an obedient duckling, followed single file behind her parents. She was nearly to the ticketing area when one of the wheels on her mom's trunk-size suitcase went rogue. The fifty-pound bag veered suddenly right and slammed into the passenger backing away from a self-check kiosk. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry." Mortification erupted at the sight of the wayward bag bouncing off the back of denim-clad legs.
A six-foot wall of a man turned and glanced down dismissively at the offending suitcase she'd already managed to corral back to her side. "No problem."
Sea green eyes with fine laugh lines stretching from the corners stared down at her, and Madeleine was sure what little saliva was left in her mouth had just turned to dust. Reflexively she took a step back. Not till her knees buckled beneath her and her arms flew up in an effort to regain her balance, did she remember the other bag still parked at her feet. Squealing like a young girl spotting a mouse, she thrust her arms backward in a flimsy effort to break her fall when two large vises tightened around her forearms.
"Easy there."
His deep, slow, even tone brought a wave of instant calm.
Steady on her feet again, she managed an appreciative smile. "Thanks."
"Anytime." His hands hovered in midair as he retreated, no doubt concerned she might find something else to topple over.
"There you are." Randy Harper appeared beside his daughter. "I thought you were right behind me."
"I was. I am." She reached for the two bags, spinning the troublesome one to the other side and looked up at the stranger she'd collided with. "Thank you again."
"You're welcome, and remember next time to signal before turning." With a short nod and a broad smile he turned on his heel and headed toward security
"Remind me again why we're here three hours before departure?" Madeleine Harper tugged at the handle on the last of her mother's three suitcases and thanked heaven for whoever invented four-wheeled luggage. The new spinner style suitcases made juggling all these bags and her carryon so much easier. For the last couple of days she'd watched her mother flutter from baby boutique to mega–box store like a merrily drunken butterfly. Now they were hauling her loot to Nick's house in Kona.
"Your mother is anxious to get to Hawaii." Randy Harper relieved his daughter of the two larger suitcases. "And just in case every baby shop on the Big Island has gone out of business, she's bringing enough merchandise for a tribe of grandchildren."
"Not everything is for the new baby." Yvette Harper tapped her toe, waiting for her husband to catch up. "There's plenty here for Bradley too."
"Of course." Madeleine took a deep breath and followed her parents into the terminal at LAX. She was just as excited about her brother, Nick's, soon-to-arrive second child, especially since she'd not met her nephew Bradley until he was almost six. But she'd have also been just as happy to sleep in an extra hour this morning rather than arrive at the airport at the crack of dawn only to hurry up and wait.
"Good grief." Maddie stopped short at the maze of passengers ahead. "Is that the security line?"
Like a matched set of bobbleheads, Yvette and Randy Harper scanned the crowd from one side of the cavernous airport to the other and nodded. "Looks like it."
"Maybe arriving insanely early wasn't such a bad idea after all." Madeleine tightened her grip on each suitcase, and, like an obedient duckling, followed single file behind her parents. She was nearly to the ticketing area when one of the wheels on her mom's trunk-size suitcase went rogue. The fifty-pound bag veered suddenly right and slammed into the passenger backing away from a self-check kiosk. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry." Mortification erupted at the sight of the wayward bag bouncing off the back of denim-clad legs.
A six-foot wall of a man turned and glanced down dismissively at the offending suitcase she'd already managed to corral back to her side. "No problem."
Sea green eyes with fine laugh lines stretching from the corners stared down at her, and Madeleine was sure what little saliva was left in her mouth had just turned to dust. Reflexively she took a step back. Not till her knees buckled beneath her and her arms flew up in an effort to regain her balance, did she remember the other bag still parked at her feet. Squealing like a young girl spotting a mouse, she thrust her arms backward in a flimsy effort to break her fall when two large vises tightened around her forearms.
"Easy there."
His deep, slow, even tone brought a wave of instant calm.
Steady on her feet again, she managed an appreciative smile. "Thanks."
"Anytime." His hands hovered in midair as he retreated, no doubt concerned she might find something else to topple over.
"There you are." Randy Harper appeared beside his daughter. "I thought you were right behind me."
"I was. I am." She reached for the two bags, spinning the troublesome one to the other side and looked up at the stranger she'd collided with. "Thank you again."
"You're welcome, and remember next time to signal before turning." With a short nod and a broad smile he turned on his heel and headed toward security