Page 37 of Maliea's Hero
“We?” Reid asked gently.
Maliea glanced toward him briefly. “Childcare is expensive. Taylor had just finished his master’s degree and landed a job as a teacher at the university. He didn’t make enough money for me to pay for childcare while I completed my degree.”
“The cost of living is high here,” Reid commented.
She nodded. “It made sense for me to quit school and raise Nani. Only he didn’t even make enough money for me to stay home full-time. We agreed that I could work nights as a hula dancer like I had when I was a single college student. The extra money meant we could afford diapers and groceries. He would be home at night to care for Nani when I went out to dance.”
“How long did that arrangement last?” Reid asked.
“Until Taylor said he had to teach night classes or stay late to work with students who needed additional tutoring. Or so he said.” Maliea looked away, embarrassed that she’d been naïve enough to believe his lies. “My father and my friends helped by watching Nani on the nights I danced. I put Nani in a mother’s-day-out program when I worked at a local supermarket stocking shelves or working as a clerk.”
“I take it you did a lot of juggling,” Reid said.
Maliea nodded. “But enough about me. So, home for you is South Texas?”
“It was,” Reid answered. “I grew up there.”
“Have you been back often?” she asked.
“Not very,” he said. “Not since I joined the Navy fourteen years ago.”
“Don’t you like Texas?”
He shrugged. “I go back occasionally to visit my parents and siblings, but I don’t miss the heat in Texas.”
“Do you like Hawaii and think you’ll stay? Or will you eventually go back home to Texas?”
“I hadn’t decided. I was glad to land a job after leaving the Navy. It’s hard to get work when all you have on your resume is weapons training and combat experience. When Hawk offered us work here, we jumped on it.”
I hope you stay.
Maliea almost said the words aloud but clamped her lips closed before she could.
Jenny from the Burger Bar came outside just in time to keep Maliea from blurting out anything else that might sound stupid or needy. She carried a sack full of food and handed it through Reid’s window with a friendly smile. “Enjoy!” she said with a wink and flounced back into the restaurant.
Reid handed the sack of food to Maliea.
Her round of questioning ended, Maliea sat silently as Reid shifted the SUV into reverse, backed out of the parking space and pulled out onto the highway. The sun had set with a brilliant display of red and orange as it slipped below the horizon.
Maliea marveled at the stunning display of nature. She never got tired of the beauty of her island.
A few minutes later, Reid parked behind the cabin.
Nani woke as the lights blinked on inside the SUV. She yawned and stretched as Maliea helped her out of the car seat and carried her to the cabin.
Reid grabbed the sack of food and hurried ahead to unlock the back door.
Before Maliea could enter, three men surrounded them.
Reid spun and crouched, ready to spring.
Maliea clutched Nani close, her heart beating fast until she recognized two of the men as Logan and Rex, Reid’s teammates.
Reid recognized them a few seconds sooner and cursed under his breath. “Don’t sneak up on me like that unless you want to end up in a hospital.”
“Dude,” Logan said. “You’re getting slow.”
“I heard you coming,” Reid grumbled.