come through and collected their drink cups a few minutes earlier, so Adam put his tray table up then watched Tori’s profile as she stared out of the window.
When they’d talked a couple of weeks previously about how she’d never been to Hawaii, the longing in her voice had struck a chord in Adam. Tori loved being on the small section of beach just blocks from her condo and walked there almost daily. But to think she’d never experienced the beautiful exotic difference of Hawaii when it was so easy to get there had seemed a shame to Adam.
So he’d started looking into planning a trip and had found that, since it was summer, it was fairly inexpensive to fly there and vacation rentals were plentiful. Since he made his own schedule, he’d simply picked the five-day stretch that had the least number of bookings, then arranged for another of the trainers to cover his slots.
He hadn’t been sure how Tori would take it—planning a vacation without her knowledge—but he’d gone ahead and booked their flights and the rental in a small but nice condo complex in the middle of Maui. Then he’d printed out the brochure and flight information and given it to her in an envelope over dinner the night before last.
Waiting for her to look at the papers and react had been one of the longest waits of his life, but when she’d looked up with happy tears in her eyes and a huge smile for him, he’d finally relaxed and enjoyed the success of his surprise.
At least until she’d jumped to her feet in a panic about what to pack and the fact that the flight was only a day and a half away.
He’d tried to assure her that less was more, and that a carry-on would be plenty for what they’d need for their short stay, especially since they’d be living in casual wear and swimsuits the whole time. And, he’d added, it wasn’t like they were going on safari. They could shop there, and would be making a stop before checking in, anyway, for sunscreen and food supplies so they could cook and grill out at the condo.
She’d finally pared it down to the small floral rolling bag she’d shopped for yesterday afternoon, so between that and Adam’s duffle bag, they wouldn’t need to go to baggage claim.
They touched down at Kahului and finally got to the gate. When they deplaned and headed for the rental car counter, Adam enjoyed watching Tori’s astonishment.
“It’s all open.” She gestured around. “What happens when it rains?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never had it rain when I’ve been here. But I’m sure they’ve designed it so that it works for them.”
“Look at the colours, the beautiful flowers. Oh, Adam, this is amazing.”
“And we’re not even out of the airport yet. Just wait.”
They got their car with a minimum of fuss and were on their way. Tori laughed that they went to the same chain grocery store that she shopped at while at home. Less than an hour after their plane had touched down, they were opening the door to the ground-level condo Adam had reserved.
It had white wicker furniture and was light and airy, with two bedrooms and bathrooms and a lanai from which you could walk right to both the pool and the beach. It also had a kitchen and a laundry—all of the comforts of home. It was an older complex but had obviously been renovated, and most of all it was on a small section of sand beach between the harbour and a wildlife refuge, so the beach was nearly empty but for a few couples strolling who were probably staying at the same complex. Much better than some of the huge hotels and resorts, in Adam’s opinion.
“Thank you for this.” Tori wrapped her arms around him where they were standing by the screen door to the lanai. She squeezed him tightly then lifted her lips for a kiss. He met her halfway and they shared a long, leisurely kiss there in the light island breeze. It was such a pleasure to do something for Tori that she wouldn’t have done for herself.
He took one last taste then