Yuletide Stalker (2 page)

His mind reeling with confusion, Linc dropped his hands from her shoulders.

Ahonui's sarcastic voice sounded in his ear. “Aren't you going to introduce me?”

Suddenly, he was happy for her presence.

Shaking his head to clear it, Linc reached for the piece of luggage Maddie carried.

“Maddie Horton, this is my secretary and friend, Ahonui Kingsbury.”

Maddie took Ahonui's hand, wondering at the speculative glint in the woman's eyes.

“Patience is my English name if you'd prefer to use that. You'll be seeing a lot of me.”

“But I like Ahonui,” Maddie said. “It's a pretty name.”

“How was your flight?” Linc asked as he steered Maddie toward the luggage area. Ahonui took a place at Linc's other side.

“Since it was my first flight, I don't know whether it was typical or not,” she said, and her eyes met his briefly. “But I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for making it possible for me to have this new experience.”

“You'll be a flying pro before you go home. We do a lot of interisland flying here.”

A piece of Maddie's luggage didn't arrive, and she assured Linc that she could manage without it.

“We'll report it to the claims department, and we can probably pick it up when we come into town tomorrow. I've set aside the day to take you on a tour of Honolulu.”

When they reached the parking garage, Ahonui claimed the front seat of Linc's two-door car, leaving Maddie to climb into the back. Linc didn't like it, but he knew he couldn't do anything about Ahonui's
behavior without making a scene that would embarrass Maddie.

As he left the airport, Linc spoke over his shoulder to Maddie, “We'll take Ahonui into town, then we'll head toward my home, which is ten miles from the city in the opposite direction. You've had a long trip, and you'll probably want to rest before we start sightseeing.”

Linc soon pulled into the parking garage of a multistoried building and stopped near the elevator.

“My offices are on the tenth floor,” he said to Maddie, “and I'll take you on a tour of them later.” He left the car and opened the door for Ahonui.

“I probably won't be back to work for a week,” he said to her, “but I'll check in by phone at least once a day.”

Ahonui stepped out of the car, saying, “I hope you'll enjoy your visit in Hawaii, Maddie.” Turning to Linc, she said quietly, “I just thought of something we need to discuss. Could I speak with you privately?”

Frowning, he said to Maddie, “I'll only be a few minutes.” Linc followed Ahonui out of hearing.

“What's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?” he asked impatiently.

“Do you think it's wise for you to be escorting that woman around these islands alone? I can easily go with you. The other secretaries can handle things until we're back.”

Irritated more than he should have been, Linc
said, “I need a secretary this month more than I need a chaperone.”

“How old is she anyway?”

“I don't remember her exact age, but I think she's twenty.”

Laughing ironically, Ahonui stated, “She's the most mature twenty-year-old I've ever seen, and you're a bachelor. She might have designs on you. I'm just trying to protect her reputation…and
yours
,” she added significantly.

He lifted his brows. “Surely I'm not such a rough character that my companionship would ruin anyone's reputation.”

“That isn't what I mean and you know it.”

Ahonui knew very well that he didn't date anyone steady, and she hadn't shown any interest in him, other than as her employer. He knew very little about her private life, so why was she so eager to follow him and Maddie around the islands?

“Let me worry about Maddie's reputation. You take care of the office.”

Returning to the car, Linc opened the door and invited Maddie to sit in the front seat.

“I don't want to look like your chauffeur,” he said with a grin. “Besides you can see better from up here.”

Ahonui watched them leave, and Maddie wondered at the expression on her face. Was it fear that shone from her dark eyes? Or was she romantically interested in Linc? Since Linc had been her knight in shining armor for years, Maddie had hoped that
her memory had remained in his heart, too. She supposed that Linc would always think of her as a child, and she knew she couldn't compete with Ahonui if Linc was dating her.

Ahonui was a tall, slender, almost excessively thin woman, but she walked gracefully, her well-shaped shoulders erect. She had heavy dark hair, olive skin and ebony eyes. Only a slight droop to her shapely mouth marred the beauty of her face. Her air of self-determination gnawed at Maddie's self-confidence. She had a feeling that Ahonui would stop at nothing to gain what she wanted.

Maddie's daydreams about the time she would spend with Linc had suffered a setback. Comparing herself to Ahonui, Maddie sensed that she came off second best. How close was the relationship between Ahonui and Linc?

H
aving noticed that many of the houses along the highway were small, unpretentious dwellings, the magnificence of Linc's home came as a big surprise to Maddie. After they left the main highway, for about a mile he guided his small red sports car along a private road lined with eucalyptus trees. They entered a sizable cleared area dominated by a two-story frame house with a steeply pitched roof. One striking feature of his home was a long, low veranda with sheltering eaves. A covered walkway connected the house to a nearby cottage.

Linc opened the car door for Maddie, and as she stepped out, she exclaimed, “Oh, it's beautiful. Is it a new house?”

Pleased at her response to his home, Linc shook his head. “It's a lot older than we are. This house was built in the thirties by the owner of a sugar plantation. After he died most of the land was snapped up by contractors who built resort hotels along the beach. But the woman who inherited the property
didn't want her grandfather's home razed. I bought the house and four acres of land at a reasonable price. It was in bad condition, and it has cost a lot of money and hard work to renovate, but it was worth it.”

“Oh, yes, I think so. And just feel that lovely breeze,” Maddie said as the wind stirred tendrils of soft hair across her face.

“We're close to the ocean. Let me show you my favorite view.”

He directed Maddie into a large living room furnished with overstuffed sofas and chairs. At the end facing the ocean, the wall consisted almost entirely of windows. Linc opened a sliding door onto a trellised porch that led to the ocean at the property's edge.

“My own private beach,” he said.

Finding it hard to realize she was vacationing in such a wonderful spot, Maddie cried out, “I've come to paradise! What a fabulous place to live. No wonder you stayed here after you left the navy.”

“Many people who move to Hawaii from the original forty-eight think it's too confining and soon return home. It's true that we're pretty much marooned from the rest of the states, but I've found everything I want here.” Scanning Maddie's delicate, ethereal profile, he amended in his mind, “Or almost everything I've wanted.”

“So there you are,” a cheerful voice sounded behind them. “Mr. Linc, why didn't you bring the young lady to meet me?”

Maddie turned to see a short, chubby woman
standing on the veranda, hands on her hips. Linc motioned the woman toward them.

“Because I couldn't wait to show our guest the view. Maddie, this is Roselina Pukui—my housekeeper, friend and parole officer. If it wasn't for her, I'd get in all kinds of trouble.”

Laughing at Linc's remarks, Roselina waddled toward them, her gentle black button eyes smiling.

“Don't pay no heed to him, honey.” She wrapped her arms around Maddie, crushing the floral lei. The sweet scent of the orchids surrounded them. “Welcome to our home.”

Even from her short stature, Maddie could look over the housekeeper's squat figure. Forming an immediate fondness for Roselina, Maddie returned Linc's affectionate smile.

Releasing Maddie and patting her long, golden hair, Roselina said, “And I was expecting a little girl, not a grown-up woman. Why'd you fib to me, Mr. Linc?”

“I was surprised, too, Roselina. I was expecting the little girl I'd remembered.”

“Well, you're pretty as a picture, Miss Maddie. Let me show you to your room, and then we'll have a little snack before you take a rest. I know what a tiresome trip it is from the mainland. My two kids live in California, and I go to see them once a year. It takes a day or two to rest from the long flight.”

Recalling Ahonui's comment about Maddie's reputation, Linc cleared his throat. “I've been thinking,
Roselina, that Maddie might be more comfortable in the guesthouse. It's ready for company, isn't it?”

Roselina's startled eyes met her employer's, then she took another, appraising look at Maddie. “Of course, Mr. Linc,” Roselina said quickly. “She will have more privacy. Come this way, Miss Maddie.”

As Maddie followed Roselina to the small cottage, she wondered at this sudden change in where she was staying. Maybe she hadn't lived up to Linc's expectations, and he didn't want her around all the time. Maddie knew she should curb her sensitive nature, but it was hard to break a lifelong habit. She'd always found it difficult to believe that people really wanted her for a friend.

“You'll like the cottage better than the bedroom in the house,” Roselina said as she walked next to Maddie. When the housekeeper opened the door to the one-room cottage, Maddie agreed with her.

“Oh, this is wonderful,” she said. The bedroom and bathroom area were separated from the combination kitchen and living room by a wooden screen. “Listen to the ocean waves. What a peaceful place to sleep. But why do you need a cottage when the house is so large?”

“Long ago, this was the office of the plantation owner, and Mr. Linc thought it would make a good guesthouse. He entertains business friends here sometimes, so I keep it ready for use.” She opened the small refrigerator. “Soft drinks and ice are in here.” Pointing to a box on the wall, she said. “Inter
com to the house. Also a private phone if you want to call home. Nice, huh?”

“Very nice.” The room was warm so Maddie laid her jacket and purse on the small couch. By the time Roselina had shown her where the extra towels and blankets were kept, Linc arrived with her luggage.

“Do I have time to take a shower and change before lunch?”

“Yes, take your time. I've prepared cold snacks for lunch, and I can serve them when you're ready,” Roselina assured her.

Trotting beside Linc as they returned to the main house, Roselina demanded, “Why isolate the little thing when there's a nice room all ready in the house?”

Flushing slightly, Linc said, “Yes, a nice room directly across the hall from mine. I really didn't expect Maddie to be so…” He hesitated. “So mature. She'll prefer the privacy of the guesthouse.”

Ahonui's remarks had made Linc more conscious of his responsibility while Maddie visited him. And he hadn't been prepared for the emotional jolt Maddie's appearance had caused. Since Stanley Horton had been his friend, Maddie probably thought of him as a father figure, and he'd have to be sure that he kept it that way. Trouble was, he didn't know how a father should act, either. But he knew that he would be more comfortable if Maddie didn't occupy the bedroom across the hall from his own.

When Maddie showed up for lunch wearing white
capris, a coral tunic and a pair of white canvas sandals, Linc groaned inwardly. The casual garments she'd exchanged for the light blue tailored suit she'd worn made her even more attractive. How could he spend a month treating Maddie as the daughter of his friend when he suspected that she embodied the traits he'd looked for in a woman most of his adult life? Since he didn't date much, his friends often accused him of being too picky. And maybe he was, because he hadn't found anyone before whose presence affected him as Maddie's did.

After lunch, Maddie said, “I'm very tired, but I'd like to take a walk down to the beach before I go to bed. I'm too keyed up to sleep yet.”

“Just take a little nap,” Roselina advised, “and tonight you can get adjusted to the local sleeping schedule.”

“I'll show you around,” Linc said.

Narrow stepping stones marked the path to the beach, and they walked single file. Following Maddie, Linc carried two lounge chairs.

“It's a small beach but fairly private except for pleasure boats traveling by.” Gesturing in a wide arc toward the palatial hotels dominating the coastline in both directions, he said, “You can see we're situated in a cove between several large resort hotels.”

Maddie kicked off her sandals, walked across the sandy beach and waded into the gentle surf. “I can't believe it,” she said, jumping up and down, splashing water in her excitement. “Maddie Horton walk
ing in the Pacific Ocean. I must be dreaming. Is it safe to swim here?”

“Perfectly safe,” Linc assured her. “I usually take a swim when I come home from work.”

“My swimsuit is in the piece of luggage we'll pick up tomorrow, so I can't swim today.”

Linc unfolded the lounge chairs. “We can sit and enjoy the view until you get sleepy.”

Maddie stretched out on the chair, leaned her head back and listened to the regular rhythm of the incoming whitecaps. A large white bird with red feet landed on the beach and strutted serenely through the water, turning its head toward Linc and Maddie as if expecting a handout.

“Is that a seagull?”

“We don't have seagulls in Hawaii. That's a Red-footed Booby.”

Maddie frowned. “What an ugly name for such a pretty bird.”

“You'll notice many birds that are strange to you. There's a bird book in your cottage for guests—you can use that to identify them.”

The long plane trip had been exhausting and Maddie sighed. Despite the disturbing news she'd read about the naval officer's death, she had never felt more content in her life. These few hours with Linc had proven he was the same thoughtful, caring man who'd supported Maddie and her mother through Stanley Horton's funeral years ago. She went to sleep wondering if Linc was in love with Ahonui.

Linc unashamedly watched Maddie as she slept. The breeze whiffed the long golden tresses around her face, and occasionally Maddie brushed them aside. Her face was relaxed and she seemed vulnerable, as if she was still the girl he remembered, but she wasn't a child. Nor did he want her to be, although he didn't dare hope that she would regard him romantically. Maddie sighed wearily and an agonized expression spread across her face.

Suddenly Linc felt like a Peeping Tom, and he turned on his side away from Maddie, but not to sleep. The recent news that an investigation was being initiated into Stanley Horton's death had come as a shock to him. If he'd had any notion of such a development, he wouldn't have invited Maddie to visit. He didn't want to ruin her vacation, but she should be made aware of these new developments. What was the best way to tell her? He decided to say nothing until she had rested.

 

They ate their evening meal of chicken, potatoes and mixed vegetables in the dining room with a full view of the Pacific.

“Except for some of the spices, this meal could have been served back home,” Maddie said. “I'm curious about what kind of food you prepare for Christmas. And how do you celebrate here in Hawaii? Are your customs different?”

Laughing, Linc said, “Different from what I knew as a kid. I grew up in Iowa, and I remember going to
Grandma's house for a traditional Christmas dinner. We didn't travel in a horse-drawn sleigh, but we had snow most of the time. You obviously won't see any snow, but people do a lot of decorating. And we serve ham and turkey with all the fixin's in my restaurants and people like that. I heard a news anchor say last week that you can always tell you're spending Christmas in Hawaii when ‘Silent Night' is played on a ukulele and Santa arrives on the beach in a canoe.”

“That's funny,” she said with a grin. “I've been thinking how strange it will seem to spend Christmas Day at the beach. Do you decorate a tree?”

As Roselina cleared the table for dessert, she said, “Christmas trees are brought in by ship—sometimes by plane. Mr. Linc usually brings home a fir tree, and I decorate it for him. European seamen brought Christmas to the islands, but I don't think much attention was paid to the holiday until Hawaii became a U.S. territory.”

“I read in the newspaper last week that the first Christmas was supposedly celebrated in Hawaii when an English ship captain and his crew observed the holiday in the South Pacific not far from here.” Linc grinned and added, “Their menu consisted of roasted pig and coconut milk. I've always served roasted pork at my restaurants, and this year, as a specialty for the Christmas season, we're serving chilled coconut milk.”

Mention of the newspaper reminded Maddie of
the article. Suddenly the joy of celebrating Christmas in Hawaii took second place to the suspicion that her father could have been murdered.

Noting her change of expression, as soon as they finished the meal, Linc asked Maddie if she wanted to go to her cottage.

Stifling a yawn, she said, “But I should help Roselina with the dishes.”

“No, no,” the housekeeper said. “I have a dishwasher, and it will take no time. You can help next time, but you should rest your first night here.”

As soon as the sun set, darkness came immediately, and Maddie felt apprehensive. She willingly agreed when Linc said, “I'll walk with you to the cottage. I don't have dusk to dawn lights because I like the peace of total darkness, but it might be intimidating if you aren't used to it.”

He turned on the light over the garage door, which was near the cottage. “I'll leave this light on all night.”

Maddie thanked him, because the darkness did frighten her. And it was deathly quiet except for the continuous slapping of waves on the beach.