Harper laughed and thanked the server as he poured coffee. “Just a muffin and some fruit, please.”
“You can’t exist on that,” Graydon said, then called out, “She’ll have eggs, as well.”
“I will not.” Harper laughed, shaking her head at the laughing Dufort server. “I’m flying in a few hours, so I get nervous. I’m only eating because I’m having breakfast with you three.”
Forty minutes later, Harper had recruited them to help with her suitcase issue, and they all stood to head upstairs.
“Ms. Kane,” Akino said, appearing out of nowhere.
“Akino, aloha, how are you?”
“I came to wish you a safe flight home,” he said. “I look forward to seeing you later in the year for the High Stakes BookFlix launch.”
“Mahalo,” she said, thanking him. “How lucky am I to be returning to beautiful Hawaii again so soon?”
She glanced up and saw Cooper catch her eye. It had crossed her mind that it might be an opportunity for them to meet up again and pursue things if they kept in contact, but she was making no decisions.
She smiled at him with no hint of commitment and looked away.
“What time is your pick up?” Akino asked.
“Eleven,” she said.
He gave her a quick hug and walked away.
Weird.
––––––––
“IF THEY BURST OPEN in the cargo, I will curse your names for the rest of my life,” Harper said, staring at her two suitcases, which had just been treated to what could only be described as torture.
But they were shut and had their padlocks on. She was now ready to go home.
Cooper pulled her into a big hug, nearly squishing her. “I’m going to head out,” he said into her hair. “This isn’t goodbye, Harp. I’ll message you tomorrow.”
She smiled and kissed his cheek.
The knock at the door interrupted them, and Luke let the porter in. He took one look at her bloated luggage, and they all laughed.
Graydon and Cooper helped the Hawaiian man lift them onto his trolley, and she tipped him a juicy twenty.
“He deserves every dollar of that,” Luke said, nodding.
“Okay, you guys, get out of here before I cry,” Harper said, hugging them and then they left, promising to stay in touch and wishing her a safe flight.
The door closed and Harper was alone.
She stood looking around the penthouse, empty of all her belongings, awaiting its next guests.
She walked to the sliding doors which led to the lanai and stared out across the sparkling blue waters of Waikiki.
It was another beautiful day in paradise.
Literally.
Memories of the time she’d spent with Daniel from the crazy hurricane, their makeshift meal in the kitchen, to their helicopter flight to Maui came flooding back.
Her eyes filled with tears as all her emotions rose to the surface. God, what was she going to do with all this love she felt for Daniel? Just throw it in the bin? How did people recover from such heartbreak?
She hadn’t realized how much being in Hawaii, in his penthouse, was keeping the connection of their relationship alive for her. Once she walked out of the Dufort hotel, it was over.
Her head dropped.
“Harper.”
She turned at the sound of her name, and her mouth fell open.