Page 7
Story: The Hero She Deserves
The woman’s face fell. “The mainland? That’s too far away.”
“I’ll say,” the man added. “You’ve never been to the mainland.”
“Nor have you.” The woman shrugged. “We live in the most perfect place in the world, so why would I go to the mainland?”
Hollis couldn’t argue with that.
“What would you like?” The man smiled. “I’m Koa, and this is my twin sister, Kiana. This is our place.”
“I need a coffee, like yesterday,” Hollis said. “There was an unfortunate incident with my coffee machine. Can I get a latte?”
Kiana’s dark eyes narrowed. She looked like a scientist, and Hollis was her experiment.
“You need a special latte.” The woman crossed her arms and tapped a finger against her chin. “I’ll customize one for you.”
“You will?”
“It’s my thing.”
Beside her, Koa nodded. “It is. She’s a coffee maestro.”
“Okay,” Hollis replied.
Kiana studied her some more. “A vanilla coconut latte.” She turned to the large coffee machine.
“Ooh,” Koa said.
Hollis kept her smile in place and prayed the twins didn’t ruin her caffeine hit.
“Are you hiding a black eye under those glasses?” Koa asked.
“Um, no.”
“Then why are you wearing them inside?”
“Because I’m eccentric like that.”
He cocked his head. “You famous, or something?”
Her stomach tangled in knots. “Or something.”
Koa shrugged. “We don’t care.”
“Let the woman sit down, Koa,” Kiana groused.
Hollis paid, then Kiana set a coffee down on the counter. It was frothy on top with a swirl in the center. The swirl was a dolphin. Hollis laughed. “Oh, that is so cute. And you’re so talented.”
Kiana smiled.
“It looks great.” Hollis lifted the mug cautiously and sipped. She felt them watching her. Then her eyes popped wide. “Oh my God, this isdelicious.”
Kiana beamed, then high-fived her brother.
“You did it again, sis.” Koa turned to Hollis. “Sit, pretty tourist with the sunglasses. I’m bringing you a coconut cookie to go with your latte. Dad made them, and he is a guru in the kitchen.”
“Okay.” Hollis turned and ran into a wall.
It took her a second to realize it wasn’t a wall, but a hard chest. A massive, muscled chest covered in khaki.
“I’ll say,” the man added. “You’ve never been to the mainland.”
“Nor have you.” The woman shrugged. “We live in the most perfect place in the world, so why would I go to the mainland?”
Hollis couldn’t argue with that.
“What would you like?” The man smiled. “I’m Koa, and this is my twin sister, Kiana. This is our place.”
“I need a coffee, like yesterday,” Hollis said. “There was an unfortunate incident with my coffee machine. Can I get a latte?”
Kiana’s dark eyes narrowed. She looked like a scientist, and Hollis was her experiment.
“You need a special latte.” The woman crossed her arms and tapped a finger against her chin. “I’ll customize one for you.”
“You will?”
“It’s my thing.”
Beside her, Koa nodded. “It is. She’s a coffee maestro.”
“Okay,” Hollis replied.
Kiana studied her some more. “A vanilla coconut latte.” She turned to the large coffee machine.
“Ooh,” Koa said.
Hollis kept her smile in place and prayed the twins didn’t ruin her caffeine hit.
“Are you hiding a black eye under those glasses?” Koa asked.
“Um, no.”
“Then why are you wearing them inside?”
“Because I’m eccentric like that.”
He cocked his head. “You famous, or something?”
Her stomach tangled in knots. “Or something.”
Koa shrugged. “We don’t care.”
“Let the woman sit down, Koa,” Kiana groused.
Hollis paid, then Kiana set a coffee down on the counter. It was frothy on top with a swirl in the center. The swirl was a dolphin. Hollis laughed. “Oh, that is so cute. And you’re so talented.”
Kiana smiled.
“It looks great.” Hollis lifted the mug cautiously and sipped. She felt them watching her. Then her eyes popped wide. “Oh my God, this isdelicious.”
Kiana beamed, then high-fived her brother.
“You did it again, sis.” Koa turned to Hollis. “Sit, pretty tourist with the sunglasses. I’m bringing you a coconut cookie to go with your latte. Dad made them, and he is a guru in the kitchen.”
“Okay.” Hollis turned and ran into a wall.
It took her a second to realize it wasn’t a wall, but a hard chest. A massive, muscled chest covered in khaki.
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