Kona Winds: Hawaii by Janet Dailey

Author:Janet Dailey [Dailey, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2012-06-30T00:41:35+00:00

Chapter Seven

A MONTH LATER, Julie was silently congratulating herself for overcoming the whole unfortunate incident so successfully. It had taken on the aspect of a dream that seemed real at the time, but had faded into a distant memory with the passage of days.

It helped that there were so few occasions when she had to be in Ruel's company. Even during those times there was always someone around, either his aunt or Debbie, to keep any mention of the incident from cropping up. Ruel treated her in the same distant fashion that he had before it happened.

If there were times when she looked at him and had the sudden, vivid memory of his hard mouth destroying her with its kiss or the feel of his tautly muscled body imprinting itself on hers, or the intimate caress of his hands finding the places that excited her, Julie never consciously admitted it.

When she walked into the dining room that evening and saw Ruel seated at the head of the table, she gave him a cool smile as was her custom and took her usual chair on his left. The beat of her heart remained steady, if a trifle loud in her ears, and there wasn't the slightest tremor in her hands as she spread the linen cloth across her lap.

"You look lovely this evening, Julie," Emily Harmon commented from across the table. "Is that caftan new? I don't recall seeing you wear it before."

"Yes, I bought it in one of those shops at the Kuilima resort." The delicate pastel shades of yellow and pink in a Hawaiian print had caught her eye. She had purchased it during a moment of self-indulgence, knowing she should save her money.

"The color suits you. Don't you think so, Ruel?" Emily enlisted her nephew's opinion.

"It's very attractive," he agreed dutifully.

"Thank you." Julie wanted to applaud herself for replying with such composure.

"It's so good to have you with us, Julie," said Emily, the statement seeming to come out of the blue. "You've almost become one of the family since you arrived—you fit in so well."

Without realizing it, Julie darted a glance sideways at Ruel, but he appeared not to have heard what his aunt said. Immediately she curved her mouth into a smile and directed it at the older woman.

"It's remarkably easy with people like you," she returned the compliment to the giver.

"I don't know why I haven't said it before, but I feel we're truly fortunate to have you to tutor Debbie," Emily added. "You were very highly recommended to us. At the time I was worried that you wouldn't be able to obtain a leave of absence from your teaching post. You were an American history teacher at the high school level, weren't you? I'm relieved they were able to find a replacement for you at such short notice."

Somehow the conversation had never got around to what she had been doing before she came to Hawaii. They had talked of her family and her college years and of life in Boston.

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