Yuletide Stalker. Irene Brand

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. “Intercom 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 walking 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.”