He had brought a car to drive them to their hotel, which they hadn’t expected. As soon as they checked in and put their bags in their room, he took them to the terrace for lunch, where they ordered drinks with umbrellas in them. They chatted and laughed all through lunch. Audrey and Lizzie had slept well on the flight so they weren’t tired. Will was excited to be with them. He was attentive to his sister, but his eyes kept wandering toward Lizzie, and she basked in the warmth of his attention. She could sense how attracted he was to her, and he was no longer treating her like a child. His sister had grown up and so had Lizzie, and now they had a whole week to be together, and discover the wonders of Hawaii. He promised to take them on a tour of Honolulu and Ford Island, the base where he was stationed, the next day. He was flying in formation in an air show the following Saturday, the day before they left, so they would see him fly.
After lunch, Will had to go back to the base for a while, and Audrey and Lizzie went to change to go swimming. He promised to come back for dinner at the luau at the hotel that night.
Audrey lay on the beach with Lizzie that afternoon, unable to believe the fantastic experience they were having, thanks to her mother. Lizzie looked like she had stars in her eyes after lunch with Will. So far, the island paradise had lived up to its reputation, and Will had provided a warm welcome. Both girls giggled and laughed, talking about the days ahead as they lay on the beach.
“It’s going to be a great week,” Audrey said as she closed her eyes in the bright sun. And Lizzie lay silent and smiling, thinking of Will. She felt dizzy every time she thought of him. As they lay on the beach at Waikiki, the future had never looked brighter, or their dreams sweeter. Life couldn’t have been more perfect.
Chapter 3
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, where they were staying, was right on Waikiki Beach. Their room had a balcony, called a lanai, where they had breakfast the next morning, and then they went downstairs and took a long walk on the beach. By ten-thirty, they were lying in the sun, working on their suntans, and swimming in the surf. Then they went back to their room to shower and dress for lunch. For dinner that night, Lizzie borrowed one of Audrey’s dresses, which she liked better than her own, although it was a little short for her. They both looked fresh and young and beautiful when Will met them in the lobby. He stayed late for drinks with them afterwards. He couldn’t tear himself away. The girls stayed up late, but were up early for a swim in the morning. Will returned to take them to lunch at the Moana Hotel, and then drove them around the island, and stopped for them to admire the view from all the famous places. At the end of the afternoon, he took them to Ford Island Naval Base, where he lived. The harbor was full of navy ships, and there were sailors and officers in whites everywhere. The insignia on Will’s uniform identified him as a pilot, which made him something of a star when others recognized it. He was the section leader of the formation he flew in.
“We don’t have as many pilots as the Air Force,” he boasted to his sister as he showed them around. “But we’re better,” he said, laughing. Audrey could tell he meant it. He had been a navy pilot for three years by then, almost three and a half, and was in advanced aircraft carrier flight training. He was twenty-five years old and so handsome he took Lizzie’s breath away whenever she looked at him. He had been a perfect gentleman since they arrived, but there was something about the way he looked at her that told her that he liked her, more than just as his little sister’s best friend.
He took them back to their hotel at the end of the day, and the three of them swam in the pool. He teased and played mostly with Lizzie, and chased her under water. At one point, she opened her eyes and looked at him, and they were both smiling. They were breathless when they came up for air and he gently put his arms around her.
“You’ve changed,” he said softly to her.
“No, I haven’t. I just grew up.” He nodded and didn’t say anything when they left the pool. He said he’d be back to take them to dinner. Audrey had noticed the exchange between them, and she wondered if Will was going to start something with Lizzie. He had never had a serious girlfriend before, not that she knew of. But he seemed very taken with Lizzie. Audrey knew that Lizzie had had a crush on him for years. She would have liked nothing better than for the two of them to fall in love with each other, but that seemed like a lot to hope for, with only a week’s vacation together. But they were all having fun anyway.
Lizzie dressed carefully for dinner that night, and wore a strapless white dress that showed off her figure, with her blond hair in a neat bun, a string of pearls around her neck, and sexy high-heeled silver sandals. Audrey wore a turquoise silk dress that showed off the tan she’d started working on the day before. With her fair skin, Lizzie had to be more careful that she didn’t burn. Audrey intended to be as tanned as she could get by the time they left.