Shane quickly tethered the dock line to the tie down on the starboard side of his uncle’s boat, then moved to the port side and did the same. When he’d finished mooring, he climbed aboard and raced for his pack, then jumped back onto the dock.
“What are you in an all-fire hurry for, boy?” Captain Jack asked while chewing on his cigar. He rubbed his generous belly and laughed. “You already caught that girl. No need for running like a lovelorn chicken with your head cut off now.”
Shane hesitated as to whether he wanted to reveal his motives. His upcoming appointment wasn’t a secret, but he didn’t have time to counter any push back.
His uncle sensed his reluctance and spit into the water. “Spill it, boy.”
Shane swallowed. “I—I’m meeting a realtor and I’m going to be late.”
“A realtor?” His uncle’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “You selling a house?”
“Buying one,” Shane told him. “Look, I really gotta go.” Before Uncle Jack could pummel him with any more questions, Shane took off running toward the Banyan tree. “See you tomorrow,” he called back over his shoulder.
He jogged easily across the small park and down the sidewalk to where he’d parked knowing that he was going to take a lot of flak from his family when they learned of his decision. They’d say he should hold back on taking on a mortgage until he and Aimee had been married at least a year.
His mother would remind him the shanty where they currently lived was small, but it was free.
Christel would warn that buying a house was a complicated matter, that he couldn’t just jump into something of this financial magnitude without careful thought and planning…and a lot of help from someone who could guide him—someone who understood loan rates and amortization schedules. Of course, his sister was a CPA and everything was a spreadsheet to her.
When Aiden heard, he would shake his head thinking his little brother had jumped off Black Rock and hit his head.
Not everyone would be critical. Aunt Vanessa would play the cheerleader and say, “Good for you!” His sister Katie, would be delighted and want to help him decorate and his friends would be like, “Cool, we’ll have a place to crash.”
Shane reached his car and unlocked the door. Didn’t matter. The only opinion that mattered to him was that of his fiancee’s.
Shane climbed into his car and started the engine, not entirely sure what Aimee would say when she learned of his plan. Once he had worked with a realtor and was sure he could qualify for the mortgage, he’d spring the idea on her. She might panic at first, but then he’d reveal that the remaining money his dad had left in trust gave them options. They weren’t stuck raising Carson in that tiny place near his mom, even if it was free. Aimee and his kid deserved better, and he was going to give it to them.
The new house wouldn’t be a fixer-upper, either. Aiden may enjoy renovating over many months. He’d been at the process for over a year and his house in Lahaina was still a dump.
No, he was going to impress Aimee with a place she’d always wanted. A place she could easily call home.
Shane had found his realtor on a social media site. From what he’d read, Wimberly Ann Jenkins had just relocated to the island from a little town in Arkansas and had brought her wealth of real estate experience with her. The post didn’t say what that experience entailed, but there were a ton of likes. The likes were mostly from men and might not be associated with her skill as a realtor, but rather the fact her lady bumps were pretty substantial. Still, Shane thought she looked professional. When they’d talked on the phone, she seemed to know her stuff and assured him he’d be in good hands.
The realtor showed up a few minutes late. She strolled into the open-air lobby of the Hyatt wearing a hot pink suit and matching stiletto heels that clacked loudly as she made her way across the shiny tile floor. Her blonde hair was shoulder-length and reminded Shane of a vintage Hollywood bombshell, the way her hair was curled to dip over one eye, just so.
When she spotted him, she waved and blew him a kiss. “Oh, honey, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long,” she told him, looking a little flustered. “I mistakenly went to the Hyatt Residence next door before I realized I was in the wrong place and was supposed to meet you at the Hyatt Regency.” She flung her hair off her shoulder.
Yeah, she was definitely the glamour type, he thought, as they made introductions and shook hands. Wimberly Ann was probably fifty-ish, trying to look like she was in her thirties—the kind of female who spent a lot of time in front of the mirror and spent considerable amounts of money on face stuff.
“Don’t worry. That happens a lot,” he told her.
Wimberly Ann rolled her eyes. “Well, they should change the name, or something. It’s really confusing.”
She lowered into a plush armchair and immediately unloaded her briefcase, positioning small stacks of papers side-by-side on the low lobby table before them. “I just thought I’d bring a few things for you to look at,” she explained.
Suddenly, she stopped her activity.
“Oh, my. Isn’t that a pretty sight?” She motioned to the outer courtyard, a picture-book tropical paradise with tall palms swaying alongside pools and waterfalls. “I have to pinch myself nearly every day, hardly able to believe I really live in Maui.” She nearly giggled. “I mean, who gets this lucky?”
Shane leaned and pointed to the documents on the table. “Uh, I don’t know much about buying houses. That looks like a lot of information.”
“Oh, honey. It’s not really. I took the information you gave me over the phone and got you a preliminary loan approval. Of course, that approval is subject to a lot of things before they give the final okay. Still, it’s enough for you to move forward with confidence,” she advised.
Wimberly picked up another stack and held them out to him. “These are some options I think you should consider. All are in your price range, and in Lahaina, like you requested.”
She watched him expectantly as he examined the listing sheets. Finally, he looked up. “Yeah, there’s a lot I like here.”
Wimberly clapped her hands. “Oh, good. I was hoping you’d say that, honey.” She pulled her phone from her bag. “Let me make some calls and line up some showings. This afternoon good?”
Shane nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, sure.” His plan was to narrow the selections down to two or three and then surprise Aimee with the news. From there, they could go look together and he’d let her choose her favorite.
The first house they looked at was north of downtown Lahaina in an area known as Napila-Honokowai. “This is a nice little three bedroom, two bath in a gated neighborhood. Schools are good and grocery stores nearby.”
“I like the sound of that,” he told her.
He liked the house very much, as well as the others Wimberly Ann showed him. There were two-stories, ranch-style, and even one with a peek of ocean view. His realtor seemed even more excited than him. “Oh, look at that bathroom!” she said clapping her hands. She stroked one of the counters. “I’ve always wanted a marble countertop just like this.”
Over the afternoon, and with Wimberly Ann’s help, Shane narrowed his choices down to three.
“Excellent,” she said, locking up the last house on the schedule. “I’ll pull additional information and put together packets for you on each of those houses.” They made arrangements to meet again, after Shane revealed his plans to Aimee.
“Thank you,” Shane told her as they walked to their cars.
“No, I’m the one who needs to thank you!” Wimberly Ann straightened her skirt, beaming back at him. “You’re my first client here on Maui,” she confided. “It’s been a real pleasure. That fiancée of yours…well, she’s one lucky gal.” She sighed. “You can’t beat true love. I’m a sucker for weddings. I’ve had six husbands.”
Shane couldn’t hide his surprise. “Six?”
“Oh, yes, honey. And I loved every one of them.”
Shane didn’t know about that. Six husbands were a lot, by anyone’s measure. Personally, he planned to stick with just one wife.
Shane and Wimberly Ann parted ways, and Shane headed for his car.
He knew the statistics. Seemed like everywhere he turned, people were folding up their wedding vows and moving on. Heck, his own father had strayed and betrayed his family.
Shane unlocked the car door, thinking about how this time last year, he’d have laughed if anyone told him he’d be engaged and shopping for houses. He’d have told them they were crazy. But that was before he lost his heart to Aimee and Carson.
Aimee was nothing like any of the other girls he’d hooked up with. She was smart. She was funny. She was amazing.
She was his.
Their marriage would last forever.