Quinn turned to find Maria coming from the other direction. She had one hand on her hair, trying to keep it from flying into her eyes.

“Kupuna’s friend is here. Do you want to come up and hear what he has to say about the kitchen counters?”

Quinn nodded, then stood and gathered her things. Alani had seen her mother, knowing their water time was being cut short. She and Junie ran up, and Alani threw her arms around her mother’s waist.

“Ah, you’re getting me wet, daughter,” Maria said, laughing. “Let’s go, girls. You need to get into some dry clothes.”

Like a line of chicks behind a mother hen, Quinn and the girls followed Maria up the trail and to the house.

The sand was so soft and deep that it made walking difficult. Yet Maria was fast, nearly walking on top of the sand. An expert, Quinn thought, then remembered that the woman wasn’t much older than she was. She just came across as older because of her sadness and responsibilities.

In the back lanai, the girls stopped at the outdoor shower.

“Rinse, then dry off before you come in the house,” Maria said.

“You can do your feet first, Quinn,” Alani said, moving over.

Quinn slipped off her sandals and rinsed her feet, glad that Alani had mentioned it. She would’ve walked straight into the back door and trailed sand on Maria’s—well, on her own—kitchen floor and made herself look oblivious.

Instead, she tiptoed over to the door and set her shoes next to the pile of others left there, then stepped in.

Kupuna and a man were sitting at the table, the stranger’s back to Quinn.

“Who you got on your crew now?” Kupuna asked him.

Maria cleared her throat. “Liam, let me introduce you to Quinn Maguire. She’s the one who bought the house, and, of course, she’d like to be a part of the conversation.”

Quinn approached, business face on and hand extended. She wasn’t starting off another relationship too friendly like she’d accidentally done with Maria. She knew how to get things done in the corporate world, and she was going to use those skills to turn this into a once-and-done quick project so she could prove to Ethan she was capable. She had also watched enough home improvement shows to know that contractors were notorious for being irresponsible, childish bullies. She would have to assert herself right away.

The contractor pushed his chair back and stood, then turned to face her. Hawaiian for sure, but perhaps of Asian descent too. Whatever his heritage, it made for an interesting blend of features. He was a big man—tall and obviously strong—reminding Quinn of a large oak tree.

He nodded quietly, then took her hand. His was warm. “Very nice to meet you.” A small smile began to spread over his face.