Delicious Do-Over by Debbi Rawlins

something from nothing, the thought of an office job filled him with dread.
    Walking away from school wouldn’t have been hard. He hadn’t needed an education to secure his future. As long as he didn’t get stupid with the money he’d invested, he’d be able to live the rest of his life on a beach somewhere and not lift a finger. At twenty-three, the idea had been damn tempting. Until he’d spent that night with Lindsey.
    She may have been insecure about spring-break sex, but man, she’d been sure as hell about her future.
    She wasn’t going to school for her parents or because it was expected of her. She’d told him that she wanted as many options as possible. That’s what her degree was about—options. She didn’t want to wake up one day filled with regret, unable to change the past.
    At the time, he’d had too many options. At eighteen, he’d earned serious cash as an oil rig diver, and somehow he’d come up with a simple fix for an endemic problem with high pressure valves. With his patent, money ceased to be an issue. Wouldn’t be, in fact, for the rest of his life. He could kick back, surf and ski and travel to his heart’s content, but he didn’t want one moment of success at twenty to be the apex of his life.
    He swore then that he wouldn’t let his success change his goals. Except he had. Everyone fussed over his potential, pushed him to start college as he’d promised. As expectations mounted, so had his fear. What if he never had another bankable idea again?
    Then he’d met steady, sensible Lindsey and he’d promised himself he’d finish school just as he’d set out to do. Whether he used the degree for a job or not was immaterial. He wouldn’t regret having the knowledge. The invention bug had bitten though—he wanted to be that person who could look at anything and know that he could make it something better. He wanted the challenge and he wanted the thrill of success again.
    Safety and security had been Lindsey’s brass ring. He hadn’t totally gotten it at the time, but knowing about her childhood, now he understood. All he knew was that she was sure and steady and more centered than anyone he knew, and he envied her. Because she would never be a woman who would end up disappointed in herself.
    He wanted to be that person. Every time he’d been tempted to kiss off school after that night, he thought of her.
    Squinting up at the sky, he noticed the clouds were starting to come in from the northeast. Damn, he hoped it didn’t rain. March could be an iffy month. Unfortunately, this side of the island could be clear while it rained where he lived. But the rain was what kept the north and windward side lush and green. He had to get her out there. It was a different world, the polar opposite of Waikiki. She was going to love it.
    Oddly, it mattered to him that she did. Which made no sense, he thought as he watched an Asian couple take pictures of each other in front of the ABC window display of Hawaiian shirts and colorful rubber flip-flops. In fact, the idea bothered him. What difference should it make to him if she liked the North Shore? In a week she’d be gone.
    Lindsey walked out of the store, clutching a bag, her new sunglasses already in place shielding her eyes. He smiled at the bag, thinking that she might have bought one of the many souvenirs hawked by the touristy convenience store that was a Waikiki staple. He was an impatient shopper, in the habit of dashing into stores and grabbing only the thing he needed, but he’d like to watch her shop, he decided. He guessed that she’d be slow and thoughtful, making a mental list of pros and cons as she deliberated over each item.
    A shirtless dude riding a bike braked in front of her, and she stopped when he said something to her. Whatever it was, she smiled shyly, shook her head, her shoulder-length blond hair shimmering in the noon sun. The guy eyed her long after she walked away from him, staring admiringly at her from over his