Murder at Dolphin Bay (Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery Book 1) by Kathi Daley Page B

drown out the wind and the waves, it sounded like a locomotive was about to plow through the building. I found I was glad I was sharing a meal with friends who felt like family and cared about one another enough to share food and offer comfort during a storm.
     

Chapter 6
Sunday, March 13
     
     
    Yesterday had been as quiet as the previous couple of days had been eventful. The storm had blown out as quickly as it had blown in. The sun shone high in the sky, the surf was awesome, and the beach was as busy as I had seen it in quite some time. I executed seven successful rescues and stayed two hours past the end of my shift, and by the time I returned to the condo, I was exhausted and went straight to bed.
    Luckily, I wasn’t expected at my parents’ house until noon today. Cam and Kekoa both had shifts and left before I even got up. If it wasn’t for the fact that Sandy was tired of waiting to go out and decided it was time to pounce on me, I might have slept straight through the day.
    “Okay, I’m coming.” I yawned as Sandy put his face on the mattress next to mine.
    He trotted across the room, rummaged through the pile of clothes I’d left on the floor the previous evening, and brought me a shoe in an effort, I assumed, to hurry me along. I crawled out of bed, pulled on some shorts and a clean T-shirt, made the bed, and cleaned up my half of the room, then headed into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of the coffee Kekoa had left in the pot. I searched through the cupboard for something to eat, grabbed a granola bar, and headed out onto the lanai with Sandy.
    I hadn’t spoken to Luke since Thursday and I wondered if he actually was going to show up for our family dinner. I’d texted him the address and he’d texted back a thank you but never really committed one way or the other. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to come. Inviting him had been a momentary impulse, but since then I’d given way too much thought to whether or not he’d actually come. On one hand, there was a dark and secret part of my soul that missed his smile and hoped he’d show up, but there was a whole other part of me that knew that falling for Luke wouldn’t lead to anything but heartache.
    “Beautiful morning,” Elva greeted me as she joined me on the lanai and began picking dead buds from the colorful flowers she’d planted in clay pots the previous summer.
    “It really is. I sort of wish I could just head to the beach.”
    “Dinner with the folks?”
    “Yeah. It’ll be nice to see my brothers, but the waves certainly are calling.”
    Elva filled a watering can from the hose used to keep the small lawn that fronted the building moist during the periods when the island went too long without rain. “Been a while since all the Pope offspring have shared a meal together, huh?”
    “Yeah. I guess the last time was Christmas. Although the brothers all live within a short plane ride, it’s hard for everyone to get off work at the same time.”
    Elva tipped the watering can into the first pot. “I guess working in law enforcement does tend to wreak havoc with work schedules. Is Jeff still on graveyards?”
    “He is, but he put in for a couple of vacation days.”
    “That’s nice.”
    I’d taken Elva with me to my parents’ house on several occasions when I knew she’d be alone. The most recent time was the previous Thanksgiving, when all the Popes were in attendance except Jeff, who, as the low man on the totem pole, was scheduled to work. I think Elva got a kick out of the fact that there were so many people in my life and frequently asked about my brothers.
    “Looks like Sandy is enjoying the sunshine this morning,” Elva commented as she completed her task and sat down on one of the patio chairs next to me.
    I watched as Sandy ran back and forth across the beach, chasing the waves as if they existed solely for his entertainment. “I worked a long day yesterday so he didn’t get his usual run in the evening.”