Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse. I just like having fun with the characters and world the wonderful Stephenie Meyer created.

A/N: Sorry this was delayed - a combination of chronic illness, a head cold, specialists, and Halloween prep has taken over my life. I wish I could escape into a story!

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Walking along the sidewalks of Hilo in the pre-dawn hours, I did find several people jogging past me, and a few artists setting up their easels so they could paint the first rays of sun touching a tree or a beach. Looking in the galleries, I was glad I had decided to pretend to be a writer rather than a painter or sculptor - the talent here was impressive.

I walked down to one of the local beaches, and found that it was a rocky beach rather than a sandy beach - probably to keep it a local beach rather than a tourist beach! I know that many areas added sand to rocky beaches to attract tourists. Rocky beaches had always been my favorite - they seemed more honest. I sat on the beach, watching the tide come in, and felt incredibly peaceful. I decided then and there that I needed to find a small house near the beach, away from other homes if at all possible, but I needed the peaceful sound of the ocean to keep me company at night.

Dawn had broken, though the overcast sky would not have pleased the painters, and I could see more people out and about. The cultural mix within Hilo was really interesting mix of races - there was truly a rainbow of sin tones. Some of the people had skin that was just a bit darker than mine, some with almost black skin, and every shade in between. My heart lurched a bit when I saw a few faces with the russet skin tone like Jacob, but then I remembered that Karina was the woman he imprinted on, and they would be very happy together.

Well! I thought, I'm not going to find anyone if I just sit here on the beach people watching! I should go look around at the main drag again in the daytime, maybe stop for a coffee, and then find the local Realtor and find a house near the ocean. I wonder if paying cash for a house here draws suspicion? I could say I had just inherited money, and my grandmother said to invest in real estate... That could work. This doesn't seem like a town where you could be showy about being wealthy and make any friends.

With those thoughts, I walked away from the peaceful beach, and over towards the main street. More people were out and about now - the day was still overcast, but unlike in Washington and Alaska, it didn't seem dark - almost like a light layer of clouds. Enough so I wouldn't sparkle, but not so much that it gave you the feeling of never-ending gloom.

I found a coffee shop, and went in.

"Hello, welcome to Hilo Coffee, can I help you?" the woman behind the counter asked. She was pretty, with dark hair and blue eyes that really stood out against her dark hair and tanned skin

"Yes, thank you. I'd just like a large latte, please." I replied. I'm hoping I won't have to drink much, but I want to spend enough money so they don't kick me out for taking up a table.

"Anything else?"

"Oh, I just saw those chocolate biscotti, I'd love 2 of those, too." Biscotti are very easy to tuck away - they aren't as obvious if you don't eat them the way, say, cinnamon rolls are.

"That will be $4.75," the cashier said, totaling up my purchases.

"Here you go." I gave her a $10 bill, and then asked. "Do you have wifi here? I'm moving here and wanted to check out the real estate listings and more about the area."

The woman gave me my change, and I quickly put a couple dollars in the tip jar. She smiled, "Of course we have wifi. No charge for that. We do ask if you are going to be here for a while that you buy things every so often, and if we get busy we might ask you to go to the library. But summer isn't a peak time for us, so I wouldn't worry." She looked around, and since there was no one else in line, she continued. "My name is Malia."

"Hi Malia," I smiled, "My name is Tanya."

"It's lovely to meet you, Tanya. Welcome to Hilo! There's a large mix of people here, so I hope you can feel comfortable here. Are you an artist?"

"Not really, I'm a writer."

"Aaaah, now I understand the wifi question! If you keep tipping and buying biscotti and coffee every few hours, you'll be all set to stay here." She smiled. "Do you have a Realtor already?"

"No, I decided to move here almost as a spur of the moment thing. I had decided to move, and sold my house before I quite decided where to go! So I researched a bit and decided to move here!"

Malia's blue eyes widened as she listened to me. "You're so brave! I can't imagine moving like that! Well, one of my friends is a Realtor, and she's great at finding just the right place - whether it's a rental like mine, or a place to buy. I met her when I was moving out of my parents' house, and we became friends. Her name is Alani, and she is lovely. Her office is only a couple doors down, too. So you won't have to find a new parking place!"

"I couldn't sleep last night," I said, and that part was true. "So I left my hotel early and went for a walk on the beach. It was so peaceful. So actually, I'm on foot. It's even better that her office is just a couple doors down!"

A few people walked into the shop. "I'll let you go now," Malia said, "Enjoy your coffee and biscotti!"

"Thank you so much!" I replied, and went to sit down in one of the corners. I set my coffee and biscotti on one side, and my sleek black MacBook on the other side. I continued my research on Hilo and the surrounding areas. Alaska is beautiful in the summer - the whole country seems to bloom, although there are still ice caps on the mountains. In the winter, it is just so cold and snowy that the beauty of the snow can be overlooked. The beauty of the Hawaiian nature was overwhelming - everything flowered, and there were people of varying skin tones everywhere enjoying the bounty nature had provided.

I hid one of the biscotti in my bag, and pretended to sip at my latte. I checked the MLS listings for the area. There were a few oceanfront homes, but none of them looked like quite what I wanted. I knew that Hilo was a smallish town, but people had to move in and out of it occasionally! Maybe the Realtor would have some new listings.

I wrote an email to Carmen and Eleazar about my trip here, and asked them to share it with Kate and Irina. I knew my sisters would be mildly curious about where I was, but they wouldn't really want their own letters until I became involved with someone. After waiting this long, I was starting to doubt it would happen. Ah well. I'll walk over to the Realtor's office, and see what happened next.

I saw the local real estate office when I turned out of the coffee shop. I was glad Malia had pointed me to them, as they were one of the true local offices - I could see offices that were nationwide around, but I wanted to support the local economy. I walked in, and saw three Realtors chatting together. One blonde woman got up to ask me, "Hi, may I help you?"

I didn't think that Malia's friend was blonde, but it was possible. "Hi, my name is Tanya. I'm just moving here, and someone I just met suggested I come here and talk to Alani. Are you Alani?"

"No," the blonde answered, my name is Jennifer. This is Alani."

One of the darker-haired women with Hawaiian features stood up. "Hello, I'm Alani. It's nice to meet you, Tanya."

"Thank you. I was looking at houses on my laptop, but I couldn't find quite what I was looking for. I was hoping you could help me out."

"Of course! There are always some listings that aren't up on the internet yet. Why don't you tell me what you're looking for?"

I almost laughed and told her "tall, dark, and handsome", but figured that I should be somewhat professional. "I'm a writer, and so I'd like something out-of-the way, like on a cul-de-sac, and without the neighbors right on top of me. However, I'd really like it to have a deck with an ocean view. If at all possible, I'd like it to have beach access, too."

Alani laughed, "It does sound like the perfect house! You're looking for quiet, somewhat secluded - maybe with trees or bushes instead of fencing?" I nodded, and she continued. "With decks and ocean view, plus beach access. I think I can find you something perfect, but I need to know what size you are looking for and what is your price range?"

Eek. Price range. I hadn't thought about that. I really didn't want to look like someone who had a ton of money, but on the other hand, I knew my documentation wouldn't survive a credit check. I tried to think quickly.

"I got an advance on a book and an inheritance at the same time, so I'm not worried right now about a price - I talked to my extended family and they all agreed that I should buy a house, and then the writing can support me for bills, but at least I won't have rent or a mortgage. As for size, I'm fine with a 1 or 2 bedroom, but my extended family will visit occasionally, so if there's a larger house, I could deal with that."

Alani smiled, broadly. "I just got a listing the other day that would be perfect for you! We were actually just over there trying to figure out the best way to market it."

"What do you mean? Why would it be hard to market something with all of those benefits?" I must have looked baffled.

The pretty young woman smiled again. "Well, it's more expensive than what single people or new couples are looking for, and a bit too small right now for a family. It's a split level, but the lower level is closed off and not completely finished. It would be easy to have a contractor in to finish it, especially since it wouldn't affect what you are doing. You know what? Let me take you over there. It won't be a perfect view of Hilo Bay because of the clouds, but you can get the idea."

We got into her car, which I was happy to see was another hybrid - a Ford Escape. "I just picked up my new Prius yesterday. I said. I love hybrids!"

"Oh, me too. You'll notice that hybrids and green housing are very popular here. Hawaii would be incredibly affected by an increase in global warming, since we are all islands. There are quite a few houses that are off the grid around here, run solely on solar power and recaptured rain water that has been filtered."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! Not quite what I'm looking for right now, though! I just need a house that can be quiet while I write."

"I understand. Oh, here we are." Alani opened the car doors, and I stepped out to see the house.

At first glance, it looked a bit like a concrete block, but with two layers frosted glass cubes across much of the wall. The glass cubes brought in light without having windows on the side of the house that faced the carport and the street. It looked like someone had started growing plants to cover the wall, but they hadn't grown enough yet. I'd probably need to get a trellis and some clematis or local plants...

I shook my head to focus on the rest of the house, Alani was leading me to the door. The door itself was beautiful, with an oval window set with stained glass, so the sunshine came in the window but kept the inside private. It was perfect for me! I looked around, and noticed that there were palm trees, vines, and shrubbery around what looked like the property line, obscuring the house from nosy neighbors. The house was also set back a fair bit from the street. Some more planting on that side near the street-line wouldn't be a bad idea.

When I stood at the front door, I saw that if I looked at the front door, I could also see a deck right in front of me, that appeared to wrap around 2/3 of the house. However, the deck was fenced, and unless you jumped the fence, you needed to go into the house to get onto the deck. The other windows on the door side of the house were frosted glass cubes, letting in a lot of light, but still respecting privacy.

We entered the house, and I was impressed with the generous size - it felt bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. On my right was a small kitchen and a large great room, which faced the ocean and the deck. These windows were not designed for privacy, instead they were large windows that let in light and the beautiful view

"Wow, this is gorgeous!" I finally managed to say.

"Yes, isn't it? The kitchen's a little small, but there are all the modern amenities. The great room has a couple ceiling fans to keep you cool, and most of the windows against the ocean-facing wall are really french doors, so you can open them for a wonderful breeze. The view of Hilo bay is amazing, though." Alani said, sneaking some realtor speak in amongst the comments.

"This is so inspiring! Oh, I'd love to write here! I'm not much of a cook, so I'm not worried about the small kitchen. I'd like to look at the bedrooms, though." Not much of a cook was an understatement, but you never knew - I should keep the kitchen stocked just in case I had a human over.

"Of course!" Alani led me over to the Master Bedroom. "This is the Master Bedroom, and it has a bathroom en suite. It has light from the frosted glass cubes that face the side and back of the house, as well as from the border of glass cubes at the top of the wall facing the great room. There's a ceiling fan in here, of course, and it has a very comfortable feel."

"It is lovely. I adore the glass cubes! What a smart idea for bringing in natural light without sacrificing privacy." I walked into the bathroom and found a walk-in shower and a medium-sized jacuzzi tub. This room also had the glass cubes for light and privacy

"Let me show you the second bedroom, it might make a good library and office for you." Alani said, and we walked back through the beautiful great room to the second bedroom. This one was slightly smaller, and didn't have the en-suite bathroom, but the frosted and unfrosted light cubes lit it gently as the ceiling fan circulated the air.

"You're right - this would be perfect for that! Some of my older books shouldn't be exposed to direct sunlight, and this would be perfect for them! Plus, on days when the ocean view is distracting rather than inspiring, I can hide out in here!" I smiled, clearly loving this house already.

"Let me show you the second bathroom, the deck, and the lower level. I love your enthusiasm, I hope it continues!" Alani said, and she sounded like a friend, not someone who was trying to sell me something.

"Sounds good. I think I love the house already, though!" And after looking at the generously sized second bathroom, we stepped out onto the deck. It was beautiful, out on a cliff overlooking Hilo Bay, with a small beach below. I could see the stairs down to the beach, and was grateful I was a vampire, as those looked a bit steep!

"I hope you're somewhat athletic," Alani said. "Those steps can be steep, especially coming up from a day at the beach!"

"Oh, yes. I love hiking. I'm looking forward to exploring the rainforests, parks and the Wildlife Refuge, too. I actually arrived here after spending a couple days hiking in Washington State. I think those steps would be hard for anyone with kids, but I should be OK. The view is stunning! I don't think I've ever seen an ocean view like this!" I decided no to mention that I'd be hunting some of the local wildlife when i was in the forests, but at least Alani knew I wasn't a sedentary writer.

"I love hiking, too! I bet you came to me because of Malia at the coffee shop, right?" She paused as I nodded. "She and I go hiking pretty regularly, we'd love to have you join us!"

"That sounds wonderful." I replied, and it did. It felt nice to meet humans whose blood wasn't appealing to me, but who liked me for who I was, not because I was releasing special pheromones.

"I'm so glad you'd like to join us! We have to wait for a day that Malia and I both have off, but it's worth the wait. You don't need your hiking skills to see the downstairs, though!" Alani said with a smile, and showed me the door that opened onto a stairwell going to the lower level. "There are more windows down here, and the french doors open onto the landscaping, which leads you directly to the steps going down to the beach. There are stairs off the upstairs deck that lead you there, too. You can see that this area hasn't been completely finished - it's water-tight and has the french doors and windows, but there's still a lot you can do with it - either a rec room, some guest bedrooms, or whatever you want."

"This is a great space. Just having it painted and a floor put down would help a lot, " I thought out loud. Some partitions, fold-out couches, and a TV would make it into a rec room that could double as guest rooms..."

"So I take it you like it?" Alani asked, gently interrupting my rambling.

"Yes, I love it. And I see why it would be hard to sell. It's perfect for me, but it wouldn't be perfect for everyone." I said, wandering back upstairs to go out on the wrap-around deck.

"Do you want to think about the house some more, see other houses, or do you want to make an offer on this one?" Alani asked, watching me as I stared off into the ocean.

"Lets go make an offer!" I said, my smile lighting up my face.

The next few days were the hurry up and wait type of days. The seller accepted the offer, we arranged for a closing ASAP, I took a puddle jumper over to Honolulu and picked up some furniture, which they were happy to ship to me for a price. I found some local furniture, too, and then dealt with hooking up internet, phone, electricity, etcetera at my new home once I had signed on the dotted line!

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review if you have a minute!

This story is not yet done. I know this is a really long chapter, but I had to get Tanya settled before she could continue her quest for her mate.