Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker)

by Rachael Anderson

  When he saw her watching, he didn’t stop like she expected. His movements became more exaggerated and ridiculous, and he raised his voice to say, “I can’t hear you singing, Lani.”

  The song had just arrived at the chorus, so she lifted her chin and belted out the first line.

  He grinned, pointing a finger at her, and picked up the words where she’d left off. “She’s all right, she’s all right, she’s all right. Lani moves in mysterious ways!”

  She laughed and returned to the bathroom, her voice still joining in on the fun. With music and Easton, the work sped by, and two hours later, while an Eagles song played, Ahe showed up with Taavatti. Lani had just finished vacuuming, and Easton was cleaning the last of the windows. If Taavatti could work some magic with the stains on the carpet, all Lani had left was to make the beds and stock the shelves and drawers with clean towels.

  Feeling happier than she’d been all day, Lani gave Taavatti a big hug. “Mahalo for coming. I owe you big-time for this.”

  “No need,” he said. “You ‘ohana.”

  “Where’s my mahalo?” Ahe opened his arms wide, and Lani walked into them, hugging him as well.

  “Mahalo, Ahe,” she said. “I’ll repay you both with a year’s supply of banana bread. How does that sound?”

  Ahe slapped a kiss on her forehead while Taavatti grinned, saying, “Now that, I will take.”

  “What about you, Easton?” Lani said, extracting herself from Ahe’s embrace. “Are you a fan of banana bread?”

  “I am,” he said, giving her a sly look. “But if I have a choice, I prefer the kind of thanks you gave me earlier.”

  Whether he’d said that to get a blush from Lani or a reaction from Ahe, both worked. Lani felt her cheeks warm while Ahe glared. Then he stalked over to Easton and picked up the spray bottle. “I can take it from here.”

  Easton handed over his rag. “Considering it’s all done, of course you can.” Then he grabbed his phone and unplugged the speakers, silencing the Eagles. The feeling in the room went from being lively to heavy in an instant.

  “See you later,” Easton said to Lani as he walked out the door.

  She watched him go before snatching the rag from Ahe. “Why do you have to be such a huki ‘ino sometimes? You’re the one who asked for his help.”

  “I don’t like how he looks at you.”

  “Get over it, Ahe.”

  “Lani.” The way he said her name made it sound like he was censuring her and apologizing at the same time.

  “Don’t Lani me. He’s my friend, just like you. And he deserves to be treated with respect, just like you.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You have to earn respect to deserve it. He hasn’t earned mine yet.”

  “And what will it take to do that?”

  His jaw clenched, and his mouth remained closed.

  Lani nodded. “Exactly.” Then she handed him the rag, pointed to the largest window in the room, and said, “You said you could take it from here, so enjoy yourself with that one.”

  Taavatti chose that moment to turn on the cleaner, and the loud noise of the motor kept Ahe from answering. While he cleaned the window, Lani changed the sheets and restocked shelves, and Taavatti got out the worst of the stains. By the time the Stradlings showed up at two, the Hema room was ready for them.

  That night, when Mrs. Platt called to cancel her reservation for the Akua room, Lani put down the phone without wondering about the strangeness of it all. Pearl had been a gem of a guest—gracious, tidy, and wonderful company for Puna. If the Blacks didn’t call next week to cancel their reservation, Lani was ready to do it for them.

  Lani glanced through the darkness up the hill at the bungalow. It was nearing eleven o’clock, but the lights were still on. Was Easton still awake? She hadn’t meant to spend so much time at Ahe’s, but it couldn’t be helped. Earlier, she’d made a dozen loaves of banana bread as thanks. She’d delivered six to Taavatti and meant to drop off four at Ahe’s, but his mother had invited her in and it had taken over two hours to make it out. Ahe had welcomed her with a hug, showing her that any hard feelings between them were in the past as she knew they would be. When it came to family, Ahe never stayed upset for long.

  By the time Lani made it home, her back ached, her head throbbed, and she longed for her bed. But she’d saved a loaf of banana bread for Easton and didn’t know if she should deliver it tonight or in the morning. Her body cried out for morning, but other guests might be around and make it awkward, so Lani drew in a deep breath and headed up the hill. Through the open windows, Easton sat on the couch, typing away on his laptop.

  Her heart skipped at the sight of him. His red Nike t-shirt was rumpled and his hair mussed, as though he’d raked his fingers through it more than once.

  Lani was about to jog up the steps when quiet music began playing. She recognized the chorus of “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond before Easton glanced at his watch with a frown and quickly answered his phone.

  “Caro? What’s wrong?” Then he laughed. “Sadie, honey, does your mama know you’re awake and have her phone?”

  He laughed again and rested his head against the back of the couch. “You little thief. Shouldn’t you be asleep right now? It’s five o’clock in the morning there.” A pause. “Why can’t you sleep?… Oh, I see. So what’s it going to take to get you back in bed?… A story?” He chuckled. “You drive a hard bargain, little Sades, but tell you what. If you go crawl in bed right now and take the phone with you, I’ll tell you the story about Lady Sadie and her slippery spider. Do we have a deal?… Awesome. Tell me when you’re in bed.”

  He paused, his lips lifted, his eyes shining with humor. A moment later, he said, “Promise?… Okay, a deal’s a deal. Once upon a time in a dark and dreary forest, there lived a very hairy, very large, and very blue spider named Goliath…”

  Lani sank down on the bottom step and listened to a tale about a scary-looking spider and a beautiful little girl who wasn’t afraid of him. Lani had always loved the timbre of Easton’s voice, but listening to him now was magical. He pulled her into the charming story and held her captive until his voice began to lull her asleep.

  She rested her head against the railing and her eyes drifted shut. It wasn’t until she heard him say, “Sades, you still there?” that she started back awake.

  “Goodnight, beautiful girl,” Easton’s voice floated quietly through the window, and Lani wondered what it would feel like if those words had been meant for her. “I’ll see you in six weeks and counting.”

  Her eyes opened all the way. Six weeks. Easton would be leaving in six weeks.

  Why did that news rattle her like it had come out of nowhere? Summer was halfway over. Of course he was leaving in six weeks. He’d promised Sadie he would.

  But it hurt to hear him spell it out so clearly, with no hesitation at all. Six weeks and he’d get to see Sadie again. He probably couldn’t wait.

  Lani pulled herself up, crept up the last few stairs, and left the plastic-wrapped loaf on the small bistro table before hurrying away. She’d been a fool to think that a friendship with him would keep her heart safe.

  “Good evening, Lani,” Pearl’s mellow voice intruded on her troubled thoughts.

  Lani spied Pearl on her lanai, sipping what looked like tea. Pearl always preferred hot chocolate in the mornings and tea at night.

  Lani forced a smile to her lips. “You’re up late tonight.”

  “I’m always up late.” Pearl lifted her face to the sky. “Especially on clear nights like this when I can see so many stars. Aren’t they lovely?”

  Lani glanced up, noticing them for the first time tonight. Like a mass of little white Christmas lights, they glittered across the inky black sky in a promise of hope.

  “They look so far away—so… untouchable.” Like Easton, Lani thought.

  “Yes, but their light still manages to touch us every night,” said Pearl in her thoughtful way. “I guess they’re sort of like people, in tha
t respect. You don’t have to physically touch someone to touch their heart.”

  Pearl continued to gaze at the stars as though she could see more than what the average person saw. She had an inner peace that radiated from her like soft starlight, making Lani wonder how many hearts Pearl had touched over the years.

  “You and Easton seem to be getting along well,” said Pearl suddenly, her eyes now trained on Lani.

  Not wanting to talk about him, Lani shrugged. “We’ve become friends.”

  “Friends is always a good place to start.”

  “A good place to stay, too.”

  “Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends.”

  “This time, it’s no,” said Lani. “In six weeks, he’ll fly away, and I’ll never see him again. Just like I’ll likely never see you after you leave.” She paused, remembering the first real conversation she’d had with Pearl in this very spot. “You told me once that it must be hard to see so many people come and go. I think I understand what you meant now.” Weariness took its unforgiving hold, and Lani mustered a small smile. “I’m off to bed. Good night, Pearl.”

  “Good night, Lani,” she answered.

  Easton squinted into the morning light and almost walked past the loaf of bread before he spotted it. Covered in plastic wrap, it glistened with dew. Right away, he knew who had made it and where it had come from, so he picked it up, took it inside, and quickly cut himself a slice, which he savored all the way down to the lanai at the main house.

  Pearl was sitting alone at one of the tables, reading a book and sipping hot chocolate.

  “What are you reading?” Easton asked, taking a seat next to her.

  She closed the book, revealing a picture of a large, lily-like flower on the cover with the title, Mystical Plants and Their Uses. “It’s a book about unique and rare plants. You’d probably find it a little dry.”

  “I’ll admit, I don’t have a lot of interest in horticulture, but I’m a fan of rare and unique.”

  She studied him for a moment, her expression curious. “Are you?”

  “Most definitely.”

  “Love is rare and unique. Are you a fan of that?”

  Caught off guard and made suddenly uncomfortable by the directness of her question, Easton sat back in his chair and chuckled. “To be honest, I’m not sure how to answer that. I’m not even sure how we got here. Weren’t we talking about plants?”

  Pearl folded her hands over the book and leaned forward, searching his eyes for what, Easton wasn’t sure. “There’s a remarkable night-blooming cactus called Queen of the Night. It’s rarely found in the wild and looks a lot like Medusa’s hair, if you can imagine that, with snake-like branches weaving out from the root stem. If you were to stumble across it, you’d think it unremarkable and even ugly. But one night every summer, it produces the most exquisite white and fragrant flowers that stay in bloom only for that one night. By the time the sun awakens, the bloom closes tight, never to open again.”

  And just like that, they were back to plants. Good. Even better, what she’d said had piqued his interest. “Where do they grow?”

  “In tropical locations.”

  “Like Maui?”

  “More like Indonesia.”

  “Oh.” For a second, Easton had been sure she’d tell him where he might find the plant nearby, but apparently that’s not why she’d brought it up.

  “Love is like the Queen of the Night’s flower, you know. It doesn’t bloom often, but when it does it’s exquisite. The trick is noticing before it closes up and withers away.”

  Ah, back to love again. Easton had to laugh. From the day he’d first met Pearl, she had intrigued him with her metaphors, wisdom, and grace. She had an almost mystical aura about her that seemed to defy time and space. Or maybe Easton wanted to believe that because he wanted to believe that Fate was somehow working its mysterious hand to bring him and Lani together.

  But that was crazy.

  “You sound like you speak from experience,” he finally said.

  “Oh, I do. Lots of experience.”

  “Did you notice when love came your way?”

  Her eyes widened as though the question had taken her aback. But her surprise gave way to melancholy. “I noticed. It was he who did not—at least not until our chance had withered away.”

  Easton was immediately sorry he’d asked. Before now, Pearl had always seemed incapable of feeling sadness or any of the other less desirable human emotions.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said.

  She waved off his apology, and her bright, serene smile returned. “It was a difficult time for me, but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Every experience—good and bad—has the power to mold and change us into something greater than we were before.”

  “Or worse than we were before.”

  She tapped his knee with her petite finger. “Only if you let the experience break you. Otherwise, it’s always for the better. Sometimes you see it right away and other times it takes moving forward and looking back. How else are traits like empathy, compassion, and understanding developed if not through struggle and pain?”

  A light breeze blew a few leaves onto their table, and Easton swept them away with his hand. “I have to say, Pearl, that every conversation I have with you leaves me with a lot to think about.”

  She smiled and patted his knee. “Thinking is always good, but sometimes action is better.”

  The door opened, and Lani breezed out wearing a peach floral shirt and white capris. With her hair in a loose diagonal braid, she looked like a breath of fresh air and probably smelled like it too. Easton’s eyes stayed on her as she set the juice on the counter, along with a bowl of ice and individually-packaged yogurts.

  Then he pushed his chair back and approached her. “That banana bread was the best I’ve ever had. If I was the baking sort, I would get your recipe.”

  Her mouth lifted into a smile. “You don’t bake?”

  “Not if I can help it. But I like baked things and frequent bakeries as often as possible.”

  She laughed softly, and the sound floated around him like a gentle breeze. Lately, he couldn’t be around her and not feel lighter.

  “Have any fun plans today?” she said.

  “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

  She made a face. “Not unless you think driving the Hāna Highway is fun. I ordered something online last month, and I need to go pick it up at a store in Haiku.”

  “Want some company?” Easton blurted before even thinking about it. Did he really want to spend half the day on the world’s windiest road when he had his own work to do?

  Yes, came the thought. If Lani was along for the ride, that would be a definite yes.

  Why wasn’t she saying anything? Why did she look like she was trying to come up with a polite way to say, Thanks, but no thanks? She really didn’t want to make such a tedious drive alone, did she? Or was being alone preferable to being with him?

  “Thanks. I really appreciate the offer, but after all your help yesterday, I could never let you do that.”

  “What are you talking about?” he teased. “You’ve already repaid me.”

  Her expression turned rueful. “One loaf of banana bread is nothing.”

  Easton leaned in close. “I wasn’t talking about the bread.”

  A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and she flicked a quick glance at Pearl before clearing her throat. “Really, thanks for the offer, but I’m good. I’m sure you have other things you need to do, like writing? How’s your book coming anyway?” She phrased the question like a challenge, as though daring him to tell her more.

  Now it was Easton’s turn to feel uncomfortable. He’d rather talk about the latest chick flick or rare and unique flowers than his writing. What was going on? It felt like something had changed between yesterday and today, and he had no idea what.

  The only thing he did know was that she didn’t want him coming with her. “You’re right. I do have some thi
ngs I need to get done today.”

  She nodded. “The forecast predicts rain this afternoon, so you might be doing some of your writing indoors.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She drew in a breath and looked at Pearl. “Aloha, Pearl. How are you this morning?”

  “Lovely.”

  “Puna will be out in a second. She’s waiting for some muffins to finish baking. I hear she challenged you to another game of Mahjong?”

  Pearl laughed. “Yes. She’s become quite addicted to the game, I’m afraid.”

  “Yet another reason I’m glad you’re still with us. I hope you have a beautiful day.”

  Lani glanced at Easton, gave him a quick head nod, then did a double-take. Her eyes widened, focusing on his shoulder. “I don’t believe it,” she whispered.

  Easton looked down and saw something move on his shirt. He lifted his hand to swat it away, but Lani grabbed it before he could. “Don’t.” She moved close enough that he could smell her apple and flowery shampoo. “Do you know what that is?”

  “A hairy moth?” he guessed, craning his head to see it.

  “It’s a Hawaiian Blue butterfly,” she said reverently. The wings opened, revealing an almost turquoise center that fanned to a dark gray. The wings were much prettier open.

  “I thought I saw one of these a few weeks ago,” she said, “but I didn’t get a good enough look to be sure. I read about them when I first moved here, and I’ve wanted to see one ever since. And now here it is. Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Easton had seen more beautiful butterflies—the American Lady in Colombia, the Blue Morpho in Mexico, and the Golden Cocoon in Malaysia. But he knew the thrill of a long-awaited reward, so he could understand her excitement. But would he really be forced to stand here all day while she admired an insect instead of him?

  And the morning had dawned with such promise.

  The butterfly must have sensed his ill-will because it fluttered its textured wings and took flight. Lani followed it for a few steps, resting her hands on the railing of the lanai as it flew into the sun and was swallowed up in the morning light.