"What did you see?" Hannah asked, leaning across Maddy to see for herself.
Maddy lifted the blind a little further allowing Hannah to see, as another flash of lightning darted across the sky.
"Quick, close it! I don't want to see!" Hannah said, quickly sitting back in her seat.
Maddy pulled the blind back down. Moments later, the plane hit more turbulence, and Maddy thought she was going to die.
"Lord, please let us get there safely. Please, God. We're so scared," she prayed quietly. Hannah agreed.
After what seemed an eternity, the plane won the battle, and the seat belt light was turned off. Maddy breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed in her seat.
"I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared," Hannah said to Maddy. "I really thought we were going to die."
"Me too, Han. But we survived. Let's try to get some sleep now," she said, wriggling around in her seat to get comfortable.
"Night Maddy," Hannah said, laying her head against Maddy's shoulder.
"Night Han."
The girls slept and were woken for breakfast several hours later. Maddy stretched and peeked out the window. The view of the shimmering ocean thousands of meters below was spectacular.
"There it is! I can see Hawaii. Look!" Maddy leaned back in her seat so Hannah could see out.
"Where? Those little dots?"
Maddy nodded. "I think so."
"They look so tiny. I still can't believe that I'm here with you. It was so nice of your mom and Hank to ask me to come with them and you on their honeymoon," Hannah said, looking across at Maddy.
"I can't believe I'm here either, Han. It was a surprise for both of us!"
Chapter 2
Maddy knew she was in paradise the moment she exited the plane. It smelt tropical, and the heat hit her like a wave. She and Hannah followed Sarah and Hank down the stairs of the United airplane, and onto the tarmac that was already reflecting the heat of the intense early morning sun.
They paused to watch a group of hula dancers as they entered the airport building.
Maddy found it hard to sit still as the shuttle bus fought its way through the heavy traffic on its way to their resort. All she and Hannah wanted to do was to get to the beach.
At last she caught a glimpse of it. "There's Waikiki!" She jumped up and down on her seat like a small child, and pointed the beach out not only to Hannah, but also to Sarah and Hank who were smiling bemusedly at their not so grown up daughter.
Hank leant over and pointed to a tall building surrounded by tropical palm trees and lush green gardens. "And here's our home for the next week," he said.
"Wow!" Maddy shouted. "It's so big!"
She paused a moment to take in the spectacular foyer of the Hawaiian Village Resort. The friendly sound of water trickling through artificial ponds decorated with colorful tropical plants, the deep green of palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, and the unfamiliar scent of tropical flowers wafting through the air, all blended together to give a truly tropical feel to the place.
"This is paradise," Hannah whispered to Maddy.
"Sure is," she replied.
They were presented with fresh leis and glasses of cool pineapple juice complete with colorful straw umbrellas by a group of smiling local girls wearing grass skirts.
They squeezed into a resort buggy and were driven to their accommodation by a young man who introduced himself as Kanunu. They passed through lush tropical gardens, green lawns and amazing swimming pools, before reaching a row of fancy looking grass huts.
"This is it," the driver called out as he stopped in front of one of the huts tucked away amidst a jungle of lush green foliage. Hank led the way along the path to the entrance, but reached out for Sarah’s hand before opening the door. Maddy and Hannah followed them in, and couldn’t believe their eyes at what they saw.
"This is just magical, Mrs Richards, whoops, Mrs Wilson! Sorry!" Hannah said to Sarah as they stood and gazed around them at the soaring ceilings of the villa, the beautifully carved wooden furniture, and the luxurious modern features that gave the whole place a special touch. "I've never seen anything like it before. I didn't even know places like this existed."
"Neither did I, but I guess we’re just simple country folk! I think we're going to have a wonderful week here," Sarah said, giving the two girls a big hug.
Maddy hugged her mom back and gave her a kiss on the cheek. How glad she was that her mom’s marriage to Hank hadn’t seemed to have changed her. She was still her precious mom who loved her so much. Why she'd made it so difficult for her and Hank, she really didn’t know.
"Do you think we could go for a swim once we’ve unpacked, Mom?" Maddy asked. She pulled away from her mother to look at the room she was going to share with Hannah. "We'll just go to the closest pool. You can see it from here," she said, looking out the window and pointing to the pool that was just visible through the foliage.
"That's what we came here for, so yes, that's fine. Just be careful, and keep a look out for each other. Be back here in an hour for lunch," Sarah said.
The girls quickly unpacked their bags, put on their bikinis, and raced out the door.
"Look! There are some water slides over there," Hannah said as they neared the pool area. "Let's go and check them out!"
"It looks like fun!" Maddy replied. "Let's go!"
The girls proceeded to try out the three water slides that snaked their way down to the water from the tower on the southern edge of the swimming pool. Despite their long flight and their interrupted sleep, the girls didn't tire of running up the stairs time after time and sliding down into the sparkling cool water that awaited them at the bottom.
"This is so much fun!" Hannah said after about their fifth time. They were floating around in the water, taking a break, before heading back up to the top.
"Do you want to lie on one of those sun lounges for a while?" Maddy asked after a few moments.
"Okay, why not! We can pretend to be grown up!"
They chose two sun lounges that were on the end of a row of about twenty, and beside a pagoda covered in a tropical vine full of bright yellow flowers.
"Mmm. This is the life!" Maddy said as she laid back on the lounge enjoying the warmth of the sun on her body.
"Sure is different to home," Hannah added. "Sorry, Mad," she said when she realized what she'd just said.
"It's okay, Han. I think I've just about got used to the idea of moving, although I'd still much rather be staying in Riversleigh. Mom said I'll like the new house, but I think it'll seem like a mansion compared to our little old bungalow. I'm going to miss it. And I'm sure going to miss you."
"Hey there, you two!" Hannah and Maddy both sat up to see if it was them that was being referred to. So engrossed in their own conversation, they hadn't noticed the girl who was now lying on the lounge next to them.
"Hi," the girls responded together.
"Where are you from?" The girl pushed her sun glasses further down her nose to get a better look at them.
"A little town in Connecticut," Hannah replied. "Riversleigh. You probably don't know it."
"No. Can't say I do."
"Where are you from?" Maddy asked.
"Manhattan, New York. I guess you know where that is."
"Yes, but I've never been there," Maddy replied.
"You here for long?"
"Just a week. How about you?"
"Two weeks. Been here a week already."
"My name's Maddy, and this is Hannah," Maddy said, turning to look at her friend before turning back to the new girl. "What's your name?"
"Lyndsay. Lyndsay Fox. Nice to meet you," she replied.
"Nice to meet you, too," Maddy said. "Maybe we can hang out together if you haven't got any other friends here?"
"Maybe," she replied, leaning back and placing her hands behind her head. "I've got a boyfriend. Met him last week."
"Really?" Maddy was taken by surprise by this last comment, but tried not to show it. Th
is girl was obviously way more grown up than she and Hannah.
"Yes. I'm meeting him this afternoon down at the beach. You can come down if you like."
"Not sure what we're doing but I'll check with my mom. Talking of that, we need to get back for lunch. We don't want to get into trouble on our first day!"
"See you later, then," Lyndsay said as Maddy and Hannah climbed off their sun lounges and started to head off towards their villa.
"See you," they called out, waving briefly before turning round and bursting into giggles.
"Did you see her!" Hannah said. "What a put on!"
"How old do you reckon she is?" Maddy asked, trying to control her giggles.
"She acts likes she's about eighteen, but I reckon fifteen. Too old for us."
"Do you want to check out her boyfriend anyway?"
"It might be fun," Hannah answered.
Chapter 3
Sarah and Hank had booked a table at the Lakeside Cafe for lunch, so when the girls returned from the pool, they quickly got changed and headed out with the adults to find their way to the cafe. They strolled along the path hand in hand, marvelling at the cooling effect of the lush tropical gardens, and the magical sound of water splashing gently down the pebbly streams that weaved their way all through the resort's gardens.
"This place is amazing, Mom," Maddy said as they crossed one of the many little bridges along the way. "You should have seen the pool! It was huge, and the slides were so much fun!"
"I'm pleased you had a good time, sweetie," Sarah said, smiling at Maddy. "It's good to see you so happy!"
They finally reached the cafe and enjoyed a relaxing lunch together. Maddy and Hannah finished their lunch with an authentic Hawaiian Strawberry 'Shave Ice' each, while Hank and Sarah enjoyed Pineapple and Coconut ones.
"Well, girls," Hank said as he leant back in his chair after finishing his coffee. "We've got quite a lot planned for this week, but today is just a rest day, so I think we should have an afternoon nap, and then maybe a wander along the beach before dinner. What do you think?"
"Sounds good, darling," Sarah replied. Maddy glanced at Hannah, and tried to smother a giggle as their eyes met.
"What are you two laughing at?" Sarah asked, noticing the mischief in their faces.
"Nothing," Maddy answered, lowering her eyes so she couldn’t see Hannah's face.
"Nothing? Come on, I know that look. You're up to something, I can tell!"
"We just a met a girl at the pool, that's all," Maddy said, shrugging her shoulders and glancing at Hannah again.
"There must have been something funny about her to make you laugh like that," Hank said, looking from one girl to the other.
"She was just a bit stuck-up, that's all," Maddy managed to get out. She'd quickly decided not to say anything about the boyfriend. "She asked us to meet her down at the beach this afternoon. But we don't know that we will."
"Okay then, if that's all there is to it," Sarah said. "Maybe she's not as bad as you think. Anyway, let's get going. I'm looking forward to a nap!"
They strolled slowly back to their villa, and rested for an hour or so before heading off down to the beach.
Hannah saw Lyndsay first. She made an attractive sight sitting there on the silky sand, a large red hat perched on her head, her long dark hair shining in the sun. She was leaning on her hands, her back straight like a rod, and her long tanned legs stretched out in front of her. Beside her was a boy who looked much older than she. He had dark stubble on his chin, and his lean muscly body shone in the sunlight.
"There they are," she whispered to Maddy, pointing at Lyndsay and her boyfriend.
"Do you want to go over?" Maddy asked. "I don't think I do."
"No. She's a bit too stuck-up for me," Hannah replied, turning the other way to avoid being seen.
"Too late," Maddy whispered. "I think she's seen us."
"Yoo-hoo! Maddy, Hannah!" The girls turned around and saw Lyndsay waving to them. "Come here and meet Jake," she called out.
Maddy looked at Hannah and made a face. "I guess we'd better go over, but I don't want to. He looks as stuck-up as her."
"Yeah, but I don't know what we'll say," Hannah said. "Hello, nice to meet you," she said in a put on la-di-da voice.
Maddy giggled. "Come on Han. We'd better get it over with."
They walked the thirty meters or so across the soft silky sand, their feet squeaking with every step, to where Lyndsay and her boyfriend were sitting.
"Hi girls. You look nice!" she said, looking at them over her glasses again. "This is Jake. Jake, this is Maddy, and this is Hannah," she said, pointing to each girl in turn.
"Hello Jake. Nice to meet you," Maddy said, trying to be genuinely friendly.
Meanwhile, Hannah just nodded. She thought if she said anything she'd burst out in giggles, and that wouldn’t be a good thing to do in front of these two. They'd really think that she and Maddy were immature if she did that!
"Sit down and join us," Jake said, indicating the spot on the sand behind them.
"Thank you, but we were just going to go for a swim. The water looks so nice. Why don't you come in with us?" Maddy replied.
"Oh, we don't swim," Lyndsay replied. "We just like sitting here on the beach, don't we, Jake?" She turned her head and gave him a smile that looked like it was glued on.
"Yes. The water's not that great," he sighed, looking longingly at the water.
"Okay then. It was nice meeting you. We might see you later, but we're going for a swim right now. Bye!" Maddy said before turning around and walking away with Hannah.
"Bye!" Lyndsay called out. The girls turned their heads and returned her wave.
"I hope we don't see them again!" Hannah said once they were out of earshot.
"Me too!" Maddy agreed. "I can't believe they'd rather sit on the sand than go swimming. If that's what you do when you're grown up, I don't think I want to grow up! Come on Han, I'll race you to the water!"
She dropped her towel on the sand and took off her shirt before racing down to the water with Hannah not far behind. The water was warm enough for them to run straight in. Maddy stopped when she was knee deep and turned around and splashed Hannah. They both ended up in the water, laughing and splashing each other, and having a great time.
Back up on the beach, Lyndsay and Jake watched the two girls in silence.
"I need to get going," Jake finally said.
"Do you really have to go?" Lyndsay pleaded. "Can't you stay a while longer?"
"No. I've got to meet someone. But we can catch up again tomorrow. How about lunch at the cafe?"
"Okay then. If you really have to go. Will you come by and pick me up?" she asked.
"Yes. I'll see you at midday tomorrow." He leant down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. She put her arms around his neck and tried to hold him down, but he managed to pull away.
"That wasn't nice," she pouted as he walked away without looking back.
Lyndsay gazed at him as he strode across the sand. Who was he meeting? Why couldn't he stay with her? He was such a good looking guy, but he always seemed to have somewhere to go or someone to meet. Just as well she'd lied about her age.
Once he was out of view, she watched Maddy and Hannah larking around in the water. They look so young and carefree, she thought. She took a deep breath, and lay back on the sand. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine who Jake was meeting.
Chapter 4
Later that afternoon, just as Maddy, Hannah, Hank and Sarah were returning from the beach, the two girls saw Lyndsay walking along the path in front of them, alone.
"Hey Mom, that's the girl we told you about," Maddy said, pointing at Lyndsay. "Looks like she's in the villa beside ours," she said as Lyndsay turned off the path and headed towards the villa that was to the left of theirs.
"She looks lonely," Sarah said. "Maybe you should make friends with her."
"She's a lot older than we are," Hannah piped up. "She probably wouldn’t w
ant to hang around with us. She wouldn't even go swimming with us when we asked her!"
"Oh well. See what happens. She might like some friends, even if you're younger than she is."
Maddy glanced at Hannah and shook her head, but too late to stop her from blurting out, "She's got a boyfriend. We met him at the beach."
"Well then. She must be quite a bit older. Funny. She didn't look that much older from what I saw. I haven't noticed anyone in that villa yet. I assume she's staying there with her parents. Maybe we can ask them over one night."
"Maybe," Maddy said, but what she really meant was, "maybe not."
Hank had booked a table for four at the Hawaiian Regis Restaurant for dinner. The restaurant overlooked the ocean and had amazing views of the huge headland that seemed to dominate the skyline.
"We're planning on climbing up there early one morning," Hank said as they took their seats at a table that was decorated with beautiful flowers and scented candles.
"Really?" Maddy asked, looking more carefully at the crater. "How long does it take to climb?"
"Not that long, probably less than thirty minutes, but it's a fairly steep climb. Although you and Hannah should be used to that." He grinned at the girls, knowing they'd be remembering their most recent escapade into the mountains back home.
"There's supposed to be great views from the top," Sarah said.
"Yes, but that's for another day. Let's enjoy being here right now," Hank said, picking up the menu that had been handed to him several minutes earlier.
"So many interesting meals to choose from!" Sarah said as she read through the menu. "I really don't know what to order."
"Well, I know what I'm having," Maddy piped up.
"Let me guess," Sarah said. "Mmm. Chicken?"
"How did you guess, Mom?" Maddy joked.
"Not that hard, really," Sarah replied, laughing at her cheeky daughter.
They finally agreed on what they were having, and their orders were placed with the waitress. The meals arrived in good time, but before they began, they joined hands while Hank gave thanks as he always did. Maddy and Hannah had accepted that this was part of life, and knew they had to wait before they could start eating, although at times they found it a struggle, especially when they were starving, like they were right now.
The Madeleine Richards Box Set (The Madeleine Richards Series Book 4) Page 8
