by Carly Morgan
“Wow,” she said, leaning into him.
“Exactly what I was thinking.” He gripped her arms, and she was unsure if he was trying to hold onto her or pull away. “I think I need to go.”
“Are you sure?” She wanted more of him.
“Yes.” He kissed her forehead again. Then hugged her tightly against him.
“Okay.” But she hugged him tighter, hanging on, not really wanting to let him go. He snuggled his chin into her hair. It was apparent he’d decided not to let her go until she was ready. It nearly brought tears to her eyes.
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you what to bring on the hike.”
“There’s a list of things to bring?” The idea of a list sparked her interest.
He laughed easily. “Yes. A swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen.”
“What about snacks?”
“Don’t worry. I asked about the food situation.” He winked. “They provide everything, including snacks and lunch.” He wiggled his eyebrows, being silly.
She laughed. “Excellent.”
Max opened the door. “See you in the morning. Sleep well, Katie Kat.”
“Really?” she asked, not sure about the nickname.
“Kiki?” he tried again.
“That’s what Birdy calls me.”
“Hmmm, I’ll have to think about it. Katie Kat just came out.”
“Night.” She shut the door and leaned against it, smiling happily.
The next morning, Katie and Max stood in front of the hotel with a few other guests, waiting for their bus to pick them up. She’d chosen jean shorts, tennis shoes, and her favorite green tee shirt. It was old and ratty, but she wouldn’t mind getting it dirty. She had her navy New York Yankees hat on with her ponytail pulled through the back.
Katie noticed immediately that the bus was nearly full when it arrived. She wondered how Max had managed to get two seats so last minute, but guessed he’d used his megawatt smile and charisma to get his way. She knew from experience that smile could make a person do just about anything.
They found seats in the back. She let him sit next to the window. Max wore khaki shorts, a navy tee shirt, and a Giants hat.
“Did you eat?” he asked, giving her a playfully stern look.
“Yep, I had a blueberry muffin, just like we talked about.” As she spoke, her eyes kept glancing at his amazing lips. She’d thought a lot about their kiss during the night. By morning, she’d decided she was thoroughly smitten. The knowledge worried her, but it excited her too.
“Good,” he said, leaning in, allowing her to breathe in his amazing scent.
She cleared her throat softly. “What about you?”
He ran the tip of his nose along her cheek. Her insides quivered and she smiled, unable to help herself.
“Eggs. Bacon. Hash browns. Orange juice.” As he spoke, his lips gently brushed her jawbone.
“That all sounds yummy.” She faced him. “I should’ve eaten what you did.”
His eyes sparkled. “Maybe tomorrow morning we can meet for breakfast.”
“I’d like that.” She thought about closing the distance between them and kissing him. But they were in a public place and she didn’t want to make a spectacle. Still, she could make it just a little kiss.
Before she could muster the courage, the bus driver’s voice came over the intercom. Max didn’t move for a moment, giving her every opportunity to kiss him. Finally, he readjusted, moving slightly away. She studied the landscape, disappointed in herself, and trying to calm her racing pulse.
The bus driver gave them some brief instructions, explained where they were going, and told them he would come on again once in a while to share bits of information about the island and interesting landmarks along the way.
Maui was quite different than New York in many ways, but she was surprised by their similarities. They were both islands and now she’d ridden the bus in both places. She didn’t mind riding the bus. It was her main mode of transportation in the city. There was much less congestion in Maui, though it was still busy. And where New York had giant buildings full of reflective glass, here there were palm trees and ocean as far as the eye could see in every direction.
Katie’s phone buzzed. She took it out of her pocket. It was a text from Bentley. She grimaced as she read it. I want to talk to you. Answer my texts!
“Bentley, huh?” Max leaned in closer. “Are you going to talk to him?”
“I’ve said all I want to say.” She tucked her phone back in her pocket. It buzzed again, but she ignored it.
“Men can be a little dense sometimes. We need things spelled out. We are terrible guessers when it comes to what women want.”
She snorted. “What you’re saying is, I shouldn’t have assumed that an engagement automatically meant fidelity?”
“Oh, no. That’s a given. No question.” He glanced out the window a moment before finding her eyes. “Some men,” he paused and shrugged, “and women don’t believe in being faithful. Not me, though. When I find the one, that’ll be it. She’ll be my sun and moon, my everything.”
Katie’s irritation at Bentley dissipated, though she was still disgusted with what her ex had done. “That’s good. It’s how I feel too.” She found herself mentally making a list of Max’s good qualities. And by good, she meant marriageable. And when she realized what she was doing, she quickly thought about something else.
“Maybe he just needs you to explain again that you are no longer interested. The Bentley I knew in high school had a hard time letting things go.” He indicated the phone in her pocket.
It was weird that Max knew Bentley almost better than she did. That realization said a lot about her and Bentley’s lack of communication and her willingness to overlook obvious flaws in their relationship. She reluctantly pulled her phone out again. Bentley had texted: I’m serious, Kate. Talk to me.
She knew he was serious because he’d called her Kate. “Fine. I guess I’ll try again.” She texted back: There is nothing to talk about. We are over. I wish you well, Bentley, but I don’t want to talk to you or see you ever again. “There,” she said, shoving her phone back in her pocket after hitting send.
“Yes, that should do the trick.” Max reclined in his seat, aiming his attention at the landscape beyond the bus.
A few moments later she noticed her phone light up in her pocket and knew that while Max may have dropped the subject, Bentley wasn’t going to.
She folded her arms, wishing she’d left her phone at the hotel.
The bus travelled the Hana Highway. Katie immersed herself in the scenery. The greens, blues, reds, and yellows seemed so much brighter in Maui than they did in New York. Birds in all hues flew across the road. Many of the people on the bus snapped pictures, talked and pointed excitedly. The birds were beautiful, but she didn’t want to take out her phone and use the camera because then she’d have to see how Bentley had responded to her last text.
“How long were you engaged to him?” Max’s question came out of the blue.
“A little more than a year.” She crossed her arms. “What about you? Have you ever had a serious relationship?” She thought about Trina and realized she might not want to know.
He frowned before facing her. “If you’re referring to a romantic connection, then the answer is no, I haven’t had one that lasted longer than a couple of months. I’ve dated, of course. Some of the women I believed might turn into something special, but they all ended badly.”
“Why?” she asked, curious how a woman could find anything negative about him. Except possibly the fact he was a musician and would be gone all the time doing goodness knew what. She pushed the thought away. They were friends, nothing more.
He shrugged. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. But the big picture is they weren’t interested in me so much as my money, or the small bit of fame I have, or how I could further their career, or my father’s fortune.”
“So, they were using you?” She shook her head, thinking t
hey’d totally missed the best parts of Max.
“You are the first woman I’ve met who thinks so.” He smiled sweetly. “It’s refreshing.”
He’d used that word again. She thought he should just call her what she was: odd.
But,” he continued. “To answer your question, my band mates and I have been together more than eight years and I’ve been friends with Wolfgang much longer. That has to count for something in the relationship department.”
“True.” It wasn’t the same kind of commitment, but it did count.
“Have you ever been hiking?”
Katie noticed his attention was on her shoes. “Yes. No. Sort of. Not really.” She debated her shoe choice while she spoke. Took in what the others in the group were wearing. Some had on sandals while others had on sturdier shoes like Max.
He grumbled something under his breath.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, feeling defensive. “The hike shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”
“I hope not.”
They didn’t talk the rest of the drive, instead allowing each other time to reflect on their own thoughts. When the bus stopped, Katie and Max waited their turn to exit.
“Everyone must be back on the bus by five. We will leave at five minutes after five and not a moment later.” The bus driver was a growly middle-aged man with a goatee and no hair on his head. He reminded Katie of a drill sergeant. “Are we clear?”
“Yes,” several people agreed.
“Do we need to synchronize our watches? I have eight forty,” he said after looking at his watch.
The group did a collective glance at their watches or phones.
The driver waited until everyone was done checking. “Good.” He climbed back on the bus and closed the doors.
Their trail guide was a young woman with black hair twisted in twin buns and a red tropical flower sticking out of each. Her name was Alika. She wore clothes similar to Max’s, only they looked much more feminine on her.
“Let’s gear up,” she said. “Please follow me into the lodge.”
Max and Katie spent the next fifteen minutes getting their packs loaded with water, snacks, and a lunch. The hiking company also supplied bug repellent and rain gear. By the time they were back outside and moving to the beginning of the trail, Katie felt like a real outdoorswoman.
“Listen up,” Alika said. Then waited while everyone quieted. “As stated on the website, the hike is a little more than four miles round trip. We will take a leisurely pace, but should arrive at the base of the first waterfall in about an hour. We will be passing through the bamboo forest on our way. Be careful. Stay on the path. Don’t wander off. There will be time to relax and enjoy the surroundings when we reach the falls. Any questions?” She waited, searching the faces of the group. “No? Okay, then let’s go.” She started on the trail.
Max and Katie walked side by side at the end of the line. Katie admired the gorgeousness of their surroundings. The bamboo trees were so tall they seemed to go on forever. The water seemed too blue to be real. It crashed against black lava rocks, filling the air with a light spray. She was glad for the rain gear.
“What are you doing?” Max asked.
“Look up,” she said.
He did, and they stood like that for a while.
“End of the line, keep up, please,” Alika hollered.
“I think she’s talking to us,” Max said.
Katie caught Alika’s irritated gaze. “Yep. We’d better get going.”
“You’re such a troublemaker,” he whispered, laughing.
Katie joined in. “Me? I’m just trying to enjoy myself. I stayed on the path, like she said.”
“That’s true. You did.” He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. “Maybe you should hang on to me. I’ll keep you out of trouble.”
“Will you?” she asked, sarcastically, though she didn’t let go of him.
“’Course.”
As promised, the group reached the first waterfall in a little less than an hour. Alika called a halt and the group stopped and took a break. Max and Katie found a large, flat rock available near the falls and sat together.
“Let’s see what we’ve got in here.” Max opened his pack.
Katie took out a water bottle. Opened it and drank the whole thing. Then she dug around for a snack. There were energy bars, an apple, some almonds, trail mix, crackers and peanut butter, a sandwich, and a bag of chips. “Where to begin?” she said, opening the trail mix and tossing a handful in her mouth. She chewed, watching Max pick through his trail mix. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t like raisins,” he said, picking them out and placing them on his pant leg.
She couldn’t help but laugh. It was so funny watching a grown man pick through his food.
“What?” he asked, his eyes sparkling.
“Nothing. You’re just cute.”
Max pushed his brows together. “Cute isn’t really a word a man wants to be described as.” He dumped the remaining contents of the trail mix in his mouth all at once.
“Woops.” She covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, but she couldn’t help it. He was putting the raisins back in the empty packet. And all she could think was that he was totally cute.
He grudgingly chuckled with her.
“Everyone finish up. We’re getting back on the trail in two minutes.” Alika held up a hand with two fingers showing. “Do not leave any trash. Put it back in your pack, please.” As she spoke she glared at the group like they were five-year-olds.
“Right. Let’s go.” Max put his raisins away.
Katie wadded her trash and stuffed it in the front pocket of her pack, zipping it closed. “I’m ready.”
Chapter 10
They spent a few hours at the large falls. There were bathrooms and after Katie and Max ate, they changed into their swimsuits. The water was cool, but it felt amazing against the heat of the day.
“This is beautiful,” Katie said, after they’d spent an hour in the water.
“It really is,” Max said. “It makes me want to write a song.”
“About the beauty of the Earth?” she asked.
“Definitely.”
They were standing close to the waterfall and had to shout to hear each other.
“I’m going in,” he said.
Katie knew he was referring to standing directly under the waterfall as they’d seen others do.
“Me too.” She joined him. The weight of the water pressed her down and she had to plant her feet to stay upright. Cold and heavy, the chill of the water was exhilarating. She tried to look at Max, but the water ran into her eyes too quickly. After a few seconds, she moved out from under the falls. Max did too. “Cool, right?” she asked, brushing her hair and some of the water out of her eyes.
“Very.” He let himself fall back so that he went underwater. When he came out, his hair was slicked back. “Want to get dry?”
“Sure.”
They went over to their packs, removed their towels, and found a dry spot of ground a little way off from the group, but still in the “safe zone” Alika had instructed them to remain in.
Katie took her journal from her pack and lay on her stomach, allowing the sun to dry her suit and warm her skin. She opened the book and debated how to write about the splendor around her as well as her feelings about it.
“I’ve noticed you carry that with you everywhere,” he said, indicating her journal.
“It helps me keep a clear head.”
“Oh.” Max lay on his back on his towel and faced her. With heavy eyes, he watched her. “Am I in this book?”
Katie’s whole face grew hot. “Maybe.” She felt close to him in a way she hadn’t experienced before. “Do you like your siblings?” she asked, letting her eyes close. She realized she didn’t want to write, preferring to talk.
“For the most part,” he said. “I don’t see them all that often. But when we get together on holidays, it’s mostly fine.”
“Mostly?” she asked, waiting for more.
“I adore Thea. She’s married and has two children. It’s great being Uncle Max with them. Toby, I haven’t seen in years. He left after graduating high school. I know he joined the Army, which made Dad furious. But, I don’t even know if he’s still serving or doing something else. I think Thea knows, but he most likely asked her not to say.
“Marcy is my step-sister. We are cordial and tolerate each other, but she hates my father for hurting her mother. I think she figures I’ll turn out like him sooner or later and so keeps me at a distance. Dean, August, and Matthew are the youngest and only eighteen months apart. They are in their twenties, and tend to be rowdy, if you know what I mean.”
“I do,” she said, remembering college, and how most people were. She’d never wanted to experience the binge drinking, drugs, being with multiple partners, or anything else like that. It just wasn’t part of her DNA. She liked knowing exactly what she was doing at all times. Birdy used to tell her to let go, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. She liked making choices that would help those around her. She believed in God and in His love. In her nearly three decades of life, she’d done things the way she believed He would want her to. But of late, her lack of job and then the situation with her ex-fiancé had shaped her into something resembling bitterness.
“Now, I don’t mean they are like I was. They’re good guys. Just much younger than I am.”
Katie snickered softly. “You’re such an old man,” she said, with a hint of playful sarcasm.
He gave her a serious look. “In certain ways, I am though.”
“But you still live the rock star life. You sing to thousands of screaming groupies at concerts. It can’t be all Bible study and prayer before and after the shows.” She thought about him at The Attic. Why had they chosen to perform there, if not to meet the ladies?
“Actually, we do pray before and after each show, especially the one we performed at The Attic.”
Katie met his gaze. She was glad he’d performed there because she met him that night, but it seemed odd that if he really were this great Christian guy he would choose that venue to sing. “So why The Attic?”
