Mandy felt warmth start up the back of her neck, spreading promptly to her face, adding even more heat. She wasn’t used to anyone other than Gideon saying she was pretty. Clearing her throat, she quickly changed the subject. “How long will Makaio be in the hospital?”
Ken shrugged. “I’m not sure. Probably a few days. When he gets home, he’ll have to take it easy for several weeks. The doctor doesn’t want him to put any weight on his leg until it’s healed well enough.”
“I wonder how Luana will manage without his help.” She wiped at the moisture on her forehead.
Ken leaned farther back in his chair. “I don’t know, but I’m sure the Lord will provide what they need.”
Ellen returned to the lanai with three glasses of juice on a tray. She’d no more than placed it on the small wicker table when another vehicle pulled in. A few minutes later, a middle-aged man and woman got out.
“Looks like you may have some guests. Was Luana expecting anyone to check in this afternoon?” Ken’s question was directed at Mandy.
“She didn’t say.” Mandy swallowed hard. With Luana not here, she had no idea what to do. Running a bed-and-breakfast was different from waitressing. But apparently Ellen knew how to handle the situation, for she left the lanai and walked out to the couple. A few minutes later, she led them inside.
Mandy went over to assist her friend in welcoming the guests. It’s a good thing we’re here, she thought. With Makaio unable to put any weight on his leg, Luana’s going to need our help for a while.
Chapter 13
After Ellen explained the situation to the guests who’d arrived, she picked up the guest book and asked them to sign it. In the meantime, she found their name in Luana’s book, which also told what room the couple would be staying in. This wasn’t much different than the routine of the B&B where she worked back home.
“We’re sorry to hear Makaio’s been hurt,” said the woman, who identified herself as Sharon McIntire. “My husband and I stayed here last year and enjoyed getting to know him and his lovely wife.” Her sincere expression revealed the depth of her concern. “If there’s anything we can do, please let us know.”
Ellen almost replied, “Danki,” but answered instead, “Thank you. It’s kind of you to offer.”
“You must be new here.” The man, who introduced himself as Carl, spoke up. “How long have you been working at the bed-and-breakfast?”
“I don’t officially work here. My friend and I are filling in for the owners today.” Ellen went on to explain how they’d missed the cruise ship and were staying here for the time being. “Luana and Makaio have been so kind to us. It’s the least we can do to help them out.”
They visited awhile longer, and then Ellen showed them to the Bird of Paradise Room. After leaving the couple alone to get settled in, she returned to the lanai.
Strange. I wonder where Mandy and Ken are. When Ellen peeked outside and saw Ken’s vehicle, she knew he hadn’t left. Opening the screen door and stepping into the yard, she spotted them crouched on the ground beside Luana’s bountiful garden. They seemed to be deep in conversation, so she turned and went back into the house. Ellen couldn’t help wondering how two people who barely knew each other could find much of anything to talk about.
“I can’t get over all this garden produce.” Mandy pointed to a head of butter lettuce. “It’s November. Back home, our gardens are done for the year. We don’t start planting again till spring.”
“Do you enjoy gardening?” Ken tipped his head.
She nodded enthusiastically. “I like all the fresh produce we get in the summer, but it would be even nicer if we could grow it all year.”
“It’s one of the reasons I like living on this island so much.” He fingered a cucumber. “Know what I wish?”
“What?”
“Wish I had my own organic produce business. I’d even like to try growing some things hydroponically.” Ken let go of the cucumber. “I’ve never liked working on my folks’ chicken farm that much. If my brother, Dan, was willing to take over the farm someday, I’d branch out and start my own business.” Ken’s eyes took on a faraway look.
“Isn’t he interested in your family’s business?”
Ken shrugged. “Dan’s a surfer and likes to run off to the beach every chance he gets. Course I like to surf, too, but not till after my work is done each day. Speaking of the beach, have you had a chance to visit one of our beaches?”
“Not yet. Ellen and I have been busy with other things. But I would like to go when I get the chance.” When Mandy rose from the grass, she lost her balance and fell back. “Oh, my legs fell asleep.”
“Let me help you.” Ken held out his hand. Easily and quickly he stood, pulling Mandy to her feet. “Now about the beach, I’d be happy to take you there on my next day off.”
“It would be nice, but we’ll have to wait and see how things go with Makaio. Luana may need Ellen’s and my help—especially now, having guests at the B&B.” Mandy glanced at the house. “Speaking of which, I should go inside and see if Ellen got the new guests settled into their room.”
“Okay. I should get going myself. My folks will be anxious for a report. I called them from the hospital before the doctor came in and told us about Makaio’s injuries.”
“I still can’t believe he fell off the roof.”
“Accidents happen when we least expect.”
Mandy walked with Ken to his vehicle. After saying goodbye, she hurried into the house to find Ellen. It would be nice to go to the beach. I hope Ellen and I can make it there before it’s time to head home.
On the Cruise Ship
During dinner that evening, the woman who sat at Barbara’s left kept bumping her arm every time she reached into her purse to check her cell phone. Barbara tried to be patient, but then the woman picked up Barbara’s glass of iced tea and took a drink. “Oops. Sorry about that.” She set Barbara’s glass down and scooted her chair over a bit.
Barbara managed a smile. She was sure the woman hadn’t drunk from her glass on purpose.
Their waiter came by about that time and asked if he could get them anything.
“I’d like another glass of iced tea,” Barbara replied.
He nodded. “I’ll bring it with your dessert.”
The tea and slices of coconut cake arrived a short time later. As she and Sadie enjoyed their dessert, Barbara smacked her lips. “This was another delicious meal. Should we do some laundry when we’re done with dessert, or would you rather go to the lounge where the ventriloquist is performing?”
Sadie jiggled her brows playfully. “Now who would choose washing clothes over seeing a young man throw his voice?”
Barbara laughed. They’d seen the ventriloquist once before, but it would be fun to see his performance again. She and Sadie certainly needed a few laughs. Since Ellen and Mandy got left behind on Kauai, their conversations had been much too serious.
“Okay, it’s settled.” She placed her fork on the empty dessert plate and finished her iced tea. “Let’s head up to the lounge and prepare to have our funny bones tickled.”
After saying goodbye to the other people at their table, Barbara and Sadie headed for the lounge. Sadie took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s hard to believe we’ll be in Mexico tomorrow. Our trip has gone way too fast.”
“At least we’ll be able to tour a bit before the ship sails back to Los Angeles.” Barbara paused. “It’ll seem strange, riding home on the train without our friends. We should get Mandy and Ellen’s things packed up this evening.”
“Jah. The only good thing about them not being here is we have more space to spread out in our cabin.”
“I’d prefer having Mandy and Ellen with us right now.”
Kapaa
When Luana arrived home from the hospital, she was surprised to see a car parked outside the B&B. She sat in her vehicle a few minutes, trying to recall if any guests were supposed to check in. After the ordeal she’d been through with Makaio
, it was hard to make sense of anything. He would be out of commission for weeks—maybe months—making it difficult for them to run the bed-and-breakfast. But if they didn’t remain open, it would hurt them financially—especially with hospital bills to pay.
Leaning her forehead against the steering wheel, she shut her eyes and prayed. Lord, please help us through this difficult time.
She lifted her head, remembering some repeat guests were scheduled to arrive. A middle-aged couple from Canada.
Luana pulled the visor down, checking in the mirror to see if there was a red mark from pressing her forehead on the wheel. Thankfully, there wasn’t. I need to get inside and check on things. I hope they’re not sitting in the living room, waiting for me.
When Luana entered the house, she found Mandy and Ellen in the kitchen. Ellen was preparing a pot of tea while Mandy put some macadamia-nut cookies on a serving tray.
“I’m glad you’re back. How’s your husband doing?” Mandy closed the cookie container.
“Surgery was done on his leg, and when I left the hospital, he was sleeping.” Luana put her purse in the closet and leaned against the counter. She glanced toward the hallway leading to the living room. “Are Mr. and Mrs. McIntire here? I saw a car parked outside and remembered they had booked a room and would be arriving sometime today.”
“They’re here.” Ellen placed the teapot on the tray beside the cookies. “I had them fill out the guest book, then made sure they were comfortable in their room.” She gestured to the serving tray. “We asked them to join us in the living room for refreshments. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Luana sank into a chair, feeling a wave of relief. “I appreciate you taking over in my absence. I couldn’t leave before Makaio was out of surgery and settled into a room. The doctor was pleased with how the surgery went today. My husband will have a long road ahead of him, though.” She glanced at her watch. “Ailani should be home by now. Her husband, Oke, came to the hospital to see how Makaio was doing and take his wife home. Oke worries now that Ailani is expecting a baby.” Luana rubbed her forehead. “You two haven’t had the opportunity to meet them yet. Maybe after Makaio gets home from the hospital, we can have Oke and Ailani here for supper.”
“That will be nice. Oh, before I forget, Ken came by earlier,” Mandy said. “He told us about Makaio’s injuries and that he’ll need to stay off his feet for several weeks.”
Nodding, Luana forced a smile. “But we’ll get through this. The Lord will provide.”
Chapter 14
The following day, Mandy entered the kitchen and found Luana sitting at the table, weeping. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she hurried across the room, placing her hands on Luana’s trembling shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“I thought I’d committed everything to God when I went to bed last night, but this morning our situation hit me full force.” Luana sniffed. “With Makaio laid up and me having to take care of him, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to handle things here by myself. Since our daughter is expecting a baby in the spring and has been having some difficulty with her pregnancy, the doctor says she shouldn’t be on her feet too much. I won’t do anything to jeopardize the health of Ailani or our future grandchild.” She wiped her tears with a tissue. “Right now, we can’t afford to hire any outside help, either.”
Mandy took a seat next to her. “Ellen has experience working at a B&B back home, and we’re both pretty good cooks. We could work for our room and board.”
Luana sniffed. “I … I appreciate the offer, and it would help for the time being, but you’ll be going home soon. Based on what the doctor stated about Makaio’s condition, we’re going to need help here for two or three months.”
“We’ll stay for as long as we’re needed,” Mandy blurted. Surely, Ellen wouldn’t object. After all, it wouldn’t be right to leave Luana and Makaio in the lurch.
Luana blinked. “But what about your families? They may not want you to stay here so long.” She wiped at the tears still rolling down her cheeks.
“Once we explain the situation, I’m sure they’ll understand.” She gave Luana a tender hug.
Luana patted Mandy’s back. “God bless you for your generosity. I feel better already.”
“You’re welcome.” Mandy stood. “I’m going to our room to get Ellen now. Then we’ll fix breakfast for your guests. After we eat, we’ll call our folks and let them know we will be staying here longer.”
Ellen was about to put her headscarf on when Mandy entered the room. “We need to talk.” She flopped down on the end of the bed.
“What is it?” Ellen asked. “You appear to be engschtlich.”
“I’m not anxious, but I am concerned about Luana.” Mandy clutched the folds of her muumuu. “When I went to the kitchen, she was crying.”
“She’s no doubt upset about Makaio.”
“Jah, but it’s more than that. When Makaio comes home, Luana is worried because the care he will need won’t give her enough time to do everything here to keep the bed-and-breakfast running.” Mandy paused and moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “So I said we would help out in exchange for room and board. I hope you’re okay with it.”
Ellen slowly nodded. “We can do it for a little while, but remember, we won’t be here much longer. As soon as our folks send the money and we can book passage, we’ll be going home.”
“Makaio won’t be able to help Luana for two to three months, so I told her we’d stay as long as we’re needed.”
Ellen’s mouth fell open. “But we can’t, Mandy. Why would you commit to such a thing? We both have jobs back home. If we don’t get there soon, our employers will find someone else to take our place—assuming they haven’t already.”
Mandy stared at her hands as she continued to fiddle with her dress. “If my job at the restaurant is gone when I get home, I’ll look for something else.” She lifted her chin, eyes wide and almost pleading. “You can go if you want to, Ellen, but I’m staying here until Makaio is back on his feet. He and Luana have been good to us, and I won’t leave them during their time of need.”
Ellen couldn’t believe her friend was willing to risk losing her job for people she barely knew. Then again, Mandy had always tried to help anyone with a problem. It wouldn’t be right to leave my best friend here. Besides, staying to help Luana and her husband is the Christian thing to do.
Ellen pressed her palm to her cheek. “Okay, you’re right. I shouldn’t have been so hasty.”
“You mean you’ll stay for as long as we’re needed?”
“Jah, but if we’re going to be here for an indefinite amount of time, I’d like to find a fabric store and look for a simple dress pattern and some plain material.”
Mandy pointed to Ellen’s dress. “What’s wrong with what you are wearing? We can always buy more Hawaiian clothes, you know.”
Ellen shook her head. “I’m not comfortable wearing a muumuu. The print is too bold. If Luana has a sewing machine, I’d feel better making a few plain dresses.”
“If she doesn’t, maybe the fabric store would let you borrow a sewing machine and make your dresses there.”
“Maybe.” She blinked. “What about you? Don’t you want to make a dress like what we’re used to wearing at home?”
Mandy shrugged. “I’m comfortable in the muumuu and don’t see the need.”
What’s gotten into my friend? Has she forgotten her Amish roots? Ellen’s muscles tightened.
“Let’s go. We need to help Luana fix breakfast.” Mandy hurried from the room.
Ellen started to follow but paused at the door, closing her eyes. Heavenly Father, help Makaio to heal quickly so Mandy and I can go home.
Middlebury
Gideon whistled as he headed for the phone shack to call Mandy. He’d gone by her folks’ house after work today and finally gotten the number where she and Ellen were staying. It seemed like forever since they’d been together. He could hardly wait to hear her
voice. Even more, he couldn’t wait for Mandy to come home.
When Gideon stepped into the small, chilly building, he took a seat on the wooden stool and quickly made the call. A woman’s voice came on a few seconds later. “The Palms Bed-and-Breakfast.”
“Is Mandy Frey there?” he asked.
“Gideon, is that you?”
“Sure is. Who am I speaking to?”
“It’s Ellen. Mandy’s upstairs, making one of the guest beds. Hang on. I’ll get her.”
Gideon doodled on the notepad next to the phone while he waited. It seemed strange Mandy would be making a guest bed. Maybe Ellen meant she’s making the bed she slept in last night. But if that’s so, shouldn’t the hired help do it?
Finally, Mandy came on the phone. “Hello, Gideon. How are you?”
“I’m fine. More to the point, how are you? I heard from your daed that you and Ellen missed the boat.”
“We did. The ship moved on, which left us stranded.” She cleared her throat. “We’re thankful to be staying at a bed-and-breakfast with a nice Hawaiian couple who are Christians.”
“So how come you didn’t call me?” Gideon wrote Mandy’s name on the notepad in front of him. “I had to get this number from your mamm.”
“Things have been a bit hectic on our end.” She paused. “But it’s no excuse. I’m sorry, Gideon. I should have called you.”
He leaned his head against his hand, releasing a soft breath. “It’s fine. I’m relieved to hear your voice.” Gideon’s face felt uncomfortably warm. He liked hearing the sound of her voice, even if it wasn’t as clear over the phone. “When are you coming home, Mandy?”
“Not for a while.”
“I’d be happy to pay part of your passage.”
“It’s nice of you, Gideon, but we can’t go anywhere right now.”
“Why not?”
“The man who owns the B&B fell off the roof and broke his leg, which means he won’t be able to help his wife manage the place. So Ellen and I volunteered to help out until he’s back on his feet.”
The Hawaiian Quilt Page 9
