The Hawaiian Quilt

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean;

  Lightheaded, Mandy felt her heart beat so fast she could almost hear it echo in her head. Ken was as good-looking as she remembered, and his pleasant, deep voice still sounded the same. The only thing different about Ken was that he’d cut his hair, although it was still thick and curly. She had to catch herself to keep from giving him a hug. But you mustn’t even think such thoughts, her conscience reminded. He’s a married man.

  “I found Luana and Makaio’s lost quilt in a thrift store in Shipshewana, so I brought it back to them.” She spoke quickly, trying not to stare at his handsome face and barely making eye contact with him.

  “Wow! How about that!” He set the eggs on the counter and stared hard at Mandy. “I can hardly believe you’re here. I’ve missed seeing you and—”

  “How have you been? I’m looking forward to meeting your wife.”

  Ken tipped his head to one side. “My wife?”

  “Yes. Luana wrote in a letter she sent me about you getting married last November.”

  Ken’s eyebrows furrowed. “Me, married?” With his eyes fixed on Mandy, he brushed some hair off his forehead. “Oh, you must be talking about my brother, Dan. He got married in November.”

  “Oops! Guess I messed up and wrote the wrong name,” Luana called from across the room. “I must have been preoccupied when I wrote that letter. Come to think of it, I was holding Primrose at the time.”

  Mandy’s lips parted, but no words came out. So Ken was still single. It was difficult not to get her hopes up, but a longing welled in her soul like nothing before. Could there be a chance Ken might … No. He only sees me as a friend. That’s how it was before I left, and I’m sure nothing’s changed.

  Chapter 38

  Mandy’s legs trembled like they had when she and Gideon first started courting. Only Ken wasn’t courting her. He merely stood staring at her with a wide smile. She could hardly believe he hadn’t gotten married.

  What does it matter? she asked herself. I’ll be returning home in two weeks and will start classes to prepare for joining the church this spring. She shifted uneasily. I wonder what would happen if I didn’t join and stayed here instead.

  Mandy’s thoughts swirled until she felt as if her head might explode. She remembered when Luana had told her how she and Makaio left their family and friends on the Big Island to begin a new life as owners of the B&B here. Would it be wrong to leave my family and stay in Kauai permanently? I would miss everyone, but I’d go home for visits. It would be hard on my folks, though, especially Mom. She wants all her children living close, which I totally understand. If I was married and had children, I’d wish for the same thing.

  “Why don’t you two go out to the lanai and get reacquainted?” Luana suggested. “After you’ve visited awhile you can join Makaio and me in the dining room for breakfast.”

  “I should help you,” Mandy offered.

  “No, it’s fine. You’re our guest here this time, and guests don’t help with the cooking.”

  Mandy was tempted to argue, but Ken had already started out the door, so she thanked Luana and followed him to the lanai.

  “I still can’t believe you’re not married,” Mandy murmured, taking a seat beside him on the porch swing. “I thought maybe it was one of the young women you were talking to on the beach when I was here last year.”

  He shook his head. “No serious girlfriends for me. But speaking of marriage … Since you have a boyfriend in Indiana, I figured you’d be married by now.” He took a step back. “You’re not, are you?”

  Mandy’s mouth opened slightly. “No, I’m not married, but who told you I had a boyfriend?”

  “Ellen.”

  “When?”

  “Remember the night of the bad storm?”

  Mandy nodded.

  “Well, I stopped by here after it had subsided, to see how you were all doing. Everyone but Ellen had gone to bed, so she and I visited a few minutes. During our conversation, she mentioned you had a boyfriend back home and said after you joined the Amish church you would most likely get married.”

  A shock wave rippled through Mandy, and she grabbed the edge of the swing, fearing she might fall off. Why would my good friend tell Ken about Gideon? Did she do it on purpose to make sure he didn’t develop strong feelings for me? Could this be why Ken pulled away and didn’t come around much after that night?

  “So what about your boyfriend?” Ken’s question broke into Mandy’s thoughts. “Has he asked you to marry him?”

  Slowly, she shook her head. “I haven’t joined the church. Gideon and I broke up awhile back.” Mandy paused to draw a quick breath. “He’s seeing someone else now.”

  Ken blinked. “Really? You’re unattached?”

  “Yes.”

  A wide smile stretched across his face as he moved closer and reached for Mandy’s hand. “Would you be willing to let me court you? That’s how the Amish refer to dating, right?” He looked deeply into her eyes.

  “It is, and I would.” Mandy swallowed hard. “There’s just one problem; I will only be here two weeks, then I’ll have to return to Indiana, because I bought a round-trip plane ticket.”

  “Is it refundable?”

  “I don’t think so. My cousin booked the ticket for me, and Ruth got the cheapest one she could find.”

  His fingers tightened around hers. “You can’t leave in two weeks, Mandy. We need more time to court.” Ken’s tone sounded desperate and sad at the same time.

  His look of sincerity brought a smile to her lips. Ken cares about me. He always did. He only kept his distance because of what Ellen told him about me and Gideon. Mandy felt torn. She wanted desperately to stay and develop a relationship with Ken, but staying longer would mean losing part of the money Ruth had loaned her for the plane ticket. It would also disappoint her parents. They were expecting her to return and take classes in the spring. Mandy didn’t want to hurt them, but if she said goodbye to Ken again, her heart would break, even more than it had the last time she’d left Kauai.

  “I need to pray about this.” She gazed at his handsome face. “Can we talk about it again in a few days?”

  “Of course, but I want to see you every single day you’re here.” He lifted his hand and gently caressed her face. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Ken leaned closer, and Mandy felt in her heart he was about to kiss her, but Luana called them to breakfast. “Guess we’d better go eat.” She rose from the swing. “I’m glad you came over this morning.”

  “Same here.” Still holding Mandy’s hand, Ken brought it slowly to his lips and feathered a kiss across her knuckles. She had a sense of what it was like to float, when together, they headed for the dining room. Mandy didn’t know how things would turn out for her and Ken, but she was sure of one thing: she’d never been happier.

  After Ken left, Luana noticed Mandy seemed quieter than usual. The bubbly spirit she’d exhibited earlier this morning had suddenly vanished. “Are you tired, Mandy? Would you like to go to your room and take a nap?”

  “I’m not sleepy, but I would like to talk to you about something.”

  “Certainly. Why don’t we take a seat in the living room where it’s nice and cool? Ailani’s car broke down, and since Makaio went to pick her and Primrose up, we should take advantage of our quiet time together.” Luana chuckled. “If my precious granddaughter decides to start hollering, we won’t be able to hear ourselves think.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing her, though. I can’t wait to take a few pictures of your grandbaby.” Mandy followed Luana into the other room and took a seat in the rocking chair.

  Luana sat on the couch across from her. “Now what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “I’m confused about Ken.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Holding the armrests, Mandy got the rocking chair moving. “He wants to court me.”

  Luana tipped her head. “Court?”

  “Yes. It’s what the Amish call dating.”

&nb
sp; “Ah, I see. I’m beginning to understand why Ken didn’t come around much after you left.”

  “Why is that?”

  “He missed you. Coming here probably made him think about you even more.” Luana smiled. “I suspected he’d fallen head over heels for you, but it wasn’t my place to say anything. I figured once you went home, Ken would move on with his life and find someone else.”

  Mandy nodded. “I thought so, too, and when you wrote and said he was getting married, I tried to accept the fact that a relationship between him and me was not meant to be.”

  “And now how do you feel?”

  “Confused.”

  “About your feelings for Ken?”

  “No, I’m clear about that. Seeing him again this morning and learning he isn’t married made me aware my feelings for him hadn’t changed.” Mandy paused and lowered her head. “I’m in love with him, but I don’t see how things could work out between us when I live so far away.”

  “Have you considered staying in Kauai?” Luana questioned.

  Mandy nodded. “I love it here, but all of my family live in Indiana, and I need to consider them. I don’t know if I could move here permanently without their blessing. I’m not sure I’d be truly happy living so far from them, either.”

  “The first thing you should do is pray about it.” Luana reached for the Bible on the coffee table and opened it to a passage she had underlined some time ago. “Listen to what it says in Proverbs 3:5–6: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’”

  Mandy’s chin quivered as she rose from her chair. “Mahalo, Luana. I needed the reminder.”

  When Ken returned home later that morning, he had a hard time concentrating on his work. Beautiful Mandy, whom he’d fallen in love with during her stay on Kauai last year, would be returning to the mainland again unless he could convince her to remain here with him.

  What should I do, Lord? he silently prayed. I want to be with Mandy, but I can’t force her to stay. Her family is in Indiana—so far away.

  Fate could be a strange thing sometimes, if this was actually fate. Ken never thought he’d see Mandy again, especially when Ellen had told him about Mandy having a boyfriend and given the impression they’d be getting married. He’d tried so hard to forget her, but nearly every day Mandy’s sweet face was vivid in his mind. Ken had even gone out on a couple of dates, but he couldn’t get Mandy out of his thoughts. The few times he’d taken a girl out for dinner, his mind had been elsewhere. He’d finally given up, deciding it might be too soon to think about dating anyone. Maybe a few years down the road it would get easier.

  Ken gripped the handle of the shovel he’d been using to clean the chicken barn. Is it possible God used Luana and Makaio’s missing quilt to bring Mandy back to Kauai? Maybe this is where she belongs.

  He took a seat on a bundle of straw, watching the chickens move about and hoping they might divert his spiraling thoughts. What should I do? Mandy’s met my parents and brother, and they got along well. I’d like the chance to meet her parents and siblings, too. It’d be great to see the area she grew up in.

  As Ken sat pondering, one of the barn cats rubbed against his leg, jarring his thoughts. The cat purred then leaped into Ken’s lap. “You’re supposed to be keeping the mice down, not lounging around.” He snickered and stroked the feline’s ear. “Guess I shouldn’t be sitting here, either.”

  Ken sat a few more minutes then placed the cat on the floor and stood. He picked up his shovel and opened the door to the large pen. He was about to start cleaning, when Taavi walked in.

  “Hey, Ken! Thought I’d stop by to see if you wanna go surfing with me. The waves are looking real good today.”

  “Wish you would have called me instead of coming all the way out here.” Ken set the shovel aside and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. “Oh, yeah, it’s in the house on the charger.” He slapped his forehead.

  Taavi snorted. “Well, you answered your own question, buddy.” He pointed to Ken’s feet. “You sure look funny wearin’ those clod-hopper boots.”

  “What? Do you think I’d wear a pair of flip-flops out here? No way!” Ken lifted his gaze to the ceiling.

  “So what do you think about heading to the beach. You wanna go?”

  “Any other time I’d jump at the chance, but I have work to do.” Ken picked up Fluffy, his favorite chicken, and stroked the hen’s feathers. “Not only that, but Mandy is back for a couple of weeks, and when I’m done working for the day, I’ll be with her.”

  Taavi leaned against the wall. “You weren’t the same after Mandy left last year. Fact is, you acted like a love-sick seal. So guess I won’t be seein’ much of you till she goes home again—unless, of course, you beg her to stay.”

  “I’ll stop by soon or give you a call.” Ken set the chicken on the floor. “You might want to know how things turned out.”

  “Sounds good.” Taavi thumped Ken’s back. “Say hi to Mandy for me.”

  After his friend left, Ken contemplated the situation with Mandy. Is her place really here on the island because she brought back Luana and Makaio’s quilt? Or maybe, he thought, grabbing the shovel again, my place is in Indiana with her.

  Chapter 39

  For the next ten days, Mandy and Ken spent every free minute together. In addition to him visiting Mandy at the B&B, he took her to see several sights she hadn’t seen before. Today, Ken had some time off, so he’d booked a one-hour trip with the Wings of Kauai. He wanted Mandy to see the entire island from the air. This would be his special treat before she went home. Ken couldn’t wait to see her surprised look when he told her about the island air tour. Hopefully, it would be something she’d remember for a long time to come.

  Since Mandy’s return to the island, Ken had removed his surfboard from the roof of his SUV. He figured there’d be no time for hanging out on the beach, nor did he want to waste a minute without Mandy at his side. He’d taken his vehicle to the gas station and through the car wash so that everything could be perfect for her.

  Ken glanced at the passenger seat, where Mandy sat in his SUV, holding a camera. He was glad she’d gotten a new one and was enjoying taking photos. But no photo can ever replace the real thing. Ken reflected on how he had longed to see Mandy’s sweet face during the months she’d been gone. She’d been in his thoughts daily, and his dreams at night. Having her sitting beside him now was an answer to prayer.

  Ken had been praying about their situation and discussed it at length with his folks. As of last night, he’d finally come up with a way for him and Mandy to be together on a permanent basis, even though it meant giving up the dream he had of owning his own organic hydroponic nursery on the island he loved so much.

  “Guess where we’re going?” He waited for her response.

  Tilting her head she looked at him. “I don’t know. Where?”

  “To the airport. I booked us an island tour with Wings over Kauai.”

  “Really? It sounds like fun. I’m looking forward to riding in a plane again. It should be fun to see the island from the air.”

  “It will be fun, but riding in a small plane will be a little different than the big jet you were on coming here.”

  “I figured it would be since it’s so much smaller.” She giggled. “No flight attendants to offer cold drinks and snacks.”

  “There will be water and soda pop on the plane, but the only passengers will be us, the pilot, and four others who signed up for the flight.”

  Smiling, she lifted her camera. “I’m anxious to get some pictures. I need something to take home to remind me of this trip.”

  For the first several minutes, Mandy sat with her nose pressed against the window on her side of the airplane. Due to distribution of weight, Ken sat next to the pilot, and the other passengers were in the back, with one middle-aged woman sitting across from Mandy.

  Mandy’s stomach flew up as
the small plane took off, but she didn’t mind. What an adventure it was to look down and see the layout of the land, with all its peaks and valleys. Everyone on board wore headphones so they could communicate with the pilot, as well as with each other. The plane flew out over the ocean, and the pilot called their attention to some whales. It was different seeing them from this perspective.

  Mandy wished she and Ken were the only ones in the plane so she could speak to him freely, without others hearing their conversation.

  As they continued on, several waterfalls came into view. One of them was the same falls she and Ken had visited last year, when the nice lady offered to take their picture. Of course, seeing it from above put a different slant on things. All the while, Mandy snapped more pictures.

  When the Na Pali Coast came into view, she couldn’t help exclaiming, “How amazing! It looks different than when we saw it by boat, but beautiful, nonetheless. Only God could have created something this spectacular.”

  Ken looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. Then he gave a thumbs-up.

  I love him, she thought. How am I ever going to leave here when it’s time to go? I wish it were possible for me to stay. I’ll miss Ken terribly when I return to my home on the mainland.

  Ken’s heart pounded as he drove Mandy back to the B&B later that afternoon. He needed to tell her how he felt, but was unsure of her reaction.

  “Mahalo, Ken, for giving me such a nice day.” Mandy held up her camera. “I took enough pictures to help me remember my time on Kauai this time.” She sighed deeply and leaned back in her seat. “I’m going to miss being in Hawaii, but I’ll miss you most of all.”

  Pleased with her declaration, Ken couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled off at a wide spot on the shoulder of the road. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  Mandy tipped her head. “What is it?”

  He reached for her hand. “It may seem like it’s too short for the declaration I’m about to make, but we spent a lot of time together when you were here before.” He paused, searching for just the right words. “Every minute you were with me was special. Truth is, these last couple of days, we’d no sooner part than I’d began counting the hours till the next time we could be together.”