Rip Current

by Jill Sanders

  He glanced at her and waited. When she didn’t finish, he prodded. “Like?”

  She chuckled. “I don’t know.”

  He laughed. “Join the club.”

  “I guess my first dream is to see my sister graduate school.” He nodded. “My second is to pay off her school.” She chuckled again.

  “With her help,” he suggested.

  “Oh, of course.” She didn’t sound very convincing.

  “What is it you’re not telling me?” He pulled into the parking lot of the ice cream place and stopped, and then he turned towards her and waited.

  “Nothing.” She shook her head and then sighed. “Okay, so she might not know that I’m paying for her school. Exactly.”

  He blinked. “Who, exactly, does she think is paying for her school?”

  She sighed. “A trust fund that dad set up for her.”

  “Why would she think that?”

  “Because that’s what I told her a year ago when she told me she didn’t want to be a burden and had decided to get a job instead of going to school.” She leaned her head back and sighed.

  He chuckled. “The things we’ll do for our siblings.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. He loved watching her eyes go soft when he kissed her hand. “Willow sounds like a smart girl. I’m sure by now she’s figured it out.”

  Wendy nodded and smiled. “Now, you promised me some ice cream?” He laughed.

  ***

  The next day’s competition was even rougher. The waves were better than the day before, and Maka looked like he’d rather be out riding them than sitting in the sand next to her.

  “Why don’t you compete anymore?” she asked, watching Cole take his turn down a particularly large wave.

  “I retired almost fifteen years ago,” he said.

  She chuckled. “I bet that was hard, sitting out, just watching.”

  He shrugged his shoulder. “It’s no longer my time. I’m a kumu now.” He glanced at her. “Teacher. I pick the surfers I want to teach, around ten a year, and that satisfies me.”

  She sighed. “I suppose.” She leaned on her knees and watched Cole finish his ride. “I doubt Cole will ever get this out of his system.”

  Maka tilted his head a little. “You’d be surprised. One day, he will ride a wave and decide that it’s not enough. That he’s still missing something.”

  “What were you missing?”

  He smiled and nodded to where his daughter sat, watching her brother. “Them. I was traveling too much. Before I knew it, Nani had learned to walk without my help.” He frowned a little. “So, I retired and started taking on students so I could be home with my family.” He turned and smiled at her. “Best decision I’ve ever made.”

  She smiled back at him. “So, when will we know who won?” She glanced around.

  “In a few hours. Tomorrow’s competition is a different division and is judged separately.”

  She bit her lip and glanced around. Today she could easily spot the judges, sitting or standing around the beach with their clipboards. Listening to Cole explain the rules last night over dinner really helped her understand the sport.

  Today she watched every competitor for their style and speed. So far today, there had been three very large, impressive waves, and Cole had been lucky enough to catch one of them. She frowned as she watched Deyon take another impressive ride down a larger wave.

  “Is Deyon going to be a problem for Cole?”

  Maka nodded a little. “He always is.”

  She bit her bottom lip as she watched Deyon ride the curve of a big wave. Near the base of the wave, he lost his balance and wiped out. She heard the whole beach gasp as they watched one of the best riders tumble in the surf.

  “But, it appears, not anymore,” Maka said under his breath.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “We’re having dinner down at Maka’s tonight,” Cole said as they walked back up to their little house on the cliff, his very large trophy tucked under his arm.

  “Sounds good. We should celebrate.” She smiled and nodded towards his first-place prize. It was a large wood carving of a surfboard, and Cole held onto it like it was made of glass.

  He chuckled. “Sounds more than good. Have you ever been to a luau before?”

  She stopped and turned around to look down at him. “A real luau?” When he nodded, she shook her head no. “I’ve always wanted to go to one.”

  “Well, here’s your chance.” He chuckled.

  “I can’t remember if I brought anything festive to wear.” She frowned and thought about it.

  He laughed. “I’m sure that whatever you wear tonight will be perfect.” He moved closer to her and kissed her on her lips.

  At seven o’clock that evening, they walked back down the pathway. Wendy was shocked to see the transformation of the beach in front of Maka’s house. Long tables full of food lined the grass area, while smaller one’s sat around in the soft sand. There were three hula dancers shaking their grass skirts as men played the drums while sitting in the sand.

  There was at least forty other people gathered around, enjoying themselves.

  “Here, I’ll introduce you to a few people.” He took her hand and pulled her towards the crowd. When she noticed that most of the women were wearing shorts and bikini tops, she glanced down at her blue sundress and felt overdressed.

  Cole walked her past a table where a large roasted pig lay spread out with pineapples and flowers all around him. The food smelled so good, she felt her stomach growl.

  “First, can we eat?” She tugged on his hand. He smiled. “We’ll wait for Maka; then we’ll eat.” He nodded to where Maka sat in a high-backed chair. He had a large wreath of grass on top of his head and a green skirt wrapped around his hips. A short, dark-haired woman sat next to him in a smaller chair. Her head was circled in flowers, and her beautiful floral dress made Wendy wish she had had time to go shopping on the island before tonight.

  She glanced at all the food as Cole tugged her along to meet several other people he knew. She was too hungry to focus on what their names were or what they did.

  Finally, after the sun had gone down, a young woman approached them. She was wearing a simple Hawaiian dress and had a wreath of flowers in her long dark hair.

  “My father wishes you to sit next to him,” she said.

  Cole smiled. “We’d be honored.” They followed her to the main table where Maka and his wife sat.

  “This is my mother, Kanunu.” She smiled and Wendy could see where the young woman got her pretty smile. Other than that, she looked just like her father. “Please.” She motioned for them to sit.

  When they sat, Maka stood up and clapped his hands and the music and dancing stopped. Everyone took their seats and listened as he spoke about good friends, good waves, and great food. When he sat back down, the music started up again as everyone took turns filling their plates.

  As the last people were seated, the drums began to beat faster as four male fire dancers walked into the sand and lit their batons on fire. Wendy had never seen anything like it before and was so engrossed in watching, she forgot about her hunger.

  “Impressive, aren’t they?” Maka’s wife leaned closer to her.

  “Very.” She smiled over at the other woman.

  “That is our Makaha.” She nodded to the lead dancer as she smiled.

  “Impressive.” She clapped as he sprayed a big ball of fire from his mouth, which ended the show.

  Once the male dancers finished, conversation started back up as everyone ate. Wendy went back to slating her hunger as she listened to Cole and Maka talk about the day’s competition.

  A large bonfire was lit in the sand and after everyone had stuffed themselves, some people sat on blankets in the sand around the fire.

  “Want to go for a walk?” Cole asked, holding out his hand. Smiling, she reached up and took it, letting him pull her along.

  “So, what did you think?” he asked after a while, nodding back
towards the party.

  She sighed. “It’s all so wonderful.” She wrapped her arm through his as she listened to the waves crash along the rocks. “I can’t believe you get to do this for a living.”

  He chuckled. “Beats standing in my underwear in a cold room as someone snaps pictures.”

  She smiled. “So, why do you do it?”

  He shrugged his shoulders as they stopped near the edge of the water. The sounds and lights from the party were far down the beach, so all she could hear was the steady sound of the waves.

  “To help my family out.”

  She frowned a little. “I don’t understand.”

  He tugged on her arm until they sat in the soft sand, side by side. “Dad and Julie have been struggling lately. I kick a chunk over to help pay for things, as well as helping Roman out with Spring Haven.”

  “I know about everyone kicking in for the home for kids, but Cassey told me Julie’s been renting out some rooms.”

  He shrugged. “Sure, she does that during the season.”

  “What about your future?” She turned a little towards him, wondering what he had planned for himself.

  ***

  Cole listened to her words and could no longer deny that he’d been asking himself the same question since he’d kissed her.

  “I have some ideas tucked away.” He thought about his accounts and for the first time ever, imagined buying a house along the shore where he could settle down. He’d never cared about owning things. He had a used truck he drove when he was in town, his surfboards, and the clothes on his back. Oh, and his bike. He frowned, thinking about how he’d just abandoned it to the junkyard. Sure, he could have spent the insurance money to fix it up or buy a new one, but so far he hadn’t. Roman had teased him that he kept putting it off because he was afraid of getting back on the thing.

  “Good.” She sighed and leaned back against his shoulder.

  “We haven’t talked about…” He sighed and closed his eyes as he took in her soft scent. “Us.”

  She chuckled. “Cole, I’m not asking for commitments.” She glanced up at him and then buried her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to her.

  “Wendy…” It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her exactly how he felt, but then she was kissing him and his body demanded more of her. His hands sunk into her hair as he fell backwards with her on top.

  Her sweet body pushed against his; every inch of her was pressed next to him. His hands traveled down her sides until he felt her soft skin and he knew he needed more. Running his hands up her legs, he hiked the skirt of her dress up until he could feel her moan next to his mouth.

  “I want you,” he said between kisses. “Here…” He hooked a finger under the silky bottoms she was wearing until he could feel her slick heat, waiting for him. “Now.”

  She smiled and nodded against his lips. Then she put her hands on his chest and sat up, slowly moving her skirt up over her thighs. His hands moved to her arms and gripped her as she steadied herself above him. “Touch me,” she whispered.

  His fingers brushed the sides of her breasts and her head rolled back on a moan. Pulling the spaghetti strap down, he ran his fingers over the edge of the material and her breath hitched. Leaning up, he ran his tongue over the swell of her breast and released a moan of his own.

  “Perfect.” He gently nudged the straps down her shoulders until she was freed. Then his mouth covered her as her nails dug into his shoulders.

  “Cole,” she moaned, “I want…”

  He nodded, knowing exactly what she wanted. Pulling out a condom, he yanked down his shorts and a few seconds later, she slid slowly down his length. He leaned back in the sand as she hovered over him, taking what she wanted and giving him what he needed.

  When they walked back to their cabin, the party was just dying down. The fire was only embers as a few guests hung around.

  “I hope it’s okay, but I’ve a full day of adventurous things planned for us tomorrow,” he said as they walked into the house.

  She nodded and he could tell that she was holding back a yawn. “Like?”

  He smiled. “I want to surprise you.” He took her hand and walked towards the bedroom. “But, I will tell you this… you’ll need your sleep tonight.” He chuckled as she yawned.

  He loved lying in the bed, holding her close to his body as she slept. He couldn’t believe how much she had come to mean to him. It was like he couldn’t breathe without her nearby.

  He’d lied to her earlier. The truth was, he had no clue what he wanted for his future, other than making sure she was in it. At one point, he’d thought of moving to the West Coast and opening a surf school, but being that far from his family would kill him. Then he’d thought he would just work for his brothers. But after a few days of building, he had quickly decided he was too much of a free spirit to be tied to a job where you had to wear steel-toed boots every day.

  Sighing, he smiled when Wendy snuggled closer to his chest. One thing was perfectly clear—whatever he did decide on, he would make sure she was right there next to him.

  The next morning he woke up just as the sun was rising. When he moved to wake Wendy, he was shocked to find her side of the bed was empty.

  He heard her moving around in the kitchen and relaxed. After showering, he walked into the big room and smiled. She was standing at the stove, wearing only his T-shirt and cooking.

  “This is a sight.” He walked over and leaned on the counter next to her.

  She smiled at him. “I figured if we are going to have a full day of adventure, we need a good start.”

  “Perfect. Can I help?” he asked, watching her flip a pancake.

  She shook her head no. “I’ve got everything under control.” She nodded towards the table area. It was already set and there was a large bowl of eggs and a plate of bacon. Fresh flowers sat in a vase in the middle of it all.

  “You woke up pretty early today.” He smiled.

  “I guess I’m just excited.” She scooped a pancake onto a plate that was already stacked with them.

  “That’s the last.” She nodded and walked over to set the plate on the table with the rest of the food. “Orange juice?”

  He smiled and walked over to her, only stopping when she was wrapped in his arms. “Thank you.” He kissed her.

  “For?”

  “Breakfast. Coming with me on this trip. Everything.” He kissed her in between each statement.

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and smiled. “You.” Kiss. “Are.” Another kiss. “Welcome.” This last kiss lasted longer and his blood started to heat.

  When he started walking her back towards the bedroom, she laughed and pulled away.

  “Oh, no, you don’t. My idea of a day filled with adventure is not spending it in that bedroom.”

  He chuckled. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded, but he thought he saw her swallow hard.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Wendy held onto the handles in the Jeep as it bounced up the bumpiest lane she’d ever seen.

  “Where did you say we were going?” She glanced over at Cole, who looked like he was enjoying the back roads a little too much.

  “I didn’t.” He kept his eyes glued to the pathway.

  “Any hints?”

  He chuckled and shook his head.

  They had driven to the other side of the island, and she had enjoyed seeing more of the land and shore as he drove along. He’d told her to wear her swimsuit, shorts, and a T-shirt, but had also told her to put on sturdy shoes. She’d gone with her running shoes, since she hadn’t brought hiking boots.

  The Jeep finally came to a stop in a small parking area where there were a few other off-road vehicles parked.

  “Well?” He turned to her. “Are you ready?” She nodded as he grabbed a backpack from the back seat of the Jeep.

  She followed him towards a small path, and then they walked through some tall trees in silence for a while. “How did you find this place?�
�� she asked, a little winded as she jogged to keep up with him. When he turned around, he frowned and held out a water bottle.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know I was going too fast.”

  “You weren’t.” She thought about taking up jogging when they got back home.

  He smiled. “Maka brought me here the first time I visited. Not many tourists know about this place. It’s kind of a locals-only thing.” She took a drink of water.

  “It’s lovely.” She handed the bottle back to him.

  “Wait until we get where we are going.” He took a swig of the water and then started walking again, this time much more slowly.

  It took almost forty minutes before they came to a clearing. When Cole stopped, she thought he was taking another break, for her sake. Since the first stop, he’d taken one every ten minutes. When she moved next to him, her breath hitched.

  A two-story waterfall sat directly in front of them, and there was a small pool of crystal clear water below it. The area was surrounded by trees, giving it a completely secluded feeling. She could see a few other people bathing in the water below and instantly wanted to jump in.

  “It’s beautiful.” She reached over and took his hand as he smiled down at her.

  “Come on, let’s go cool off.” He tugged her hand as she laughed.

  They spent a few hours enjoying the cool water and then sat near the edge of the water and ate the sandwiches he’d made for them. When they started to hike back down, she felt completely rejuvenated.

  “Stop one is out of the way,” he said when they made it back to the Jeep.

  “One?” She smiled as he nodded.

  “Next stop, coming up.”

  They drove into town and he pulled into a small gas station where there were over a dozen mopeds parked.

  “I’ll be right back.” He smiled and quickly disappeared. When he came back out, he was jiggling a set of keys. “Do you want to drive or shall I?”

  “Drive what?” She frowned a little. When he nodded towards the mopeds, she laughed as she jumped out of the Jeep. “I will.” She grabbed the keys from him.