by Jill Sanders
“I thought you would.” He smiled. “Come on, we have this one.” He walked over to a green one and patted the seat.
“Where to?” she asked, sitting down and holding on as he jumped on behind her.
“You’re driving.” He laughed.
She reached behind her and tied her hair up, then leaned down to turn the bike on. “I’ve never driven one of these before.” She frowned.
“Gas, breaks, gears.” He showed her each step by covering her hand with his. “It’s easy.” She nodded and slowly made her way out of the parking lot.
Less than an hour later, she was a pro at it. “The second I get home, I’m buying one of these,” she said over the sound of the engine. She’d driven them through town and was enjoying the beachfront roads.
“Someday I might get you on my hog,” he said, causing her to stiffen a little at the thought of something bigger.
“I doubt it.” She chuckled.
“Pull in here.” He pointed to a small shop area on the side of the beach way.
When she stood up, she felt her legs shake a little from the excitement. “That was fun.” She smiled and watched him make sure the kickstand was down.
“Wait until I get a chance to drive.” He laughed as they walked towards the shop. “I love this place.” He took her hand and walked her over to the counter. “They have these cute little shells.” He nodded towards a glass case.
The “cute little shells” happened to be made from silver and gold and were sprinkled with diamond dust. She was totally shocked when he bought her a beautiful silver necklace with small black mussel shells made into a heart shape.
She touched it lightly as she got on the back of the bike. When he took off out of the driveway, her arms went around him quickly, and she held on tightly as he zipped down the open road. She had to admit, she really did enjoy the speed and the wind.
They weren’t going too fast—the bike topped out at forty-five miles per hour—but since she doubted she’d gotten the thing over twenty, it was a nice change to have the cool breeze hit her face.
They rode in silence for a while, and then he pulled into a small parking area near the edge of the beach. There was another small shack, and when she got off the bike, the sweet smells of cooking meat hit her, making her stomach growl loudly.
Cole chuckled. “My thoughts exactly.”
The place looked like nothing more than a small trailer parked on the side of the road with a few picnic benches out front. But when Cole walked her around back, she realized how wrong she was. On the sand, nestled between the small hut and the water, was a larger dining area in the sand. There was a small stage where hula dancers swayed to a beat. More picnic tables spread out on the beach, and they were almost completely filled with people.
They found an empty table near the edge of the water and watched the show for a while before someone delivered a large plate of food. No one had taken their order, or asked them what they wanted; they had just delivered the food. It was delicious.
“They cook like this once a month.” He smiled over at her.
“It’s wonderful.” She took another bite of the meat. “I would have never thought that this was a restaurant.”
He chuckled. “It’s not.”
She frowned over at him. “What do you mean?”
“It’s owned by a family.” He nodded towards the stage. “Mother, daughters.” Then he nodded towards the man who’d delivered the food. “Brothers and father over there cooking. They never charge anyone.”
She looked over to where an older man stood, carving the meat from a large pig.
“How do they make a living?” She glanced around and frowned.
He smiled. “Tips mostly, but this is their way of saying thank you to the islanders and tourists for providing for their family.”
They watched the show the family put on, and clapped when it was all over. When they walked away, she saw Cole drop cash into their donation bucket. She wished she’d brought her purse so she could give them some money as well.
“We’d better get the bike back. It’s getting late.” He walked her back to the parking lot and helped her on. He smiled over his shoulder at her as they left the parking area. “Hang on to me.”
The entire trip back to the Jeep, those words played over and over in her mind, and she decided she didn’t want to ever let him go. Not after today.
***
The next day Cole took her surfing. It was fun to watch her try new things. It took her a while, but she finally mastered it with his help. He was happily surprised when she started to easily get up on the board next to him.
Then he decided to try something new and walked up to get Maka’s long board from the garage.
“This should be fun.” He smiled as they paddled the big board out.
“Have you ever done this before?” she asked.
He chuckled. “No, but I’ve seen it done.” He smiled over at her and turned the board around, setting up for a ride. “Just follow my lead.” He started paddling when he saw the opportunity. She followed along. When he stood, she stood up in front of him. His hands went to her hips for just a moment and then they fell.
When she surfaced, she was laughing. “You knocked me off balance.” She splashed water in his face. “Let’s try that again.”
He nodded and they paddled out once more. This time, instead of touching her hips right away, he stood behind her as they both gained their balance.
When he felt that they were balanced, he took her hips in his hands and spun her around. He shocked her by reaching down and taking her legs and arms and pulling her up over his head smoothly. She easily went with him and laughed as she threw one leg up in the air.
She was laughing and having a great time until he lost his balance and tossed her into the wave, falling after her.
“Let’s do that again. This time, I’ll sit on your shoulders,” she said after she swam back to him.
He laughed and shook his head. “It’s worth trying.”
They paddled out and waited until the right wave came. This time when she got up on his shoulders, she surprised him by glancing down at him and saying, “Help me stand up.”
He reached up and took her hands while keeping balanced. She placed her feet carefully on his shoulders and stood up as she held onto his hands.
Then he tugged on her hands and she sat back down. When he felt the wave dying, he flipped her over his shoulders and tucked her next to him as they hit the water.
His lips covered hers when they surfaced. “I haven’t had this much fun in years.” She smiled at him. “What else can we do?” He laughed.
“It depends on how flexible you are and how willing you are to let me toss you around.”
She smiled. “I trust you.”
They spent over two hours playing in the surf. They got to the point where he could hold her with one hand as she posed above him.
He had to admit, they were a pretty good team.
When they carried the board back up to the beach, Maka was sitting there with his daughter.
“You two should enter the tandem competitions next year,” Nani said.
Cole looked to Maka, who nodded. “With some work, you could place.”
He laughed. “I’m game if Wendy will go along with it.”
She sat in the sand and laughed. Then she surprised him by smiling and saying, “Sounds fun.”
Chapter Sixteen
Wendy hated to say goodbye to Hawaii. She even felt sad saying goodbye to Maka and his family. But the moment the plane took off, she had to admit that the vacation had worn her out.
Not only had surfing yesterday made her sore, she had a few bruises on her body to go along with the aches. Cole sat beside her in first class, fast asleep. Her mind didn’t shut down until halfway through the flight.
Then she was blinking as Cole shook her awake. “We’re landing.” He smiled. “Two more flights to go and we’re home.”
Just the so
und of it made her heart ache. Her entire life she’d felt like she was missing something in life by not traveling. Now, however, she knew that the best part of a trip was returning home.
“I bet you can’t wait to get back to work,” he joked as they boarded their second flight.
“Right.” She rolled her eyes and took her seat. “What about you? What are your plans?” She held her breath for his answer.
“I’m not sure. I have a few things lined up.” He frowned. “Tracking down my brother might just be one of them.”
“Have you heard from Roman?”
He shook his head. “Not since the last call.”
“I’m sure he’s okay.” She took his hand.
He chuckled. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d seen him when he left.”
“Why?” She frowned, instantly getting worried.
He shook his head and sighed. “There was something off about him.”
“Like?”
He looked at her. “He hadn’t cut his hair for weeks, he was growing a beard, and…” He cringed. “He looked like me.”
She chuckled. “Is that so bad?”
He shook his head and glanced down at himself. He was wearing old blue surf shorts, a T-shirt that he’d probably had since high school, and flip-flops that had seen better days. “Not for me, but Roman…”
She thought about how his brother had always looked put together. Even when he spent a day at the beach, he looked like he could have just stepped off a magazine cover.
“Okay, now you’re freaking me out.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I know.” He squeezed her hand.
“Did he tell you where he was really going?”
He shook his head no. “Just that he wasn’t leaving the state.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “Have you tracked his phone?”
He blinked. “You can do that?”
She laughed and nodded. “Are you on the same plan as he is?”
He nodded. “We all are on the family plan.”
She held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”
She set up the provider app that would show him where his brother was. When it finally came up, she handed the phone back to him.
“There, he’s on Dog Island.” She pointed to the red dot.
“Dog?” He looked down at the screen. “That’s near Carrabelle. That’s only three hours from home.” He frowned and then set his phone down.
“So, I guess I know what you’ll be doing this week.” She smiled as he nodded.
“Have you texted him?”
He nodded again. “He hasn’t answered since before we left for Hawaii.”
“I’m sure he has his reasons.”
“Yeah, he’s an idiot.” She chuckled and tugged on his hand until he looked at her.
“Willow is like that. She never responds to my messages. Then, when we have plans, she always flakes or forgets. We were supposed to go…” She dropped off and gasped. “Oh my god!” She closed her eyes and rested her head back.
“What?” He leaned towards her. “What’s wrong?”
“The concert,” she whispered, feeling a little light-headed. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her phone and texted Willow quickly as Cole watched.
Her sister didn’t respond, which was nothing new.
“I can’t believe I forgot.” She shook her head. “I’m a terrible sister.”
He tugged on her hand until she looked at him. “Talk to me.”
She sighed. “I was so upset that she’d flaked the last time we were supposed to spend the weekend together, and then I pull something like this.”
“What?” he asked again.
“We were going to go to the Summer Bash concert at the Hang Out. It was yesterday and I totally forgot.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand.”
She closed her eyes and felt a sinking feeling start to overtake her. “Yeah, I know you’re right. But I should have been there.”
“Did you at least tell her you were going to Hawaii?”
She glared at him. “Of course I did.”
He chuckled. “Then you’re a better sibling than my brother.” He smiled. “I’m sure she understands that you were excited for the trip and forgot the concert. At least tell me she had her ticket.”
She nodded. “She had both of ours.”
“See.” He smiled. “Then she probably took her boyfriend.”
At the mention of Jake, she cringed again and shook her head. “No, Jake left a few days ago for basic, and I wasn’t there to help her get over his leaving.”
He sighed. “Wendy, you can’t shelter your sister from everything.”
She glanced at him. “I know.” She frowned, thinking about it. “I don’t.”
His eyebrows shot up. “So, then you’ll tell her you’ve been paying her tuition?”
She sighed and thought about it. “Yes, fine.”
He chuckled. “It’s for the best.”
She knew that and was determined to follow through.
When she parked her Jeep in front of her condo, she felt a wave of happiness overcome her. She’d dropped Cole off at his apartment, even though he’d wanted to come back to her place with her. She had needed some time alone. Besides, it was well after midnight and all she wanted now was a shower and sleep.
When she walked in, there were four messages on her machine. The first two were hang ups, the third was from Willow.
“Hey, I hope you’re having a good time on your trip. I didn’t want to bug you on your cell phone, but I wanted to let you know that I’m quitting school and following Jake to basic training. When you get home, I’ll most likely be gone. So, anyway, I’ll talk to you later.”
Wendy felt the room spin, so she quickly sat down and put her head between her knees. Then, through the ringing in her ears, she heard the last message and quickly rushed to rewind it and play it again.
Wendy’s voice sounded muffled and she thought she heard her sniff. “Hey… I didn’t go. Jake’s been cheating on me. He has a kid! He’s lied to me. I guess I’m just calling to let you know that I’m back home. Bye.”
Wendy rushed over and picked up her phone and dialed her sister’s number. On the third ring, Willow answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, are you okay?” Wendy asked, holding the phone tight to her ear.
“Yeah.” Silence.
“I’m sorry about Jake.” She heard sniffling.
“It’s okay. He’s an ass.”
Wendy chuckled and smiled. “Most men are. I’m sorry I missed the concert.”
“It’s okay. I took Micayla.” She sighed and Wendy could hear her sister blow her nose. “We met some boys.”
Wendy laughed. “Of course you did.” Wendy sighed. “So you’re back at school Monday?”
Willow sighed. “Yeah, I’ll go back.”
Wendy decided it was now or never. “I don’t know if you knew this or not…”
Willow sighed. “Wendy? I’m really tired.”
“Yeah.” She sighed and listened to her sister breathe for a while.
“I’ve known you’re paying for my college from the start,” Willow broke in.
“How?” Wendy tucked her feet under her and leaned back on the sofa.
Willow laughed. “The first day, they handed me a receipt for my first semester. I plan on paying you back.”
Wendy smiled. “You don’t have…”
“Wendy,” she broke in. “Thank you.”
***
The next day Wendy walked into work with a huge smile on her face. She’d had the best conversation with her sister since… well… ever.
It was so nice to feel that weight lifted from her shoulders that it took her a while to realize the place was dead. She walked over to the bar, where Alan was leaning against the counter, facing away from the door.
“Hey, what’s up?” Upon hearing her voice, he spun around and smiled at her.
“Well, look who’s back fr
om paradise.”
“Paradise is here.” She smiled and hugged him.
“Not for long,” he said and then nodded towards the television. “Hurricanes a-comin.”
“Oh, yeah?” She’d ridden out some rough ones and since she’d been born and raised on the gulf, she knew which ones to flee and which ones to ride out. “Bad one?”
“Naw, nothing we haven’t seen before.” He smiled and bumped her hip and then sighed. “But, of course, that means it will be dead around here until it passes.”
“Yeah.” She bit her bottom lip. She was really hoping to make up some of that money she’d spent in Hawaii.
“Look on the bright side.” Alan chuckled. “At least we get to have another hurricane party.”
Chapter Seventeen
Cole glanced down at the red dot on his phone and cursed. He’d been sitting outside of the small house for almost an hour. Still, when he rang the door, no one answered, least of all his brother.
The most he could tell was that the place was well kept. The metal roof looked fairly new and the siding was freshly painted a light teal. Even the white picket fence out front was spotless. He wondered whose house it was, and why his brother’s cell phone would be left there, unattended.
Roman never went anywhere without his phone. Then he remembered the day his brother had left and felt a sick feeling wash over him, causing him to curse once more.
Just then, a dark-haired kid rode his bike up to the house. When the kid dumped his bike in the front yard, Cole jumped from the truck and rushed over.
“Hey,” he called out, and the boy turned around quickly and glared at him.
“Hey,” he finally said when he realized Cole wasn’t going to cross the fence line.
“Do you know Roman Grayton?” he called out.
The kid squinted his eyes at him, and Cole felt a wave of deja vu hit him. Then the kid put his hand up and blocked out the sun. “Yeah.”
Cole sighed. “Is he staying here?”
The kid shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. Why?”
“He’s my brother and I’m looking for him.”
“He’s down at the docks,” the kid said, and then he turned to go into the house.
