by Emily Duvall
“Brent invited me. He’s such a man, I mean in the most physical way. Have you seen his arms? I want to run my hands over his muscles.” She caught Kari looking over at her, confused. “I’m all stressed now about what to wear. I can’t throw on any of the dresses in my closet. Sid bought me every single one of them and I won’t show up in clothes reeking of our bad luck.” She could tell Melanie wasn’t listening and followed her gaze over to Vivian, looking lost in her own world. “Vivian’s not much of a talker, is she?”
The comment about Vivian instantly drew up Melanie’s protective shield. “She will be.”
“Kari and Alyssa spoke full sentences at Vivian’s age. My little project managers run my house and already talk back to me. Little girls are so demanding.”
Melanie grinned. “They tend to imitate whomever they are around.”
Goldie smiled and quickly frowned. “I imagine Vivian doesn’t have to say much around Luke. He doesn’t say much. All his thoughts are locked up in that handsome head of his.” Kari came over and shoved a doll in Goldie’s face. “Comb her hair!”
“Mommy isn’t playing right now.” Goldie pushed back the doll. “I’m talking to Vivian’s speech therapist.”
Not at all impressed with Melanie’s title, Kari threw the doll up in the air and dropped to the floor, flailing around. “I want you to play with me. Play with me! PLAY WITH ME!”
Alyssa came over, pounced on Kari, and the two them rolled over and began to fight and giggle and forget about their mother. “Have you met Felicity yet? I haven’t personally met her. I should wait until I can bring over a fine bottle of wine and some flowers.”
“I know she got to her hotel late last night and I don’t know anything more.”
“I’m disappointed! You’re staying in Luke’s house. Think. Use your brain and get some information out of these people.” She laughed and squirmed in her seat, the result of a joke for Melanie to take either way. “Tell me all about Luke’s friends. Are any of them single? I’m kidding, of course.”
“I don’t know his friends.” Melanie picked up one of the plastic baggies with leftover screws.
Goldie laughed nervously. “I see.”
Melanie got up and walked over to Vivian, and talked to her, pointing at the other girls, showing her they were present. She took out a dollhouse with miniature life-like people and pretended to act a scene with the mom washing dishes and the little children playing in the backyard. Kari and Alyssa gravitated over to Melanie with interested countenances, and sat down cross-legged with hands eager to play. Goldie opened the box of cupcakes, picked out the fattest one, and began to eat by herself in the corner and check her phone.
Chapter 22
Felicity Banks stole the attention of every male in the room with her striking black hair, cool green eyes, and swab of freckles over her nose and cheeks. The simple nod of her head and some eager man brought her a drink. The men in the room, fellow lawyer friends of Damon’s in town for the wedding, stopped by the house on their way to the private beach, courtesy of Luke. They inclined their gazes to her like cold hands to a hot fire, most of all Damon, who stood beside her, holding a stake for anyone giving off the slightest scent of flirtation.
The bride dictated the day’s activities and she stood by her decision to go see and swim in the freshwater pools at ‘Ohe’o in the Haleakala National Park. One quick call to the park office and Kendra confirmed ideal conditions for such a day out where guests could choose between hiking, swimming, or both.
Latonya set Damon’s friends up with a basket of food and a cooler of ice, cans of soda, and bottles of water and they were on their way to enjoy a day under a blue sky and even bluer waves. The fifteen-seat passenger van awaited them outside and everyone began grabbing bags all at once.
Melanie found a seat in the row second to the back and scooted all the way down so she could see out the window. They didn’t sleep together last night. Damon and Brent corralled Luke into going out for drinks and dinner. She half-expected Luke to have come to her bed last night, but he didn’t. The entire day had been planned out and Melanie looked forward to seeing more of Maui. She hadn’t been out of the beach house much, except for a few quick trips to the markets, and of course, the ER.
Everyone convened at the van in front of the house. The driver waited outside on the curb, in front of the van with Kendra giving him presumably some sort of instruction. Vivian sat in a car seat in the back row with Stevie on one side and Kendra on the other, while the rest of the party got in the van and chose a seat.
Luke took the seat next to Melanie’s. “You’ll like where we’re going today,” he said, with casual ease. “When I first bought this house, I did a lot of hiking up in Haleakala. There are decent trails and the scenery is unlike anything you’ve seen: pristine, quiet, grand.”
“I bet you didn’t think I’d ever see this place with you.” At least she could make fun of their past.
He grew serious for a moment, responding with, “No, I didn’t think I would ever bring you here.”
Kendra tapped Luke on the shoulder. “Excuse me,” she said, coming between them. “Everything’s set for our lunch. When we get to the pools, we’ll eat first, and then the guests can swim or go for a hike to see the waterfalls. We’ll have three hours to see the area and we can split up or stay as a group, as long as we’re all back at the van by three p.m. sharp. Will there be anything else in the meantime?”
“Take a break, Kendra. Have a glass of wine when we arrive. You’ve earned a day off.”
“Sir?” she asked in a modulated voice.
“Enjoy yourself. There won’t be any problems. We’re less than an hour away from the park.” He paused and laughed quietly. “There’s no crisis to solve. Be social. Have fun.”
“Be social,” she repeated like an android. “Have fun.”
Kendra leaned back as the driver started the car and drove them away from the house. The pregnancy wasn’t yet showing, a fact Kendra couldn’t hide much longer, especially after the summer. The thought of “after the summer” sat heavy on Melanie’s heart. Where would she be? Could she go back and live at home and work at the Growing Tree? Could life ever be the same from this massive interruption? She’d want to be with Luke. She knew herself very well and she knew she’d want to be with him. Melanie snuck a glance at Luke. For all she knew, he thought differently. Maybe this would be a P.S., thanks for the summer come the end of August. Melanie watched through the window. The scene rolled by, and she wondered for the second time, if she should have clarified the things standing in their way of being together.
Luke’s hand brushed across hers and his finger drew an invisible line down her palm. The blood rushed to her midsection as it always did when Luke touched her. She removed her hand from under his. The rest of the way to the park she remained aloof to him. It was too much to be this close to him, in a car with other people, and not be able to be with him.
The driver accelerated the car up the winding road and handled the curves with care. They passed through the park entrance and the driver continued driving until they reached their destination, a parking area at the far end of the lot. The last ones to get out of the van, Kendra and Melanie each carried bags and blankets up the quarter-mile hike and then down further to the pools where they joined the rest of the group at the mouth of the ‘Ohe’o Gulch.
The rocky foot of the shoreline made the walk down to the water slippery and dangerous. Trees, thick and dense, filled the land and created a natural barrier to the trails and road. Melanie looked up in the direction of the whoosh sound and saw the staggered waterfalls with crisp white water pouring out of the mouths of the cliffs. They couldn’t see or hear any other people and selected a site. Brent cleared some of the rocks and Kendra and Melanie threw down the blankets.
“You’ve been quiet,” Melanie said to Kendra with the others in the distance, putting on sunscreen and taking off socks and shoes.
“Damon’s marrying her because
she’s somebody.”
Melanie looked over in the direction of Felicity and Damon, laughing and talking. “I don’t understand.”
Kendra shot a green-eyed glance at the engaged couple. “Felicity is somebody. She’s from the right zip code. Her family is from the Lakeshore area of the city. Do you think he would marry her if say, she came from a working-class family with a father on disability and a manager of a Laundromat for a mother?”
“I think you’ve got enough to worry about than Damon’s choice in a bride. He might not come from much, but he’s built a successful life, more than most people.” Melanie helped Kendra smooth out the blanket and continued, “Have you thought more about contacting the father?”
“Not a chance.” Kendra laughed hard. “He broke up with me for another woman. I doubt he’s going to insist involvement financially or otherwise, in this child’s life.”
“You don’t think there’s a chance he’ll choose you?” Melanie helped Kendra pick up the sandwiches and put them in another bag.
“I know you’re not stupid. You know as well as I do that there’s no point holding second place in a man’s heart. You either occupy the first seat or you don’t. I know where I stand and it’s not even close to first place.”
“Don’t you think he deserves to know? Maybe he’ll agree to be financially responsible. Kendra, don’t be bullheaded. A baby isn’t like planning Luke’s schedule. You’ve got to be prepared for the major disruption and you’ve got to plan for whatever you and your baby need.”
She remained unyielding. “I don’t need anything from him.”
Melanie dropped the topic like a cannon ball in water. She stole a glance at Luke, shirtless in his black bathing suit shorts that hung low off his waist, exposing his defined abs and smattering of light brown chest hair.
Pressing her feet into the cool water, Melanie waited for the sting of her cut to pass before she moved on to find a flatter bottom of land. The best she could, she kept off the foot and trudged through the water, wincing at a random sharp branch or slick rock. She waved at Stevie and Vivian sitting a ways up on other blankets with hats and snacks.
The intensity in Luke’s gaze told her what he wanted. “Now?” she whispered.
Luke responded with a reckless grin and grabbed her hand. “No one will miss us. They think we’re going to see more of the falls.”
A trifecta of queasy, brilliant, ecstasy, hit her middle. Melanie grabbed her flip-flops and a towel.
“They’re a short hike away.” Luke wore his towel like a mantle over his shoulders.
They slipped away without much notice and walked up to the road. Luke led the way, crossing the road and finding a narrow, muddier trail in the heart of the humid forest with water drops clinging to the leaves on the trees. The shrieks and giggles of Damon and Felicity faded at a rush of water soon after. The flip-flops Melanie wore slipped under her feet, causing shooting pains from the center of the cut and pulled at the stitches. Luke put his arm around her and helped her over a patch of rocks.
The jut in one of the paths extended in two directions and Luke took the one leading to the left. Their elbows cut through the trees that closed like a curtain behind them as they stepped out on the small balcony of land. Natural breaks in the rocks formed a semi-circle at the edge, which overlooked the forest, more waterfalls, and the ocean in the distance.
Luke squinted ahead at the bend in the shoreline. “I thought you’d like this.” Luke put his hands on her waist and drew her against him. “I’m not talking strictly about the park, but Maui too. You do like it here, don’t you?”
Words failed to articulate the source of this comment. The well in her stomach grew with each slide of his fingers over her shirt. “I’ll remember this summer forever.”
“There can be more summers spent here.” Luke’s finger rounded under her chin. “This can work out.”
“You make this feel so easy.” A flutter of relief escaped her mouth at the knowledge he’d been thinking similar thoughts. “I take it you’ve come around to my point of view. We can be together, despite our differences in opinion on the subject of my brother. What a relief to know I can be supportive to him and be in love with you.” Immediately she felt his body go tense.
“No.” Exasperated, Luke dropped his head. He lifted her chin and forced their eyes to meet. “You can’t have this both ways.”
Melanie pulled away. “What are you talking about? What about yesterday morning in your bedroom?”
“I’ve been talking about us being lovers. You know how I feel about the subject of your brother and where your allegiance stands.”
“I don’t want to be your lover,” Melanie cried, with anger rising in her throat. “We’ve been over this before. Didn’t you just ask about spending more summers here?”
“This can work out.”
“Under your rules, right? Mark is my family. Do you have any idea how it feels to think, even for a split second that my brother might have attempted murder?” She clenched her jaw. “No. All you care about is yourself. This is always about what you want.” Melanie shoved her feet in the flip-flops too hard and the sole swiped the cut. She winced and looked up at Luke. “Looks like you got what you wanted.”
“You’re angry because you know I’m right. Stop fighting the truth.” Luke held out his hand. “I want us to be together. I won’t wait for you forever, Melanie. You’ve had seven years to figure out the truth. You know every time you look in the mirror that you’re wrong.”
Melanie didn’t know what to say. She stood there numb and frustrated with a single tear rolling down her cheek. “I hate you.”
“Good; it will make it easier for us to be around each other.” Luke started to walk back and didn’t wait for Melanie to catch up to him. She took her time and kept within distance. The rounded muscles of his shoulders and the ridge of his back stayed in her eyesight until he put his shirt back on and led them back to the pools.
The unyielding silence continued from Luke the rest of the afternoon. Brent and Damon occupied time by swimming and telling stories from their early days of gem-hunting; stories Melanie had heard before. The cut on her foot festered and she knew she’d have to get home to clean out the dirt. The trip to Madagascar she’d survived, only to have this stupid, small cut blow up the pain in her foot. Vivian sat in her lap and rested against her. Together they sat there until Kendra announced for them to head back to the van.
They returned to the house in a van full of sun-kissed, exhausted, contented riders. Brent fell asleep with his mouth hanging open and Damon woke him up by yelling in his ear. The driver eased the van up the driveway and came to a stop. Everyone moved with unhurried steps and yawns. Luke hadn’t spoken to Melanie after they’d fought, not one single word. Not even an “Excuse me,” or “I’ll see you later.” She’d become immune to his on-and-off switch and decided to let him be angry. She wouldn’t throw away her relationship with her brother because he wanted her to—even if she wanted to be with Luke. Knowing that gave her power.
Stevie reached across to the red button on Vivian’s car seat and unbuckled her. “Luke looked happy this morning, when we arrived at ‘Ohe’o. However, after your hike, he looked miserable. What happened?”
“I do mind,” Melanie quipped. “We discussed my job. The rest isn’t your business.”
“He only looks that upset when he’s lost something extremely valuable.” She pulled a sleepy-eyed Vivian out of the car seat. “Help me with this one.”
Vivian didn’t budge when Melanie took her, which gave Stevie a chance to get out of the back row and out of the van. She transferred the child back to Stevie. “I’ll get the car seat.”
She wedged herself into the back. She hunched over to try and get the car seat unlatched. The clips to unlock the seat wouldn’t move and her fingers grew sore from hitting against the metal latches. The day, the last three weeks, even the seven years had all been too much. Melanie shook the car seat and started to cry. Tears r
olled down her cheeks and dripped to her bare arms. “Damn you, Luke,” she whispered in a worked-up haze and wiped away the tears with her hand.
The driver leaned over the seat next to her and said, “I got this.”
“Thanks,” she said and grabbed her bag before he could see her cry.
Melanie gave herself a minute before heading up to the house. She didn’t know how the rest of this would go. Luke wouldn’t wait for her forever and although she didn’t have an answer, she didn’t want to be around him either.
She walked up the stairs and met Kendra at the front door. “I need to borrow a car.”
“I need to get out of here,” Kendra said, glancing at the brothers gathered at the fireplace. “Where do you need to go?”
“I want to get some more bandages and antibiotic cream for my foot.” Melanie also looked over at the brothers all standing and laughing. “Give me fifteen minutes to rinse off my foot and I’ll meet you out front.”
“Make it five.”
Melanie changed her clothes and took the quickest shower of her life, enough to wash the dirt off her body and clean her foot. She returned to meet Kendra at the front of the house and found Luke and his brothers had moved out to the patio and sat around the table facing the pool and the ocean with Latonya hovering with a pitcher of what looked like iced tea.
“I’m ready,” Melanie said to Kendra.
They left the house together without anyone’s notice.
Kendra drove fast. The isolation of Luke’s home gave way to a more populated area of the island full of houses and businesses. “I’m starving. Would you mind if I got a bite to eat?”
Melanie’s stomach growled. “I haven’t eaten much today.”
“I’m going to this place called The Fish Head. Great local food, might I add. I love everything on the menu.” At the red light she glanced at her appearance in the rearview mirror and wiped underneath her eyes. “All of my friends who have had children swear pregnancy is this awesome experience where I’m supposed to look stunning and glowing. I have to tell you,” she said, pausing and continuing to drive at the green light, “I don’t sleep, I throw up twice a day, and my skin has broken out more than when I went through adolescence and these bags under my eyes have multiplied.”
