Chapter 14
“Colorado? I don’t know if she’d even consider it,” Becca told him. Why didn’t I think of that? There’s nothing really left for her here. If she’s going to sell the resort, that might be the perfect time for her to move back to the mainland.
“Well, maybe you should mention it to her. Justin told me last night that Gracie had been talking to Mason who had been talking to Sarah.”
“Sarah with the motel and boarding house?” Becca inquired.
“That’s the one. Anyway, the doctor who performed Gracie’s knee surgery and Sarah are in love, but Sarah won’t even consider moving to Vail until she’s found someone to manage the boarding house. Something about leaving the town without adequate accommodations for guests and visiting family members.”
“That sounds like Sarah.” Becca had stayed with the woman while Gracie was having her surgery, and she’d discovered that the woman had a compulsion to make sure that her guests were completely taken care of. Having been raised around a tourist resort, Becca had seen several things the woman was doing that could be done differently.
“It really does. Anyway, Gracie thought maybe you would be interested in taking over the boarding house for Sarah when you got back. She was going to talk to you the day you got the phone call about your dad.”
“Me? But that would mean I’d have to move to Silver Springs…” Becca started laughing, “Gracie thinks she’s so smart. She’s trying to get me to move up into the mountains!”
“Is that a bad thing?” Kai questioned.
“Not really. I still want to take photos for the Division of Wildlife, but the position isn’t full-time, so I’d have to have a second job.” Live in Silver Springs? Where Kaillar lives? Yes, please.
“Why don’t you call Gracie and get the details? Maybe if you had something like that all set up, your mom would feel more comfortable coming to live with you.”
“Maybe. She’s run that resort for most of my life. A small boarding house like Sarah’s would be no problem at all.”
Before he could answer, her phone rang and she answered it, “Hello?”
“Hey Becca! It’s Kalino. Did you see the news?”
“I did. Thanks for the heads up.”
“Yeah. Hey, I’m going to Maui tomorrow, and was wondering if you and Kai wanted to tag along and go sightseeing?”
“Are you surfing?” Becca asked, trepidation in her voice. She wasn’t sure if she could watch Kalino surf the same waters that had taken her brother’s life or not.
“I am, and while I’d love for you to come watch for a bit, I’ll understand if you can’t.”
Becca looked out the window, and made a snap decision. “We’d love to come, and I’ll let you know about the surfing. Kai mentioned to me he wanted to give it a try before we went back to the mainland, but Pe’ahi is no place for beginners.”
“Uhm..he didn’t tell you?” Kalino asked hesitantly.
“Tell me what?” Becca asked, looking to Kai for answers.
“I’m taking him surfing this afternoon.”
Becca smiled and watched Kaillar as she replied, “Really? Now that I will come and see.”
“You going to join us?” Kalino asked. “If I remember correctly, you didn’t do too badly on a longboard yourself.”
“No, I think I’ll stay on the beach and take pictures. I’m sure his brothers will pay good money for some good blackmail shots.” She could already hear the three brothers bantering back and forth and realized in that moment that she missed that. She also missed her friends and the camaraderie she'd come to love. Moving to Silver Springs wouldn’t be any hardship at all.
Kaillar shook his head at her and then whispered, “I’m taking you skiing when we get back to Colorado. Be careful how much retribution you want.”
Becca laughed, and agreed to meet Kalino back at the resort after running her mother’s errands. It was the first time since arriving on the islands when she actually felt happy and carefree. Whether it was the company, or just the passage of time, she wasn’t questioning it. She was just going to enjoy herself.
*****
Later that evening, she watched as Kalino and Kaillar exited the ocean, carrying their boards and with happy grins upon their faces. Kaillar had been a natural, and if she hadn’t known better, she would have said he’d been surfing most of his life.
Kalino had been thrilled with how quickly he caught on, and they had taken wave after wave until they were both joyously exhausted.
“That was so awesome! My brothers have got to come over here and try this!”
“Hey, bring them out whenever.”
“I will. But before I bring them here, you need to come skiing. Or maybe even snowboarding. Now that would be much easier since you surf. It’s a lot like surfing, come to think of it. Both feet on a single board.”
Kalino smiled, “Having two different boards to control sounds a little difficult. But snowboarding, yeah – I could get into that.”
“Great! Vail Mountain has this awesome half-pipe!”
“If you two are done salivating over your next adrenaline rush, maybe we could go get some food?” Becca told them when there was a break in the conversation.
Kalino and Kaillar shared a look and then they descended upon her, abandoning their towels as they came after her with water still dripping from their heads. When they were close enough, they shook their heads, spreading droplets of water in her direction and causing her to shriek and back up.
She was giggling by the time Kaillar finally caught up with her, Kalino standing off to the side watching her and Kai with a smile upon his face. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he simply stated, “It’s nice seeing you smile again, hoapili.”
Becca’s heart melted at the term, and she translated for Kai, “It means close friend.”
Kai stepped closer to her and asked, “So is that the term you would use to describe me?”
Becca felt the atmosphere change, and she noticed Kalino stepped away to give them a bit of privacy. She shook her head at him, “No.”
Kai lifted a hand to her face, moving a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, “So, how do you say sweetheart in your Hawai’ian?”
Becca fought the urge to close her eyes and tip her head into his caress. “Sweetheart is ku`uipo.”
Kai repeated the terminology, and then lowered his head, “I want to kiss you again.”
Becca gave into the desire to close her eyes and nodded shortly, “Yes.”
Chapter 15
Kaillar kissed her softly and then wrapped his arms around her, smiling when she flinched as her body made contact with his cold wet one. When she didn’t pull away, but snuggled closer, he thanked God and kissed her again.
He was falling fast and hard for the woman in his arms. He kissed her once more and then let her go, “So, what kind of food do you want to eat?”
Becca was blushing but she met his eyes anyway, “How about traditional Hawai’ian barbeque?”
Kaillar grinned, “Sounds good to me.” He turned and waved Kalino over, “Barbeque?”
“You bet. Annie’s?” Kalino asked Becca with a grin.
“Is there any other place?” Becca wanted to know. When Kalino shook his head and laughed, she joined in, grabbing Kai and his hands as they headed for the truck. The guys tossed their boards into the bed and then dusted the sand off their feet.
The drive to Annie’s only took about ten minutes, and then they were stepping into a small building, the fragrant smells coming from the kitchen had Kai’s mouth watering before they were even seated.
The waitress took their drink orders, and then invited them to the food bar. Annie’s was an all-you-can-eat food bar with different stations that catered to different types of cuisine. There was a sushi bar, as well as a carving station where the barbeque meat was freshly shaved or cut from the bone.
Kaillar followed Becca and Kalino around the differen
t food stations, taking what looked good, and laughing when Becca occasionally added a spoonful of something to his plate. When she picked up a bowl of what looked like purplish-grey pudding, he made a face and quietly suggested she put it back.
“This is a Hawai’ian tradition and a must try. At least once.”
“What is it?” he asked, lifting it to his nose and sniffing it.
“Poi.”
“Poi? Dare I ask what it’s made from?”
“Taro root. They cook it and then mash it.”
Kai looked at the bowl again and then whispered, “What’s it taste like?”
Kalino heard his question and stopped, putting his head between the two of them, “Imagine eating warm wall paper paste.”
Kaillar looked at him in mock horror. “Really?”
Becca laughed, “Really.”
“Why on earth would anyone want to eat wall paper paste?” This time his horror wasn’t all for show. There were trays of the stuff, and he couldn’t imagine why anyone would willingly eat something so unappetizing when there were all these other choices before them.
Kalino walked by him with a plate laden high with food a moment later, and patted him on the back, “Don’t waste too many brain cells trying to figure it out. I’ve lived here all my life and I still don’t understand why anyone without a gun being held to their head would eat that stuff.”
“My father’s parents ate it with every evening meal. After they passed away, I remember overhearing my mother telling my father she wasn’t ever making poi again, and if he had to have it with his evening meal, he could take his evening meals someplace else.”
Kalino laughed, “I can see your mom saying that.” Becca’s mom had a refreshing sense of humor, and Kalino had thoroughly enjoyed hearing her retell exploits from Becca and her brother’s youth.
They sat back down, and Kaillar pushed the bowl of poi to the center of the table, “I’m sharing it with everyone. I would hate to deprive either of you of this traditional food.”
Becca giggled, “You have to at least taste it once. Just one spoonful. In fact, we’ll all take a spoonful together. Deal?”
“I can live with that,” Kaillar agreed. The all picked up a spoon and took a small amount on the utensil and then lifted them towards their mouths. “One.”
“Two,” Kalino said.
“Three,” Becca added with a grin. She lifted her spoon up, opened her mouth, and watched as both guys took their bite. Instead of eating her spoonful, she carefully set it aside, watching the faces both guys made as they struggled to get the sticky substance down.
After drinking an entire glass of water, Kaillar looked at her and then shook his head, “No fair.”
“Totally fair. Tell me you would willingly take another bite of that stuff.”
Kaillar shook his head and whispered, “I wouldn’t even let that stuff in my house.” He thought for a moment, and then he amended his statement, “Although, I have to admit it would definitely be worth watching Justin and Mason try it.”
“We’ll get some to take home with us.”
Kaillar searched her eyes, “Did you mean Colorado home, or Silver Springs?”
Becca licked her bottom lip and softly answered, “Silver Springs? I spoke with Gracie while you boys were playing in the ocean. She’s going to talk to Sarah and work out the details on my behalf. She’s also going to contact my landlord and give my notice.”
“So now all you need to do is talk to your mom. If nothing else, maybe she would come to Colorado for the holidays.”
“Maybe she will.” Changing the subject, she asked Kalino, “What time are you wanting to leave tomorrow?”
“Is 8 o’clock too early?”
“Not at all. We’ll be at the airport.”
“Great.” It grew quiet as everyone dug into their food. Light conversation between Kaillar and Kalino about surfing and other mundane things kept the conversation going, giving Becca a chance to just sit back and listen.
She loved how easily Kaillar had fit into her life here. But she wondered if she would find it as easy to fit into his life. She’d seen the girls on the beach staring at him today, and that little devil – jealousy, had risen up inside of her.
She’d hated that they only saw him for a great body, and cared nothing for what lie between his ears. Or about his character. They liked his looks, and that was as deep as they let their relationships get.
That had been Dagan’s problem. He’d believed the propaganda that said it was all about looks. He’d believed himself to live by a different set of rules than the rest of the world. Rules that allowed him to act with impunity and without feeling any guilt.
“Are you finished?” Kai asked her a few minutes later.
“Yes. We should probably get back. I’d like to speak with my mom before I go to bed tonight.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“You should keep your eyes open on the drive back. You’ll be able to see the glow from the moving lava the darker it gets. That will give us a good idea of how close it really is.” Kalino offered the word of caution, knowing that the worry was there in the back of Becca’s mind.
Becca nodded her head, “Thanks. We’ll do that.” She didn’t add that she was anxious to get her mom off the island before tragedy could strike the resort. It might not happen this month, and maybe not the next, but at some point in the future, Kilauea would be knocking at the back door of the resort. Becca would prefer that her mother not be there to greet her.
Chapter 16
The next day on Maui…
“So, you two head on up to ‘Iao Valley. The Needle is about a two hour hike, but well worth it.” Kalino pulled a map of the island from his pack, and tossed it to Becca. “Just in case you’ve forgotten which trail goes which way.”
Becca nodded her head, hoping she wasn’t going to embarrass herself by suggesting she and Kaillar go hiking today. She’d given a lot of thought to watching Kalino surf Pe’ahi, and come to the conclusion that she couldn’t do it.
He understood completely. He’d suggested she and Kaillar do some hiking, and Kaillar had jumped at the chance to see more of the Hawaiian landscape up close and personal.
“So, there’s a small shop just before you enter the park that can rent you packs and anything else you need.”
“Great!” Kaillar was a like a kid in a candy store at the mention of packs, climbing ropes, and mountain trails.
Becca nodded again, hoping she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew. She’d been up late last night talking with her mom about the future. Stacie wasn’t opposed to moving back to the mainland, and she’d been very interested in the motel and boarding house combination in Silver Springs. But, she was afraid of encroaching on Becca’s life. Becca had assured her that she wouldn’t have even mentioned it to her if she wasn’t onboard with her moving to Colorado.
Stacie had promised to pray about the decision, and let her daughter know before she and Kaillar flew home in two days. Becca had asked Kaillar to schedule their return home, knowing that the longer she stayed, the harder it would be to leave. Her future was in Colorado, not Hawaii, and the sooner she got back on the mainland, the better.
“Ready to go?” Kaillar asked.
“Sure thing.” Becca watched the scenery pass by as they headed for the inland road that would take them to the green landscape of the majestic island. She was reminded of those past times when she, Kevin, and Kalino had gone on similar excursions. She loved nature, but she’d allowed the events of four years ago to steal that enjoyment. No more! I’m taking back my life, starting right now!
“So, are you really wanting to go hiking?” Becca asked, an alternate plan forming in her mind.
She’d overheard Kaillar talking to Justin and Mason on the phone the night before. He’d had his cell phone on speakerphone and she knew he’d thought he was alone in the house. She’d come inside to grab a light sweat
er, and when she’d heard her name mentioned, she’d been unable to walk away.
Kaillar had been discussing where he wanted his relationship with her to go. Justin and Mason were both getting married; the final details had all been worked out. Justin and Jessica were getting married in a week and a half in a small ceremony at the Silver Springs church.
Not wanting to steal any thunder from his brother, Mason and Gracie were going to wait until the weekend before Christmas to tie the knot, allowing Justin and Jessica a chance to go on their honeymoon and return.
Both women expected Becca to be in their wedding, and they’d already found and ordered her bridesmaid dress. A single dress for both occasions. Becca had thought the idea brilliant.
The upcoming weddings had evidently started Kaillar thinking about his own future and she’d heard him tell his brothers that he intended to marry her. Their relationship was so new, but because of the circumstances, it had moved very quickly, and Becca knew she’d never find another man like Kaillar. He made her happy, and there wasn’t anything about him she didn’t like.
The only thing standing in the way was her lack of a relationship with God. Kaillar had been very upset about that. I can’t marry someone who doesn’t share my faith. It would be a failure from the start.
Becca felt badly that she hadn’t taken time to tell him about her early mornings with her mother. She’d found her mother a few mornings earlier, sitting on the porch with a cup of hot tea in one hand, and her Bible open in the other.
Her mother hadn’t been reading the book, but staring off into space. Becca had joined her, and soon they had begun talking about God, and how her mother had come back to a relationship with Him after her brother’s funeral and after Becca had left the Islands.
Becca had always thought her mom a strong individual, and she was shocked to hear her mother admit to being weak and wanting to give up. Stacie shared with her daughter, after the initial shock of Becca leaving had worn off, how self-doubt and self-incrimination had overtaken her thinking. She’d been ready to give up, feeling like a failure.
Three Brothers Lodge - The Complete Series Box Set Page 26
