by Nella Tyler
Meg could see that Laura wanted a break from Brook’s constant nagging about it.
“No problem. Brook and I will have fun poking around for the hidden door,” Meg smiled.
“Thank you, Mom!” Brooked exclaimed. She danced about delightedly. “Come on, Meg. Let’s go!” Brook grabbed her hand.
Meg laughed.
“Okay! I’m coming.”
*****
Meg and Brook stood in awe at the sight of magnificent waterfall. They stopped to watch the rushing water plunge over the edge of the cliff. The sound was thundering as it roared into the lake below.
“Where does the water come from?” Brook asked.
“That’s a very good question. I don’t know the answer. But maybe we can climb the ridge to see where the water starts,” Meg replied.
“Okay.”
Brook ran ahead and started climbing up a forest incline. Meg stayed close behind her until they reached the top.
“Look, there’s the river,” Brook called out. “Can we go down to its bank?”
“We can get a little closer. But I don’t want you to get wet,” Meg answered.
“Okay. I won’t.” Brook scrambled down to the bank and squatted to pick up small stones. “Look! They’re different colors.”
Meg knelt beside her.
“Colored stones seemed to be prevalent on the islands. I saw an entire bed of them on Shadow Island,” Meg said.
“You went to Shadow Island?”
“Mm hmm.”
“I read about it and wanted to go there. But Mom said no. She didn’t like the name of it,” Brook said. “She said it sounded spooky. Adults can be such wimps.”
Meg laughed.
“Well, you have to admit that its name is rather daunting.”
“Maybe. What was the island like?” Brook queried.
“It was beautiful. Full of greenery and colorful flowers,” Meg said. “I know that people have said that strange happenings have occurred on the island, but we returned safe and sound.” Meg thought that statement wasn’t a lie. They had returned unharmed. She just didn’t mention the bullets that were shot at them.
“I knew it was a cool place,” Brook lamented.
“Well, don’t worry about it, Brook. There are many more fun things that your family can do on the island. After you see the gorgeous flowers there isn’t much else on the island,” Meg said.
“I guess you’re right. I’ve seen a bunch of flowers already,” she said philosophically. She rubbed the stones she held dry on her shorts then placed them in her pocket. “Let’s look for the secret door now.”
“All right.”
They wandered about the forest looking for a structure that would hold a door. Brook had wandered off a short distance from her. Meg was about to call the little girl back to her when she noticed an opening among a cluster of brush and heavy vines. She moved toward the overgrowth and knelt before it. She pushed the branches and vines apart and gasped. There encased on rock was what looked to be a four-foot door. A keyhole was right in its center. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Meg!”
Brook was on her way back to her. She quickly pushed the branches back into place, stood and moved to meet Brook.
“Did you find anything?” Brook asked.
Meg hated to lie to the child but she had no choice. Until she knew what that door was all about she couldn’t tell anybody outside of their group about it.
“No. Nothing,” Meg answered.
“Oh,” Brook mumbled dejectedly.
“It’s okay, Brook. Maybe you will find it another time,” Meg suggested.
Brook brightened.
“I can always ask my Dad to bring me back. We’re going to be on the island for at least two years. My Dad’s job sent him here,” she said.
“Well, there you go. This is just the beginning of your adventures on Oahu,” Meg smiled. Meg prayed that she would soon forget about the hidden door and become engrossed with something else.
“Yes. I’ll have lots of time to come back here,” Brook said gaily.
“Let’s go back to the others,” Meg smiled.
Brook took Meg’s hand and they headed back to the group.
Chapter 14
Meg and Brook joined their groups. Brook was busily showing her parents the stones she had found at the river. As they moved toward their ATVs, Meg pulled Drake’s arm. He stopped.
“What’s up, babe?”
Meg rather liked his term of endearment but she didn’t have time to dwell on it.
“I found the door,” she whispered.
“Are you serious?” he asked in disbelief.
“Very. It looks like it’s encased in a stone wall. And it’s small … maybe four to four and a half feet tall,” she explained.
“You would have to be a dwarf to get through it,” he grumbled.
“Maybe you don’t have to go inside it. It could be like the door we found at Pua Maze.”
He shook his head negatively.
“That door was way smaller. This one is the size for a person to go through. It’s an entrance.”
“To what?” Meg asked dubiously.
“That’s what we need to discover.”
“Hey guys! Let’s go!” Jake called out.
Ashlee and Beni were looking at them curiously. They knew something was up.
“Come on. We’ll talk about this later,” Drake said.
They ran to their vehicles and were soon on their way. Meg thought about the door all the way back to the car. Brook ran over to hug Meg.
“I hope I see you again, Meg,” she smiled brightly.
“Ah! You’re so sweet. I hope to see you again too. I’m staying at the Tropics Resort. Where are you staying?” Meg asked.
“We’re at the Oahu Regency Hotel. It’s loads of fun there,” Brook grinned.
“I promise to come to see you,” Meg smiled.
“Cool,” Brook said happily.
Meg exchanged phone numbers with Laura then waved goodbye to the family. She and her friends got in the car and Drake followed.
“Okay you two. What’s going on?” Ashlee demanded.
“What happened back at the waterfall? Did you and Brook find anything?” Beni asked.
Meg told them how she found the door.
“Did Brook see the door too?” Ashlee asked.
“No. She wasn’t with me at the time. I covered it up and moved away from it before she could see it,” Meg said.
“We need to see if the key fits,” Drake said thoughtfully.
“And how are we going to do that? We have not access to Kualoa Ranch other than a guest,” Meg said.
“Then we will just have to go back a guest,” he returned.
“I thought the clue we found at the maze led us to the next lock,” Beni said.
“Maybe we have misinterpreted the meaning. The medallion only said The Tropics. That could mean anything,” Ashlee said.
“So instead we were led to the door by a little girl?” Beni asked incredulously.
“It’s hard to believe but she did tell us about the ranch’s legend,” Meg said.
“Incredible,” Ashlee murmured.
“So it was meant for you to befriend Brook and take her for a walk. Otherwise you would never have found the door,” Beni said.
“How are we being led to these things? Is it magic or someone’s elaborate plan?” Ashlee was bewildered.
“I have no explanation as to how or why these things are happening. Or why we are involved,” Drake responded. “But we are in it now so we have to finish it.”
“Why?” Beni asked abruptly. “Why can’t we just walk away from it? There’s no one forcing us to solve this mystery. And there’s certainly no grand prize awaiting us if we solve it. So why can’t we just forget about it?”
Meg was quiet for a moment. Beni had a point. They could just walk away and never look back. Or could she?
“I don’t want to do that, Beni. I thin
k I’m too invested at this point. I believe that the depiction of the cave drawing will occur again if we don’t stop it,” Meg said in a low tone. “There’s a reason for everything that is happening. And in the end I believe we will know what that reason is. We have to see it through.”
“How did I know you would say that?” Beni grumbled. “But I guess you’re right. I want to know the all of the answers too.”
“Ash? Do you still want to go on with this?” Meg asked.
Ashlee nodded.
“Yes. I want to solve the mystery.”
Meg smiled at her two friends gratefully. She knew in her heart that she would have backed off if they were no longer on board. But it would have left an empty whole in her heart to do so.
“We have to see if the key fits. And we need someone at the ranch to help us,” Drake said.
“It needs to be someone we can trust,” Ashlee said.
“Well, we only met two people. The hostess and the guide. Which one should we approach?” Meg wondered.
“Let’s give it some time before we do anything. Something will occur to make it easier for us. That door is not going anywhere,” Drake answered.
They girls nodded and chatted quietly among themselves. Drake remained quiet to ponder their next move.
*****
Nothing untoward happened for the next several days. It was a good period for everyone. Ashlee and Beni grew closer to Noah and Kai while Meg continued to enjoy time spent with Drake. She made rapid strides in designing the scheme for the Kids’ Zone. Once she had settled on the ocean as the theme of the space, the designing was easy. She had shown the partially finished plan to Drake and he had loved it. His approval filled Meg with tremendous confidence. The design images flooded her mind and her stylus flew across her iPad with grace and skill.
It was while she was sitting on her patio working that she decided to print out her design. She was almost done with it but wanted to see it in hardcopy to see if she needed to make any changes. It would be the specs that contractors would use to construct the building.
“There has to be a computer room somewhere in the resort,” she murmured aloud.
“Talking to yourself? You know that’s a sign of aging.”
She looked up to see Drake smiling down at her.
“It’s a habit that I’ve never bothered to break. And it isn’t indicative of aging,” she declared.
“Just how old are you anyway?” He sat on the couch beside her. “Have I been sleeping with a minor? You look so young.”
“I am twenty-five. Only two years younger than you,” she answered.
“You’re very young to be such an accomplished engineer and architect.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m accomplished. I only teach the principles of engineering and design,” she demurred.
“Don’t sell yourself short. I can see how talented you are by a single glance at your designs. All you need is the recognition—which you are about to receive.”
“What do you mean?”
“I intend to tell the world that you designed the Kids’ Zone and the boutique. Once that news hits the industry, the job offers will never stop coming,” he said.
“Seriously?”
“Absolutely.”
Meg wasn’t sure that she wanted such acclaim. She liked being a teacher and working with the kids. But on the other hand, she wouldn’t mind the recognition for her talents. She received precious little of that at the school. And she had to admit that she often wondered what it would be like to work as an engineer in the industry. It would give her a broader platform to indulge her creativity.
“I like teaching kids. Let me think about it before you announce my work at the resort to the world,” she said quietly.
“Do you not want to broaden your scope?”
“The idea is very intriguing. But I’m also very comfortable do what I’ve been doing. I need to think about making such a drastic change. I hope you understand.” She raised pleading, green eyes to him.
Drake wanted to drown himself in them. How could he say he didn’t understand when she looked at him that way?
“Of course I understand. I don’t want to push you into something of which you’re not sure,” he responded. “Take all the time you need to think it over. I made an assumption that you would want the recognition and everything that comes with it. I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. I appreciate being with someone who has my back. It’s a very nice feeling.”
He slipped his hand around her neck.
“I certainly have your back and every other part of your body,” he said suggestively.
He leaned forward to kiss her. She stopped him.
“If I let you kiss me, it will lead to more intimacy.”
“Is that a bad thing?” he grinned.
“Yes. No. I mean not now,” she chuckled. “I want to finish what I’m doing before I’m distracted to oblivion.”
He sighed heavily and pulled back.
“If you insist. But I’m not happy,” he grumbled.
She laughed.
“You’re so spoiled. Your parents gave you anything you wanted, didn’t they?”
“Pretty much. So did my brothers and sisters. I’m the youngest, you see. But I’m not spoiled. I’m just loved.”
“That you are,” she thought.
She didn’t speak her thoughts, but she was shocked by them. Was she in love with Drake? It was a crazy notion. She had just come out of a broken relationship a month ago. Could she be in love so soon afterward? It was beyond rational reason. She pulled her scattered thoughts together.
“Your family loves you, but you’re still spoiled,” she teased. She stood and looked down at him. “Show me where your business center is, Mister New Owner. I need to print out my design.”
He stood.
“Right this way.”
He led her through the suite but stopped at the door to push her against the wall. He then captured her mouth in a delicious kiss. After several moments, he pulled back.
“Now we can go,” he grinned.
“You were determined to get your way. And you say you’re not spoiled!” she said in disbelief.
He only laughed then pulled her out of the suite.
*****
Meg had printed out the design and Drake had spread it out on the conference table in the business center.
“I especially like how you incorporated a children’s pool just through these open doors. It’s ingenious,” he said.
“Parents will not have to leave the area to take their kids swimming. It will resemble a water park with all of the slides and a lazy river. Adults can enjoy it too while keeping an eye on their children,” she said.
“It’s a wonderful idea, but we have to keep it safe,” he noted. “Kids will be running in and out. Someone is bound to fall.”
“The flooring in the arcade will be a non-slip surface to prevent falls as the kids run from the pool to the arcade. That should help keep the accidents to a minimum,” she said.
He nodded.
“And the refreshment stand near the pool area is a plus as well. Activity produces hunger. It’s a fantastic design, babe. When will it be complete?”
“There are only a few more touches I want to add. I can have it finished by this afternoon. Will that work for you?” she asked.
“Of course it will. That means I can begin demolition by tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
“Mmm hmm. Everyone is contracted and ready to go,” he said.
“You like to move fast.”
“Time is money. That may be cliché, but it’s true nonetheless,” he said. “The sooner renovations are complete the sooner we can target families to stay at the resort. And I want to remodel the gym. It needs to be enlarged and new and better equipment brought in.”
“In other words, I need to add the gym to my list of designs,” she said dryly.
“You are such a
smart girl,” he complimented.
She punched his arm playfully.
“You don’t mind, do you?” he asked seriously.
“No. Not at all,” she smiled.
“Can’t stop working even when you’re on vacay.”
The voice was too familiar. Meg spun around.
“Doug Murphy!”
“In the flesh,” Doug grinned.
“And Denise.” A tall woman rushed to Doug’s side. Denise Whittaker slipped her hand through Doug’s arm and smiled smugly. She was a pretty enough girl with short, blonde hair and blue eyes. But she wasn’t what you would call slender. Far from it. She had meat on her tall frame, which made her a thick girl. Her height allowed her to carry the weight without being considered fat, but she needed to count calories. Something she rarely did.
“What are you doing here?” Meg said in shock.
“We needed a break. So we decided to come to Hawaii to relax,” Doug smiled.
He decided to come to Hawaii out of all the vacation destinations he could choose? Meg doubted him. She knew him well and could tell when he was lying. He was doing that right now. But why? Why was he here? To rub salt in the wound that he created? Seeing him with his new fiancé was the last thing she wanted to do.
“I happened to overhear Benita speaking about this place and I Googled it. I simply fell in love with it and insisted that we come here,” Denise gushed.
“So you knew I would be here and you came anyway. After breaking our engagement to be with that bimbo, you came here?” Meg spat.
“I am not a bimbo,” Denise objected.
“If that were so, you would not have come here,” Meg snarled.
Drake was seeing Meg’s fire roar to life. She had a temper. He hadn’t asked her about her past. From what he’d overheard from her friends, Meg’s fiancé had broken their engagement just before the wedding. He’d been concerned about it initially. He didn’t want to be a rebound for her. But he no longer considered that an issue. Looking at how Meg was reacting to Doug, he had nothing to worry about. Doug was a douche and he didn’t care that Meg was laying into him. He deserved it as did his new fiancé.
“It’s a very romantic place and we were certainly free to come here,” Doug said.
