A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection

by Melanie Jacobson

  “We’re here,” he said, grinning at her.

  Lexi realized he was still holding her hand. They both looked down. She pulled hers away. “That was… I don’t even know what to say. I’m dizzy.”

  David laughed. “I’ll help you out.” And he did. While Apelu and Sydney apparently felt the need to kiss for a few moments—‌maybe they were grateful to be alive—‌David helped Lexi climb down.

  “You all right?” he asked, his dark eyes holding hers.

  Lexi was breathless, even though all she’d done was sit in a bumpy jeep. “Yeah, I’m good.” She had a few aches now that she thought about it, but she wasn’t about to mention them.

  By the time Apelu and Sydney joined them, David had loaded up a backpack with water bottles.

  “I can carry some,” Lexi offered.

  “Oh, let him,” Apelu said. “He needs something to do after wimping out on playing college football.”

  “Whatever, man.” David shoved Apelu’s arm, but he was smiling. “Some of us have a life, you know.”

  “You used to play football?” Lexi asked.

  David glanced at her, his smile dropping.

  “Three years as starting quarterback in high school,” Apelu filled in. “Then he decided to leave his bro hanging while he stayed on the island to cook.”

  “Look who’s leaving who hanging now?” David fired back, his tone teasing. “I’m not the one getting married in two days.”

  Apelu grinned and drew Sydney against his side. “Yep. Payback.”

  Sydney laughed. “Knock it off, you two, or Lexi will want to go back to the beach.”

  “I’m fine.” Lexi didn’t want to be in the middle of anything. Based on their surroundings, she’d be completely happy if she could wander along this ridge for hours.

  Apelu grabbed Sydney’s hand, and they set off, hiking down the other side of the ridge from where the jeep was parked.

  David slid on the backpack and looked at Lexi. “Ready?”

  Chapter Five

  Lexi followed David along a barely perceptible trail that wove through thick undergrowth. “You played football with Apelu?”

  “Yeah,” David said.

  He didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Lexi was fine with that. There was plenty to distract her—‌flowers, plants, and the sounds of birds.

  They walked for several moments, Apelu and Sydney getting farther and farther ahead, when David said, “I got a scholarship to San Diego State, same time as Apelu. There was no doubt in his mind that I’d take it.”

  “You turned it down?”

  “Being a quarterback might seem cool when you’re in high school, but in college, you redshirt the first year, and you’re lucky to get in a few plays for the next two. If there isn’t some other hotshot recruited after you, you might play first string your senior year.”

  “I can see how that would be a deterrent,” Lexi said.

  David stopped and turned to face her. “Really?”

  Her pulse quickened for some reason. He seemed to want to know her thoughts, needed someone to understand him.

  “Sure. It’s a big risk,” she said. “And if it doesn’t work out, then you get pounded on in practice for nothing.”

  David exhaled. “Exactly. Maybe I wasn’t as big of a meathead as everyone thought.”

  “So what did you do?” Lexi asked. “Apelu said something about cooking.”

  “Yeah,” David said, starting to hike again. The terrain became steeper, and they had to move single file. “I walked onto the team at the University of Hawaii, mostly sat on the bench for two years, then quit to get serious about school. Plus, my dad was sick, and I had to help my mom run the restaurant.”

  This was not the David she thought she’d met yesterday, who she’d been annoyed with. “I didn’t know your family has a restaurant.”

  “My dad started it, and I grew up working in it. My mom taught me to cook, and I guess it was in my blood. I majored in business management, intending to take over someday. That day came a lot faster than I expected.”

  Lexi was quiet for a moment. “Your dad?”

  “He died last year, a couple of months after I graduated.” David paused. “I was glad I quit football—‌I wouldn’t have been anywhere close to graduation with all of the traveling and interruptions with school.”

  They’d reached an overlook. “Sorry about your dad,” Lexi said quietly.

  David nodded, and they walked for a few more minutes in silence. Then he stopped, and Lexi took a couple of steps to the edge of the ridge. Below, vines and trees seemed to tumble for hundreds of yards until they met the coast. The sight was breathtaking.

  She snapped a few pictures with her cell phone.

  “I’ll take one of you,” David said.

  Lexi handed him the phone, and she smiled for the shot.

  “Beautiful,” David said.

  Lexi scrunched up her nose. “If you’re referring to the scenery, then I agree.”

  “Don’t like compliments?” David arched a brow.

  She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I’m a science major, remember? I deal with facts.”

  David studied her for a moment, making Lexi feel self-conscious, so she turned away and gazed over the valley. “How much farther to the waterfalls?”

  He came to stand by her. “Another twenty minutes. Apelu and Sydney are probably already there.”

  Strangely, Lexi was hyper-aware of how close David stood. Not that he was all that close, but maybe she was paying more attention because the personal stories he’d shared.

  “Do you hike here often?” she asked.

  “I usually come here on my days off. Or I surf the North Shore.”

  Lexi looked over and found his brown eyes on her, looking thoughtful. “You traded a football for a surfboard?”

  “Like Apelu said, I have to do something.”

  Lexi smiled. Being around him today had made her do that a lot for some reason. He handed her a water bottle, and she took a long drink. “I guess you get used to the humidity,” she said.

  “I don’t know anything else,” David said. “Come on, let’s catch up, or they’ll come looking for us.”

  They set out again, and Lexi found herself becoming more and more curious about David. “Have you been off the island?”

  “Only for recruiting trips,” David said with a shrug. “The restaurant business is too busy for extended vacations.”

  “How many recruiting trips did you go on?”

  “Three.”

  It was Lexi’s turn to arch a brow. “I can see why Apelu gives you a hard time.”

  David nodded. “Yeah, but I think staying close to home was the better choice.” He looked over. “What about you? Did you always want to be a scientist?”

  “After a failed stint at ballet, it seemed the better option.”

  “Do you still dance?” David asked.

  Lexi sighed. It had been a long time since she’d even thought about her past dancing craze. “Not since high school.”

  “You’re just naturally skinny?”

  Lexi shot him a look, but noticed him smiling.

  “I’m not that skinny,” she said. “Just around here, it seems.”

  David nodded. “Come to my restaurant. I’ll fatten you up in no time.”

  Lexi laughed. “You only have three days.”

  “Sounds like a challenge,” he said, grinning. His cell rang, and he fished it out of his pocket.

  Lexi was surprised that cell service worked way out here. From the tinny sound coming through the phone, she guessed the person on the other end wasn’t happy. Maybe it was his mother, and David’s day off was about to be cut short.

  His answers were short, then he hung up.

  “Do you have to get back to work?”

  “No… it was Angel.”

  They lapsed into silence for a few moments. Lexi could hear the sound of water—‌they must be getting close to the falls. Pretty soon they’d be w
ith the others, and she wouldn’t be able to ask David much more of anything. “How long have you guys been dating?”

  “Off and on for about a year.” He let out a sigh. “It’s complicated.”

  Lexi stayed quiet. She couldn’t believe she’d asked him in the first place.

  “She’s an… interesting person,” he said.

  “Interesting?” Lexi caught David’s gaze. “I’m not sure that’s how I’d describe her.”

  He smiled and was about to say something when a shout cut him off.

  “Come on, you guys!”

  Lexi looked up as Sydney came into view. She wore a bikini top and shorts and was soaking wet. Lexi didn’t know she was supposed to wear a swimsuit.

  “The water’s perfect!” Sydney said.

  Lexi heard a shout from Apelu, followed by a huge splashing sound.

  They rounded the corner and came into view of a massive waterfall tumbling into a deep blue pool of water. The noise of the powerful water seemed to vibrate through Lexi. It was spectacular.

  David slipped off his backpack and pulled off his shirt. Before Lexi knew it, he was running toward the edge of the pool, then jumping and diving into the water below.

  “You are totally checking him out,” Sydney said.

  Lexi blinked, clearing the image of David’s muscled back as he’d run and dove into the pool.

  “Don’t worry, if I weren’t engaged, I would be too.”

  Lexi elbowed Sydney and changed the subject. “This place is incredible. No wonder he comes here a lot.”

  “He does? How do you know?” Sydney asked, following Lexi as she walked to the edge of the cliff.

  It was at least twenty feet down to the water. Apelu was swimming, while David had just climbed out. He shook his hair and looked up at them. Lexi was definitely staring now.

  “Come on! It’s perfect!” he called up to them.

  Lexi swallowed nervously, not just at the image of David’s torso gleaming with water, but she’d never jumped off anything. Not even the high dive at the public pool. She enjoyed having her feet on the ground. Which might explain why she didn’t go beyond high-school ballet—‌all that leaping into the air with a partner. Not to mention her stomach was still in knots from four-wheeling up the mountain.

  “Come on, Lex,” Sydney said, tugging her arm.

  And then it dawned on her. If she got wet then… Well, she was wearing a white tank and a white bra. Not good.

  “I really don’t want to get wet.”

  “You don’t have to jump. Just swim,” Sydney said. “The water is amazing.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Hey,” David said, interrupting. “Do you need help?” He’d climbed up the bank and stood there, dripping, a few yards away.

  “See ya, guys,” Sydney said and jumped off the cliff with a scream. Apelu laughed below then paddled over to her where she’d landed in the water.

  Lexi crossed her arms. “I’m not a big swimmer.” Which was true, although that wasn’t the reason she didn’t want to get wet. But the water did look great.

  “I can hold your hand, and we can jump together,” David said. “I won’t let go.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that… I’m not really dressed to get wet.”

  David’s eyes moved down, then quickly back up. His face reddened. “Do you want to wear my shirt after?”

  Because he was blushing, now she was too.

  This is not happening.

  “M-maybe if we come back another day, I’ll be better prepared,” she said. “I’ll just check things out while you guys swim.”

  David’s cheeks were still red, and he nodded. He turned and did another dive off the edge. Lexi paused to admire his form, and well, his arms…

  “Come on, Lexi! Jump!” Sydney called from below.

  “I’m going to look around for a bit,” Lexi called, waving at her.

  Before Sydney could respond, Apelu dunked her. There was a sputter, and she came up with a scream. Sydney appeared sufficiently distracted, so Lexi busied herself scanning the flora. The scent of the greenery and flowers was heady. Paradise. If Sydney could stop squealing and splashing, Lexi could envision taking a nap here.

  She took another swallow of her water bottle then got out her notebook. A group of jasmine shrubs grew nearby, and she crouched to examine the waxy green leaves. She didn’t know a lot about jasmine, but she wrote down a description of it and the surrounding plants it blended with.

  “What are you writing?” said a voice behind her.

  Lexi turned to see David. He was dripping wet from his second foray into the water.

  “Just writing notes about jasmine.” She straightened as he walked toward her.

  “For a class or something?”

  “Not specifically, but I’m sure it will be useful at some point.”

  “We use jasmine flowers to make leis,” he said, picking a few blossoms. “It’s my mom’s favorite.”

  Lexi moved over slightly to the side. David was quite close to her, and with his bare torso and wet body… She didn’t want to be caught blushing again. “When I arrived at the airport, Apelu gave me one made of plumeria. The smell is addictive. It’s still in my room.”

  “Ah. That’s my favorite scent,” he said.

  Her eyes met his, and it seemed to take forever to pull hers away.

  David held out the handful of blossoms, and Lexi bent over to smell them. “Mmm. Nice,” she said. The scent was heavenly, but she decided she favored plumerias.

  She drew away, and David tossed the blooms into the bush.

  “If you change your mind, I left my shirt on the rock right next to the water.”

  Lexi met his gaze. His expression was amused and sweet at the same time. She could hear Sydney and Apelu having fun in the water, while she was burying her nose in her notebook. Not that she didn’t enjoy it…

  “Okay,” she said, surprising herself.

  David’s brow rose. “Okay?” He grinned and held out his hand. “Let’s go.”

  Before Lexi could think twice about what she’d agreed to, she was sailing over the edge, hand in hand with David as they plunged toward the water.

  Chapter Six

  Lexi couldn’t remember ever laughing so much in her life. They were driving to David’s restaurant, where he said he’d feed them his specialty—‌some sort of teriyaki chicken—‌and Apelu and David wouldn’t leave each other alone.

  First they’d ribbed each other about stunts played in high school, and then Apelu made fun of David for choosing an apron over football pads, and David gave Apelu a hard time for becoming Haole-ized on the “mainland.”

  “You don’t even eat island food over there, bro,” David said. “No wonder it took you two years to make starting linebacker.”

  “Little good did your cooking do for you,” Apelu shot back with a laugh. “Your arms are skinnier than Lexi’s.”

  “Hey,” Lexi said, and everyone laughed. David’s arms were far from skinny. She knew, because she’d been all too aware of them, especially since she was wearing his shirt. Her shirt was probably dry by now, but it was hard to tell with the humidity. Besides, she was quite cozy in David’s shirt as the wind pushed all around them.

  Lexi was ravenous by the time he pulled off the road into a shopping complex.

  “Uh oh,” Sydney said as David turned into a parking spot in front of The Grille.

  Angel stood in front of the restaurant, arms folded over a fitted hot-pink shirt, her lipsticked mouth drawn into a pouty circle.

  Lexi felt about an inch tall. She’d been laughing and smiling with David, not to mention she was wearing his shirt.

  Everyone went dead quiet as David turned off the engine and climbed out of the jeep. Lexi wanted to disappear. She couldn’t watch David greet Angel. She heard his greeting, and her clipped response of, “I need to talk to you.”

  They disappeared inside, and Lexi let out the breath she’d been holding.
<
br />   “That’s one mad woman,” Apelu said.

  “Do we need to call 911?” Sydney said, in a half-joking, half-serious tone.

  “Nah,” Apelu said. “My bro can handle himself. But I’m not waiting for food. Let’s go inside and order.”

  Lexi followed the two into the restaurant, her stomach knotted with both hunger and worry about what might be happening between David and Angel—‌and if she was part of it. She hoped not. They were nowhere in sight, so they must be out back.

  A woman came from around the counter, all smiles. She was tall, thin, and resembled David. She greeted Apelu and Sydney with kisses then turned to Lexi, clasping her hand.

  “Welcome. You must be Lexi,” she said. “David told me you were coming. I’m his mom, Frankie.”

  David told his mom about me?

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Lexi said. Frankie seemed warm and open, like most of the islanders Lexi had met.

  “David will be out in a minute,” his mom said, her brow creasing for a fraction of a second. Then she smiled again. “He wants you to try the chicken.”

  I know. He hasn’t shut up about it. “Sounds great.”

  “Sit, sit,” Frankie said. “I’ll bring you your plates.”

  Moments later, they were seated at a well-scrubbed, dark wood table. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon, and the lunch rush seemed to be over. There were only a few others at tables at the restaurant. While they waited, Lexi glanced around, impressed with the neatness of the place.

  She saw a restroom sign and excused herself. In the ladies’ room, she could hear a man and woman arguing. She glanced up—‌a small window above the sinks must have connected to the outside. She froze when she recognized Angel’s voice. Lexi couldn’t quite make out the words, but the woman sounded livid.

  Lexi hurried, then left as soon as she could. When she returned to their table, Frankie had brought out the food, and Apelu and Sydney had already begun eating.

  Lexi’s stomach clenched as she thought about what was happening between David and Angel. Her heart went out to him, but she could see Angel’s point of view; she didn’t look happy about being left out of the excursion. Maybe she didn’t recognize David’s shirt on Lexi—‌she could hope.