“Nice shoes—ready for an eight-hour hike along the sand flats?” The shadow says, in the exact voice you’d expect from a shadow.
I whirl around to face him. “The shoes I choose to wear are none of your business, Kane.” I reach for my bag, but Kane heaves it over his shoulder before I have a chance.
“What’s in here?” He grunts. “More shoes and purses?”
“I didn’t ask you to carry my bag.” I speak through clenched teeth. “What are you even doing here anyways?”
He shrugs. “Camping.”
“Yeah, do you like camping?”
“Not really,” he says, a smirk tugging at his plump pink lips.
“God, you’re so infuriating!” Clearly he’s trying to get a rise out of me, but I won’t give him the upper-hand.
I stomp over to Lance, who’s fiddling with a set of headlamps. “What are those for?” I ask, squatting down on my haunches beside him.
“It’ll get dark out there at night, so I brought them for us.”
“Thank you, Lance.” I give him a grateful smile. “So…you brought company?” To emphasize my point, I steal a look at Kane, who holds my bag and glares in our direction. I don’t miss how Lance’s eyes narrow either.
“Yeah, sorry. He insisted—along with Taylor. They said it was public service to ensure I didn’t kill a tourist.”
Public service? I shake my head. Kane’s self-righteousness knows no bounds. “Well, I’ll ignore them if you do.”
He grins. “Sounds like a plan.”
I walk over to Kane with folded arms, demanding that he return my bag. He hands it over but insists on holding the tent, even though his own load looks massive. We head to the Haleakala National Park Visitor Center for a ten-minute orientation video. I learn that we’re responsible for our own water and garbage—both must be carried in and out of the park—and the video seems specifically designed to warn unprepared tourists. I see Kane watching me from the corner of my eye; even though I’m a little worried about the hike now, I won’t give him the satisfaction of showing it. The video finishes and Lance appoints himself as “unofficial leader of our group,” proceeding to circle us up and list off our supplies.
“First aid kit, extra flashlights, a cook stove, a water purifier, and biodegradable soap…just in case anyone wants to wash up this evening.” He stares at me from the corner of his eye, and I feel my cheeks burning. “We’ll tackle the Sliding Sands Trail and head for Paliku tonight. It’s about ten miles in, so we’ll hike out in the morning.”
Ten Miles? It’s like my eyes are bulging out of my head. I’m still trying to process the distance, but it’s definitely longer than Bag Ridge Trail or Mount Diablo Summit, both hikes that Dale and I used to do on weekends. Since arriving in Maui though, my only cardio has been failing to run on the beach. It’s before eight in the morning and the breeze carries a chill as we embark upon the trail. The first mile starts off okay, even though the air is thin and there’s little time to acclimate. The Sliding Sands Trail, also called Keoneheehee, is composed of lava rock, sand, and some sub-alpine plants dotting the landscape. It looks part Mad Max, part Star Wars, and the experience is otherworldly, even beneath the radiating heat of the sun. Sweltering, I feel the sunscreen melting off my shoulders, but Kane is primed and ready behind me the very moment we stop to enjoy the view. Having already bugged me about UV-protection twice, I’m not surprised when he snatches the bottle from my hands.
“Give me that.” He flips open the cap and moves closer to smear some on my nose.
“I’m twenty-seven years old, Kane—I can handle my own sunscreen.” I snatch the bottle back, waving him away while rubbing the white blob into my skin.
“You should put on a hat,” he snarls.
“And you should mind your own business,” I say, with mock-sweetness.
Lance mentions that the descent is over twenty-eight hundred feet into the valley, and that’s before even beginning the steep climb back to Haleakala Crater rim. “Wikiwiki guys! We’ve got a lot of ground to cover before nightfall,” he shouts over his shoulder.
I’d like nothing more than to punch him in his overly-energetic face. I try to match Lance’s pace, but I end up sliding around on the loose sand. Every now and then, a pair of large hands shoots out from behind to steady me.
“Easy,” Kane says gruffly. I shake him off without saying thank you, irritated by the warm tingle that his calloused fingers leave on my skin.
“Sure you’re ok?”
“Just fine.”
I take another couple steps and almost land on my ass again. This time, he grabs me around the waist and pulls me against his hard chest. We descend further into the crater, which is overwhelmed by switchbacks and plenty of loose black volcanic junk. The desert disappears and the terrain becomes rocky, as the sharp, jagged pieces poke through my rubber shoe soles. My feet are sore within half-an-hour. The sun dips behind the low-lying cloud formations, and all I see for miles is a rim of vibrant red cinder cones encircling the valley. How a place like this can go from blistering hot to ice cold in a matter of minutes amazes me, even understanding the significant elevation change. Entering the forested heart of the crater, the temperature drops low enough that I can see my own breath.
I slip on my windbreaker as an icy rain needles the fabric of my clothing. My layers seem useless against the cold now seeping into my bones. We feel our way through a patch of fog that leaves a lush cloud forest all around us. I have to rub my hands together to keep warm, but at least Kane isn’t harassing me about sunscreen. Lance leads the group with a subtle smile on his face, and I stick my tongue out at the back of his head. I suppose I’m just jealous of his gear. He looks extremely warm, with a cozy hood that seems to keep him impeccably dry.
Behind me, Kane wears thin pants plus a light jacket with no hood, but he doesn’t seem bothered by the temperature. Rain runs down his face in rivulets, wetting his dark lashes and slicking the long hair back against his head. He looks, quite literally, like a wet dream, and I hate myself for even noticing. Kayla stops to dig a yellow poncho from her bag, slipping it over her head in front of me. I silently kick myself for not thinking of that—then again, I never imagined we’d be hiking through a deluge.
Lance calls back to the group, letting us know that we’re getting close to the Paliku Rainforest. Thank God—I’m chilled to my bones and my feet ache like small tragedies. I dressed in layers, but my cotton shirts are heavy with wetness and unlikely to dry anytime soon. We reach the east end of the valley and hike into the crater from the base of the rainforest cliff. There we’re met with an eerie, dead silence. There are no birds chirping, not even any wind, just an ethereal sense of stillness, pulsing with energy throughout the crater.
The sun dips lower in the sky, and finally we reach the flat bottom of the crater: a grassy meadow against a backdrop of vibrant blue sky. There’s a simple square cabin and a picnic table in the heart of the meadow, but according to Lance, Paliku is a popular spot and often reserved well in advance. I’m fully expecting to set up camp in the field; however, just then, the cabin door flies open and someone comes barreling toward us, screaming Lance’s name.
“Buddy!” The shouting-blur-of-a-human-being halts before us, and Lance steps forward to give him one of those manly backslap hugs.
“Ethan, man. I’m surprised to see you here.”
“We hiked in for Nic’s stag weekend. Showed up yesterday—Joe’s here, too.” The stag weekend explains the slurred speech and his eyelids at half-mast. He walks with that kind of boneless quality to him, and I have to suppress laughter as he stumbles and almost falls.
I’m happy that we’ve arrived, but I’m also exhausted. I drop my bag and it hits the ground with a thud. Lance wanders over to check on me with a concerned look occupying his face. Ethan’s eyes follow his movement, and he flashes me an easy grin.
“Is this your girl, man?” He asks.
“No,” Kane answers, before Lance can even open h
is mouth. Drunken Ethan smiles even wider.
“Even better. So are you guys camping here for the night?”
“Yeah, we’re going to set up in the field,” Lance explains, gesturing to the meadow behind us.
“No need, man. There’s like a dozen beds inside and we’re only three people. You guys are welcome to join.” After he extends the invitation, Ethan introduces himself to Taylor and Kayla.
“And you are especially welcome…” He says to Kayla, whistling low. I swear that I hear Taylor growl like an animal.
“We’re fine out here,” Kane says shortly, but apparently Lance disagrees.
“Are you insane, Keo? It’s a cabin with a woodstove. These cabins are never available. The girls will definitely be more comfortable inside.”
“Yeah man, it was crazy cold last night.” Ethan steps forward to shake Kane’s hand, but Kane just stares at it like he wants to chop his fingers off. Luckily, Ethan is too drunk to be intimidated. “Seriously though, I think my nuts crawled up inside of me.”
Kayla snorts, pushing past Ethan on route to the cabin. “Charming.”
Inside, we meet the soon-to-be-married Nic and his friend, Joe, who seem to be enjoying a similar state of inebriation. Still, they’re friendly and easygoing. Apart from Kane, who’s prowling around the cabin like a caged tiger, nobody seems to mind their company. The Paliku cabin is well-stocked, equipped with a stove, cookware, running water, a wood-burning furnace, and several bunk-beds with sleeping pads. We each pick a bed and I roll out my $20 Wal-Mart sleeping bag before sitting down to remove my shoes. My socks are damp from hiking through the rainforest—along with everything else I’m wearing—and I stifle my whimpering as I struggle to get them off. Lance must hear me, because he rushes to my side with the first aid kit, kneeling to inspect my foot.
“We’ll have to get you some proper hiking boots next time,” he says, gently lifting one foot up in the air. I give him a quick smile, but on the inside I’m screaming. There will be no next time. “You did great, Ashley, really great.” He gives me a soft look, cradling my foot in his hands. It makes me a little uncomfortable, but I’m grateful for his warm palms on my skin. “Your feet are like ice,” he says, running a finger along my archway. He adds another finger and begins massaging the sole, making me groan out loud.
“Let me see.” Kane elbows his way between us, causing Lance to drop my foot.
“I think I’ve got it handled, Keo.”
“She’s bleeding,” he snarls back, like an accusation.
“It’s just a blister! I’ll bandage it up once her feet are warm.” Lance pushes Kane to the side and returns to my battered feet.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say, softly. He looks at me and smiles.
“I want to. It’s the least I can do, since you were brave enough to hike through this with me.”
The next thing I know, Kane has slammed his hulk-like body into the bunk above me, causing the whole contraption to shake.
Lance raises his eyebrows at my new bunkmate. “You got something to say, Keo?”
“Fuck off, Lance,” Kane snarls.
Once my feet are bandaged, I join the group at the wooden table. It’s getting dark and there’s no electricity, so we light a few candles and Lance adds more logs to the furnace. One of the stag guys flicks on a battery-powered lantern, which seems to emit a decent amount of light. Kayla, who’s been slaving away at the stove, hands out bowls of freshly warmed chili. Taylor shares a loaf of bread and some butter, and I throw in some of my homemade beef jerky. We demolish the food in a matter of minutes—even Kane decides to join us. Once our bellies are full and the dishes washed, I bring out my homemade donuts. They’re the only thing I managed to vacuum-seal for this trip, but the bready treat should fill everyone up.
I offer some to the stag party and Ethan swallows his whole. “What are these balls of heaven?” I watch his eyes roll back into his head.
“Malasadas,” I say. “It’s basically a Hawaiian donut, but I’m sure you guys already know that. I filled them with coconut cream and rolled them in sugar.”
“I’ve never heard of a Hawaiian donut, but these are so good!” Nic declares, and I’m grateful to have the groom’s seal of approval.
“It’s like a donut and also not like a donut,” Lance mumbles, his mouth full of fried goodness.
“I used evaporated milk, which changes the taste a bit, I think.”
“It’s onolishious delicious,” Ethan says. “What’s it called again?”
I clear my throat, embarrassed to be the center of attention. “Malasadas. The word is Portuguese and means poorly cooked. Immigrants coming to work in the sugar and pineapple industries brought the recipe over in the 19th century.”
“You really are a food nerd,” Kayla says, snorting, but my trivia doesn’t stop her from scarfing down another donut.
“I do love food,” I say with a nod, watching Kane eye me. He takes a bite of his own donut and makes no effort to divert his gaze.
“So you’re smokin’ hot and you can cook?” Ethan laughs. “Dayum girl, if I was the marrying kind, I’d marry you.”
“Hey bro, back off, okay?” Lance says under his breath.
I watch Kane give Ethan a look that could freeze over hell. It doesn’t seem to faze Ethan though, who has graduated from half-drunk to full-drunk, and at least the guys are having fun. The wood furnace does a good job of warming the cozy space, and I strip off my layers until all I’m wearing is a semi-dry tank top. Apart from Kane, we all stay chatting and playing cards at the table. The stag guys fire up their portable music speaker, and Joe makes a very sloppy attempt at flirting with Kayla. She shuts him down so hard that everyone groans in unison.
“Do you want a drink?” Ethan hands me a silver flask, but I refuse.
“No, thank you.” A warm mouthful of liquor sounds tempting, but I’m too much of a lightweight around hard alcohol.
Lance drapes one arm over my shoulders, reaching for the flask with the other. “I’ll take some.”
Ethan rolls his eyes. “I didn’t offer you any, man.”
“Come on, don’t be like that.” Lance reaches for it again, but Ethan simply holds the flask over his head.
“Tell you what, Lancey-Boy, learn to fill out a tank top like Ashley, and I’ll give you all the whiskey you want.”
The other guys burst into laughter, but it doesn’t last long. Kane’s heavy boots hit the floor and he sidles up next to Ethan at the table. “What did you say?”
The other guys look away, busying themselves with the deck of cards, but Ethan is drunk and totally unfazed by Kane’s towering presence.
“Apologize to Ashley—now,” he demands. His voice is dead quiet.
Lance shakes his head and mutters, “Yeah, not cool, Ethan,” and Kayla joins in by calling him a pig.
“Whoa, relax everybody. She’s sexy! It was just a joke. Take as much as you like, Lance.”
“Apologize,” Kane repeats, more forcefully this time.
“Leave it alone, Kane,” I insist, thoroughly embarrassed at this point.
Ethan still slurs his words like a frat boy. “I’m sorry beautiful.”
Kane slams his fists on the table top. “Ashley. Her name is Ashley.”
“I’m sorry, Ashley. Well guys, I’m empty. Think it’s time to refill.”
I wish Ethan had kept his mouth shut, but I’m impressed at his ability to be unaffected by Kane’s anger. I suppose he probably has the booze to thank for that. He walks into the kitchen, presumably to refill his flask, and meanwhile Kane heads back to bed. The candles have nearly burnt down when a wave of exhaustion hits me. I say thank you for the games and conversation before excusing myself for bed. I use some of Lance’s boiled water and biodegradable soap to wash my face and brush my teeth, barely keeping my eyes open as I nestle beneath the sheets.
I wake up later to the sound of my teeth chattering. The temperature has plummeted, the wood furnace has gone out, and the
cabin is pitch black. My cheap sleeping bag does nothing to protect me from the cold. I simply can’t stop shivering, and falling back asleep feels like a miracle in these conditions. I can just make out Kayla’s silhouette across from me, with Lance’s ragged breathing sounding from above. The other three guys are still up, but they’ve turned the music off and now chat quietly in the corner, their conversation punctuated by muffled laughter and the clang of their flask against the table. I consider getting up, but my body is violently shaking. As I debate whether to redress in my wet layers, I hear a rustling sound from above me, just before a large body climbs into my bed.
“Kane?” I say, my teeth chattering.
“I can hear you shaking from up top.”
“I’ll be fine,” I try, but I can barely get the words out.
“You’re cold—and I don’t trust them.” He shifts around and I feel his bare skin pressing against me, realizing then that he’s shirtless.
“But I should trust you?”
“Probably not, but I’m the best option you’ve got.”
He’s warmer than a furnace, even without a blanket, so I don’t resist when he wraps his strong arms around me. My body temperature rises and I feel myself relax, the shaking finally leaving my body. It feels so good that I can’t help but snuggle into him. He stiffens but doesn’t complain, so I press my face into his bare chest and sigh myself to sleep.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Lani,” Kane whispers, his breath tousling my hair.
I don’t know who Lani is, but I’ll have to save the thought for the morning, as my eyelids are suddenly thick and heavy with sleep.
Chapter 10
I sleep better than I have in months, despite my myriad aches and pains, but Kane is gone the moment I wake up. Still, I want to thank him for saving me last night. In the fuzzy blue light of early dawn, I can see that everyone else remains sleeping in their bunks, so I slip on my damp sweatshirt and head outside barefoot. The orange sun breaks across the horizon, as if setting the valley floor on fire. I spot Kane up ahead, staring into the distance with his back to me. I approach like a mouse in the light of the rising sun, burning red through the clouds. My eyes fill with watery tears as brilliant hues of pink and green streak across the sky, layered with shades of pineapple-yellow and orange, reminding me of Hawaiian shave ice.
Aloha in Love Page 8
