Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker) Read online

  Lani tossed the leaf aside. Why did she keep doing this to herself? She’d been taught by Ahe to live for the moment, learn from the past, and not worry about the future. Live, breathe, wonder, and love—it was that simple—and she’d embraced it wholeheartedly until Derek’s proposal and Easton’s arrival. Now she couldn’t stop worrying about the present and future state of her heart, and how she’d recover once Easton flew away.

  “I have a question for you,” said Easton from behind.

  A twig snapped from somewhere up ahead and murmuring voices could be heard. They were catching up to the rest of the group.

  “Is it one I have to answer?” she asked. “If so, then it’s only fair that I get to do the same.”

  “It’s a question you probably won’t be able to answer,” he said.

  “What?” She stopped and glanced back at him. “Why ask a question if I won’t have an answer?”

  “Because it’s a game, and it’s fun.”

  “For whom? You?”

  He grinned. “Yes. Now listen. Cowboy Bill rode into town on Friday. Three days later he rode out of town on Friday. Can you explain that?”

  “A riddle? Really?”

  “Bet you can’t figure it out.”

  “And if I do?”

  “Then you’re smarter than I am. One of my nephews asked me the same thing the last time I was home, and it took me a solid thirty minutes of questioning before I figured it out.”

  Lani turned around and began walking again. “Then I’ll wait thirty-five minutes to answer so you won’t feel bad. How’s that?”

  “Do you know the answer?”

  She pulled another leaf off a bush and twirled it between her fingers. “Of course.”

  “Then tell me.”

  “I will. In thirty-five minutes.”

  He laughed. “Don’t pretend to be all philanthropic. Admit it. You’re stalling because you have no idea.”

  “Maybe I am and maybe I’m not. Guess you’ll never know.” The group was standing near the next waterfall, waiting for a turn to jump. Lani’s clothes were still damp from the previous dip, but even though the sun had begun to dim, she wasn’t cold.

  One after another, they all leapt from the second fall, waiting only long enough for the person in front of them to get out of the way. Easton glanced down, guessed the height to be about fifty feet, then asked Lani if she wanted to jump first.

  “You go first this time,” she said.

  “Okay.” Without a hint of hesitation, he leapt off the top of the fall, spinning a 180 as he dropped. As he hit the water below with his hands flat against his chest, Lani’s stomach gave a little lurch. Even though she’d made this jump dozens of times, that first step off still didn’t come as easy as Easton had made it look. And this was nothing to what awaited them next.

  The moment the pool below was clear, Lani took a deep breath and leapt. Air whizzed past her, blaring in her ears like a high-powered fan, and the spray from the falls slapped her arms before she hit the water. This was why she loved to jump—this exact moment—when two elements came together.

  She resurfaced, feeling chilled once again, but invigorated and ready for the next jump.

  Again, Easton had waited to extend her a hand. As soon as she was out, he said, “Any thoughts on Cowboy Bill yet?”

  Lani rinsed the worst of the dirt from her Chaco sandals and squeezed the excess water from her ponytail and tank. Then she glanced at her watch. “I’ll have a comment in fourteen minutes. No wait. Make that thirteen.”

  “I think you’re more stubborn than me.”

  “Wouldn’t that be something?” She smiled, then looked up to find Ahe watching them from a few yards ahead. Without saying anything, he turned around and began hiking, his movements a little less relaxed than usual.

  Lani sighed. She knew Ahe had some feelings for her. How deep they ran, she wasn’t sure, but they did run. He’d made it obvious over the years in his light-hearted, sometimes-possessive way. But he also knew that she thought of him as a brother and nothing more—at least she hoped he did. She’d done her best to make that clear. If only he’d fall for one of the local girls who had been mooning over him, then everything would be good.

  “Why does Ahe think of me as a threat?” asked Easton, who’d apparently followed her gaze and was now watching her closely.

  “I don’t know,” said Lani. “I guess he thinks it’s possible for me to get swept off my feet in a matter of weeks and feels the need to keep it from happening.”

  “Is it possible?” Easton asked, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Although his lips were half lifted in a teasing smile, his eyes showed a hint of seriousness.

  “Please,” was all she said, even though she was being swept off and then some. But she wasn’t about to tell him that—not when he’d made it clear that he still stood firmly on solid ground. Nor would she let him read it in her expression either.

  “The horse’s name was Friday,” she blurted. Then she pushed past him to catch up to everyone else.

  Piko had fallen to the back of the pack and sauntered next to a sweet girl named Kaia. Lani quickened her steps to chat with them for a few minutes before catching up to the next small group. She was nearly to Ahe when they reached The Crack.

  A crevice between two large boulders, The Crack made Ahe suck in all the way to squeeze his way though. It was slow-going, inch by inch, but eventually they all wiggled their way out. After that, Lani found a pebble and kicked it, Ahe followed suit, and Paavo joined in as well. It became a game of who could kick the rock the farthest, and it lasted until they reach the final jump.

  At the base of the sixty-five-foot falls was Kapu Aina. Darkness had fallen, but the moon highlighted the ripples in the water below. It beckoned Lani, luring her to pools with the promise of peace, warmth, and serenity.

  She jumped first. As the air and falls whooshed past her, she felt like she was falling through a porthole into a fantasy world where colors were more vibrant, plants more fragrant, and the water softer. She landed in a cool gush of bubbles and resurfaced with a grin, immediately making her way to the other side.

  One of the things that made Kapu Aina so great was the hot thermal springs that fed one side of the pool. Lani found her favorite spot near one of the springs and let the heat warm her body. She laid her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the moonlight wash over her as she listened to the roar of the falls, people jumping, talking, laughing, the yelps, the splashes, the faint sounds of leaves rustling from behind. How lucky was she to be able to live this life every day?

  “You didn’t wait the full thirty-five minutes,” said Easton. “Nor did you bother warning me about that last jump. I think that’s the highest waterfall I’ve ever thrown myself off. I’ll admit, it wigged me out a bit.”

  “But you still did it.” Lani kept her eyes closed, not ready to be pulled away from her happy place of peace.

  “Only because I didn’t want to lose face and knew I’d never find my way back on my own. And wow, the water is warm over here. Are you trying to hoard it all to yourself?”

  “Everyone will come once they’ve had their fun,” she murmured. “In the meantime, shush.”

  He did, and Lani smiled. Everyone else was making a ruckus, but at least Easton had taken the—

  “Mind if I ask you another question?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  Water sloshed, his arm bumped against hers, and she could feel him settle in beside her. His voice dropped to an almost-whisper. “Just tell me this: How are we supposed to get back to the truck?”

  Despite the warmth of the water, goosebumps broke out all over her body. She opened one eye and squinted at him. His gaze was on the top of the large waterfall, his eyebrow lifted in a Please don’t tell me we’re going to have to climb that to get out expression.

  Lani’s smile widened.

  “You’re only now wondering that?”

  “I’m only now voicing that,” he said. “Tell me
there’s a hidden elevator inside that cliff somewhere.”

  “Yep. It’ll take us to a secret bat cave where we’ll have our pick of really cool ride-on toys.”

  “Sweet.”

  She laughed, then swiped her palm across the water and splashed him with a small wave, mostly to give her an excuse to scoot a little away from him. He splashed her back—in the face. She reciprocated with both hands, and he did the same—over and over again until she was laughing so hard, she could barely call out for reinforcements.

  “Ahe!” she screamed between mouthfuls of water. “Come teach this haole a lesson!”

  Ahe, Paavo, and Rab responded to her call for help. Easton stopped splashing long enough to realize three large Polynesians were closing in on him. He immediately lifted his hands in surrender. “We were just having a little fun, guys.”

  “Fun or no, Lani said to teach you a lesson, and we like to teach lessons,” Ahe said as his two friends laughed.

  Easton eyed them warily. “Lesson learned. We’re good now. Right, Lani?”

  Lani knew exactly what her friends would do to Easton if she let them. They’d give him a good dunking then toss him off one of the ledges near the side of the falls.

  “I don’t know,” she said noncommittally. “You did get me pretty soaked.”

  “You were already soaked.”

  The gleam in Ahe’s eyes made him look like a tiger ready to pounce, and Lani realized that he might take the retaliation a bit further than he normally would with anyone else. So Lani pointed above Easton’s head and said, “What about a diving contest instead? From that middle ledge over there.” She raised her voice to be heard by the others. “Kaia, Maaki, and I will be the judges. Yeah?”

  The two other girls responded with cheers and clapping. Ahe agreed with, “Right on,” and Easton shot Lani a look that said, You’ll pay for this later.

  She was sure he meant when Ahe wasn’t around.

  And so the contest began, with Easton being the first to scale the moss-covered boulders to the ledge. Once there, he took stock of his surroundings before leaping forward and executing an impressive one-and-a-half with a twist, finally diving into the water.

  As soon as he surfaced, Ahe called from above, “Ho tantaran, take it easy.”

  Easton swam to Lani and said, “Do I want to know what that means?”

  “Show off,” she responded with a smile.

  He smiled in return. “I think that’s a step up from haole, don’t you?”

  She laughed, and Ahe jumped, one-upping Easton with a full double and a twist. He resurfaced and gave his mop of dark, curly hair a shake, grinning at Easton in triumph.

  “Who’s the tantaran now?” Easton said.

  Ahe’s grin widened—until Paavo flipped once and landed in a cannonball, giving Ahe a cold shower. The other guys jumped, then everyone jumped again. Eventually the girls wanted in on the fun so they joined in as well. No one noticed how late it was until the moon slipped behind the canopy of trees and a thicker darkness engulfed them.

  Lani glanced at the sky with a frown, then sighed. “I hate to be the spoiler of fun, but I’d better head. I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

  “Let your guests make their own grind,” Ahe said, his legs dangling off the ledge above.

  “Yeah, that would go over well at a bed and breakfast,” she said.

  “I should go too,” added Maaki.

  “Yeah, me too, brah,” Rab said.

  So they dragged themselves out of the pool and shoved their wet feet into damp sandals, saying goodbye to another beautiful night at Kapu Aina.

  Easton caught Lani’s arm before she could follow the others. He cleared his throat. “I just wanted to say thanks. Tonight was great.”

  “Ahe was the one who invited you,” she reminded him.

  “I have a feeling he wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for something you said.”

  Lani watched the last of the group disappear into the darkness. “I did say something, but I don’t deserve any thanks for tonight. I probably wouldn’t have invited you.”

  “Yeah,” he said, his voice quiet. “I kind of got that vibe earlier.” A pause. “Is there a reason you didn’t want me here?”

  When he was genuine like this, Lani felt her resistance melt. She sighed, trying to think of words that were honest and yet not too much.

  “You’re leaving in a few weeks, and… sometimes goodbyes are easier sooner than later, you know?”

  He nodded, his expression solemn. “I’m not really one for goodbyes.”

  What did that mean? For a second, Lani felt a surge of hope that he was implying he didn’t want to say goodbye—not now or later—but the look on his face told her a different interpretation, and her hope vanished.

  “I don’t understand,” she said.

  He shrugged. “I hate saying goodbye, so I usually don’t.”

  Lani still didn’t understand. “How do you not say goodbye? You just pack your bags, leave a note on the counter, and slink away?”

  “I don’t leave notes either.”

  “I see,” said Lani, though she really didn’t.

  “Goodbyes are uncomfortable and awkward, and I prefer to leave on a better note.”

  She gave his opinion some thought and found that she agreed with part of it—but only part. “Yes, they’re uncomfortable, but they’re also important. When you open a door that isn’t meant to be kept open, you close it. Whether it’s with a creak, a slam, or a quiet click, you close it.”

  Easton’s eyes searched hers, shadowed and mysterious in the moonlight. He moved closer and clasped her hand, lifting it slowly, as though testing the waters, then threading his fingers through hers when she didn’t pull away. “And what if I want to keep it open—at least a crack?”

  A pounding echoed in Lani’s ears, and her chest rose and fell as she struggled to keep her breath even. “I’m not much of a cracked-door person. If I open a door, I open it wide enough to let in the breeze, the sunshine, the smells, the sounds—everything.”

  He tugged her closer, and Lani caught a whiff of river water and nature. “So you’re an all or nothing type of girl?”

  She swallowed. “Anything less isn’t worth it.”

  His other hand lifted her free hand, and he moved in even closer. Lani didn’t know what was happening or if she wanted it to happen. He avoided goodbyes. She needed them. He liked cracks. She wanted all-the-way open. He moved around. She stayed put. All those things together made her feel like they were balancing on a paddleboard in the middle of a churning ocean and it was only a matter of time before they got thrown off—both in different directions.

  He inched closer, and Lani’s eyes drifted shut. Every ounce of self-preservation inside her screamed at her to run away, but the pull was too strong, and she couldn’t. His breath warmed her mouth right before his lips brushed against hers in a feather-light touch. Her body trembled, feeling the push and pull between desire and good sense. How could something that felt so right not be right?

  “Lani. Haole. You guys coming or wot?” Ahe’s voice called from the blackness up ahead.

  It was the splash of water Lani needed. She stepped back and pulled her hands free. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this.”

  He let out a breath and raked his fingers through his hair, making it spike on top. He looked like he wanted to argue or say something, but then he clenched his jaw and nodded. “We should go.”

  Instead of heading back the way they’d come, Lani followed the group to the south, where Rab had left his truck earlier, parked on his family’s private property. As they walked, Lani couldn’t help but wonder if Kapu Aina had just been made better—or worse.

  The morning brought overcast skies, the threat of a shower, and no Lani. Everyone else had gathered for breakfast on the lanai, including Easton. Pearl sat with two new guests—two pretty sisters in their twenties who had tried more than once to strike up a flirtation with him. He’d sat at the next table over,
alone, hoping Lani would come out and they could talk. But she didn’t, and he’d finished his breakfast thirty minutes ago.

  “Did you enjoy Kapu Aina last night?” Cora asked as she refilled his juice for the third time. Easton didn’t want anymore, but continued to drink because it gave him an excuse to linger. If only he’d made it there before the sisters, then he could have been the one sharing a table—and interesting conversation—with Pearl.

  “I did enjoy it, though it made for a late night. I take it Lani decided to sleep in?” He tried to sound casual, but from the twinkle in Cora’s eyes, she didn’t buy it.

  “No. Lani never sleeps in. She was up before the sun and left a note saying she needed to run to Costco.”

  “Ah.” Disappointment panged in his gut, but at least Easton knew it was pointless to stay. Which was just as well. For the first time since he’d stepped off the plane, he had definite plans for the day, and he wanted to get moving on them before the skies decided to let loose.

  Before he could make his excuses, Cora took a seat next to him and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. Easton noticed that her curly, white hair was a bit frizzier than usual.

  “Lani went to Costco a week and a half ago,” she said in a pointed tone, as though she expected Easton to know why that was important information.

  “That’s… nice,” he finally said.

  Her mouth turned down, showing her annoyance that he hadn’t picked up on whatever hint she was attempting to drop. “Before you came, she only made that trip once a month at the bare minimum. In the last seven weeks, she’s gone four times.”

  Easton shifted positions, not seeing how he was responsible for that. If Lani felt the need to avoid him, she didn’t have to drive all the way to Kahului. She could simply go to the beach or to downtown Hāna or even the Seven Sacred Pools. He wouldn’t be anywhere near those places.