Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker) Page 17

  “Volleyball and tennis. You?”

  “Nope.” He shook his head. “I mean, I like sports and everything, I just hated the organized form of them.”

  “Why?”

  Easton took the last bite of his sandwich and brushed the crumbs from his hands. “I wanted to play what I felt like playing at the moment, and the thought of doing the same thing every day for months at a time always made me want to croak. I’m pretty sure my parents used to worry I had no drive or ambition and would never be able to find a career I liked for more than a few weeks.”

  Lani pulled her knees to her chest and studied him. “How did you handle school?”

  “I always enjoyed learning, but hated the classroom setting. After high school, my parents didn’t push college on me, for which I was grateful, though I did take several writing classes, along with a few others that interested me, and I eventually earned enough credits for an Associate’s, but that’s it. In case you haven’t gathered, I’m more of a hands-on guy.”

  Worry lines creased Lani’s brow. “I take it you’re not interested in ever settling down?”

  It was a question his parents and sisters had all asked him, a question voiced by a few of the women he’d dated. Easton’s answer had always been the same. Nope. But Lani was making him reconsider several things, especially his future. If there was one thing he was coming to know for certain, it was that he wanted her in it. If that meant compromising some things, he was okay with that. But he couldn’t compromise everything. Easton would never be happy working a nine-to-five job or living year-round in a suburb with a fenced-in yard and neighbors whose faces never changed.

  “I wouldn’t mind having a home base, so to speak,” he said. “But I’ll always want to travel and see new places, cultures, and people. It’s my way of learning and progressing. Without it, I’d feel… I don’t know… stagnant, I guess.”

  From the corner of his eye, Easton watched Lani, wondering what she thought about him after all this. Was she the sort of person who needed more than just a home base? Did she need constancy and stability and the kind of regular life that he could never offer?

  That was a wild card—one of the things that could lead to a goodbye.

  He held his breath, waiting for her to say something. Anything. When a full minute passed and she didn’t, he forced himself to ask the scariest question he’d ever asked. “Is that a deal-breaker for you?”

  Her eyes flew to his and widened in surprise. “I didn’t realize we were making a deal.”

  “We aren’t, exactly. I just…” He scratched the back of his neck, wishing that conversations like this never had to take place. Why couldn’t they just read each other’s minds? It would make everything so much easier.

  “Just what?” she asked.

  He shifted positions to face her. “When I said before that I didn’t want to say goodbye, that wasn’t a lie. I really don’t. But I can’t offer you a typical life. So even though we’re not officially making deals yet, I need to know whether or not a deal is even possible with you.”

  She blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. And then she swallowed and looked down at her fingers that were rolling a leaf into a tight cylinder. Easton gently rescued the leaf before capturing her hand in his, prodding her to look at him.

  “What are you thinking, Lani?”

  She swallowed again. “That a home base sounds nice. As does seeing new places. I’m just wondering about what I would do or how I’d fit into that lifestyle.”

  Easton let out the breath he’d been holding and smiled. A life with her wasn’t just a pipe dream. They were talking about reality here—or, an almost-reality. “Hypothetically speaking,” he said, running his fingers through hers, “what if the home base was here, where you have a job that you like and you’re good at? Then when we’re away, maybe you can… I don’t know, invest in a traveling bakery?”

  She laughed and shook her head. “I’d never want to turn baking into a career, but if it really comes to that, I’m sure I can come up with something. But what about your family? You sound so close and—”

  “They’ll have to understand that my visits home will be fewer and further between, and I think they will if it means welcoming a new member of the family. And I’m pretty positive they won’t mind coming to visit us in Maui every once in a while.”

  “We’ll have a great place for them to stay.”

  He liked her use of we. “Yes, we will.”

  “I’ll have to warn Ahe about the possibility of more haoles coming,” she teased.

  Easton chuckled. “I’ll make sure to be far away when you have that conversation with him.”

  “That’s probably a good idea. Especially considering…” Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lower lip, saying nothing more.

  “Considering he’s in love with you, too?”

  Her eyes flew to his. “Too?” she whispered.

  Easton leaned in close, pausing with his mouth touching the area near her ear and above her jaw. She smelled like apples and wildflowers and sunshine. He breathed her in, his muscles pulsating with an energy he’d never felt before. In that moment, he saw clarity. A life with Lani at his side was a life he wanted more than anything else.

  “Too,” he murmured. And then he kissed her. Her breath hitched, and after a moment’s pause her lips responded, moving across his, igniting a fire every place they touched. Their first real kiss had been one of desire—a long-awaited reward for something Easton had wanted to do since the day he’d laid eyes on her. This kiss, on the other hand, was one of discovery. He took his time, paying attention to the ripples in her lips, the smile lines at the corner of her mouth, and the indent at the peak of her upper lip. His hands cupped her face as he memorized the slope of her jaw and cheekbone, the softness of her skin, her ear… He pushed her hat from her head and slid his fingers into her silky hair, feeling the contours of her head.

  Everything about Lani moved him, lifted him, touched him. She softened his hard edges, filled his cracks, and made him believe in something greater and better. This was why people left the door open, why they stayed, why they committed, why they held on tight and never let go.

  Until now, Easton had never understood.

  His hands returned to her face, and he kissed her once, twice, three times, then slowly pulled back. His heart hammered, his breath came in quick spurts, and everything around him seemed to take on a surreal glow. It reminded him of his writing. Usually, the articles or posts he wrote required tweaking and multiple revisions. But every so often, something amazing happened. He’d feel a release in his mind and beautiful words would flow down through his fingertips and appear on the screen—ordinary words that came together in an extraordinary way. Words that invoked clarity, feeling, and power. No tweaking or revisions were needed. They were just… right.

  That’s what it felt like now. Right.

  “I love you, too,” she said softly.

  Easton slid behind her and pulled her tight against him, tucking his arms around her waist. The scent of the sand and sea mixed with the apples and wildflowers of her hair, and a light breeze swept across his neck. Only then did he notice that gloomy, gray clouds had taken over the sky, blocking out the sunlight.

  And then a raindrop fell from the sky and landed on his nose.

  After Friday, Lani felt like constantly skipping and dancing, twirling and singing. She’d never felt so light on her feet or glorious. She awoke early on Saturday, ready to work fast and hard so she could spend whatever time was left with Easton. When a grumpy bachelor checked in around noon, she didn’t bat an eye when he felt the need to point out every crack in the sidewalk, the few weeds in a flower bed they passed, the faded patio furniture, the squeak of the screen door, and the inefficient layout of the front room.

  Lani could have argued with him about everything. The cracks gave the walkways character. The “weeds” were actually sensitive plants—put there on purpose for the guests to enjoy. The door squeaked a
nd the furniture had faded because of the rain, humidity, and sun—three of the things that made Maui the paradise it was. And the furniture had been arranged like that so guests could enjoy the views from the two large windows.

  But she didn’t say a thing. A man who noticed thorns instead of roses wanted to see the thorns. So she’d oiled the door, walked past the faded patio furniture and over the cracks in the walkway, touched the leaves of the sensitive plants and smiled when they curled together.

  That afternoon, instead of snorkeling and kayaking like they’d planned, Lani and Easton helped Maaike’s family pick papayas and cabbages for the roadside stand they owned. Her father had fallen ill, and her mother had taken him to the doctor. With her two brothers out of town, she needed help. So Lani and Easton changed their plans and their clothes and drove to Maaike’s instead. Easton didn’t complain at all. He simply dug in and got to work like he had the day the Akua room had been torn apart.

  After spending the majority of the afternoon hunched over cabbage plants and climbing rickety ladders, they smelled like earth and papayas and looked worse. But Lani didn’t care. She wrapped her arms around Easton’s waist and kissed a smudge on his cheek.

  “If I didn’t already love you, I would after today,” she said. “Mahalo.”

  He brushed her hair from her face. “You seem to like this kind of work.”

  She made a face. “Picking produce? I don’t think so.”

  “I meant helping someone out.”

  “Oh. Well, yeah, that’s easy to like.” Lani kept her arm around his waist as they walked toward the car. “The people here are kind and grateful and so generous that when an opportunity comes along to give something back, it feels more like a blessing than work.”

  He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “I know what you mean.”

  They arrived at the car, and he opened the door for her. “What do you say we grab a sandwich in town and stop at Hamoa to wash off in the ocean?”

  “But I didn’t bring my suit.”

  He shrugged. “You didn’t have your suit yesterday either, but we still had fun in the rain.”

  He was right. The storm had created a muddy mess of everything—the road, mountains, beaches—but they’d continued their jaunt around the south side of the island regardless, only having to free the car from mud twice. By the time they pulled in that night, they were soggy and the car was filthy, and yet Lani had never had such a perfect day. It had been an adventure—the beginning of many, she hoped.

  By the time Sunday evening rolled around, they’d talked of her flying to Boston with him to meet his family and planned to approach Puna about making the bungalow their home between travels. Everything was falling into place in a way that Lani had never imagined it could.

  “You’re glowing,” Puna commented on Sunday afternoon as they relaxed in the front room. Easton had left moments before to place his weekly FaceTime call to his parents and family. He’d invited Lani to come along so she could “meet” everyone, but she’d declined, saying she’d rather wait and do it in person, not through a small phone screen with a connection that could drop off at any moment.

  So he’d left, and Lani began rifling through the small stack of DVDs she’d brought with her from the states, trying to find a good movie to watch.

  “You should have gone with him,” said Puna, swaying back and forth in her favorite rocking chair, her pink and green muumuu splashing around her ankles. Her hands rested across her ample stomach, and her eyes were closed.

  “I would feel awkward. What would I say? Hi, I’m Lani. Your son hasn’t mentioned me to you yet because everything is happening so fast, but we ’re thinking about spending the rest of our lives together. I hope that’s okay. By the way, can you see me? Or, at least my nose?” Lani glanced at the movie she held then returned it to the basket. Nothing sounded good. “Don’t make me feel guilty for not going with him.”

  Puna continued to rock. “I just know if it were my son, I’d want to meet you. And your nose is lovely, dear. Don’t be ashamed of it.”

  Lani laughed. “You’re only saying that because I got your nose. But you’re right, it is a good nose.”

  Eyes still closed, Puna waved a hand dismissively. “Go. Meet the parents. Show them the treasure their son has found in Hāna.”

  “I think the real treasure found me,” said Lani.

  “You can tell them that too.”

  Lani’s heart softened. Easton had looked a little disappointed when she’d passed on his invitation, so maybe she should go. Slowly, she pushed the basket back under the TV and rose to kiss Puna on her wrinkled cheek. “You’ve convinced me. I’ll go. Not because I want to but because I’ve learned to trust your wisdom.”

  “Flatterer.” But her mouth lifted into a smile nonetheless.

  “Be back soon.” Lani took the purple throw off the couch and tucked it around her grandmother before treading lightly across the floor and out the door, closing it softly behind her. She breathed in the fragrant white orchids as she passed them and lifted her gaze to the late afternoon sky, where a speckling of clouds shaded her from the sun.

  As she climbed the hill, Easton’s low-murmuring voice grew in volume. Through the open window, she could see that he sat in an armchair with his back to her, and as soon as she reached the stairs of the lanai, she could hear him clearly—along with the people he spoke with. She paused to listen as she gathered her courage to knock on his door.

  “Caleb,” Easton’s voice teased, “I hate to break it to you, but I can still see you.”

  “No you can’t!” a little boy’s voice bellowed. “I’ve got my invisible coat on.”

  “You mean your invisibility cloak.”

  “Yes!”

  “Well, it’s not working. You’re wearing a red and blue plaid shirt and a cheeky smile. You should tell your mom to get you a real cloak.”

  “They don’t have real ones,” he pouted.

  “Then you should tell your mom to get you a puppy instead. You can name it Harry or Ron or…”

  “Dumbledorf!” Caleb exclaimed. Footsteps pattered away and his voice grew fainter as he called, “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

  A moment later, a woman’s voice bellowed from farther away. “Thanks a lot, East.”

  Feminine and masculine laughter sounded before a woman took control of the conversation.

  “What day are you flying home again? You told me a few weeks ago, but I didn’t have my calendar with me and can’t remember now,” she said.

  “Um…” Easton hedged, scratching the back of his head. “That’s kind of up in the air right now.”

  “Why?”

  “There’s been… a development.”

  Her courage gone, Lani quietly lowered herself down to the bottom stair. For once, Puna had been wrong, and she was glad she hadn’t knocked on the door. Easton needed to let his family know about her before her nose took center stage on the screen.

  She probably shouldn’t eavesdrop, and yet she couldn’t help it.

  “What sort of development?” the woman asked.

  “I met someone.”

  A pause and then a masculine voice sounded. “You meet a lot of people during your travels.”

  “Her name is Lani,” Easton forged on, “And she’s… special.”

  Another pause and the feminine voice returned. “How old is this Lani?”

  Easton chuckled. “Old enough to consider coming back to Boston with me.”

  More silence, and the woman’s voice came again, sounding distrustful. “Are you messing with us again, son? Is Lani the name of a doll you’re bringing home for Sadie? If so, it’s not funny. You know I’ve been praying for years that you’d meet someone, and now… Well, have you or haven’t you? Who is she, really? And I mean really.”

  “Her name is Lokelani, actually, which also happens to be the name of the island flower here on Maui. They’re both beautiful, by the way. Maybe I’ll bring the flower back too.”

  L
ani had to smile at that. He’d taken the time to look up the meaning of her name. It made her heart flutter like the delicate wings of a Hawaiian Blue.

  “Easton Allard, will you be serious for once in your life and tell me what’s going on?”

  “I am being serious,” he said. “I would have introduced her to you tonight, but she wanted to watch a movie instead.”

  Lani had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

  “Is Lani over the age of ten?” asked his mother.

  “Um… I think so,” said Easton, “though I’ve never asked how old she is because that wouldn’t be polite.”

  “Honestly, I never know when to believe him or not,” his mother said, probably directing the question at his father. “For all I know, Lani is the name of a tropical fish he’s bringing home for Caleb to overfeed.”

  Easton laughed. “Speaking of Caleb, where did he go? I’m feeling abandoned.”

  “And I’m feeling frustrated,” muttered his mother. “Why couldn’t I have gotten a son who could be straight with me? Wait… you are… straight, aren’t you?”

  “Oh please,” his father grumbled. “Of course he is. Or have you already forgotten all the girls he chased in high school. I even caught him making out with a few of them.”

  “Actually they chased him,” his mother said.

  Easton chuckled again, and Lani frowned. Then she berated herself for eavesdropping. She should have marched up the stairs and knocked on the door to begin with.

  “How’s the article coming?” his father asked, no doubt trying to steer the conversation to a less frustrating place for his wife’s sake. Lani could have hugged him for it.

  “All done, believe it or not. I’m giving it a few days to chill on my computer, then I’ll look over it one last time and send it in. But I have to say that it’s good—one of the best articles I’ve ever written. I’m excited to see what comes of it.”

  “If it’s really done, why aren’t you on a plane right now?” asked his mother.

  “I already told you, Mom. The development.”