Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker) Read online

  As Lani fled once more to the kitchen, she got the impression that Easton didn’t really need to go fishing anymore. He’d already caught what he wanted.

  She purposefully took her time cleaning and changing, and nearly an hour later she finally wandered out to the shed, hoping Easton had given up on her.

  He hadn’t.

  Easton drove the oars hard into the water and pulled, wanting to chant, Heave ho, and off we go. Unfortunately, the boat didn’t exactly glide through the water. Clouds had rolled in and the wind had kicked up, making the bay fairly choppy. And because it happened to be a popular snorkeling spot, they needed to row pretty far out to avoid all the swimmers, along with the few people who were trying their hand at shore fishing.

  Lani sat at the tip of the boat, as far from Easton as she could possibly get, and kept her focus trained on the water. She wore a fitted t-shirt, shorts, and a wide-brimmed sun hat with her hair loose around her face, flapping in the breeze. She looked beautiful and… stiff, her body language screaming that this was the last place she wanted to be—or rather, that Easton was the last person she wanted to be with. Too bad for her that Cora and Pearl hadn’t felt the same.

  Easton hid a smile.

  After the potluck, he’d kept his distance for a few days, content to spend some alone-time hiking and exploring, searching for something unique and off the beaten path. But when he came up with nada, he finally took a break and hit a few of the more impressive tourist sites like the Seven Sacred Pools and the Pipiwai Trail. Like the guidebooks touted, they were impressive, but useless to him.

  The truth was he needed Lani. And even though he tried to convince himself that was the only reason he wanted to pursue her, deep inside, he knew it was more than that. He felt the way a fish might as it stared at a hook with the most tempting bait it had ever seen, and Easton didn’t know if he had it in him to swim away. When this morning had presented him with the perfect opportunity to take Pearl’s suggestion, he caved and nibbled.

  “Tell me about your family,” Easton said as he drove the oars into the water yet again.

  The question earned him a brief glance in his direction. “Not much to say. My parents divorced years ago. My dad is constantly on the road as a motivational speaker. He always sends me a Christmas card and occasionally remembers my birthday. My mother owns a yoga studio in Carlsbad that keeps her incredibly busy, and she rarely calls, but she always remembers to send a gift for my birthday.” She pointed to her hat as an example. “My two brothers are pretty absent as well, living in the East and Midwest with families of their own now.”

  She said it all in an unemotional, robotic way, but her eyes told him a different story. Her family’s lack of closeness bothered her. And why wouldn’t it? It bothered Easton. After watching her interact with her grandmother, he’d assumed that’s how things rolled with the rest of her family. Families were cornerstones of the Hawaiian culture, after all, and Lani was awesome. What sort of parents wouldn’t want to maintain a close relationship with her?

  At least Cora had better sense.

  “What about your family?” Lani asked. “Do your parents live in Boston?”

  “Not in Boston. Just outside, in Ashland. My three sisters and their families live within thirty minutes of them.”

  “Is your family close?”

  Easton hesitated, not wanting to rub in the fact that he had a close-knit family while she didn’t. But he didn’t want to lie either. “Yeah,” he finally said. “We’re close. At least the rest of them are. I’m in Hāna at the moment, which… isn’t close—to anything, as it turns out. Not when I have to drive ninety minutes just to buy a door lock.”

  She smiled softly. “It’s close to the sea and the mountains and incredible beauty.”

  “Agreed,” he said. “And California’s close to the sea and mountains and incredible beauty too, right?”

  Her smile wilted a little. “I guess. It’s just… busier there. More rushed, you know?”

  “I do know. Boston isn’t exactly rural.”

  “No, I guess not.” She dipped her hand in the water and let it move with the rhythm of the ocean, almost as though she could sense the rises and falls.

  Easton couldn’t help but ask, “You’re obviously not a fan of California, so why move back?”

  “Because I want to.”

  “Really?”

  She avoided eye contact. “Yes. And stop trying to change the subject.”

  “Change it from what?”

  “Your family.”

  “Oh.” Easton had thought they were finished with that subject. “What else do you want to know about them?”

  “Do you have any nieces? Nephews?”

  “Five.” His arms were aching, so he lowered the oars to his lap and gave his muscles a break. “One spoiled-rotten girl and four hyperactive boys.”

  She cocked her head to the side and peered at him. “Do you see them much?”

  He nodded, thinking back to when he last saw everyone. “That’s where I go between my trips, which usually turns out to be about five times a year.”

  “And everyone gets together when you’re in town?”

  “When I’m in town, when I’m not in town. They get together all the time. My mom always hosts Sunday dinners, and then there are birthdays to celebrate, special occasions, and just-because-my-mom-happened-to-cook-an-extra-ham get-togethers. When I’m home, it’s an endless sea of dinners, day trips, games, and volleyball tournaments—when the weather’s good, anyway. And then there’s—”

  Easton stopped short when he saw the expression on Lani’s face—the one that said I’m trying really hard to be happy for you, but this is hard to hear. He’d gotten carried away, and he inwardly kicked himself for it.

  “And then there’s what?” she asked.

  He’d been going to say the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots games, but he’d shove a raw fish in his mouth before he admitted that.

  “Nothing,” he said instead. “Sorry. I don’t usually go off about my family like that.” He squinted across the ocean. They were far enough from land that only the occasional squeal or yell could be heard from those hanging out on the beach.

  She sighed and leaned forward, looking him in the eye. “You don’t have to apologize for having a wonderful family. It’s nice hearing you talk, and you should brag about them.” She smiled. “I brag about Puna all the time.”

  Easton picked up the oars and began rowing again. A little farther and they should be in a good place to fish. “Have you and your grandma always been close?”

  She sat back and let her hand continue to play in the water. “No. When my dad wasn’t traveling for work, he didn’t want to go anywhere, and my mom was never interested in coming to visit. She fell in love with the hustle and bustle of California and can’t stand not being busy. Puna and my grandfather came to visit us a few times when I was young, but only briefly, so I never got to know them well.”

  “What brought you here?” Easton asked, genuinely interested.

  “About five years ago, Ahe’s mother called, explaining that Puna’s knees were giving her so much pain she could hardly get around, and she refused to go to the doctor. I think she was hoping my mother could talk some sense into her.”

  “I take it she did?” From what Easton had seen, Cora got around just fine—no limping or favoring of either of her knees.

  “Oh, my mom called and tried to talk to her, but Puna wouldn’t listen to her either.”

  Easton suddenly felt like he was in the middle of a really good book that he couldn’t put down. He stopped rowing again and leaned forward. “So what happened?”

  Lani shrugged. “I offered to come and stay with her for a while. Since my grandfather had already passed away, I figured she probably didn’t want to put anyone out and that’s why she was being so stubborn about it. And I was right. She fought me for a few weeks, but I scheduled the appointment anyway and booked a flight to Honolulu to see the doctor. Sh
e grudgingly came along and discovered she had no cartilage left in either of her knees. Three weeks later, after I convinced her I wasn’t going anywhere until she was back on her feet, she had her first knee replacement surgery. Her recovery was rough, so she put off the second surgery until she couldn’t bear to walk on the other knee anymore, and about two years after her first, she had the second. And just like I promised, I stayed until she was back on her feet and then some.” She laughed softly. “What can I say? Puna and Hāna grew on me pretty quick.”

  Just like Lani was growing on him.

  Easton’s mouth felt dry, so he swallowed. Then swallowed again and even cleared his throat. If the situation had been reversed, and an estranged grandparent had needed his help, would he have done the same? Easton couldn’t say that he would have. The more he got to know Lani, the more he wanted to keep getting to know her. Her beauty went far deeper than her chocolate eyes, flawless skin, and attractive curves. It came from her soul. She was a good person.

  “I think we’re far enough out if you’re still inclined to fish,” she said.

  Grateful to be done with rowing for a while, Easton tucked the oars into the boat and rubbed his hands together. “Where do we start?”

  She paused with her hands about to open the tackle box and arched an eyebrow. “I assumed you were a seasoned fisherman since you love fishing so much.”

  He chuckled. “I’m loving it today.”

  Her response was to pry open the tackle box as quickly as possible. She fished out a hook and sinkers and handed them to him. “Tie those on your line, and we’ll see if the fish are interested in brown shrimp today.”

  Easton did as she asked, then shoved a small shrimp on the end. “Now what?”

  She pointed to his pole. “Put your thumb there, flip that lever, and let go of the line as you cast. Surely you’ve been fishing before.”

  “What lever?” he asked, avoiding her question. Yes, he’d fished before and knew what lever she was talking about, but if he admitted that, there wouldn’t be a reason for her to move a little closer to point it out to him. Which she did.

  “That lever,” she said, sitting on the bench seat next to him.

  “And my thumb goes where? Here?” He put his thumb in the wrong spot, and stifled a smile when her fingers picked it up, pulled at the line, and set it down where it needed to be. All those chick flicks his sisters used to make him watch were paying off.

  “Now stop pretending to be ignorant and cast, will you?” she said.

  He grinned as he tossed the hook far out into the sea. She’d voluntarily touched him despite the fact that she’d seen through his pathetic antics. That had to be a good sign.

  Slowly, he began to reel the line back in, wondering if they’d catch anything worth eating or anything at all. Knowing his luck, he’d snag a character from Nemo—hopefully not one of the blood-thirsty ones.

  “Do sharks like brown shrimp?” he asked.

  “Love them,” she said, without even a hint of a smile.

  “You’re joking.”

  “Nope.”

  His mouth was beginning to hurt from all the smiling he’d done today, so he straightened it out and returned his attention to the line. “Here, fishy-fishy,” he called. “Give that shrimp a try so Lani can have a reason to go back to work instead of enjoying this beautiful, overcast day with me.”

  As if in answer to his plea, the line gave a hard jerk, tugging the pole—and Easton—with it.

  Easton would have toppled out of the boat if Lani hadn’t launched forward and grabbed him around the waist. The boat rocked precariously, splashing him in the face with sea water. He tried to push the trigger to release the line, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Should I let go? I can’t release the line,” he said, not that he’d have much of a choice in a minute. The handle was beginning to slip.

  “No!” she said. “That pole is my grandfather’s. It would break Puna’s heart if we lost it. Can you reel it in at all?”

  “Not in this position.” Slowly, Easton tightened his grip and began to inch his way backwards. His fingers were beginning to cramp, but he continued to fight for Cora’s sake. He didn’t want to be responsible for losing a sentimental fishing pole.

  Lani’s arms continued to hold him around his waist until he was far enough in, then she grabbed the handle above his fingers, making it easier to hold the pole. With her help, he managed to get a better grip and adjust positions enough so that he could brace his legs against the side of the boat.

  “Want me to cut the line?” Lani asked, still snug against him and holding on with both hands.

  “Do you think we caught a fish, or some sort of heavy object?”

  “How could a heavy object nearly pull you from the boat?”

  She made a good point. It was strange. Although the pole was nearly bent in half and jostled with the movements of the water, it didn’t fling about like something large and ornery was putting up a fight. Nor was the boat being pulled in the direction of the line. It was like a large boulder had fallen from the sky, caught the hook on its way down, and now held it steady.

  “Am I even helping?” she asked.

  Her touch was definitely helping. Where her arms tangled with his, his skin felt charged and sensitive. Every adjustment she made, he noticed—from the contour of her curves to the chill of her fingers.

  The worst of the weight seemed to ease up a little, and Easton tried turning the reel again. Surprisingly, the spinner began to rotate, the line began to move, and whatever they’d caught seemed to move with it.

  “Do you still need me to hold it?” Lani asked, probably anxious to get away from him.

  The devil inside Easton had him saying, “If you let go and I start getting pulled out of the boat again, I’m not going to care too much that this is your grandfather’s pole.”

  She tightened her hold and scooted even closer. And then the rod began to jerk and tug like the fish had finally decided to fight back.

  Easton’s curiosity overtook him, and he continued to reel it in, faster now. When he finally caught sight of movement, he squinted at what appeared to be an average-sized fish, almost like a large trout. Seconds later it broke the surface, revealing an ugly gray—pathetically small—fish about five inches from head to tail.

  For a second, he and Lani glanced at each other, her expression as confused as his probably looked. Then she immediately let go and scrambled away from him, appearing more angry than confused.

  She gestured toward the fish. “Wow, that’s massive. I can see why it took so much effort to reel in.” Her voice held a large amount of sarcasm—the accusing kind.

  “This isn’t what I caught,” said Easton, realizing how stupid it sounded the moment the words left his mouth. “I mean, you saw the rod, it was practically bent in half.”

  “I was too up close and personal with the back of your shoulder to see anything.”

  “You had to have felt it,” he argued. “And you saw me almost get pulled out of the boat.”

  “I’m beginning to think that what I saw was a show.”

  “Give me a break. Something must have happened because it felt like I was reeling in at least a thirty-pounder.”

  “So what, a bigger fish swallowed this one, then let it go at the last second?” she asked, her voice still miffed.

  Easton kept his mouth shut, knowing further arguing would be useless. The fish still fought for its life on the hook, so he quickly grabbed it, pried the hook from its mouth, and tossed it back into the ocean.

  “You know what I think?” said Lani.

  He tossed the fishing pole on the bottom of the boat and grudgingly met Lani’s gaze. Based on the sizzle in her eyes and the firm set of her jaw, he could venture a pretty good guess.

  “I think you get a kick out of flirting. I think that most girls fall for your handsome smile and suave charm, and when you come across one who doesn’t, it only makes her that much more of a challenge, and heaven
forbid you back down. Am I right? How many other girls have there been? Did you leave one in China? The Azores? What about Europe and Australia?

  Easton remained quiet, but he had to wonder about the root of this outburst. From day one, he’d flirted and teased and pushed the boundaries, so what about today had made her crack? Lani was flat-out ticked.

  And apparently, she wasn’t finished. “What are you trying to do, anyway? Make me fall for you so I’ll dump a guy who’s been loyal and good to me for nine years? And for what? So you can have your fun and walk away at the end of the summer? Do you really think that’s okay? I am not a toy you can mess around with then toss to the side when you get bored. I am a human being with a heart, feelings, and a soul. Do you have any idea why I love Hāna so much? Because relationships here are forever. Friends become family and family becomes people you care about the rest of your life, and those are the only kinds of relationships I want. So you can take any ideas you might still have about messing with me and drown them, okay? I am not about to give up a good man and the promise of a long-lasting relationship for a few months of fun with you.”

  When he didn’t answer right away, her rigid posture slackened, and she dropped her head to her hands. “Please,” she said, looking more vulnerable than he’d imagined her capable of. “Just stop.”

  Easton watched her, feeling like he was back in the car with Samah, getting raked over the coals yet again. Only this time, the guilt ran deeper—no, it was more than that. The sense of loss ran deeper. Easton had begun to wonder what it’d be like to have the sort of relationship she’d talked about with a woman—not anytime soon, but… someday. But now it felt like that futuristic woman had a name, an alluring body with a caring heart, quick mind, and a strong stubborn streak.

  I hope she breaks your heart.

  Samah’s words thudded in his brain, and for the first time in his life, Easton wondered if his heart was susceptible to breaking and if Lani would be the one to fulfill Samah’s wish. He couldn’t deny that the thought of walking away from Lani would bother him, but did he feel this way, as she suggested, because he didn’t like to lose, or was it something more?