Page 41 of Big Island Neighbors
“No plans.”
“Can we have dinner? Just you and me? I’ll cook.”
“Sure. That sounds nice.”
He kissed her temple and released her. “Okay, Livie! Time to change. Beach with Grandma in ten.”
“Okay!” She hopped up, started for the house, and then doubled back. “Bye, Dio.” She kissed his face and then waved to Lani. “Bye!”
Lani picked up the end of Dio’s leash to keep him from following Olivia into the house. She turned to say goodbye to Tenn - but before she could, he surprised her with a kiss that took her breath away.
“See you tonight.” He kissed her one last time and then went inside.
Dio walked calmly by her side on the way home, not pulling like he had on the way out.
Lani felt a nonsensical dread growing in her chest, almost as if she were going home to Zeke. At worst, it would be his voicecoming from a computer. And given how short the last call had been, probably not even that.
She hated that he still had the power to throw her into a panic. Just the idea of him did. She was free now, and safe. And despite the long and torturous process of family court, she felt sure that Rory was safe too. Zeke had no biological claim; surely the judge would see that joint custody wasn’t in Rory’s best interests.
And yet. No matter how many times she told herself those things, the fear was there. Under her skin, in the pit of her stomach, buried deep into her subconscious.
Rooting it out would take time. Feeling truly safe again… she hoped that she would get there someday. She hadn’t felt that way since her parents died.
But she was the parent now.
She needed to cultivate that sense of safety and wellbeing for herself – and more importantly, for Rory.
They were home before she knew it, with no memory of the walk itself. Dio pulled her to the front gate; she opened it and unhooked his leash. He sprinted off in search of Kai, as full of energy as he’d been before their walk.
She steeled herself and walked inside.
Rory wasn’t at the kitchen table. The laptop was closed.
Emma walked in the back door a moment after Lani walked in the front.
“There you are,” Emma said. “Rory’s next door with Paige. They’re painting.”
“How did it go? The call?”
“He was a no show.” There was a certain grim satisfaction in Emma’s voice. “We waited for thirty minutes, and then I let her go play.”
Relief washed through her, overshadowed a split second later by anger. All of that, the lawyers and the lies… all of that stress,and he couldn’t even be bothered to show up to the second call that he had lobbied for. She wasn’t surprised. But shewasangry.
Even more than being angry with him, she was angry with herself.
She had made herself sick with worry, and for what? A man on a screen who didn’t even show.
He couldn’t hurt her anymore. She wouldn’t let him.
“Tenn invited me over for dinner,” she told Emma. “Just the two of us. Can you watch Rory?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.” She crossed the kitchen and hugged her. “And thank you for staying for the call. And for everything.”
“Anytime.” Emma squeezed her back.
The screen door slammed open, making them jump. Kai burst into the kitchen trailing mud.
