Page 12 of Big Island Neighbors
A jolt went through her. “Why would I mind?”
“You were all weird at Rory’s birthday party. I can’t keep up.”
Lani felt her cheeks color. “I don’t mind.”
Her cousin gave her a quick, piercing look before turning her attention back to the materials that she was unpacking. There were piles of popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and bottle caps.
“What’s today’s project?” Lani asked.
“We’re building catapults. After that I’m going to pull out a stack of books on endemic Hawaiian plants and have them choose a few to draw.”
“Very cool.”
‘Olena gave her another look, and Lani scrunched her nose up defensively.
“What?”
“You like him.” A tiny smirk pulled at the side of ‘Olena’s mouth, and suddenly they were little girls again, sitting up in the branches of their grandma’s lychee tree and teasing each other about boys. “You looove him.”
She bit back a smile. “Shut up.”
“You want to marry him,” ‘Olena said in a singsong.
In one motion, Lani plucked up a rubber band and shot ‘Olena in the shoulder.
“Ouch!” ‘Olena moved to retaliate, but then one of the new co-op parents walked up hand in hand with her little boy.
In a split second, she snapped back to her usual self.
Single mother, educator, director of Pualena Playschool. All business.
Lani walked away to check on Rory, who was splashing happily with her cousins. Olivia shot past in a streak of yellow hair, vaulted the rock wall, and splashed down next to the other girls.
She turned to see Tenn walking towards her, hands in his pockets, his smile almost bashful.
“Hey,” he greeted her.
She smiled back at him. “Hey.”
“I’m filling in today.”
“I heard. What about the restaurant?”
“I’ve got a good team. They’ve got it covered.”
He stood next to her, looking out at the ocean. His arm brushed hers, just the barest touch, but it sent a zing of awareness through her whole body.
They hadn’t seen each other since their first kiss.
She was grateful for the public setting, for the kids and families milling all around. It provided the cover that she needed to hide the two warring parts of her heart: the one that wanted to jump into his arms… and the one that wanted to throw her daughter over her shoulder, run for cover, and never speak to any man ever again.
And so they just stood there. Side by side. Two old friends at thekeikibeach.
Once the other parents were gone and it was just the two of them in charge of a dozen kids, they were too busy to be distracted by their fledgling romance.
Tenn stood out on the rocks, watching over the kids who were swimming in the deepest part of the lagoon, while Lani stayed and played peacemaker in the shallows.
And if she glanced occasionally at the golden-skinned man who stood with the sky and ocean at his back, well… she was only human.
