Page 53 of Big Island Horizons
“How can I be sure?”
He leaned back enough to see her face. “How can I help?”
“I don’t think you can. All I can do is wait this out. Hopefully the restraining order will discourage him, and he can’t afford to stay here forever.”
“Will you stay here until he’s gone?” He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Or Livie and I can stay at your place, if that’s easier. I just don’t think that you and Rory should be alone.”
“Sure,” she agreed, leaning into him again.
The truth was, she had hardly been sleeping. Just snatches, in and out of a stressful sleep. She dreamed of Zeke grabbing Rory and throwing her into a car, of standing in front of the car and screaming at him to give her her daughter back.
Then she would wake up soaked with sweat and wired with cortisol. There was no sleeping after that. And it was starting to wear on her.
When she was with Tenn, she actually slept through the night.
“At least until Emma’s back,” he said, “or you know for sure that he’s gone.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“You know we love having you around,” he murmured into her hair. “And I need you safe.”
“I need you safe too.”
A sudden fear made her eyes itch with unshed tears.
She felt safer when she was near Tenn. But what if her presence put him in danger?
17
‘Olena
That Monday was supposed to be their first day in their new classroom at the community center.
Instead, the kids were out on the playground and ‘Olena was glaring at the thick chain that someone had looped through the door handles on the community center. A heavy padlock secured it, locking them out.
It infuriated her to think of some peon driving down here to try and keep the locals out of their community center.
The ironic thing was that she still had her keys, which enabled her to slip in through a side door and grab the materials that she would need for the day: just some basic ingredients for elephant toothpaste and a bunch of plastic bottles that the kids had brought in.
“I don’t know if we should be here,” Lani said as she followed her inside.
“I’m just grabbing some supplies.”
“No, sorry. I mean Rory and me.” Despite Kekoa successfully serving Zeke with the temporary restraining order, Lani was still nervous and jumpy. This was the first day she had gone anywhere besides the Kealoha place or Tenn’s house. “I don’t know if we should be here today, at the park. Here in town. I feel exposed.”
“You can’t stop living your life,” ‘Olena said as she moved boxes around in search of the one she needed. “There’s been no sign of him.”
“But he could drive by any minute. He could see us.”
“And then what?” She stood up and looked her cousin in the eye.
“What?”
“Say he’s here. Say he sees you. Then what happens?”
“I don’t know. That’s what scares me.”
“He wants you scared. Don’t let him win.” She turned back and kept searching until she found the box labeledElephant Toothpaste. “There we go!”
