Page 40 of Big Island Weddings
She dropped her hand, taking his in both of hers. “Yes.”
With a sudden laugh, Nate gripped the edge of the table that sat between them and sent in flying into the tree. ‘Olena laughed too as he pulled her onto her feet and to his chest.
“The ring,” she protested through her laughter. She looked towards the overturned table and the candles that had been extinguished by the damp forest floor, but he just held her tighter.
“I’ve got your ring.” He held up one hand, and the diamond gleamed in the light of the rising moon.
“How did you do that?”
“I’ve got you,” Nate said as he slipped the ring onto her finger. “Always.”
15
Nell
“Now will you tell me where we’re going?” Nell asked when Hugh finally found a parking spot. They were parked in front of a cute little boba place, but she didn’t imagine that was where they were headed for dinner.
“It’s my favorite restaurant.” He hopped out and circled around to open her door. “I made the reservation weeks ago. They have less than a dozen tables, and they’re always booked up.”
They walked hand in hand down the street, and Nell enjoyed the still-novel sensation of being out on the town without her babies. She loved them, and she was deeply grateful that she got to be with them ninety-eight percent of the time, but she was also learning to enjoy time away from them. There were some things – like surfing – that she just couldn’t do with a baby strapped to her chest.
They turned right, towards the ocean, and walked a bit farther. Tucked away on a Hilo side street that she had never explored was a restaurant called Hoku Hono, marked with a sign of a sea turtle swimming past a full moon.
“Here?” she guessed.
“This is the place.” He opened the door and ushered her into the small restaurant.
The hostess showed them to a corner table and left them with two menus. A low, pleasant chatter melded with the music that played on hidden speakers. Local art hung on the walls, gently illuminated by glowing golden light fixtures.
“It’s lovely,” Nell said. She smiled at Hugh and then finally turned her attention to the menu, which listed just five small plates and two entrees.
“One of everything?” he suggested.
She laughed. “Are you that hungry?”
“The food is that good.” He relayed the request to their server, plus a bottle of wine for the table. When the man was gone, Hugh looked at Nell and reached for her hand. “How have you been?”
“Life is good these days.” Fresh gratitude filled her as she thought of just how drastically her life had changed in recent months. “Cassie loves Pualena Playschool, and she loves living in the little ‘ohana unit at the Kealoha place.”
“And Everett?”
“He’s always happy.”
“As long as he has you.” He squeezed her hand. “I can relate.”
“How about you? How was your week?”
“It was good,” he said, but something in his eyes told her that he wasn’t being entirely honest.
“Was it?” she asked, tilting her head to one side. Her red hair fell like a curtain on one side of her face, cutting her off from therest of the room. She saw a deep affection in Hugh’s dark eyes, but something else too. Worries that he hadn’t told her about.
He seemed about to answer when their server returned and poured two glasses of wine. Hugh thanked him and raised a glass when he was gone.
“To us,” he said.
She raised hers and clinked it lightly against his.
“I’m worried about Daisy,” he admitted after he had taken a long sip and set the glass down again. “She’s being bullied at school, and it seems like her mother isn’t doing anything about it.”
