Page 73 of Big Island Summer
“What were the top things on your list?”
“Oh, the basics. I saw the lava at night, snorkeled the reefs, that kind of stuff.”
“And what, it didn’t meet your expectations?”
“The opposite! It was amazing.”
“So why did you stop?”
“Honestly? My ex lost interest, and I really hate driving places alone. It’s lame, but it gives me anxiety. I can hike for hours, fly to a foreign country on my own, whatever. There’s just something about driving.”
“Well, there’s an easy solution to that.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll be your driver.”
“Yeah,” she scoffed. “Sure.”
“I mean it! Lord knows I need to get out more, and Theo’s easy.”
“He is.”
“With Juniper, car rides were a nightmare. The poor kid would scream bloody murder any time we put her in the car seat. Couldn’t take her anywhere. But this one just passes out as soon as the car’s moving.”
“He’s a good little traveler.”
“So. I’ll be your driver, and you’ll be my guide.”
“I’ll be a pretty poor guide if we’re going to places I’ve never seen before.”
He grinned at her. “Good company, though.”
Fern’s cheeks blazed in a way that went beyond the heat of the day and the miles they’d covered. She looked ahead and saw the trail glowing brighter as the deep shade of the jungle gave way to a break in the trees.
“Nearly there,” she said, lengthening her stride.
A few minutes later, they emerged onto the dazzling brightness of a white-sand beach. It was the closest beach to Pualena as the crow flies, but no roads went anywhere near it. It was a long, hot walk along the cliffs or a twisting trek through the jungle to get there, and most tourists didn’t even know that it existed.
“The place is gorgeous,” Ethan said, panting slightly from the clip at which they’d finished their hike, “and we have it all to ourselves.”
“Just us and the honu.” She pointed at the sea turtles that were basking in the sunshine at the other end of the little beach.
“Oh, wow,” he breathed. “Look at that.”
Up on his back, Theo squealed in protest.
“Sorry, bud. Let’s get you out of there.”
Theodore was sweaty and grumpy inside of his little tent, and Fern had to laugh at his scowl. She unclipped him and lifted him out, then retreated into the shade of the trees before the sun could burn his fair skin.
Ethan set the backpack down with a sigh of relief.
“I’d like to jump in for just a minute to cool off, if that’s okay?”
“That’s what we’re here for,” she said.
He peeled off his sweaty t-shirt and tossed it onto the rocks beside the pack.
