Page 83 of Big Island Summer
“Someone’s here.” Juniper jumped up and walked around the corner.
“Look at her run,” Lani scoffed. “She gets so shy every time I ask her about Cody.”
“Have you talked about it with her?” Emma asked in surprise.
“Yeah, a few times.” Lani’s grin was diabolical. “She can’t run or hide when we’re in the little shave ice shack.”
“Both my sisters are on the mainland, and I’mstillnot the fun aunt.”
“Ice cream aside, I don’t know how fun I am. Poor thing turned sunburn red when I talked to her about using protection.”
“Did you really?”
“Of course. Didn’t you?”
“I hadn’t worked up the courage. Do you think that… are they…?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. But teens are teens, even the smart ones.” She reached her spoon into Emma’s pint and stole a scoop of lilikoi.
“I’m horrible at this,” Emma said.
“You’re really not. She’s a good kid.”
“No thanks to me. I feel like… wallpaper.”
Lani snorted. “Pretty sure all teenagers make their parents feel like that.”
“So we’ve got that to look forward to.”
“Not me. My girls are going to be different.”
“Ah. So you’re choosing denial.”
“Absolutely.”
“Auntie Em!” Juniper’s voice rounded the corner a second before she did, racing over the lawn on an old mountain bike. “Lani! Look at this!”
“Wow!” Lani stood and went to the railing of the lanai. “Sweet ride!”
“Now I won’t have to walk to work anymore!”
“I haven’t seen you do a whole lot of walking. Ihaveseen you doing a whole lot of smooching the neighbor kid in that old car of his.”
Juniper’s cheeks went red again. “Shhh!”
“Where’d you get the bike?” Emma asked.
“My dad gave it to me!”
“Hi Em.” Ethan rounded the corner and walked up the steps to the lanai. “I wanted to make it easier for her to get over to my place when she feels like it. We got her an appointment for a learner’s permit too, but in the meantime…”
“I love it! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome, Junebug.”
“Hi, Ethan.” Emma hugged her brother. “Where’s Teddy?”
“I left him with Fern. I drove all the way up to Waimea to get that bike. Just stopped in here on my way back. I thought I might have to fix it up first, but it doesn’t need it. I don’t think the guy ever even rode it. It’s good as new.”
