True to Me

by Kay Bratt

  He nodded. “Good. I heard she took the red-eye over here just to make sure she’d make it in time. That’s a great friend to have.”

  “Yeah, she’s something. But I appreciate your offer. Or, um . . . the sorta offer.”

  “Anytime, Quinn.” He stood and headed for the main house. “I hope you’ll let me know how it goes.”

  “Of course,” Quinn said. “That is, unless the coconut wireless informs you first.”

  She loved the sound of his laugh as he disappeared through the kitchen door. He had an uncanny way of saying just a few words and making her open up. Though she was glad Maggie was there, a tiny part of her would’ve been happy to take Liam with her to her meeting too. He just gave the kind of quiet support that was so rare these days. No judgment. No opinions. Just support.

  With an hour to go until they needed to leave, Quinn was so nervous about the meeting that she made Maggie crazy with her pacing around the cottage.

  “I’m going to take a quick walk down to the beach,” she said, sliding her feet into her sandals. “I’ll change when I get back.”

  “Yes, that’s a great idea,” Maggie said. “I’d come with you, but I think you need to be alone for a few minutes. Go do some yoga poses. Breathe the salty air. Anything and everything you can think of to burn off that anxiety.”

  Quinn laughed, grabbed her sun hat and a towel, and then headed out the door. She made a quick detour for the path, avoiding the back door of Maria’s house.

  Five minutes later she approached the water. She leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply.

  “It’s serene out here, yes?” a voice called out.

  Quinn jumped. She turned to see Kupuna sitting on a small foldable chair, just a few feet to the left of the path she’d come down. She’d been in such deep thought she hadn’t even seen him.

  “Yes, it is,” she called back, then walked over to him.

  She lay her towel on the ground beside his chair and sat down, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. She couldn’t say what moved her to join him, especially when she had wanted to be alone, but she was drawn to him.

  He sat staring out to sea as though he could really see the waves crashing upon one another. His face intrigued her; the nooks and crannies held so much wisdom. She found herself wondering what his life story was about.

  “Maria said that today is a big day for you,” he said, breaking into her thoughts, his voice low and calm.

  She nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see her.

  “Yes, it is. But I’m afraid.” The words came out nearly without her knowing it, startling her with the truth she spoke.

  He reached over and took her hand. It should’ve felt awkward, but somehow it didn’t.

  “Whatever you find at the end of this day, it will not change the person you are. But you may need to dig deep and find forgiveness for all that has transpired. The Hawaiian tradition teaches that all life is connected. Ho’oponopono means ‘forgiveness’ and is not only a way of healing ourselves but others and our world as well.”

  Such profound words that they kept her silent. What did he know that she didn’t? What was going to require this forgiveness that he spoke of?

  There really wasn’t much to say after that. When he let her hand go, it tingled where he had held it.

  She watched the waves for another minute or two, then rose.

  “Thank you, Kupuna,” she said, gathering up her towel. “I’ll think about your advice. I’m sure it will come in handy.”

  He nodded solemnly.

  “Did Pali come home?” she asked.

  “No, but he will,” Kupuna said. “He’s a good boy. Confused, but good all the same. I expect to see him by nightfall.”

  “I hope so. Well, I need to run. I hope you have a good day.”

  He nodded and held up a hand. His farewell. Or dismissal.

  Quinn trekked back up the path, feeling lighter.

  When she returned to the cottage, Maggie was on the porch, her arms wrapped around her knees while she perched in the chair. An unusual scowl covered her face, furrowed eyebrows and all.

  “I’m glad you finally came back. We need a blowtorch,” she said. “Or a gallon of gas and a match. Hell, bring me a stick of dynamite. The cottage has to go.”

  “What’s going on?” Quinn asked.

  “There’s a damn centipede in the shower, and we need to burn this sucker down.”

  Quinn laughed as she went inside to take care of the centipede, explaining to Maggie, who followed her like a scared child, that Hawaii is in the tropics, and the tropics have scary bugs sometimes.

  That didn’t relieve Maggie, and as soon as Quinn hurried into the outfit she’d chosen, applied her makeup, and fixed her hair, Maggie nearly dragged her out to the car, saying they’d leave early and take the scenic route. Quinn didn’t tell her there was only one route to Napili, but luckily all routes were scenic in Maui.

  “I should’ve gone in and talked to Maria,” Quinn said as they backed out of the driveway. Not checking in made her feel like a horrible person. She’d told Maggie about talking with Maria’s father, that he said Pali hadn’t come home. “And I’m sure Alani is beside herself. She adores her big brother.”

  “I told you, he’s probably sprawled out at some girl’s house. At his age, it’s a miracle he’s not sneaking off all the time. He’s a teenage boy. He cares only about football and girls.”

  “And surfing,” Quinn added. She hoped that Maggie was right. Pali wasn’t the typical teen. Yes, he had an attitude, but he usually wouldn’t do anything to disrespect or disappoint his grandfather.

  “Not your circus,” Maggie said.

  “Not my monkeys,” Quinn finished, smiling at their old game.

  But in a way, they were her monkeys. She hoped Pali made it back without any scars. He might despise her for taking their home, but she secretly had a soft spot for him. Despite his seemingly endless supply of angry hormones, he was good to his mom and respectful to his grandfather, and just a few days ago, Alani had told her that Pali had taken her out on the water for some surfing lessons. What teenage boy did that for his little sister?

  She put her foot on the brake to let a family cross the road. A dad led the way to the other side, with the young mom and three small girls padding along behind him like a line of ducklings. He pointed to a coconut lying on the sidewalk and said something, and the girls laughed. The dad also carried a baby in a pack on his back. For having four children, the parents’ faces looked awfully relaxed. She thought of Ethan and how he’d handle leading the pack. He’d probably be calling out orders like a drill sergeant, his focus on the destination rather than everything around them as they went.

  That could be a good thing, though. Couldn’t it?

  Enough thinking about Ethan. He made her thoughts even more chaotic. Quinn shut down mentally and listened to Maggie chatter.

  It didn’t take long before they saw a sign that said NAPILI.

  Basically just a residential neighborhood dotted with boutique hotels and upscale vacation condos, Napili was much less crowded than the Ka’anapali and Kapalua areas it lay between. Quinn wondered if her relative lived in one of the swanky gated neighborhoods or if he’d chosen a place to meet far from his home.

  “Wow, look at that.” Maggie pointed across the road at the view of the ocean. “I can’t even describe that color. Blue? Green?”

  “Azure?” Quinn offered. Whatever it was, the waves were beautiful.

  Maggie bounced in her seat. “Quinn, we still have forty-five minutes. Let’s walk down to the water.”

  “I’m not really dressed for the beach.” After sorting through her clothes a million times, she’d finally settled on a white sundress and strappy brown sandals for the meeting. She put her hair up in a twist and added silver hoop earrings. She didn’t want to look sloppy or too casual. She thought about her billowy white pants but then decided they might make her look too pretentious. Ev
ery other outfit was wrong for one reason or another until Maggie finally pointed at the sundress, and Quinn reluctantly stopped obsessing and put it on.

  “You’re fine,” Maggie said. “We’ll take our shoes off when we get to the sand, anyway. I just want to get my toes wet.”

  Easy for her to say. Maggie wasn’t in a dress. She’d donned a cute pair of khaki shorts with a bright-yellow shirt. Her feet were nice and relaxed in flat beige sandals. Maggie could pull off any clothes in any setting. She had the confidence. And she did just come all the way to Hawaii for Quinn and hadn’t yet touched the ocean.

  “Fine,” Quinn said. “Help me find a place to park.”

  She really didn’t want to do anything but get to the restaurant and wait, but maybe a distraction would help her nerves, so she followed Maggie’s directions for parking and pulled into the last available space in sight.

  They jumped out and trailed a beachwear-clad trio down a long staircase that led to a crescent-shaped beach bordered by lots of palm trees. A woman and her dog went jogging by, the dog in perfect step with his owner and looking deliriously happy to be out there.

  Just as Quinn and Maggie took off their shoes and stepped out into the sand, they saw a group of sunbathers gathered at the water’s edge looking out toward a dark spot, which was most likely a reef.

  Maggie ran out to see what was happening. Quinn was right behind her and heard a tall golden-boy type near them say it was turtles.

  “Wow, I see them, Quinn!” Maggie pointed and grabbed Quinn’s arm, squeezing the life out of her.

  “Where?” Her question sent about three fingers in the air from people pointing where to look until Quinn also zoned in on them.

  “I didn’t realize sea turtles were so big,” Maggie said.

  Her eyes were huge with excitement, and Quinn thought of her experience in the water with Liam. The sea turtle that had calmed her and then guided her up. Quinn was sure of it. However, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to share that with even Maggie.

  The turtles ducked back under the water, and Quinn watched as Maggie waded in deeper, laughing as the water swirled around her feet.

  “This is making me dizzy,” Maggie called out.

  “Don’t look down.” Quinn gave her another minute or so, then called for her to hurry. The anticipation of the meeting made it hard for her to concentrate on anything else, and she wanted to get it over with.

  Maggie joined her, and they left the beach, coming back up onto the street.

  “I saw the sign for the Sea House. It’s practically across the street,” Maggie said, pulling Quinn along.

  They both heard a catcall and turned to see two guys some yards behind them. One of them waved, and Quinn returned the gesture.

  “Better not encourage your admirers if you don’t know them,” Maggie said nervously.

  “Oh, sorry, Maggie,” Quinn said, realizing that strangers now made Maggie nervous. “But they were just kids. I mean, come on. And obviously they were looking at you.”

  Maggie laughed. “We need to get your self-esteem up, girl. That tall guy was all googly eyes at you. Are you blind?”

  Quinn didn’t believe it for a minute. Yes, she could put herself together pretty well, but there was no camouflaging the extra pounds she needed to lose or the fact that she was over thirty. Maggie was different. With her long, gorgeous hair and lithe body, she could pass for twenty.

  “You worry me with your lack of self-confidence, Quinn. Before you came here, were you and Ethan still okay in the bedroom?” Maggie asked, wiggling her eyebrows up and down in a provocative way.

  Quinn could feel her cheeks heat. They’d always been open about everything, but now she felt uncomfortable. But Maggie was the one person she didn’t want to keep secrets from.

  “We’ve had a dry spell,” she admitted.

  Maggie reached over and patted her leg, then smiled widely. “Well, I think you could use a little rain, sister.”

  They both laughed.

  “You might be right,” Quinn said, “but right now we need to get over to the restaurant. I feel like I’m going to be sick, and I need to get to the restroom before noon.” Quinn could hear a clock ticking in her head, each second pounding after the other, moving her closer to the meeting and, finally, to some answers.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The Sea House was a gorgeous venue to make a memory in. At least that was what Quinn kept telling herself as the designated time slipped by and still no one showed. It was more than forty-five minutes past their set meeting time now, and she was beginning to give up hope. She had to admit, in the last two days she’d built up quite a fantasy in her head about the possibility that she would be meeting her long-lost father and that they were going to hit it off splendidly and live happily ever after.

  That fairy tale was dissolving with every minute that ticked by.

  “Maybe there was a traffic accident,” Maggie said. She twirled the tiny umbrella between her fingers.

  “Or maybe this was all a big joke,” Quinn replied, her eyes on the cuticle she’d just ripped to shreds.

  She wasn’t too savvy about the Lineage site and didn’t know if it was possible for someone to fake a connection. Even Auntie Wang could’ve messed something up, opening her account to someone who would eventually claim to have half a million dollars waiting for her if she’d only wire them a transfer fee first. But what would he gain by not showing up?

  Confusion was beginning to be her most constant companion. She was so rattled that she’d bumped into a man coming out of the bathroom. Her embarrassment was such that she was glad he wore a baseball hat and she couldn’t see if his eyes were making fun of her or not. Then, in her hurry to get away, she almost took out a teenage girl on the other side.

  She needed to pull herself together.

  A waiter approached and put their second round of drinks on the table.

  “With an extra umbrella,” he said to Quinn, smiling down at her.

  “Thank you,” Quinn said, then felt awkward as he looked at her for a long moment. He was probably a bit older than she was, and his prolonged attention felt weird.

  “You’re very welcome,” he finally said, then moved away.

  Maggie raised her eyebrows at Quinn.

  Quinn shrugged back with a silent don’t-ask-me look.

  “I saw Liam this morning,” Maggie said, breaking the silence.

  “And?”

  “You were getting dressed, and I saw him keep peeking at the cottage, watching to see if you’d come out again.”

  “Don’t get excited, Maggie. It’s not like that.”

  Maggie gave a knowing grunt.

  “Maggie, don’t,” Quinn said. “He really has become a great friend, but I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about Ethan.”

  “I can’t believe you’re still thinking of forgiving Ethan. Once a cheater, always a cheater. That’s what they say, Quinn. He’s not a good guy. You need someone who will appreciate what a great catch you are.”

  “He’s not a bad guy, Maggie. And Ethan and I have a lot of history. I’m not going to just throw it all away without at least hearing him out.”

  “So you are going to take his call? Or did you already? At the beach this morning? That’s why you wanted to go without me?”

  “No, I haven’t talked to him,” Quinn said. “I guarantee he’s steaming because I won’t respond to his calls or texts. I’m not ready to hear what kind of excuse he has. Not when Gina pretty much admitted why she was there. I might just wait until I get home. But let’s talk about you. Are you ever going to give Colby another chance?”

  “Deflecting, are we?” Maggie teased.

  “Well?”

  “At this point, we’re friends just working on coparenting the best that we can.”

  “That sounded rehearsed, but I’ll let it pass,” Quinn said. “Does he get to see Charlie often?”

  “Well, he wasn’t seeing him much at all while we were on the ru
n. But in the last month or so, he’s come by a lot. Charlie is obsessed with his dad. He even wants the same kind of boots. I told him maybe for Christmas Santa will bring him his own shit-kicking, steel-toed clodhoppers.”

  “You didn’t,” Quinn said, her eyes wide.

  Maggie laughed. “Of course not. But I did say if he’s good, then Santa might bring him some boots. I’m sure Colby is already looking for the right pair.”

  “You don’t think it will ever work out between you two?”

  Maggie shook her head. “I think that ship has sailed. He’s a great guy. But we were like oil and water when we lived together. It wouldn’t be good for Charlie to see that.”

  “But what if it was just the pressure of being pregnant and Colby afraid of being a father? Lots of couples struggle when that happens.”

  “I don’t know, Quinn. I can’t even think about all that right now. I’ve got to get my life together now that I’m free from looking over my shoulder.”

  They let the conversation trail away. Relationships were hard, and it was even harder to try to explain them to someone else.

  “This guy is really pissing me off,” Maggie said, looking at the time on her cell phone.

  “Why would he make us sit here and wait?” Quinn asked. At least they had something to look at. The restaurant sat right on the beach, and she kept her mind busy by watching the people lying in the sun or playing in the water. Out a bit farther, what appeared to be a father and his teenage daughter were paddleboarding, and their exchange was amusing as the girl clumsily followed her father’s instructions on how to maneuver the board. She almost ran over a swimmer, and the father’s helpless expression was priceless.

  “Look at that sweet girl. She’s making me miss my boy,” Maggie said, pointing at a tiny toddler frolicking in the waves with her mom hovering over her. The girl wore a frilly pink swimsuit—ruffles on the butt!—and a pink hat tied under her chin. She was all chubby rolls and blonde hair and was so adorable that Quinn’s heart skipped.