Bones stared at Keoni as if the solution was simple and he was too stupid to see it. “So make her fit into yours,” he said. He went back into the kitchen. “You want coffee?” he asked.
“Nah,” Keoni said, picking up his keys and wallet from the table.
“You going to Waimea?” Bones asked.
“Nah,” Keoni said, opening the front door. For the first time in his life, he didn’t care about surfing. He didn’t care about anything.
Bones laughed. “Wherever you’re going, take a shower first,” Bones called after Keoni. “You look like shit.”
Fifty Dollars for the Pair
Seattle, Washington
February 20
* * *
Lou
* * *
Lou went to Pacific Camera on her lunch break. She crept out the back door of the bank that led to an alley between the buildings like a kid cutting class.
Paul had been making it a habit of dropping in and taking her to lunch. She didn’t want to see him today. She wanted to look at her pictures from Hawaii.
Was it really as beautiful as she remembered? Or had she made it better in her imagination?
Mr. Tollison hurried from behind the counter to greet Lou when she walked in the store. His face was split with a smile as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the wall where inspirational photographs were displayed.
“I told you the black and white would be perfect,” he said, pointing.
Hanging on the wall next to a black-and-white photograph of Mt. Ranier capped in snow was the stark image of Diamond Head Crater.
Lou stared at the photograph, remembering the exact moment she had snapped the shot. She and Keoni had just finished eating breakfast together on her last morning in Hawaii, and they had walked out to Waikiki Beach.
Keoni had never finished that story about how Diamond Head got its name. Lou’s cheeks turned pink remembering how Keoni had kissed her that morning. He had kissed her slow and sweet as if he had all the time in the world to linger, not as if she would be leaving him later that same day.
Lou felt tears burn her eyes as she stared at the framed photograph, and then another thought entered her mind.
That was her photograph on the wall.
Lou threw her arms around Mr. Tollison and hugged him tightly.
“I made the wall!” she said.
The older man laughed and patted Lou on the back. “You made the wall,” he said. “I told you the black and white would be good.”
Lou turned to stare at the photograph of Diamond Head, basking in her accomplishment.
She couldn’t wait to tell John! She couldn’t wait to tell Keoni!
Her heart sank as she realized neither one of those options was possible. Her heart sank further as she thought of Paul. He’d been her third choice. Would he ever be her first choice?
“I’m going to pay you for that photograph,” Mr. Tollison said, walking back behind the counter. He pulled out two envelopes. One was large and thin, and the other was small and flat. He handed them both to Lou and said, “I want to buy that one, too.” He nodded at the thin envelope. “It’s the first color photograph I’ve ever wanted to display.”
Lou took the photograph out of the envelope and saw that it was an action shot of Keoni surfing at Sunset Beach the morning of the Duke contest.
Keoni’s body was turned toward the wave, and he was leaning so far forward on his board that he was nearly horizontal. It was an impossible position, but Keoni made it look effortless. He had one hand splayed against the base of the wave, and the white tip curled over his head. The wind blew back his dark hair, and his mouth turned up in a sexy smile.
It wasn’t the vibrant colors of the ocean or Keoni’s good looks that made the photograph so incredible—it was that Lou had managed to capture Keoni’s intimate relationship in the picture.
Lou studied the picture with a critical eye, hardly believing she had been the photographer.
“You should submit that one to a magazine,” Mr. Tollison said. “I could offer you fifty dollars for the pair for my display wall.”
“Fifty…did you say fifty dollars?” Lou’s tongue tripped over the words. “Are you serious?”
“It’s an investment,” he said. “I think you could be famous one day.”
Lou burst out laughing and then reached over the counter to hug Mr. Tollison’s neck again.
Mr. Tollison laughed and hugged her back. “Do you want cash or store credit?” he asked when they parted.
Lou released him and turned to look at the wall of photographs she’d spent years admiring. She felt as though she was queen of the world with her picture on that wall. This was the best moment of her life, and it pained her that the only person she wanted to share it was across the Pacific Ocean.
Lou walked back to the bank on a cloud of happiness. Even the rain didn’t bother her.
She went in through the employee entrance at the back and headed straight to the bathroom where she planned to lock herself in and look through the rest of the photographs.
“Mary Lou?”
Lou stopped and turned to look at Jessica, one of the newest tellers at the bank. Jessica had been hired while Lou was in Hawaii.
“You can call me Lou,” she said. “Everyone does.”
“Okay.” Jessica stepped closer, her face lit with curiosity. “There’s a very handsome man waiting for you in the lobby.”
“Oh.” Lou clutched her purse with the photographs tight to her side. “Can you tell him I’m coming?” she asked Jessica. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Sure, but I wouldn’t keep him waiting too long. The girls are circling him like sharks.”
Lou was sure Paul could handle himself for as long as it took her to glance through the photographs. She would spend more time looking at the prints and negatives tonight, but she couldn’t wait to get a glimpse of them. The fat envelope felt like it was burning a hole in her purse.
Jessica went out into the lobby, presumably to tell Paul Lou would be right out. Lou hurried into the bathroom, locked the door, and took out the envelope of pictures.
The first few had been taken in the graveyard. There were the crooked tombstones poking through the grass and a spectacular one of the Honolulu skyline in front of the sea. She flipped to the next photograph, and her heart lodged in her throat.
It was shot of Keoni standing on the hilltop. He was wearing the dark sunglasses, so she couldn’t see his eyes, and his hand was raised in the shaka sign. His hair was damp, and the white shark’s tooth necklace winked against his throat.
That was the first day they had met.
The photograph slipped out of her fingertips, and she let it fall to the bathroom floor. A sob caught in her throat, and tears filled her eyes.
She loved Keoni. There was no way she could marry Paul. Even if she never saw Keoni again, she still couldn’t marry Paul. She couldn’t settle for a mediocre love knowing that spectacular love existed.
Lou reached down and picked up the photograph of Keoni and replaced it in the stack with the others. She put the pictures back in her purse and left the bathroom.
She walked down the long hall to the lobby, knowing that Paul was out there waiting for her, and she was going to break his heart.
She opened the door to the central part of the bank, bypassed the tellers, and walked into the lobby. A strange sense of calm settled over Lou, and she knew she was doing the right thing.
She scanned the faces of the customers, but she didn’t see Paul. Maybe he had decided not to wait any longer. Lou sighed and turned to leave. Then her eyes lit on a man sitting with his back to her. Her eyes widened, and her pulse raced when she saw the guitar case resting at his feet. There was no mistaking his broad shoulders, his thick unruly hair, or the faint scent of the ocean he carried with him.
It was Keoni. He was here.
Lou studied the familiar set of his shoulders encased in a tan colored jacket. She had never seen Keoni i
n a jacket, or anything other than a T-shirt, but she knew it was him.
And then he turned and looked over his shoulder, giving her a glimpse of his strong profile. The bruise on his eye was gone, and the split on his lip had healed. His face was cleanly shaved, and his hair had been trimmed so that she could see his ears.
He had nice ears.
Keoni saw her, and he got quickly to his feet. Lou stared at him, taking in everything about him. His eyes, his hair, his body.
It was really him.
She moved toward him as if she was being pulled toward Keoni by a magnet. She had no choice but to get closer.
He must have felt the same, because in two long strides, he was standing in front of her, close enough to smell the ocean in his hair. Lou was eye level with his throat where the shark’s tooth necklace disappeared under the collar of his shirt.
“Howzit?” he asked.
Lou couldn’t stop the smile from taking over her face. “It’s really you,” she said, reaching out to touch his hand.
Keoni’s fingers curled around hers. “Were you expecting someone else?” he asked, his brows drawing together.
Lou bit her lip and nodded. She couldn’t lie to him. “Yes.”
Keoni swallowed hard. Blinking slowly, he nodded. “I get that,” he said. “But I was hoping that maybe you were as miserable as me.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “I didn’t mean…”
Lou reached up and took his hand, coaxing it away from his face. “I knew what you meant,” she said. “I’ve been completely miserable.” The thought of her pictures on the wall at Pacific Camera came to mind, and she beamed. “Except the most wonderful thing happened today!”
“What?”
“I sold two pictures,” she said.
Keoni’s eyebrows raised and he pulled her to his chest in a hug. “Congratulation, nani.”
Lou sank against Keoni’s chest and wrapped her arms around him. Now that she was in his arms, it was going to take a lot to convince her to let go.
Keoni was what she wanted. Keoni was what she needed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked against his chest.
Keoni pulled back and looked down at her. “I never got to finish my story about Diamond Head,” he said.
Lou laughed. “You came out here to tell me a story?”
“Yeah,” he said. “You wanna hear it?”
Lou looked up at Keoni. The sound of his voice was just as enchanting as she remembered. “I want to hear everything you have to say,” she said.
Keoni’s eyes flashed, and he pulled her closer. “Lou,” he said, his voice tormented. “Can we get out of here?”
Lou glanced around and saw that everyone in the lobby was staring at them. They were necking in the middle of the bank. She cleared her throat and tried to think. She’d already taken her lunch break, so she really couldn’t leave again.
She took a step back. “I’ll be right back,” she said.
Lou went to the employee closet in the back and retrieved her coat. She told her boss she was feeling sick and needed the rest of the day off. When he tried to question her, Lou eluded to female problems due to that time of the month and ducked out of his office before he could respond.
She walked back into the lobby and grabbed Keoni by the hand. “Let’s go,” she told him. “I’m leaving early.”
Keoni picked up his guitar and slung a duffel bag over his shoulder, then he was right behind her.
They stepped outside into the cold. Keoni shivered in his lightweight jacket. It was suited for cool breezes in the tropics, not February in Seattle.
Scars and Everything
Lou
* * *
Unlocking the door to her apartment, Lou still couldn’t believe Keoni was in Seattle.
She remembered how shy Keoni had been when he’d welcomed her into his house, and now she understood how he must have felt. Lou’s apartment was such a personal place. She and Penny had chosen every piece of furniture carefully. The lamps and rug were garage sale finds, but they added a quirky touch to the shoebox-sized living room. And her art lined the walls.
Keoni came in behind her, and Lou held her breath as he walked into the living room. He went straight to a photograph of the sailboats on Lake Washington and stared for a half a minute, then he moved on to a wide-angle shot of Pike’s Market at the busiest time of day.
“Did you take all these?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“They are excellent,” he said.
Lou’s chest swelled with pride. It meant everything to hear that from Keoni.
“I’ll show you the ones I took in Hawaii,” she said.
“I’d like that,” he said.
“But first?”
“Yeah. I should tell you why I’m here, right?”
“No, I was thinking that first, you should kiss me.”
Keoni smiled and strode across the room, taking Lou in his arms so quickly that she leaned against him for balance. She tipped her head back to look at him, and he lowered his mouth to hers.
Keoni took his time on Lou’s lips, kissing one corner of her mouth and then the other. He slid his lips across hers, awakening the need that had been asleep since they’d been apart.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, cupping her jaw in his hand and kissing her mouth.
“I’ve missed you, too.” She kissed him back, arching to get closer.
“I don’t want to be without you,” Keoni said, sliding his hand down her back.
“I can’t be without you,” she said, winding her arms around his neck.
Keoni broke away suddenly and looked down at her. “Lou, I want to make you mine.”
“You already have.”
“I mean really mine. I want to show you everything, and I want to see the delight on your face when you see it.”
“I want to see it all. Scars and everything.”
Keoni lifted his head and pressed his forehead against hers. Their eyes were both open, and Lou could see all the way into Keoni’s soul. It was an electrifying feeling to look at someone so closely. Lou saw the golden flecks in Keoni’s eyes and the brown ring around his irises. She saw his willingness to share his flaws, and his eagerness to know hers.
“Scars and everything,” he said with a sigh, pulling back. “We need to talk.”
Keoni went back across the living room and sat down on the sofa. When he looked at her, Lou saw the familiar look in his eyes, the one that he got when he was hurting. But this time, she knew Keoni wasn’t thinking about Eddie. She was the reason for that look in his eyes. Lou had done that to Keoni.
She crossed the living room and sat down next to him on the sofa. She took his hand. Their eyes met, and both of them started to speak at once.
Lou drew in a deep breath, and said, “You go first.”
“No,” Keoni said. “You.”
His fingers squeezed hers encouragingly.
“I’m sorry,” she said, not knowing where else to start, or how to erase his pain. “I shouldn’t have left the way I did. Not when Bones was missing. I should have waited.” Keoni’s thumb paused, and Lou continued. “Can you forgive me for being so cruel?”
Keoni brought Lou’s hand to his mouth, and he kissed the inside of her wrist. “I forgive you, nani.”
Lou cupped his cheek in her hand, her fingers sliding over the silk of his freshly shaved skin. He was so soft and so rough at the same time. His hands were calloused, but his cheek was smooth. Keoni looked years younger without the beard, and Lou realized she didn’t know how old he was. Then she realized it didn’t matter. Keoni could be any age, and she wouldn’t love him any less.
Keoni drew her hand back down, and his eyes turned serious again. “I have been a wreck while you were gone,” he said.
“You have?”
“I was pretty much drunk for two weeks straight. And I did some stuff I’m not proud of.”
“What stuff?”
Keoni l
ooked away, and Lou watched his profile as he decided how to answer. Her heart began to pound in her ears as she watched the emotions cross over Keoni’s face. What had he done? she wondered. What was so bad that he looked so tortured?
Keoni turned to look at her again, and Lou saw the depth of sorrow in his eyes. “I was with another woman,” he said.
Lou flinched at the words. Then she accepted them, knowing that Keoni had the right to do whatever he wanted and with whomever he chose. She’d left him.
She’d gone to be with another man. Still, Lou didn’t like the idea of Keoni with another woman. The jealousy she felt only confirmed that her feelings for him were stronger than ever.
“I’m sorry,” Keoni said.
Lou looked into Keoni’s soft brown eyes under the dark line of his black eyebrows. There was so much raw honesty in his apology that Lou knew she would forgive him anything he asked.
“I forgive you, too,” she said.
Keoni’s eyebrow arched and he looked at her like he wasn’t hearing her. “You do?”
“Yes.”
Keoni smiled his lopsided grin. “If it makes you feel any better, I thought of you the whole time.”
Lou cringed, not wanting to picture the details of Keoni with another woman. “It doesn’t,” she said.
“It made me realize I don’t want to be with anyone else. I know this is crazy. I know we just met. But will you give me one chance?”
She would probably give him a thousand chances, but she agreed to one. “Yes,” she said.
“You and Paul?” he asked.
Lou shook her head. “It’s over.”
Keoni sighed, relieved. “You didn’t? With him?”
Lou shook her head. “I couldn’t think of anyone but you.”
Keoni smiled and turned toward her. “I’m glad,” he said, putting his hand on her thigh.
Lou’s thigh burned with the heat of Keoni’s hand. She looked down at his big hand spread over her leg, and her heart started to pound so loudly that she swore Keoni could hear it.
Try Easy: A Slow-Burn Vacation Fling Love Story (Aloha Series Book 1) Page 19