Blooming in the Wild

by Cathryn Cade

  Joel grinned at them.

  “What guy?” The male model gave Joel a blank look.

  “You know,” the blonde said as if the guy were dense. “Joel, from The Wild Zone. The new outdoor adventure show, where he sleeps in trees, and parachutes off of waterfalls, and stuff.”

  “That’s me,” Joel agreed.

  “It’s so cool to meet you. I’m Cassie,” the blonde said. “This is Matt and Tanah.”

  “Nice to meet you too.”

  “Hey, Joel.” Matt smiled. Obviously not threatened by his girlfriend’s interest, but then, with his looks, he probably didn’t have a jealous bone. Maybe he’d ordered that face the way the blonde had ordered her breasts: give me a handsome one.

  “Very nice to meet you, Joel,” the redhead said, smiling. She whipped her phone up and snapped a picture of him. Used to it, he ignored the gesture.

  “I watched you eat a bug once.” Cassie wrinkled her perfect nose. “How’d you do that? I’d throw up.”

  Joel had, on more than one occasion, but that was a professional secret. “You do what you have to do in a survival situation.”

  Tanah tossed her auburn curls in the breeze. “Maybe you could show me how,” she offered, not specifying what she wanted to be shown. He assumed she didn’t mean eat bugs. The tip of her tongue traced her parted lips as she looked at him.

  “Maybe I could.” He grinned at her, appreciating the sheer pleasure of a come-on from a pretty woman, even if he didn’t intend to take her up on it.

  Bella Moran’s soft mouth twisted with distaste. He considered describing in detail what it felt like to chew up a big, juicy grub pulled from the core of a plant and decided regretfully against it. He didn’t want to gross everyone out, just Ms. Hawaii.

  Jesus, he was reverting to junior high school here. Next he’d be putting gum in her hair. He moved restlessly, straightening from his slouch against the railing. Too bad that stellar ass was wasted on such an uptight wahine.

  He’d wait ’til they were off the boat, and chat up the redheaded Tanah or the blonde. Calla, Cassie…or something. For now, he needed to move a little.

  “Excuse me, folks.” Joel stood up, balancing on the gently rolling deck. “I have a few questions for our captain.” Wide-legged to balance against the rolling of the waves, he walked back across the deck to where Frank Lelua sat at the wheel, sheltered behind a windscreen.

  They motored around the point off Kau forest just as the sun sank below the soft clouds rimming the western horizon. A few miles to the southeast, a forested promontory caught the last rays of golden sun, the final outcrop before the island curved around to the south.

  Beyond it, Bella knew, lay the southern coast of the island, a broad sweep of open grassland ending abruptly in rugged cliffs and interspersed with recent lava flows that spilled in wide swaths down into the ocean, in many places covering the single paved road. There was little to interrupt the trade winds, which swept along the southern coast, carrying the surf with them, huge waves smashing against the rocky shore. She was glad to be here instead of there.

  Bella opened her duffel, pulled out the pair of shorts and long-sleeved Tshirt she’d packed on top, and tugged them on over her tankini. The shorts were cocoa brown, from DelRay’s summer line, the T-shirt her favorite red, with Hawaii and a hyacinth, the state flower, stamped on the front. The temperature was still around eighty degrees, but it would drop now that the sun had gone down, and she’d be glad of the long sleeves.

  She’d love to go for a run up into the forest, then a swim to cool off, but she had things to do, like making sure camp was set up properly. Frank could easily take charge, but he wasn’t getting paid for it; she was.

  Unzipping a side pocket on the duffel, she pulled out sturdy sandals of dark brown, suitable for hiking or splashing in the water. She wriggled her feet into them as Frank slowed the big catamaran. As they slid closer to the shore, the rocky point slowly revealed a small bay, hidden by the hook of the lava formation.

  Bella stood watching as they motored into the little bay. The forest seemed to reach out to her, fig trees rising from their braided silver roots, clusters of coconut palms leaning out over the water, fronds rustling as if in welcome. Behind them lay a lush tangle of green, with hints of color blooming here and there. The mountain rolled up behind in verdant layers, looming like a native fortress.

  She took a deep breath of the damp air, laden with the rich, fecund scent of the forest. Something inside her, closed tight and guarded against the strictures of office buildings, airplanes and busy highways, began to unfurl like the opening petals of a tropical bloom.

  This was where she belonged. Soon she’d explore, hike up into the woods, take in the sights, sounds and smells, the textures of this forest. It called to all of her senses.

  Bella frowned in consternation. Someone was calling to her…but how could that be? Yes, there it was—the softest of murmurs in her ear. She turned her head sharply, expecting one of her fellow passengers in a playful mood, but no one was within an arm’s length of her.

  Joel Girand was nearest, standing relaxed with his feet spread, hands on his hips. He raised a quizzical brow at her, and she turned away, her cheeks hot.

  The voice murmured louder, still just a whisper but so close that goose bumps sprang up on her skin, and a shiver ran through her, tightening every muscle in her body, ready for fight or flight.

  “Aloha, kaikuahine. E hele mai,” the voice sighed in her ear, light as a feather, deep as the mountain, reverberating through her very being. “Welcome, little sister. Come.”

  Frozen at the boat rail, Bella gazed at the mountain towering over her. She began to shake, a visceral chill arrowing deep inside her. Her pleasure vanished like petals before the wind.

  To dream had been one thing. But now she had voices in her head even while she was awake, speaking Hawaiian.

  And she understood every word.

  Chapter Three

  To Do: A proficient tour director can supervise setup of camp, even in the wildest of areas and with a small crew and finicky clients, while setting aside her own minor concerns.

  “We’re here,” cried Cassie.

  The excited voice broke Bella’s introspection like a stick swatted through hanging vines. She focused, relieved to have her attention brought back to reality. The others were all crowding against the rails, gazing at their landing place.

  Lava smoothed by eons of wind and waves curved out in a hook shape, forming a tiny bay. The surf washed against the outer rim, but inside, the turquoise water was calm. Bella could see the bottom, clear and sandy except for a few lava boulders. Eddy stood outside the front rail on lookout while Frank brought the catamaran into the bay.

  He nudged it up at the western end of the semicircle of sand. Eddy jumped off to man the mooring lines while Kobe opened the gate in the railing and dropped a portable gangplank for the passengers to alight.

  “Aloha,” Frank called in what Bella had learned was his trademark landing. “Welcome to Na’alele, everybody.”

  “Do we carry our own things?” Tanah asked, eyeing the gangplank like a skittish racehorse.

  “Nah, we’ll get it for you,” Frank assured her. She smiled at him and then turned to Joel, her eyes wide in a silent plea for assistance.

  Joel had his own duffel over one broad shoulder, towing Tanah with the other hand. Camille clutched one of her black camera bags, and Li had an armload.

  Bella decided to let Frank’s crew carry her duffel. She wasn’t all that comfortable around boats even when she was calm—which she wasn’t now, thanks to her mind playing tricks on her. She didn’t want to begin her stay by falling overboard and soaking all her gear in salt water. She followed the others down the gangplank, only her slender briefcase clutched to her chest.

  The little bay had a flat shore of dark lava rock, worn smooth by wind, waves and sun. Behind this rose a tangle of fig trees, their roots braided silver, rising from a variety of shrubs. Throug
h their midst, a ribbon of lava ran back into the forest like a trail, a tunnel of dark shadows as the sun sank low. The whole scene was bathed in soft, golden light. The rhythmic surge of waves against the rim of the bay was like a slow heartbeat, deep and sure.

  Her feet on the shore, Bella relaxed, the forest before her as welcoming as a pair of great arms enfolding her.

  The scent of the earth, damp vegetation heavy with bloom, mingled with that of the sea in a heady mix. Overlaid with…male. She turned her head warily. Joel Girand stood a few feet from her, upwind. Darn, he smelled better than a pan of macadamia nut cookies, fresh from the oven. Warm healthy male, clean but a little sweaty, with just a hint of soap or cologne. Pheromones—dangerous and compelling. Of course he would be loaded with them.

  “Nice,” he said, his deep voice laden with appreciation.

  She started guiltily, but he was still looking at their surroundings. He’d hung his sunglasses on the back of his neck, the bows curving on the smooth cords of his neck under the curled up ends of his hair.

  This close, she could see that his eyes were brown, laced with flecks of gold, like turning leaves. His heavy, arching brows were darker than his hair, as were his lashes. He had a square face with a determined jaw, a firm set to his wide mouth, and a nose that would have been classically chiseled if not for the bump across the bridge, as if it had been broken once. It didn’t detract from his looks at all—if anything, it matched the glint in his eyes, as if he’d dare anything. Probably would too.

  He was even better looking in person than in the posters the ad department had used to pitch him as the new product spokesperson. His big body fairly hummed with leashed intensity, as if he couldn’t wait to explore his new surroundings.

  He was attractive, all right. And she wasn’t the only one who thought so. She’d seen the way the other women looked at him.

  Good grief, she had to get her head back to business. She didn’t even like him—she definitely did not want to think about how long it would take him to get lucky. Although probably not long, if Tanah had anything to say about it.

  Shaking her head to rid her mind of that image, Bella turned to Frank, who had just negotiated the gangplank to offload another bag of equipment. “Where do you think we should set up the tents?”

  Frank pointed at the area up behind the little beach. “Here’s a fire pit, been used before. We can set the tents back from that, a couple on either side.” To Bella’s irritation, he looked at Joel as if seeking confirmation.

  Joel nodded. “Sounds good.”

  The soft breeze blew Bella’s hair across her face, and she brushed it behind her shoulder as she looked around. “We’ll have to take Joel’s tent down tomorrow and have him set it up again while Camille photographs,” she pointed out. “Let’s set up his tent over here, closer to the point.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Joel drawled. Bella pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head, and gave him back look for look.

  “Save it for someone who believes it,” she advised. He smirked at her as if he’d scored a point by goading her into a retort. Then he followed Frank back onto the boat.

  The first thing the stocky Kobe did was set a boom box on a nearby rock. Bella winced as the first music that poured forth was a heavy drumbeat followed by a clashing bass guitar. The very trees seemed to her to shudder as the noise bounced off the lava rock.

  She steeled herself to tell the Hawaiian to turn his music off, but Frank was ahead of her. He gestured sharply at Kobe, who shrugged and fiddled with the device.

  Bella’s shoulders relaxed as Iz Kamakawiwo’ole’s lilting voice twined through the little clearing, singing about stars shining on his sandy beaches. She found herself humming along as she unfastened the bag that held her single tent.

  Unfortunately, they’d placed it next to Joel’s. She debated moving it, but she would only be in it to sleep, so unless he snored, she wouldn’t even know he was near.

  “Now how did I know this one would be yours?” Frank joked as he came to help her.

  She grinned at him. Bright red was her favorite color, and she had to admit she wore it a lot. She’d been thrilled to find it was one of DelRay’s signature hues for the summer line, both in equipment and clothing.

  She scanned the pamphlet of instructions that had been folded into the bag with the tent. “Oh, good, an extra flap of netting. This whole side of the tent lifts up.”

  “These are nice tents,” Frank agreed. “Don’t use one, myself. No mosquitoes out here.”

  “I just wanted something overhead in case it rains,” Bella said. She would leave the tent side down to change into her pajamas and then lift it after she turned off her small battery-powered lantern. She’d sleep with the breeze on her face and the surf and rustle of the trees to lull her to sleep.

  Now if she could just get through a night without dreaming. She gave a sidelong look at the forest, her shoulders tightening again, a dull throb in the base of her skull. With voices already whispering to her, a dreamless night wasn’t likely. What if she woke the others? She was pretty sure she’d screamed the night before, when she dreamed of her cliff dive. Lucky no one had heard her and called hotel management.

  “If it rains, we can always move up into the caves,” Frank said.

  “There are caves above water?” Bella turned to peer into the shadows of the trees.

  “Yeah, right back behind those fig trees.” Frank gestured at the tangle of silvered roots and glossy leaves a few yards up the bank.

  “I’m not sure I’d want to sleep in a cave.”

  “Ah, they’re not bad—dry and open. Even some sand on the floor from high surf in winter. Good shelter if we need it.”

  Bella hoped they wouldn’t need it. The weather report had been for good weather for the next few days. There were storm systems on the move, but there always were out here in the Pacific.

  “You need a pua’aloalo, a hibiscus blossom in your hair,” Frank teased her. “You always wear one at Nawea.”

  She nodded, relaxing with an effort. “My favorite. Let me know if you spot any.”

  “Some right up there.” He nodded toward the steep cliff that reared behind the camp to the east.

  “Nawea, that the bay with the yellow house we passed?” Joel asked from behind her. His deep voice was pitched quietly, but sound carried in the soft evening air, even over the music and the voices of the others across the campground.

  Bella busied herself tying off a cord on her tent. Frank answered. “Yeah, da Ho’omalu place. You spent much time here on our Big Island, Joel?”

  “Some,” her nemesis answered. “Like to spend more.”

  “Nowhere betta,” Frank agreed. “You could buy a house cheap. Market is down.”

  “Nah,” Joel said. “I’m not the homeowner type. Wouldn’t mind renting a place here, though.”

  “A condo, yeah?”

  Bella turned her head, curious to hear Joel’s reply. He was tying off the last cord on his tent, working with the ease of familiarity.

  He shook his head. “Don’t want to live in town; too much noise and chatter. House up on the mountain, maybe, where it’s quiet. Where a person can go out in the backyard and not see anyone else unless they want to.”

  Bella caught herself nodding in agreement and tossed her hair back instead. She didn’t want to have even this small commonality with him. Anyway, she wanted to be a homeowner—her own place, that no one could make her leave. And with this job, she’d have the money to ensure she never lost it. No moving from apartment to apartment as she and her mother had when Bella was a child. True, each successive place had been nicer, but she’d still had to get used to a new neighborhood each time, make new friends.

  “Cooler up there too,” Frank agreed. “Clouds gentle the sun.”

  He looked across the tent at Joel. “You got time after this, come fishing with me one morning. I keep a fishing boat at Nawea.”

  “Joel, can you help us with this?” Tanah c
alled from across the campsite. She was frowning down at a turquoise jumble of fabric, hands on her rounded hips, while Cassie watched.

  Bella watched as Joel scanned the area first for Kobe and Eddy. They were busy wrestling a brown tent for Camille and Li. “Sure.”

  Tanah smiled sweetly at him, and Bella chalked up another point for the redhead. From the way he’d been looking at Cassie on the boat, she’d thought the blonde model would get him, but her friend might trip her and step over her prone body.

  None of her business, Bella reminded herself. He was just a typical celebrity, full of himself.

  She looked around. Kobe and Eddy were now setting up an open-air shower, rigged with curtains to screen the occupant from view, and a solar tank to heat water with the sun. The portable latrine would be set up farther into the woods, behind a folding screen.

  On the far side of the fire pit, Cassie and Tanah’s turquoise tent was being set up next to a smaller green one with Matt’s duffel before it. The photographers’ brown tent stood farthest to the east, near a large boulder.

  In the center, behind the fire pit, Frank and his crew placed a long folding table, leveling each leg until Frank was satisfied the table was stable and would not rock.

  “You wanna decorate this?” he asked Bella, gesturing at the table. “Leilani sent along a couple of tablecloths.”

  “Sure,” Bella said. She took the sturdy epergne Frank held and set about gathering some interesting fronds and blooms for a centerpiece, humming along as the duo Hapa sang of Hawaiian memories. As usual, the process absorbed her, soothed her, allowing her to forget the myriad details awaiting her. Finished, she poured water in to soak the florist’s foam holding the arrangement and set the epergne on the table, stepping back to view it with satisfaction.

  “Pretty,” Camille approved, cocking her head elegantly to admire the table, the green centerpiece with spikes of tall purple blossoms and sprays of shiny green pods set on a vintage cotton tablecloth adorned with hibiscus in faded reds. “My, you’ve many talents.”