Primitive Flame

by Lakes, Lynde

  Cort raked his fingers through his hair and shook his head. Damn. The professor’s granddaughter, no less. Cort remembered how her eyes changed when she talked about her grandfather. A sweetness came into her face, and her eyes sparkled with love. However, when she talked of stopping the construction, the sweetness disappeared and her voice turned hard, unyielding.

  He could deal with trouble, had been dealing with it most of his life. But he needed something to go on. What the hell was motivating this vexatious female?

  He knew one thing: she was a hang-on-to-the-history lady and he was a glad-to-forget-his-roots guy. No common ground there.

  Her obsession with his site was enough reason to forget her. Unfortunately, he’d been attracted by more than her physical beauty and that scared the hell out of him. He didn’t need complications. He was a bachelor and intended to stay that way. For life!

  Cort clenched his fists. The memory of his mother sobbing in the bedroom still tore at his heart. He and his dad had stood outside the door hearing her pain. His dad clapped him on the back and confided, “All men cheat. It’s in a man’s nature. In our genes. She’ll get over it.”

  Surprisingly, his mother did forgive his father, but she admitted once that her trust never fully returned, and her smile to this day lacked the sparkle it’d had before his dad broke her heart.

  Cort couldn’t take a chance that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, as his dad always said. That meant no serious involvements. Seeing the tremendous hurt his father’s infidelity had caused, he vowed to always play it straight with women—never promise them something he couldn’t deliver—never break their hearts—never be like his father. Never.

  Lani’s haunting eyes loomed in front of Cort. He squeezed his lids shut, resisting the image. He wanted to forget her. He’d ordered her to stay away, but unless he was very wrong about Lani’s strong will and determination, his order wouldn’t stop her.

  He tried again to push her from his mind and scribbled a few more figures. Due to the last storm, the timing would be close.

  He rested his head in his hands. Like a boomerang, his thoughts returned to Lani. Dammit, why did he have to want her so much? She wasn’t his type, yet his efforts to dislike her weren’t working. No matter how hard he tried to ignore them, images of her intruded. He could still smell the fragrance of her yellow ginger lei. For a moment, her misty image floated before him on those unforgettable perfumed currents. He reached out to touch her. His hands closed on empty air.

  ****

  Lani remained on edge all afternoon waiting to talk to her grandfather alone. Lako had stayed for pork-filled manapua rolls and was finally leaving. When he was out of sight, Lani and her grandfather walked back to the house and sat on the wooden steps to finish their iced tea.

  She lifted her hair up off her neck and cooled herself with a lauhala leaf fan. “There’s a heavy eeriness in the air,” she said, feeling the oppression.

  Grandfather mopped the beads of perspiration from the bridge of his wide nose with the towel around his neck. “Humidity. It’ll cool off when the trade winds start up again.”

  Grandfather picked up the pitcher of iced tea and added some to their glasses. The half-melted chunks of ice clunked as each one toppled in along with the tea.

  “It isn’t just the weather.” She felt another force. Felt its presence, felt it pressing on her skin, smelled it, tasted it. “Kupuna kane, things are happening to me. Things I don’t understand, and I’m scared.”

  He stopped drinking his tea and stared at her, his expression tense. “What kinds of things?”

  “It started before I left San Diego and hasn’t let up. I’ve had reoccurring nightmares about this golden-haired man. Then today I came face to face with him at that land by the ocean.”

  Grandfather downed his tea as if it were a bracing shot of bourbon. “You mean someone who looked like him.”

  “No! It was him. And I saw things buried deep in the earth—bones, skulls and other relics. And I knew it was a burial ground.”

  Grandfather slammed his glass on the step. “Don’t ever go to that place again!” His outburst was so unlike her gentle grandfather, and it was the first time he’d ever told her what to do—not that she intended to listen.

  “The construction boss ordered me to stay away, too, but I expected you to be on my side.”

  His voice softened. “Honey, I am. That’s why you have to do this one thing for me.”

  “That’s like asking me to stop breathing. There’s this magnetic energy there, drawing me, overwhelming me with the need to protect that land.”

  Grandfather’s grip on the glass turned his knuckles white. “We all wish we could keep the old Hawai’i, but it isn’t possible.”

  “I’m not talking about preserving old traditions or stopping growth and development. And you know it!”

  The color in his face faded and his proud shoulders slumped. His muddy brown eyes held hers. “Honey, you can’t stop the construction.”

  “I have to. I know enough about Hawaiian sentiments to believe I can get local support, and I’ve worked around attorneys long enough to know there’s a legal way to do this.”

  “Not without proof.”

  “Somehow I’ll get it.”

  “And maybe end up in jail in the process.”

  “Jail?” She hadn’t considered that. She lifted her chin. “Not if you help me.”

  He covered her hand with his. “I’d like nothing better, don’t you know that? If you had something physical, something real I could contact some people and cut through the red tape. But we’d be laughed out of the DLNR, Department of Land and Natural Resources, if we requested an inspection based on visions.”

  She stood and paced a few steps, then sat back down. “I won’t be hamstrung. I’m going to do everything in my power to protect that land—the sacred aina.”

  “Protect yourself.” His voice broke.

  Her gaze flew to meet his. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Her throat felt dry. The old woman had warned her that if she didn’t save Cort, he would die. She’d never considered she might be in danger.

  Grandfather shook his head. “Honey, I’m afraid you’re dealing with things better left alone.”

  “This has something to do with my childhood, doesn’t it?”

  He looked down at his meaty fingers.

  Lani took a deep breath. “Why did my family send me away?”

  Grandfather covered his face with his hands. Unbearable silence hung between them. Finally, he met her gaze. Tears glistened in his eyes. “It wasn’t because they didn’t love you. Everyone loved you. You were an enchanting child and the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

  “If they loved me so much—”

  “Don’t dig into the past. Please.”

  Lani had never heard such agony in a man’s voice. Without another word, he stood, and with hunched shoulders he walked out beyond the road into the tropical forest that surrounded the property.

  “Wait, Kupuna kane, I must know!”

  Chapter Seven

  Jan, Bill’s unmarried sister-in-law, met Cort at the door and gave him a big hug. She smelled like jasmine and looked sensational, tall, blonde and encased in eye-catching beige tailored walking shorts and a fire-engine red knit blouse that clung to her curves. He’d been to a couple of Bill’s parties and had gotten to know Jan pretty well. Although he’d made it a point to never date his men’s relatives, maybe he could make an exception just this once.

  Without warning, an image of Lani flashed into his mind. It was how she’d looked and sounded when she talked about her grandfather, all soft-eyed and tender-voiced.

  Dammit. This obsession had to stop! Jan was a hot distraction that might get the flame-haired beauty out of his mind. He’d hang around and help her baby-sit Bill’s boys and see what developed. With six kids, ages five to eleven, she should welcome his help.

  The TV blared loud enough to wake the dead and the boys’ ha
d fixed their gazes on the violent cartoons. The content seemed to grow more brutal every year. As if to prove his point, one of the eleven-year-old twins hit the other. In a flash they were wrestling on the floor. The five-year-old cried and begged them to stop. The other kids poked him and yelled for him to shut up.

  “Think we should break that up?” Cort asked.

  “Why? They fight all the time.” Jan rolled her eyes. “Remind me to never have kids. Like Mom always said, stay in school and—” Her expression froze. “Oh, my God,” she said, slamming her head with the flat of her hand. “I have a big statistics test tonight.”

  Bill had mentioned Jan was taking a summer class at the University of Hawai’i. Good, Cort thought. He liked smart women.

  “With Dad’s heart attack, I forgot all about my class.”

  Jan’s words poured out rapid-fire, like she couldn’t get it said fast enough. Poor girl, she’d probably been at the hospital all day, out of her mind with worry.

  This was clearly important to Jan. “I can stick around and watch the kids until you get back.” It wasn’t totally unselfish on his part. He liked kids, and maybe he and Jan could get together for a little adult play when she returned.

  She hugged him. “You’re a doll,” she said, grabbing her stuff. “Be back at 9:30.” Quicker than lightning, she was out the door.

  Cort frowned at her fast exit. Her books and purse had been handy—real handy. She’d looked and smelled like someone with plans to go out. He pushed his doubts aside. He didn’t want to believe he’d been duped.

  He grabbed the fighting boys by their belts and lifted them high in the air. Suddenly twelve little eyes were staring at him. “Okay, here’s the ground rules. No hitting and no mean words. Now let’s go outside and have some fun.”

  Cort told one of the twins to get their soccer ball. He knew all of the kids were on teams, even the five-year-old. He ran the little buggers ragged, then ordered pizza.

  After they polished it off, he glanced at his watch—9:45. Where the hell was Jan?

  He made sure the kids got their baths, and then he tucked them into bed. Jan never made it back. Oddly, he wasn’t disappointed.

  When Bill returned from the hospital at eleven, Cort made a quick exit and headed for the construction site. The traffic was sparse, which made driving effortless. Cort smiled. The boys were a rowdy, noisy bunch, a lot like the youngsters he coached at the youth center. Working with kids was a welcome contrast to his own solitary childhood and more or less satisfied any desire he might have to marry and start a family of his own. His stomach knotted. That reaction happened every time he even thought the word marriage. If his dad was right and womanizing was in his genes, permanent commitments had to be avoided at all costs. He had a sneaking hunch it was true. So far, he’d certainly enjoyed seeing a variety of women way too much to settle for one. If he couldn’t be faithful and give his whole heart to one woman, he would never marry! He took his hand off the steering wheel and rubbed his tight neck muscles.

  Ahead, in the glow of the bright street lamp, Cort saw Kimo’s mustard-yellow truck with the dented right fender swing off the construction site. Dammit. What the hell was Kimo doing there? His words—“You’ll be sorry”—echoed in Cort’s head. Hot adrenaline shot through him. Kimo had no reason to expect him to be there so late. And why the hell was the gate open? Cort had planned to stop only long enough to shift materials around to make room for a morning delivery, but in case Kimo was up to no good, he hunted down the security guard, a gray-haired guy with a limp, and together they did a thorough check of the site. He sure as hell didn’t need any more trouble.

  Cort sighed in relief when they found nothing wrong. “Why was the gate open?”

  The guard flushed. “I’m sure I locked it.”

  Maybe Kimo had a key. Cort made a mental note to change the lock. “Until I say otherwise, Kimo stays off this site. And keep that gate locked.”

  “Yes, sir, I’ll check it each round.”

  “Good. Do that,” Cort said, and then he hopped into his truck and accelerated off the site. He forced himself to slow down and stay within the speed limit. He didn’t need a ticket.

  When he passed the cutoff to the professor’s house, his mind shifted to Lani, the sunshine goddess all wrapped tightly in a culture he didn’t yet understand. He’d lived in Hawai’i long enough to fit in, but he didn’t buy all the mysticism. And this little Hawaiian volcano fancied herself as some kind of visionary who saw relics in the ground, which was pure crap.

  With her determination to close down his project, he knew he hadn’t seen the last of her. His traitorous heart pounded wildly at the thought. Damn. Why did she have this effect on him?

  The troublesome wahine was the complete opposite of the party girls who’d filled his nights with hollow laughter and his bed with sweaty, fleeting passion. He understood women like that—he didn’t understand Lani. The steadfastness to her cause and the air of mystery about her were new to him and strangely mesmerizing, boring deeply into his psyche.

  This morning, when he’d bent over her, he’d been as tempted as hell to taste those exotic lips. Raw lust was great, but not with someone like Lani, someone who would want to play for keeps. Yet, even as he thought of the reasons to avoid her, he was hoping to see her again.

  ****

  Moonlight from a full July moon streamed through Lani’s open bedroom window. Shadows bobbed on the wall as trade winds moved the leafy limbs of the old banyan tree. Cooling breezes replaced the stifling heat, yet she couldn’t sleep. She kicked off the sheets tangled about her as if they were banyan roots and got up and paced the floor.

  Grandfather returned to the house from his escape into the forest and shuffled past Lani’s door to his bedroom. She hated to hurt him by digging up painful memories, but to unravel the mystery in her life she had to learn about her past and what all the whispering had been about. She glanced at the clock—it was past midnight. Too late for a long talk. She would press him on this in the morning.

  Lani leaned on the windowsill. Stars glittered down like diamonds sprinkled across a black velvet sky. She took in a long breath, inhaling air heavy with the smell of grasses, ferns and wet, rich earth. The smell of earth reminded her of the burial ground…of fainting…of Cort.

  She’d awakened to find him leaning over her, staring down with those intense green eyes, imprinting his image on her soul forever. Her faced flamed and an involuntary tremor of excitement rippled down her spine. She whirled away from the window and flung herself onto the bed. She pounded the sheet. Cort Wayne was a man to be dealt with, not lusted for. She flipped to her side, hoping to get some sleep. After an hour of tossing and turning, she managed to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

  Sulfur fumes burned her nostrils. She awoke, coughing. Her eyes sprang open to a flash of brightness. Then an explosion of energy lit up the bedroom wall like a movie screen. The fiery image formed itself into the shape of a volcano with molten lava spewing over the top, flowing into the deep, black crevices at its base.

  The image changed from a roaring volcano into a red-haired woman, flames licking her hair, her clothing. She lunged toward Lani, hurling flames from her hair. Lani ducked, streamers of fire barely missing her, the heat singeing the hair on her arms. She flung up her hands to protect her face. Oh, God, this was no dream! This was real! More arrows of fire zipped past her. She screamed.

  ****

  Down the hall, Grandfather Keo bolted upright in bed, startled by Lani’s bloodcurdling scream. For a moment his sleep-dulled instincts froze. Then the telling smell of sulfur spurred him into action. He ran down the hall and burst into her bedroom.

  She was crouched in the center of the bed, sheet over her head. Moonlight streamed over her, transforming her into a shuddering ghost. Keo fumbled for the wall light switch and flicked it on. Bright light transformed the ghostly shape into a trembling young woman hiding under the unsatisfactory armor of the sheet.

  “Lani!” He
grasped where he thought her shoulders were and shook her rigid body. “Hush, hush. It’s all right. You’re safe now.”

  He tussled with her to strip away the sheet and saw that her face was white.

  “Volcano…woman…fire!” she cried, gasping and pointing at the blank wall.

  He drew Lani into his arms and held her, crooning comforting words, hoping to soothe her as he had when she was a child. Her rigidness began to lessen.

  “Kupuna kane, the woman flung fire at me. I could feel its heat.”

  The whiff of sulfur told Keo he couldn’t pass this vision off as another nightmare.

  ****

  Grappling with her state of high agitation, and ashamed of her numeric behavior, Lani looked up at her grandfather. His words sounded muffled and far, far away. His shoulders slumped as if a thousand pound weight had been loaded on them.

  “I was afraid if I told you about the past it would hurt you,” he said. “Now I have no choice. You must be warned to protect yourself.”

  Lani struggled in her out-of-focus world to decipher his words. He was reciting an incident when her cousins, Porno and Lei, were teenagers, thirteen and seventeen. What could they have to do with this?

  He explained that the cousins had slipped away to watch the hot lava creep from Kilauea toward the sea. When they didn’t return home by nightfall, their families organized a search party. They were found late the following day walking on the winding mountain road headed for home, sunburned and tired.

  “Kupuna kane, I don’t understand.”

  “They had a newborn keiki with them, wrapped only in moss and leafy maile vines.”

  Lani’s mouth felt dry—she could barely breathe.

  Grandfather looked deep into her eyes. “It was you.”

  A familiar emptiness engulfed Lani. “You mean I’m not part of this family either?” Buried pain resurfaced, reopening the childhood wounds to her heart.

  Grandfather drew her closer. “You’ll always be my granddaughter, here.” He touched his heart and kissed the top of her head. “My sweet mo’opuna wahine. Nothing can ever change that.”