by Jillian Neal
He joined her at her selected table and handed her the bag of coffee beans as they waited on their order to be supplied.
“Best fiancée ever.” She leaned across the table and kissed his jaw.
“Now you can sit at our kitchen table, and we can decide if we’re moving to Kauai.” Wherever she wanted to be, he would go, and he wanted her to understand that.
The large bowl of ice cream with two spoons and mugs of coffee arrived. Fionna thanked the waitress in Hawaiʻian.
“I need to come back more often. I’ve been away far too long.”
As Dan had already determined this, he smiled, “Yes, you have. So how about whatever we decide we might want to do with the rest of our lives, we make sure that we take time to come back out here on regular basis.”
He fed her a bite of ice cream and then took one himself and almost moaned out loud.
“Okay, if we move back out here, baby doll, I’m going to have to find a gym quickly and stay there most of the day.”
“Nah, see, you just surf all day and then you can pretty much eat whatever you want, and you have an amazing tan.”
Dan squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry you can’t surf yet, honey.” He was sorry for so many things.
Fionna shrugged, “It’s okay. We’re coming back soon, right?”
“You just say the word, baby doll. We’ll be on the next plane.”
Papa and Tutu had declared no work be done that day on the farm. It was to be a day of remembrance of all that had been lost.
Malani and Kai had also gone to the bay. They spied Dan and Fionna in the café and rushed inside.
“We don’t want to interrupt,” Malani hesitated. “We just saw you, and I wanted to give you another hug.”
Fionna grinned. “You can have a hug, and you can join us.”
“You sure, Maylea?” Kai asked concernedly.
“We would love that.”
They ordered and joined Fionna and Dan at the back table.
“Let me see it.” Malani peeked under the table, trying to see Fionna’s ankle. She supplied her newly tattooed left foot.
“Maylea, that’s perfect.” She touched the tattoo lightly.
“Yeah, I really like it.” Fionna’s gaze traveled from her own foot to Dan’s eyes.
“You got the same thing?”, Kai quizzed Dan.
“Yeah, it’s on my back.” He gestured to his shoulder blade.
“Very cool, brah.” Kai let just a little Hawaiʻian slang slip. The tattoo seemed to be all the proof he needed that Dan would take care of Fionna.
“You know what I was thinking about?” Malani scooted closer to Fionna so that their thighs were touching.
Fionna smiled and shook her head. “There are so many, many things.”
“That time when we were eleven,” Malani giggled.
“Oh, my gosh! I’m surprised we survived.”
Malani turned to Dan. “You know how Tutu is always talking about letting the island rhythms guide you, and move you, and everything?”
His breath came up short as he recalled those very rhythms thrumming out of Fionna while he’d taken her the evening before. The rhythms of her that set the very cadence of his heart. Yeah, he knew the rhythms, and he’d follow them anywhere.
He managed a half nod and waited on Malani to continue.
“Right, so, we were only eleven, and we couldn’t really access our energy just yet.” A slight heat formed in her olive cheeks. Kai chuckled and gazed at his wife like he could never love anything more.
“We didn’t really understand what that meant entirely.”
Fionna laughed and shook her head at the memory. Dan was very intrigued to see what they’d done.
“So Maylea and I decided that we were going to spend the night at her house and sneak out and come into town all by ourselves, because there was this huge island wedding for some rockstar or something.”
“No,” Fionna smirked, “it was for Representative Kalakona after all of that crazy stuff had happened.”
“That’s right!” Malani gasped. “The guy she’s married to, his family is really weird and his dad committed suicide or something right before the wedding. It was crazy, and we wanted to see the big huge wedding.”
Dan reached and held Fionna’s hand across the table.
“Anyway, so we snuck out, headed towards where we thought the wedding would be, but couldn’t find it,” she lamented.
Fionna nodded, “But we did find ourselves very, very lost in the dark.”
A smirk had formed on Kai’s kind face. He was shaking his head at both Malani and Fionna.
“Papa found us the next morning, and I thought Maylea’s dad was going to explode when we told him that the island rhythms told us to do it.”
Dan guffawed as he envisioned just how Fionna’s father would’ve reacted. Fionna was giggling over the memories, the angelic melody that sung to his soul.
“When they finally let us out of the house again, we found out the wedding was actually on Malakai, which is where Representative Kalakona is from.” Fionna rolled her eyes.
Dan listened intently to Malani and Fionna recount stories from their childhood, but the story of the two of them sneaking out for the wedding stuck out in his mind.
Confusion
As the sun set after Dan and Fionna had eaten at her grandparent’s home, Dan kept the swing on the screened in porch of the guest cottage gently gliding.
Her grandmother had insisted on another bath for Maylea before they went to bed, and he was rather looking forward to it.
She’d spent some time alone in the waterfall spring just before their supper, letting the waters heal her. Part of the process, but Dan had missed her terribly. His rhythms still frayed and spun in chaos when she was away from him. But in those moments when he sat outside alone, his entire body seemed to hone in on the island. He knew what they needed to do next.
“Dan?”
“Fionna?” He grinned over her slight giggle.
“My abilities still aren’t working quite right, but something feels off. Something is different about Malani. And something far away feels dark; I think, but I can’t quite tell. I’m still not myself. Normally, things are more clear.”
“Didn’t Tutu say that it was going to take several weeks for you to really stabilize? I think it’s probably normal. What happened to you was…” He choked.
“I’m okay. I promise. I just wish I could figure it out. It’s a little scary, but I’ll be able to eventually, I hope.”
He continued to swing them softly as the evening breeze whispered through the Banyan trees. He went on with his plan.
“Can I ask you something, baby doll?”
She was laying on the swing with her head in his lap. Her energy had tensed with her confession, but with a few more sways of the swing, it calmed again. He kept his fingers stroking softly through her hair.
“Of course.”
“I know this might be a little rushed,” he admitted hesitantly.
She picked up on his trepidation and sat up to study him. She linked her fingers through his, and he felt her soothing energy move out of her and into his hand.
“You know, if I had never made love with you, I would think that was the most incredible feeling in the world,” he groaned from the sensation.
She beamed and then closed her eyes. As she began to draw from him, she worked her rhythms magically so that she drew his energy and then supplied him with her own. It was precisely how it felt when he thrust himself inside of her.
His entire body shuddered from the heavenly perfection travelling through him. He wrapped her up tightly in his arms and devoured her mouth. He needed more; he needed it all. She was panting and writhing in his arms when he finally pulled away.
“Fi, I want to be married to you.” He’d been planning on broaching the subject with a little more finesse, but it poured from his mouth without calculation. “I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to get married now, here,
please. No parents, no invitations, no press, just us.”
“Oh, my gosh,” her energy spun in frenzied euphoria. “Really? You want to get married here, in Kauai?”
Dan nodded and tried to steady his heartbeats. “If you want to.”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve always wanted to get married here! I just never thought I could.”
“You could teach me, or your grandparents could show me all the things I need to know for a Hawaiian ceremony. I want you to have that. You should get married here, Fi. This island is… it’s just where we should do this. It’s where you belong, baby.”
“If it didn’t hurt to jump up and down, I would! But what about your mom?” She deflated suddenly.
“I’ll call and tell them before the ceremony.” He wondered if he should feel badly about cutting their parents out, but he was unable to access any guilt.
“You need a best man for the exchanging of the leis.” Her exuberance delighted him. He let that information settle on him. He needed to make a few phone calls.
“You really want to do this now? You really want to get married before we go home?”
“Yes, I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to marry you right now, but I’ll wait a couple of days and help you plan whatever you want the ceremony to be. I’ll do anything you want, just please. Let’s do this! Let’s start over. Let’s really live a life outside in the daylight instead of hidden away in the dark.”
“I have to call Malani!”
Dan and Fionna spent the next two days deep in preparation. Tutu would stop them occasionally and have Dan give Fionna baths or make them walk in the waters of Kauai, which made each day perfect by Dan’s estimation.
Tutu also provided Fionna’s mother’s diamond wedding band, which fit underneath her engagement ring perfectly. Fionna was ecstatic.
Malani and Fionna went out the following afternoon and located a dress.
After another dinner of fish tacos, Dan and Fionna shopped the vendors at an open-air market and located a wedding band formed of island palladium with intricate scrollwork throughout. The design was unending, but not a repeating pattern. Each picture was different, but then bled to the next image.
To Dan’s shock, it fit perfectly. He was certain he would need something custom made. His hands were rather large, but the ring seemed to have been made for him. They purchased it immediately.
~Garrett Haydenshire~
“Uh, here.” His father was flustered as he signed his name to the marriage certificate. Garrett wasn’t certain if it was due to the fact that money was still disappearing from Interfeci accounts, or that Dan had asked the Governor not to tell the Vindicos.
“I’m not going to say anything to them, Dad. They’re getting married. They need a real life. Fi was dying, trapped the way they were. We can figure this out without Dan, and then I’m going back to the precinct. Rainer and Logan can handle this now.”
His father sighed. “Nothing like being between a rock and a hard place, I suppose. No one knows more about the ins and outs of the Interfeci than Daniel, and he’s the one guy I don’t want to call. You’re right; he and Fionna need a fresh start. I offered him one, and I’m not going to take it away now.”
As his decision became resolute, his father’s gaze locked on Garrett’s. He shifted uncomfortably and glanced at his watch. He needed to get out to the planes. He’d have several hours between D.C. and LiHue to plan out how to keep his worries and fear from Fionna. She could read him like a freaking book.
He’d just focus on her. She was finally getting what she wanted, and that delighted Garrett. According to Dan, she was happier than he’d ever seen her. So the Interfeci or whatever remnant of them was doing this could just go to hell.
“You sure you’re okay with this wedding, son?”
Garrett rolled his eyes. Not this again. “Dad, come on, how many times do I have to swear to you that I am not now, nor was I ever in love with Fionna? I do love her, but I love her like I love Emily. Nothing more. She’s my best friend, and she’s marrying one of my best friends, so I’m thrilled.”
Governor Haydenshire held up his hands in surrender. “I believe you, son. I just wondered if this might be difficult for you.”
“Nope, I’m good. Flying to Kauai tonight, Brazil day after tomorrow and then I’ll be back a few days later. If we can manage not to lose any more money or operatives between now and then, I’ll be even better.”
“Agreed.” The Governor rolled up the marriage certificate, casted it, and handed it to Garrett.
~Dan Vindico~
“Aww, Maylea, you brought us sex salad.” Malani and Fionna dissolved into a pile of hysterical giggles. Dan and Kai both shook their heads.
“Uh, what?” Dan finally asked.
“Tutu made me bring it. I had to eat it last night, too.” Fionna set the large bowl full of baby spinach leaves on Malani’s kitchen table.
“It’s full of island ingredients that are good for reproductive organs.” Malani explained. “Did you bring…?”
“Maca dressing, of course.” Fionna held up the oily brown dressing in a glass jar. “She’s been slipping maca in my tea and coffee, too. She’s not even trying to be sneaky about it anymore.”
Dan studied the salad. He’d assumed it must’ve been one of Fionna’s favorites. Tutu had prepared it several times since they’d arrived. He wasn’t aware that it had other purposes. It was quite good. He’d enjoyed several bowls himself. He’d usually skip over the seaweed pieces, but the rest was delicious. It was loaded with island fruits and vegetables, almonds, macadamia nuts, and was covered in acai juice. Fionna loved avocado and it was loaded with it.
“Tutu prescribes it all the time for women that have any kind of reproductive issues. So when we were teenagers, we started calling it sex salad.” Malani giggled again.
“Well, I’m not allowed to go back to the farm until we finish this.” Fionna teased.
“I’m so excited about tonight.” Malani was moving around the apartment throwing things into duffle bags. She and Fionna were having one last slumber party for the two of them with Tutu before Fionna walked down the aisle the next morning.
Dan’s heart thundered in his chest each time he tried to picture it. It always seemed just out of reach. He’d ended Wretchkinsides. He told himself he was being insane, that he’d lived so long in a constant state of terror that something would happen to her, he couldn’t believe that they were really safe now. Whatever was plaguing his mind and whatever had her rhythms occasionally spinning oddly was imaginary. It had to be. Nothing else could go wrong.
After their lunch of sex salad, Fionna and Dan had returned to the farm for a nap. Tutu’s reflexologist had visited and worked on Fionna’s feet. Dan bit holes in his tongue to keep from ordering the guy to get his hands off of his fiancée. Dan happened to find Fionna’s feet insanely sexy, and some other guy rubbing them pissed him off royally.
Still wary of his own temper and that damn remnant of energy, he ordered himself to remain clam. To his shock, when the guy was finally finished, Fionna was glowing and seemed to feel even better.
The spirituality of it all, and those heady island rhythms, soothed his irritation.
He held her hand and guided her out to the truck. They needed to get to the airport. As the Gifted flight touched down, Dan kept his arm wrapped over Fionna. Passengers began to disembark. Garrett made his way down the jetway, sporting his broad, mischievous smirk.
Fionna laughed as he hugged her fiercely. He slapped Dan on the back while shaking his hand.
“I’m supposed to give you this,” Garrett chided dramatically as he unrolled the marriage certificate signed by Governor Haydenshire. “Dad says, you know, to tell you how thrilled he is, proud, yada yada yada.”
Dan laughed heartily, certain that the Governor’s actual statement hadn’t gone quite that way.
“You look amazing, baby. So much better.” Garrett studied Fionna while they walked to the truck.
/> Dan and Fionna shared a knowing grin. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It’s been quite a trip. But what’s wrong with you?”
Garrett tried to hide his grimace. Panic churned in Dan’s gut.
“Not a thing, baby. Just tired. Long flight, and I got in a disagreement with Dad. I want to leave Elite and go back to the precinct now that the deed is done, so to speak, but Dad wants me to stay on.”
“I really appreciate your coming out for this.” Dan highly suspected that the story Garrett had just spun was highly fabricated, but he had no intention of calling him on it. Nothing was going to worry Fionna. She’d been through enough.
“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t have missed this for anything. Although I do really want to be in the room with you tomorrow when you call your folks and tell them what you’re doing.”
Dan laughed, “You’re my best man, so I was thinking maybe you’d call them.”
“Right.” Garrett pulled his cell from his pocket and mocked a phone call. “Hey Mrs. V, it’s Garrett Haydenshire. Yeah, that Garrett Haydenshire,” he continued as Dan and Fionna cracked up. “Uh huh, I’m in Hawaiʻi with Dan and Fi, and he just kissed the bride. Just wanted you to know, and by the way Dan says to tell you to suck it up your Jell-O mold,” he concluded as they all laughed raucously.
Dan drove the roads back to the farm with ease. He’d done it many times since their arrival.
“So there will be hula girls at this shindig, right?” Garrett was doing quite a job of hiding whatever was bugging him. Dan clenched his jaw shut tightly.
Fionna rolled her eyes. “Yes, and they are all my friends from when I was a little girl, and most of them are married, so could you please be good?”
Dan reached and laced his fingers through Fionna’s, letting her draw strength from him.
“I’m always good, baby. Don’t worry about that.” He winked at her as she shook her head.
Dan felt her rhythms forcibly resist the emotion she picked up on from Garrett. She didn’t really want to know what had gotten to him any more than he wanted to tell her.