Kendall
Kendall really hadn’t meant to eavesdrop Thursday morning. She was only trying to find Lelani to let her know that her cell phone was ringing in the guesthouse. In case the attorney was trying to reach her. At first she thought maybe Lelani had taken a morning swim in the pool. She’d done it a couple of times, getting up early enough to avoid her mother. But it was a little late for that. So then Kendall assumed that Lelani had snuck into the nursery to spend time with Emma again. She’d done that several times too. But their visits were usually cut short because Ginger, the tattletale nanny, always ran off to tell Lelani’s mom.
The back door to the main house was open, so Kendall let herself in, thinking she’d find Lelani in the nursery and get to spend some time with that adorable Emma herself. But, although the nursery door was cracked open, only Ginger and Emma were there, and it appeared she was getting Emma ready for her morning swimming—or drowning—session. So Kendall continued to prowl through the quiet house. Okay, maybe she was snooping, but then why shouldn’t she snoop? They were, after all, guests in the Porter home, shouldn’t they be allowed to look around? And this house was worth looking at too.
Besides, Kendall reminded herself as she tiptoed down a hallway at the other end of the house, she had opted to stay behind today so that the two couples (Anna and Edmond, Megan and Marcus) could do some more sightseeing. Before she left, Megan specifically told Kendall to keep an eye on Lelani. If anyone asked, that was simply what she was trying to do. For all she knew, Lelani’s witch of a mother could be poisoning Lelani—she could be slipping a teaspoon of arsenic into the coffee, smiling as she handed her daughter a cup of the finest Kona.
Just when Kendall imagined that scene, she heard their voices. Rather, it was Lelani’s voice. She was speaking calmly, rationally, just the way Lelani normally spoke.
“So you see, Mother, I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and I can understand that you might have thought you were helping me by hiring a nanny. When I rejected the idea, I might’ve sounded ungrateful. I might’ve even said some mean things that hurt your feelings. To be honest, I can’t remember my exact words, but I do remember being angry. And so I think I owe you an apology.”
Kendall gasped. What was going on here? Why was Lelani caving like this? Had her evil mother cast some sort of spell on her, slipped her drugs, turned her into a Stepford daughter? What was going on?
“Well, Lelani, have you started to come to your senses?”
Kendall clenched a fist. Then she just waited.
“All I’m saying, Mother, is that I didn’t handle things well. I didn’t appreciate that you were trying to help me.”
“That’s all I was doing, Lelani. I could see you were unhappy. I just wanted you to get on with your life.”
“But I didn’t see it like that. I thought you were trying to take my baby.”
“Oh, dear, why would I want to do that? You’re my daughter.”
There was a pause, and Kendall imagined Lelani’s mother as a spider, spinning her web, reeling in her prize.
“I just wanted you to know that I really do appreciate you. And I’m thankful for what you’ve done for Emma. For taking care of her these past nine months.”
“We’re family, Lelani. Why wouldn’t we care for our own?”
“So you accept my apology?” Lelani’s voice was hopeful and vulnerable. “Do you understand that I really never meant to hurt you?”
“I had always hoped that you’d come to your senses, Lelani.”
“So I’ll be taking Emma back with me when I leave.”
The silence grew so thick that Kendall thought she might gag on it. With her hand pressed over her mouth, she waited.
“My poor Lelani.” Her mother actually laughed now. “It’s rather sweet that you’re suddenly experiencing all these maternal urges and motherly emotions. But you must understand that it’s too little too late. You must be able to accept that time has come and gone.”
“No. I cannot see that.” Lelani’s words came slowly now, almost as if each one caused her real physical pain. Maybe they did. Kendall certainly ached inside. “I cannot accept that. I can accept that I was confused after Emma’s birth. I can see that I didn’t make good choices. I can even admit that I said some harsh things to you. But I cannot understand why you should hold that against me now. I am apologizing to you, Mother. Can you forgive me?”
“If you are speaking of the kind of forgiveness that sweeps all that’s been done under the rug, no, I cannot forgive you. If you think your pretty words are all it takes for you to waltz in here and take Kala—”
“Emma!”
“No, Lelani, her name is Kala. The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be for everyone.”
“Her name is Emma, Mother. And she is my child. Not yours. I am sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. And I am sorry that I will be forced to fight you in court, but apparently you give me no—”
“What?”
“I spoke to an attorney this week. She is ready to file petitions and take this to court. I have sworn affidavits attesting to the emotional abuse I suffered from you.”
“You are bluffing, Lelani.”
“I am not bluffing.”
Alana laughed again. And this time Kendall couldn’t take it. She burst into the room, causing both Lelani and her mother to jump. “She is not bluffing, Mrs. Porter,” declared Kendall. “We’ve been living with Lelani for months now. We all know what you’ve put her through. We all know that you are trying to steal her baby. We’ve seen you treating her like—like this!” Kendall flung out her arms for drama. “I heard every word you just said and I am willing to write another sworn statement.” Kendall pointed her finger at Mrs. Porter now. “And another thing—I think we should take this to the news. I mean, you seem like a pretty respected woman in the town. And your husband’s businesses are popular. How would you look if everyone on this island knew what you were really like?” Kendall took a step toward Lelani’s mother. “Huh? How would you like to see this story all over the newspapers and—”
“That’s enough, Kendall.” This came from Lelani. “I appreciate your trying to help, but I would never subject Emma to that kind of publicity.”
Mrs. Porter stood and faced Lelani now. “You object for the sake of your daughter, but not for your own parents? Your parents who have given you everything and—”
“Everything?” Lelani took a step closer to her mother now. “I don’t want everything. I never did. All I ever wanted from you, Mother, was to be loved and accepted. But, as you say, maybe it’s too late for that. For now, the only thing I want from you is my daughter. I will not leave this island without her.”
“That’s right!” Kendall stepped next to Lelani, standing tall. “And she has all her friends to back her on this too.”
“I’m sure it will take all her friends. And a lot more.” Mrs. Porter pointed to the door. “I do believe you have trespassed into my house. I may be forced to call the police.”
“Are you kicking us out?” asked Lelani.
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. I am kicking you out of this part of the house. You and your friends have until Saturday to evacuate the guesthouse.”
“I’m sorry.” Kendall wished that Lelani would stop crying. “I shouldn’t have butted in.”
“No, that’s not it. I actually appreciated it.”
Kendall handed her another tissue. “Then can you please stop crying. You are seriously bumming me out.”
“I’m sorry.” Lelani blew her nose. “I had just hoped that it would go differently.”
“I don’t understand why you were in there apologizing to her. She should apologize to you, Lelani. That was nuts.”
“Maybe.” Lelani sighed. “It seemed to make sense at the time.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what I said about sleeping with Matthew Harmon and look where that got me.” She patted her ever so slightly rounded tummy.
Lelani actually laughed. “That is so outrageously off the mark, Kendall. Only you would think what you just said made any sense.”
“At least it made you laugh.” Kendall sat down next to Lelani. “Okay, like it or not, you are stuck with me for the day. What is something you like to do to take your mind off of something, well, nasty like this? If it were me, I’d say shopping. But then I promised Megan that I wouldn’t and so far I’ve only cheated once. Well, twice. But enough about me. What do you want to do to forget all that—”
“Surfing.”
“Yeah!” Kendall gave her a high five. “Let’s do it. I was really getting the hang of it last time. Where do you want to go?”
“Right in my own backyard.” Lelani stood. “Well, what used to be my own backyard. Although my parents don’t own the beach.”
Soon they were paddling out to where about a dozen other surfers were already enjoying the surf action and attempting to catch what looked like some pretty decent waves. Kendall couldn’t believe how good Lelani was at this. If Kendall was just one tenth as good, she’d be happy. But she wasn’t about to give up. She was, after all, in Maui. And this was her vacation. She was going to enjoy it and give it her best shot.
Just then a big wave came up from behind them, and Kendall was ready. She got her board in place and she was riding. She pulled her feet under, just like she’d seen Lelani do again and again. Then she was up on her board, arms spread for balance, and moving through what felt like a good wave—she was flying! Then—smack! She was tackled from behind and knocked off her feet. She and the board went into the air, then tumbled into the water. It felt like she was in the spin cycle, whirling round and round until she couldn’t tell up from down and then, just when she thought her lungs were bursting, something smacked her in the forehead and the lights went out.
The next thing Kendall remembered was a pair of big strong hands—was it God?—lifting her out of the water and laying her out on something hard and smooth.
“Can you hear me?” said a deep voice. Again, Kendall wondered—was it God? Because she had been praying, or at least she thought she had.
“You’re going to be okay,” the voice told her.
She slowly opened her eyes to see a dark, kind face smiling down at her—the most dazzling smile she had ever seen—framed in blue sky.
“You’re awake,” he said. “Now, don’t move. Help is on the way. You took quite a tumble. Your friend ran ahead to call for help.” He smiled. “Hey, did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are?” He shook his head like he was dazzled. “Seriously, when I pulled you out, I thought I had rescued a mermaid.”
She attempted a smile and then the world grew dark again.
When Kendall woke up the second time, she was in a bed. And her handsome rescuer was nowhere to be seen. But a concerned Lelani was standing by. “Oh, Kendall,” she said. “How are you?”
Kendall blinked at the bright lights overhead. “I’ve been better.”
“You took a pretty severe bump on the head, which caused a concussion and rendered you unconscious. And your left wrist is fractured. But that seems to be about all. And at least you didn’t drown.”
Kendall closed her eyes again. Her head was throbbing.
“Are you in pain?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Let me run for a doctor. You can have some pain meds now that you’re awake.”
“Thanks.” Kendall had meant to ask about her handsome rescuer—that is, if he was real and not just an incredibly well-built figment of her imagination.
Lelani returned with a doctor who looked into Kendall’s eyes and ears and asked her some questions and finally told her that they’d keep her overnight for observation.
“Overnight?” she complained. “But I’m on vacation. Tomorrow is our last full day.”
“Sorry about that. But that was quite a hit you took to your head, Kendall,” he said. “And if you’re traveling home on Saturday, we want to make sure there are no complications before we release you.”
Kendall frowned.
“They’ll release you in the morning,” Lelani assured her. “That will give you almost a whole day.”
“But I wanted to go to the luau with you guys,” she protested.
“Tell you what, you’ll come back to Maui and I’ll take you to the luau, okay?”
“Yeah, even if I do come back to Maui, which seems unlikely considering my financial affairs, where will we stay? It’s not like your mom’s going to be rolling out the red carpet.”
Lelani smiled and patted Kendall’s good arm. “At least you still have your sense of humor.”
“And my good looks?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Hey, speaking of that, what about that surfer dude who rescued me?” Kendall paused. “Please, tell me he was real.”
“Killiki?”
“Killiki?” Kendall smiled. “Seriously, is that his real name?”
“It is. I’ve known him for years.”
“Killiki … I like it. Anyway, what happened to him?”
“He had to go do some work. He’s a plumber.”
Kendall frowned. “A plumber?”
“Hey, plumbers make good money.” Lelani nodded. “And they get to keep their own hours. Plumbing is an admirable profession on the island.”
“Oh. Is he married?”
Lelani threw her head back and laughed. “Only you, who has nearly drowned and suffered a concussion, would think to ask something like that.”
“Well, is he?”
“As a matter of fact, Killiki is single.”
Kendall smiled. “Do you have his phone number?”
Lelani laughed even harder now. “No. But it’s probably in the yellow pages. And, no, I’m not going to get you a phone book. I can tell the pain meds are starting to work. So why don’t you be a good girl and get some rest? That’s probably the best treatment for a head injury anyway. And, while you’re sleeping, you can dream of Killiki.”
Kendall closed her eyes. “It’s a deal.”
But when Kendall woke up, several hours later, she was not dreaming or even thinking about her gorgeous Maui man. The only thing she could think about was her baby. She had totally forgotten about her baby! And Lelani, Dr. Lelani, had not said a word about it. Kendall’s hands were on her stomach, which actually felt flatter than usual, and she began to cry. What if she had lost her baby? They had said she almost drowned. And then she’d been unconscious. Wasn’t it possible that all that trauma had caused a miscarriage?
If that was the case, she had only herself to blame. What an idiot. She didn’t deserve to have a baby! Tears were streaking down the sides of her face, cool wet tracks going straight into her ears.
“Hey, beautiful,” said a familiar voice.
She opened her eyes to see Killiki—he was for real!
“Hey, are you crying?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong, Kendall? I thought you’d be happy to be alive.”
“I am. Well, sort of. But I’m really worried.”
“About your arm?”
“No. Did Lelani tell you that I’m …” Kendall bit her lip.
“What?”
“That I am pregnant.” Now she was crying even harder. “Or maybe I was pregnant. I forgot to ask about the baby. And they gave me pain meds—and I’ll bet they wouldn’t do that if I was still pregnant because you’re not supposed to do drugs and—” Now she was crying like a baby.
“Hang on,” he said, but then he disappeared. Who could blame him for running away? Not only had he rescued a blithering idiot, she was a baby killer too!
Kendall was still crying, only not so loudly, when Killiki returned with the doctor in tow. “Tell her, doc.”
“I’m sorry, Kendall—”
“No! No! I don’t want to hear—”
“No, I mean I’m sorry that I forgot to reassure you that your baby is just fine. It was the first thing Lelani told me when you were brought in. Everything checked out just fine. I’m just sorry I didn’t tell you. I assumed she had.”
“Really?” Kendall blinked. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“I use medicine to make people feel better … not lies.”
“Thank you.”
The doctor waved and left the room. Kendall thanked Killiki for helping her, both for rescuing her and for getting the doctor just now.
“I’m happy to be of help,” he said as he pulled a chair next to her bed. “It’s not every day I pull a beautiful mermaid out of the sea.”
Kendall put her good hand on her face. “I’m sure I look like a mess.”
“Not at all.”
“Well, then, as usual, looks are deceiving, because, let me tell you, I am a mess. I may be the worst mess you’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“Really?” He leaned over with interest. “How messy are you?”
And so she told him. Without sparing any details, she told him about all the ugly messes she had made in her life. About being a shopaholic, about being in debt, about sleeping with a married man. “Well, I thought they were getting divorced,” she said. “But he was a movie star, so the truth is I might’ve done it anyway just to say that I did it.” She thought for a moment. “But I wouldn’t do it again.”
“See, you must be learning something.”
“But I got pregnant with his baby. And now he hates me. He’s trying to work things out with his wife. He actually accused me of stalking him. Maybe I was. But it didn’t really seem like it then. Still, it probably was. And then I come to Maui and I messed up again.”
Killiki frowned. “Getting hit by a wave wasn’t really your fault.”
“But you see, I am pregnant. What kind of a woman goes out surfing when she’s carrying a baby?”
“A Maui woman.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah. My own mother surfed when she was pregnant with me.”
“Really?”
“Totally. That’s why I’m such a good surfer now.”
Kendall smiled. “Okay, so maybe I’m not so messed up about the surfing part. But everything else. Really, I am a mess. Just ask my friends.”
“That’s a good point. You see, I happen to know Lelani. And there aren’t too many women I respect as much as I do her.”
Kendall’s eyes grew wide. “Are you in love with her?”
He laughed. “No, not really. I probably thought I was at one time. Not now.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway, as I was saying, you’re friends with Lelani, right?”
“Yeah. Totally.”
“So, I’m thinking you can’t be too messed up and have a friend like her.”
“Maybe not.” Kendall thought about this. “I actually have two other good friends too.”
“So, see, that tells me you’re not that messed up.”
Kendall considered confessing that she had sort of tricked them into being her friends by renting rooms to them, but decided she should save something for later. If there was a later. And she hoped there would be.
“I see my mermaid is getting sleepy.” He gently pushed some hair away from her face. “Sweet dreams, pretty mermaid.” Then he knelt over and kissed her on the cheek and she felt tingly all over. She intended to have sweet dreams!
Instead, she had a restless night. She was thinking about all the things she had confessed to Killiki. Besides the fact that she’d been dumb-dumb-dumb—although what was new with that?—and had possibly driven away a totally cool guy, she was now painfully aware that she really was a mess. A pathetic, mixed-up, certifiable mess.
Then, for no particular reason, she remembered what that pastor dude on the beach had said about how he liked to go out looking for messed-up people because they were like God’s lost sheep. And, really, wasn’t that her? Wasn’t she more lost than anyone? Was it possible that God was out looking for her?
For the first time since she’d been a little girl, Kendall attempted a prayer. Oh, it wasn’t much of a prayer, and she realized as she was drifting off to sleep that she hadn’t even said amen, although she wasn’t really sure what was up with amen in the first place. But really, what could God expect from a messed-up girl like her? She just hoped he was listening.
To Kendall’s surprised delight, Killiki showed up the next morning. A nurse had just helped Kendall to dress in the yoga sweats and hoodie that one of her friends must’ve dropped by last night, since they’d also left flowers and balloons, probably on their way to the luau, which she had missed. The nurse wheeled her to the entrance, where Lelani was due to pick her up any minute now. But then in walked Killiki, wearing a pale blue shirt and that dazzling smile. And in his hands was a perfect white lei that he tenderly placed around her neck.
“Ooh, that smells yummy,” she told him. “Thanks.”
“I was afraid I wouldn’t get here in time before you left.”
“Yeah, that was close.” Kendall glanced to where Lelani’s silver convertible was pulling up. Gil was driving and Lelani was waving from the passenger side. Apparently her witch mother hadn’t taken away her car privileges yet. “There’s my ride.”
She stood and he gave her his arm. “I know you’re leaving tomorrow,” he said, “but I cannot stop thinking about you.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “There’s an old folktale that says when you rescue a maiden from the sea, she belongs to you.” He kind of laughed. “Okay, I’m not into slavery or anything kinky. But I sort of feel like part of you belongs to me now, Kendall.”
She felt her eyes growing wide. “Really?”
“Did you know your eyes are the color of the ocean on a sunny day?”
She just shook her head.
“Hey, Killiki,” said Lelani as she came over to join them. “What’s up?”
“I’m claiming your friend as my prize,” he grinned.
Kendall laughed. “Yeah, to the winner go the spoils.”
Lelani looked curiously at both of them.
“I feel kind of silly acting like this,” Killiki continued. “In fact, it’s a little out of my comfort zone—I’m not really a nutcase. At least I wasn’t before I rescued you.” He looked nervously at Lelani. “I think Lelani can vouch for my character.”
“That’s true,” said Lelani. “I can vouch for Killiki. He’s a good guy.”
“So, I guess what I’m saying is”—he turned back to Kendall and continued awkwardly—“would you spend some time with me today, before you fly away to the mainland tomorrow? So that we can get to know each other better?” He smiled hopefully. “But I will understand if you think I’m crazy and tell me to go take a hike.”
“No,” said Kendall.
He frowned.
“I mean, no, don’t go take a hike. I do want to get to know you better.” She turned to Lelani. “Do you mind if—”
“Not at all. That is, if you feel up to it. How’s your head doing?” Lelani studied Kendall carefully. “And your arm?”
“I feel fine. And this is my last whole day in Maui. You and the doctor said I’d be able to do stuff.”
Lelani grinned, then turned to Killiki. “Just take it easy, okay? And tell me you’re not on your Harley today.”
He held up his hand like a pledge. “No, of course not.”
“You have a Harley?” Kendall was beaming now.
“Yes. And she’s a beauty, but we won’t be riding her today.”
“You two have fun. And, Killiki, you know where to bring her home, right?”
“You know it.”
Lelani hugged Kendall and whispered in her ear. “Killiki is a really good guy. And by the way, you may have put the fear of God—or maybe the media—into my mother.”
“Really?” Kendall blinked.
Lelani crossed her fingers. “My dad wants to talk to me when I get back home.”
Now Kendall crossed her fingers. Then she waved at Gil and Lelani as they drove off. She wished she knew how to pray better.
“Something wrong?” asked Killiki.
She frowned. “I was just wishing I knew how to pray better. I mean I gave it a try last night, but I’m such a beginner. I wonder how you get really good at something like that.”
His eyes lit up. “You just keep doing it.”
“Do you pray?”
“Oh, yeah. But I never read a book about it. Besides the Bible. Mostly I try to keep it simple. I imagine God as a regular guy like me and I just talk to him normal-like, the same way I’m talking to you.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
Kendall smiled. “You’re an interesting guy, Killiki.”
“So, my mermaid, are you ready to roll?”
“You know what they say: Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
Killiki nodded, then looked serious. “Did Lelani tell you that I’m a plumber?”
“She did.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“I hear that plumbers are highly respected in Maui.”
“You know what they say: When your toilet’s overflowing, there’s no one you’d rather come to your rescue than a plumber.”
Kendall laughed. Wasn’t that the truth!