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Mike met her at Whaler’s Village, which was an eerie similarity to how this all started. After explaining everything that happened over the past week, Joely had to beg Mike not to turn the car around so he could “kick his brother’s ass.”
“It’s okay,” she said.
“It’s not okay.”
But in the end Joely managed to convince him to drive her back towards Makawao. She needed to meet with her sister more than ever now.
“You want to go back to the ranch?”
“No, I can’t run the risk of running into Holt. I was thinking of camping out at Baldwin Beach.”
“No,” Mike said. “It’s not safe there. Too many tweakers and meth heads at night. But the waves are choice during the day.”
“Hookipa?” she asked.
“Nah, the rangers get a stick up their butt. It’s illegal.” Mike took his hands off the wheel to do finger quotes around the word illegal.
That was the story of her life in one gesture. “I need to go to the street festival tomorrow. I’m meeting my sister there.”
Mike arched an eyebrow at her. “Is she cute?”
Joely had to smile. “I haven’t seen her in a while, but yeah, she’s cute.”
“Is she single?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Mike,” she warned.
“Why don’t you call Amelia or Michaela? They can put you up for the night.”
Joely shook her head. “I’m too ashamed. I couldn’t bear it if they were disappointed in me.”
“Holt’s got a stick up his ass too. I should take you to Uncle Tetsuo’s place in Wailea.”
“No, don’t. You’ll get in trouble for taking his car.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Still, I can’t have you camping out all alone. You can crash at my friend’s BnB. It’s right by Baby Beach, the one off Baldwin Beach, not the one down in Lahaina. It’s empty because it’s basically a shed and the last people who booked it trashed her on the internet. If you can leave her a good review on Yelp, she’ll call it even.”
“Deal,” Joely said, getting out her phone.
“And in the morning, we can do some surfing at Hookipa if you’re feeling up to it. If not, we can do Baldwin.”
Joely was going to refuse. The waves on the North Shore were no joke. Professional surfers drowned there, especially the ones who went way out to Peahi to surf Jaws. But if this was her last time on Maui to surf, there wasn’t a better spot than the North Shore beaches. “Your friend got a board?”
“Roger dat.”
“Shoots,” she said.
“Radical.” Mike fist bumped her.
About an hour later, they headed into a residential area and he pulled into a driveway. Lights were on in the main house.
“Stay here for a minute.”
Joely wanted out of her maid’s uniform in the worst way. At this point, she’d be willing to sleep in the car as long as Mike drove it far away from Holt.
After a few minutes, he came back with a triumphant shaka. “You can stay.”
“Thanks.” She gathered her things and got out of the car. He led her around to the back yard, a dog barked from inside and Joely could hear the noise of a television showing a sitcom.
Mike hadn’t been kidding. It was a shed. But it had a twin bed inside and a working sink and toilet.
“It’s got no frills, but she makes bank on the surfers in January.”
“It’s perfect,” she said.
“Bolt the door after I leave, and no one should bother you. But you got your phone, just in case?”
Joely nodded. “Thanks for this, Mike.”
He shuffled his feet. “Do you want me to talk to Holt? Smooth things over?”
She shook her head. “I think we’ve lied enough. It’s time to make things a reality. I’m leaving with my sister. My ex won’t find me.”
“I don’t want you to go,” he said, and gave her a quick hug.
“Don’t make me cry,” she begged.
He wiped his nose on his jacket sleeve. “We’ll talk about this in the morning. Can I get you anything?”
“Just the surfboard tomorrow.”
“It’s going to work out,” Mike said, not realizing he was saying the same thing his brother had said to her.
She tried for a smile.
“Get some sleep,” he said.
Even though she was exhausted, Joely knew that she wouldn’t be able to sleep. After bolting the door, she tried to charge her phone. The first outlet was dead, but she caught a break on the one by the toilet. Reaction started to set in and she knew if she started to cry, she wouldn’t stop. So, she found some cleaning supplies and went to work.
Two hours later, she had to walk outside to get away from the chemical smells. But she’d bet money that was the cleanest that shed had ever been.
She could hear the ocean from here. Leaning up against a tree, she let the soft night air caress her. If she hugged the tree and pretended it was Holt, Joely didn’t begrudge herself the fantasy.
A while later, she heard some whoops and raucous laughter. She wasn’t in the mood to party or deal with people, so she locked herself inside the shed. The harsh smell had dissipated. She was grateful for the clean sheets that smelled faintly like bleach, and she rolled over to check the charge on her phone.
No calls from Holt.
It hurt.
More than she liked. But what else could they say to each other than hadn’t already been said.
She checked the activity on Timothy’s laptop, but it hadn’t been touched at all. After witnessing the bedroom gymnastics, she was pretty sure checking his email was last on his list for tonight. What would he do when he saw the blackmail message?
Joely wondered about the blackmailer’s identity. If she knew Holt was going to react the way he had, she wouldn’t have given up her laptop so easily. She could have spent the night trying to crack open that folder or tracking down the email that the blackmailer used.
Oh well, the blackmailer’s identity could wait until she was safely off the island.
Turning off the bare bulb light, Joely was grateful for a soft bed, and if the water leaking out of her eyes wet the pillow, well it should be dry in the morning.
***
IT WAS IRONIC THAT the first time on her vacation she got to sleep late she was in a shed. Mike woke her up at eleven, banging on the door. He brought some doughnuts on a stick for her and a large coffee for breakfast.
She kicked him out afterwards so she could change into her bathing suit. She considered the ridiculous purple bikini, but it would be just her luck to have a wave rip it off her. So, she went for her Billabong one piece. It was black with neon pink stripes on the side. She always felt like a bad ass when she was wearing it.
“What’s it gonna be, wahine? Baldwin or Hookipa?”
“Hookipa,” she said. “Fuck it.” If the locals gave her attitude, she’d give it right back. All she wanted was one great wave to remember and they could have the rest. “Has your uncle noticed his car is missing?”
“Nah, he’s got his own problems.”
“Where did you stay last night?”
“Up in my room at the ranch.”
Joely swore that she wasn’t going to ask about Holt, but after a few minutes her will broke down. “Was Holt there?”
“Nah, Pops said he’s spitting nails at Palekaiko.”
Joely thought for a moment and then simply said, “Good.” Why should she be the only one suffering?
“Yeah good as long as you’re not in his way.”
“Where are our boards?” she asked as she put on sunscreen and braided her hair tight to her scalp.
“They’ll be at the beach. We’re meeting friends.”
Joely hoped it was the BnB owner. She wanted to thank them personally. It had been nice to be alone and feel safe. It was even nicer to sleep until lunch time. “Is there going to be a cook out?”
“Do I look like an amateur?”
Joely made a mental list of everything she hoped was at the picnic. She refused to be sad. This was her goodbye to Maui party, but it was going to be a celebration.
They parked at Hookipa and walked towards the pavilion. She saw Makoa first.
“Oh no. We can’t stay here.”
Then she heard Amelia laugh. Dude was grilling hot dogs on a hibachi. “I don’t think that’s allowed,” Joely whispered, looking over her shoulder.
“He’s a billionaire. He paid good money for the rangers to look the other way.”
Out in the ocean, she saw Michaela in the lineup and Marcus riding a wave in. As they got closer, she got a lump in her throat. They had brought her board and it was jammed in the sand with the rest of the crew’s boards, just like always. Her long board was neon pink with a stencil of a turtle in black. Kai had hand painted it for her. She thought she would never see it again. Running her hand over it, she wished she could take it with her.
Hani and Kai saw them first and hurried over. If they were mean to her, she was going to lose it. Panic set in and she braced to run. But Hani caught her in a hug and whirled her around.
“We missed you.”
Now, she really was bawling. Kai was next. And he took off his shirt to dry her eyes. “Stop that shit. If Makoa sees you crying, he’ll start to cry too.”
She sniffed and gave a watery giggle.
“Don’t blow snot on my shirt,” Kai said.
“I’m not.” She threw it back at him.
Makoa let out a whoop when he saw her and grabbed her.
“What?” she managed to get out before he slung her over his shoulder. Grabbing his board, he ran into the ocean with her.
“We’re gonna go tandem,” he said.
“Here?” she screeched. “Are you crazy?”
“Sometimes. Help me paddle.”
It wasn’t like he was giving her much choice in the matter.
Kneeling on the board, they paddled out, passing Michaela who was riding a wave in.
“You guys don’t hate me?” Joely asked when Michaela smiled and gave her the shaka.
“Of course not. We could never hate you.”
She swallowed hard. “Holt does.”
“Nah, he’s just thick headed.”
“Is he here?”
“Sistah, who do you think is running the place if we’re all here?”
“Who?” she said, as they got in the surfing line-up to wait their turn for a wave.
“Holt and his daddy. If you thought Holt was in a bad mood last night, you wouldn’t want to see him today.”
Joely pressed her forehead against Makoa’s wide back. “I don’t think that’s in the cards.”
“You never know. Ask Zarafina.”
“Is she here too?”
“No, she stayed back. I think she’s got a crush on Mel. That’s Holt’s daddy.”
It was glorious to float in the ocean. Joely crushed the part of her that kept looking for Holt and when it was their turn for the wave, she almost lost her nerve.
“Keep kneeling on the board and wait until I’m about to pop. Then crawl on my shoulders.”
“You’re nuts.”
“Just do it. We got this.”
Yeah, we didn’t.
Not the first time.
Or the second.
But the third time, they made it back to shore and the whole beach erupted in applause. Of course, by that time Joely’s hair was a sodden mess all over her face and she was shaky from laughing and swallowing all that salt water.
But they missed the rocks and the coral.
“I think we deserve a hot dog.”
“Roger dat,” Makoa said, high fiving her.
“That was awesome! I’ve got it all on my camera.” Amelia gave her a hug. Joely hung on to her.
“I’m so so sorry.”
“You’re not fired,” Amelia said.
“But Holt...”
“Doesn’t have a say in the matter.” Amelia dusted her hands off as if that ended the matter. And for Amelia, it probably did.
“Is Dude pissed at me?”
“Dude doesn’t get pissed.” They walked over to the cooler. Amelia cracked open a beer and handed her one.
Joely tanked half of it, which she probably shouldn’t have done with only doughnuts and a cup of coffee in her stomach, but damn she needed it.
“What about Marcus?”
“What about him?” Michaela said, coming up for her hug.
“I guess he’s disappointed in me too.”
“He might have been if Holt got to him first with his side of the story.” Michaela laughed. “Luckily, Mike called last night and told us everything.”
“Everything?” Joely winced.
“Yeah.” She punched her lightly on the arm. “You should have called me. You could have been spending the last week on a yacht instead of a cattle ranch.”
“The cattle ranch was kind of fun. And I didn’t want to intrude. This whole situation is so fucked up.”
“Honey, you hid me from Holt while I squatted in the hotel. I owe you. And you are so not fired,” Michaela said.
“See?” Amelia handed Michaela a beer.
“What’s Holt going to say?” Joely finished her beer and accepted a hot dog from Dude.
“What he always does. But it’ll die down and things will get back to normal.” Amelia hooked her arm through her husband’s. “Right?”
“Shoots,” he said. “Want to go tandem?”
“No, I’d rather not drown,” Amelia said.
“Then let’s go fool around in the car.”
Amelia thought about it, and then shrugged. “Shit, why not? I haven’t had a day off in ages. Do you think I should check in on Holt first?”
“No,” was the consensus of everyone else.
Joely declined to answer.
“Anyway, Marcus will have the yacht meet you at Malikeo Bay tonight. And you can stay aboard until Timothy flies back home.”
“This can’t be real.” Joely’s head was spinning.
“You’ll be saying there tonight. The chef is cooking up lobster thermidor and chocolate mousse.”
Oddly, Joely wondered what the ranch hands were going to eat tonight. She had been planning on making clam chowder and serving it in bread bowls.
“Thank you,” she said simply. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Girlfriend, I would have done the same thing,” Michaela said.
“But I broke the law and the resort’s rules.”
Amelia shrugged. “What some tight asses don’t get is that the rules are guidelines. Sometimes rules should be broken. In this case, Timothy is a powerful and dangerous man who already put you in the hospital once. He got away with that. Never again.”
Joely had a hard time swallowing her hot dog. All she ever wanted was to have Holt say something like that, but all he saw was black and white. She shook herself out of the funk that was threatening to come over her. There was no sense wishing a tiger would change his stripes. They had a dream of a week together, with the sweetness of possibility making it all that more poignant. She wouldn’t ruin those memories with regret.
And who knows, maybe it would all work out.
After Timothy left and she went back to her job at the resort, things would be awkward for a while. But Holt had always been her friend. She was sure that even if they lost the great sex and connection they had on the ranch, he would eventually get over this.
And if he didn’t, there was always the new identity her sister was going to give her tonight.