Winter in Waianae (Love in Oahu Book 2) Page 11

  She wiped her face on her sleeve and the image of an inconsolable Max appeared in her mind. His little red face puckered with anger as he kicked his legs in frustration.

  Brittany sat up, ashamed of her behavior. Annie needed to focus on Larry, Marissa, and Erika. She didn’t need her younger sister melting down and acting like a two year old. One Max was quite enough.

  She wasn’t in any condition to carry on a conversation with her sister, so she picked up her phone and tapped out a quick message. I’m sorry. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.

  A few seconds later, her phone chirped. We’ll talk this out as soon as possible. I love you. Please don’t be sad or upset.

  Brittany had the best sister in the entire world. Feeling generous she replied, Tell Marissa hello and give Erika a hug. I’m not upset anymore. Your husband has a way of getting his point across without saying a word. I’m headed out to apologize to him right now.

  Brittany’s phone pinged a few seconds later. Yes he does... You’ve just been Terrorenced-ized. We’re still talking about this though.

  She hoped the subject would be dropped, but it didn’t appear as if that was going to happen. Brittany stopped by the bathroom to wash her face before facing her brother-in-law. It was going to be tough admitting she was a brat.

  The living room was dark. Terence’s bare feet rested on top of the coffee table. He relaxed on the couch with his baby son asleep on his chest. The television was on low, and it gave off a strobe light effect as it changed from scene to scene.

  Britt plopped down in the club chair strategically placed adjacent to the sofa. Wanting to prolong the inevitable, she asked, “What are you watching?”

  Terence glanced up, raised the remote and flipped off the tube. “Nothing.”

  The only illumination was now provided by moonbeams radiating through the bay window.

  Her brother-in-law was smooth. Terence wasn’t going to be the first one to speak. He would wait her out until the silence between them became unbearable. Brittany watched him use the same technique on both Annie and Erika. The women in his life could be described as chatty, especially his daughter. Left in a quiet abyss wasn’t something either of them could abide.

  The only one who didn’t fall for his ploy was his sister, Lena. She would rest her chin on the heel of her hand and the siblings would wait each other out. Usually the one who had more pressing things to do was the one who would eventually give up. Sometimes it would turn into a staring contest and the first one who blinked would be the loser.

  Brittany didn’t have anything better to do with her time tonight and considered giving the quiet game a whirl, but Max would probably wake up. Terence would have to tend to him, and her opportunity to make amends would disappear.

  “You’re right. I was way off base,” she said softly.

  Terence chose not to reply.

  He wasn’t going to make it easy. She hurt his wife’s feelings and upset her. Brittany was going to have to dig a little deeper to get back in his good graces.

  “Everyone has welcomed me with open arms, especially Annie.” Britt shifted on the cushions and tucked a leg up under her. “I don’t have any real reason to be jealous of Marissa. I haven’t had a sister in a long time. When Grady and I were out on the beach, he told me biology didn’t matter, that Annie and Marissa were sisters. He also said that even though Annie was tired, she would probably go to the airport with him. He was right. Annie was waiting at the door, and I lost it.”

  She rubbed her face and sniffed hard. Terence still wasn’t talking. “When I was little,” she continued, “I remember Marissa swinging by our house in her fancy car and Annie running off. I guess I felt she was doing it again. I don’t blame Annie for leaving me behind back then. She had to. Mom and Dad treated her really bad. After she left for good, I became their punching bag. I didn’t realize how much abuse Annie took until I became the brunt of it.”

  Tears streamed down her face. Brittany had a break through. The words she spoke had never formed in her head that way before. Everything was suddenly much clearer. It felt good to let that burden go. For years, she blamed Marissa for taking Annie away when all she was guilty of was saving her. The Wright family befriended Annie in much the same way as her stoner beach friends back in San Diego. Annie stepped up into Marissa’s world, while Brittany took a step down.

  A soft snore passed through Terence’s lips. His body was slack. She had bared her soul to a man who was sound asleep.

  It didn’t matter. Brittany felt lighter. The only reason Terence was home was to relieve her of Max duty. The Javiers had a standing code that until Max was older and calmer, they would never submit any of their friends and family to more than three hours of his special kind of torture. Today that rule had been broken for the first time and Brittany, with Grady’s help, had taken care of him for over six hours.

  She tiptoed over to the sofa and gently removed Max from his father’s loving embrace.

  • • •

  When Brittany and Max were safely out of the living room, Terence tucked a pillow under his head and covered his body with a light throw blanket.

  Brittany was smart. He thought he was going to have to set her up with a few sessions with the therapist they saw when they were first becoming a family, or possibly browbeat her a little more before he got his point across. The girl surprised him. She caught on fast.

  Terence let his body relax. He needed sleep. If Larry took a turn for the worse, someone was going to have to step in while Eleanor, Erika, Marissa, and Annie had a chance to wrap their head around another new normal.

  10

  Erika stroked Turnabout’s downy feathers. Today was going to be tough to get through. Her outfit was black, her mood was dark, and her grief was vast. Her father was dead and she was never going to see him again. She wiped a tear from her cheek and wished she hadn’t argued about the paper Larry wanted her to write over the holiday break. She was prepared to go back for round two, the day she walked in and found him on the floor.

  Annie and Marissa tried to console her the night they waited for news at the hospital. The last words Marissa spoke to their dad weren’t of the most positive nature either. Annie relayed that Terence reamed him a good one the day before, and Eleanor confessed she suspected something was wrong, but decided to wait and see. Every last one of the family wished they had said or done something different.

  None of it mattered. They couldn’t right the wrongs. Larry was gone. The father Erika had only known for a few years was no longer there to keep her on the Wright path as Larry was fond of saying. He wouldn’t be there to argue with, and he wouldn’t be there with a hug when she was upset with her dad and Annie.

  Erika’s biggest regret was that she had never called Larry dad. They had a good relationship, but she always kept a thin wall between them. Terence was her father in every way except one, and she never considered calling the man who sired her by that term of endearment.

  Now that the option wasn’t available, it was the one thing she wanted most. Erika vowed she would never make that mistake again.

  The shed door opened and Erika turned to see who was going to try to comfort her this time. She let out a relieved sigh when Mr. Kaplinger walked through the door.

  He maneuvered around the work table and pulled up a stool. “You look very pretty today. I’m surprised, though. I thought you would all paddle out on your surfboards and scatter Mr. Wright’s ashes out in the ocean.”

  The smile that curved on her lips felt odd. It seemed ages since her cheek muscles did anything other than droop with sadness. “You obviously didn’t know Larry.” Her voice was weak, but even she heard the amused undertone.

  Mr. Kaplinger’s face filled with compassion. “I wish I had. I think everyone on the island has gathered to say goodbye, down on Lena’s beach.”

  Her little curve broke into an actual grin. “We are all related to each other in one way or another around here.”

  “Have yo
u noticed the beautiful job Brittany and Warden did with the landscape, and how they decorated the beach for today? Your father would be honored. I know I would.”

  Erika gazed out the dingy window at an arch adorned with greenery and at all the flowers, which had been arriving the past few days. If you didn’t know better, the funeral service could have been mistaken for a wedding. “Yes, they’ve been working overtime. I hear you put in your fair share of time out there, too.” A confused frown pinched her forehead. “Why would you spend your vacation working for our benefit? Shouldn’t you be out basking in the sun?”

  Kap’s eyes softened. “When you get to my age, you don’t take times like these for granted. I doubt anyone will miss me when my time comes. My career took me all over the world. I met some wonderful people, but after I’ve taken my last breath, that will be it. I’m the last of my family. I never married and to the best of my knowledge, I don’t have any children. My emergency contact number is always left blank.” He nudged the little bird off Erika’s finger and onto his own. “Turnabout is the closest living relative I have, and he doesn’t own a phone.”

  There were times when Erika wished her family wasn’t so large. They could be suffocating. Hearing Kap’s story put everything back into perspective. It was her turn to reach out with compassion. “I’m pretty good in an emergency. Those forms don’t have to remain blank.”

  “Bless you, dear child. Unfortunately, you’re a little young to carry such a burden.”

  A bright smile lightened Erika’s face. “I’m not too young to see when someone’s trying to make me realize what I have and appreciate it.”

  Kap returned her grin and winked. “I guess not. Maybe I’m not as sly as I think I am.”

  “When are those bird sanctuary people going to pick up our little friend? He’s not so annoying since he’s settled down.”

  “I’d be annoying too, if I was scared and hungry.” Kap returned Turnabout to his makeshift cage. “They were supposed to come today, but I put them off until tomorrow.”

  Erika stuck out her lower lip and pouted. “I kind of want to keep him now.”

  “It’s tempting, isn’t it? But it wouldn’t be in his best interest. He’s a wild creature and as soon as he’s able, he should be set free.” Kap urged Erika through the door. “I think you would be better off getting a dog.”

  Erika walked by, and said with a glint in her eye, “Or a dolphin.”

  Mr. Kaplinger’s laugh was full-bodied and warm. “I was wondering how long it would be until we circled back to that.”

  “You have to admit it’s awfully coincidental. You arrived about the same time Brittany and Grady encountered the dolphins. You are set to check out on December twenty-first, the Winter Solstice. You’ve heard Lena’s story.” Erika poked Kap’s arm with her finger. “You are supposed to bring us luck and love.”

  He wrapped a gentle arm around the young girl’s shoulders. “I hate to have to remind you, but it looks like the only thing I’ve brought you and your family is tragedy.”

  She looked the older man square in the eye. “A few moments ago, I felt more than alone. I felt lonely,” Erika said, solemnly. She waved her arm out across the growing crowd of mourners gathering down on the beach. “If not for you, all the thousand words of comfort I’m about to hear would have meant nothing. I think I might make it through today, and as weird as it might sound, I might even enjoy myself a little. I’m lucky you’re here, Mr. Kaplinger. Because of you, I can feel the love of everyone around me. So yeah, in my eyes, you are our mystical savior. Accept it.”

  Kap Kaplinger watched Erika flounce down the hill towards her huge family, with a skip in her step. He raised his bright blue eyes up to the heavens and smiled.

  • • •

  Grady couldn’t bring himself to leave the lanai. It brought back too many memories. He barely made it through the funeral service for his parents. He must have been responsible for planning it, but he was in such a fog, he couldn’t remember picking up the phone or making a single arrangement. What he remembered was all the black suits, the black dresses, and the black frame holding his mom and dads’ last anniversary portrait. Their bodies had never been recovered, so a casket or urn was not present to make the event feel like a final goodbye.

  “There are a couple of young ladies down on the beach who could use those strong arms of yours to lean on,” a deep voice stated behind him.

  Grady turned around and Mr. Kaplinger handed him a bottle of water. He accepted the drink and unscrewed the lid. The moment the cool liquid touched his lips, Grady realized how thirsty he was, and downed the contents in its entirety. “Thanks, I needed that.”

  “Lena told me what happened to your parents. This must be a difficult day for you.”

  There was an emotional hitch in Grady’s voice when he spoke. “I can’t talk about them.” He quickly changed the subject. “Larry was a good guy. He helped me build the business plan I pitched to Annie about franchising her Jamoka Jack Coffee Cart. Without Larry’s input, I’m afraid the whole venture is in jeopardy. His passing has the family in a tailspin. I doubt Annie will be able to focus on work anytime soon.”

  The lines in Kap’s forehead furrowed into deep chasms. “I wouldn’t worry about that. Annie seems like a pretty astute business woman. I understand she ran her own company on the mainland before moving here.” He clapped Grady on the shoulder. “Life goes on, whether you’re ready for it or not.” Kap stepped back inside the kitchen. “If anyone knows that, it’s you.”

  The sliding glass door closed and Grady scrubbed his face. He should be down at the beach helping with Max, but a large part of him wanted to go home and curl up in a ball. He was worried about Erika, Annie, and Marissa, but it was Eleanor who concerned him the most. Larry was her life. He was the sole reason for her being on the island. She loved the girls like a mother, but they would be fine without her. She raised them well and believed her mothering days were almost over.

  Tomorrow, Eleanor, Marissa, and Annie would escort Larry’s ashes back to San Diego to plan another memorial service for his many friends and scattered family members back in California. Annie told him she would be gone a couple of weeks, and Grady believed that represented the end of their Coffee Cart venture.

  The service being held in the sand brought back the loss of his parents, and the plane which would carry Annie to SoCal, symbolized the loss of his future.

  Grady couldn’t catch his breath. He loosened his tie and undid the strangling top button of his white dress shirt. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears fell from his eyes. He couldn’t stay. He had to escape.

  Five seconds later, he was in his silver Ford Fusion. The sound of the engine turning over brought him a momentary reprieve from his misery, but it also brought him guilt. He was abandoning the people he loved in their time of need.

  Grady gunned the motor and gravel sprayed when he turned out of the driveway.

  • • •

  Brittany barely heard the words the minister was speaking. She hoped Grady would be here with her. He had been unduly subdued since Larry’s death, and she feared what his grief would do to him.

  Max was in her arms. For once, he wasn’t complaining. It was almost like he knew that now was not the time to act up. The sound of Grady’s car speeding away caught her attention. Sadness filled her soul. Britt rubbed Max’s dark hair and tried to refocus on Larry’s service.

  Annie caught her eye and motioned for her to come closer. As politely as possible, Brittany nudged her way through the crowd.

  Max lunged out to his mom and Annie pulled her boy to her breast. Her eyes darted out towards the parking lot. “Go make sure Grady is okay.”

  Those were the words Brittany wanted to hear, but she resisted. “He can wait. You need me.”

  “I do,” Annie agreed, “but Grady needs you more.”

  Terence wrapped his arm protectively around his wife. “I got Annie. You go take care of the kid. You weren’t here when his parents
died. We’re all a little frightened about what this is doing to him.”

  Brittany searched the couple’s eyes. “What if I mess up? I’m not sure what to do.”

  Terence shrugged. “He likes pancakes.”

  Annie cut her husband a long, unflickering glare.

  Terence cracked under the weight of her heady stare. “You don’t have to do a thing. You just have to show up and let him know you care.”

  • • •

  Eleanor held Marissa’s hand, and Marissa held Erika’s. None of them could let go. They were each other’s lifeboat and hanging on for dear life.

  The nails digging into the back of Marissa’s hands were close to drawing blood, but she didn’t mind. She took comfort in being able to absorb some of Eleanor and Erika’s pain. It also helped take her mind off the problems she would face the moment she returned to San Diego. Her father’s death opened the door for new management.

  She had a choice to make. She could put her grief aside and make a run for sole power, or continue with her plans to leave the firm completely. Marissa knew what her father expected, but she wasn’t sure working eighty hours a week would be in her family’s best interest. For the past few, years she’d been doing just that and the stress was taking its toll.

  The decision was already made once. She was almost out. David and the kids already moved to their small home in Lake Tahoe. Jack and Sandy had settled into their new school. She missed David’s touch, his smart ass remarks, and the spark in his eye whenever she walked into the room. Their marriage was still on solid ground, but Marissa wondered how much more they would be able to withstand.

  As fitful and as depressed as she felt the last few days, she’d been able to slip into a deep, solid sleep. It was her body’s way of avoiding the decisions she needed to make, and she luxuriated in its sweet denial. She was sad, lost, and lonely, but at least she was no longer sleep deprived.

  If at all possible, Marissa would have brought her family to Hawaii and stayed through the holidays, but her son had finals, her daughter had a recital, and her husband had found employment at an old friend’s law firm in Tahoe. Something had to give. None of them could keep this up much longer.