“I took him next door. Hayden and Harper are reading him board books.”
“Oh.” She sniffed. “Okay.”
Oakley gave her a long look. She seemed to consider asking her how she was and then think better of it. Instead, she held up one of Kekoa’s sketches of a chair.
“What do you think of this one?” she asked.
Akemi crossed the room and turned her mind to the task at hand. It was simple – something that he could provide a dozen of by the end of the month – but it was beautiful too.
“I like it,” she told them.
Kekoa put an arm around her.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice thick.
He squeezed her shoulder. “Sure thing.”
“I’m really grateful for your help.”
“We’re in this together,” Oakley said, and Kekoa nodded.
“We’ve got you, sis.”
17
Laurie
One warm autumn day, Laurie hopped on her bike and coasted makai – downhill towards the sea. She stopped at Kekoa’s place, a beautiful cedar house located about halfway between main street and the cliffs.
She found him in his shop – a covered, open-air space where he did most of his woodworking. A soft breeze carried the scent of sawdust and wood oil.
Kekoa was bent over curved lengths of wood, fitting them together using the puzzle-piece notches he had carved. Every piece of furniture that he made was a work of art.
“Something wrong with your car?” he asked, mouth pulling up on one side.
She grinned back at him. “I like my bike.”
“All that trouble for nothing,” he said, shaking his head.
“I use it sometimes. But I feel silly driving when it’s just a mile or two.”
She drifted closer while she spoke. When she was near enough, he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss.
“Want to get out of here?” she asked.
“I’ve got a lot of chairs to make,” he said – but his eyes saidYes.
“I won’t keep you away from your work for too long.”
“You can keep me as long as you want.” He kissed her again.
After a moment, she slipped out of his grasp and danced away, putting his work table between them.
“I haven’t been to Hikuwai for a while.”
“That’s not a quick trip.”
“It is if we run it.” She grinned. “Think you can keep up?”
