Page 16 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

“Bridget asked if she could have a cell phone the other day.” As Lee furrowed his eyebrows, he stabbed a fork through the strawberry and took a bite. “Can you believe that?” He glanced at the kids, who were eating dessert and laughing at something on the tablet.

“What did you tell her?” Ian looked at me. “This is so good.”

Lee took a sip of his beer. “I told her if she can pay her monthly phone bill, then she can get one.”

Ian chuckled. “Technically, she can. If she finds out she has a trust fund, you’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I plan to hold onto that until she goes to college, or maybe after she’s twenty-one. Or at least when she’s mature enough to handle that much money.”

I swallowed the rich, chocolatey bite and licked my lips, trying to get at a dab of cool frosting I felt at the corner of my mouth. “Ty asked me the same. A few kids in their class have one. Can you believe it?”

“I do.” Ian narrowed his eyes.

He reached over to my face, and at the same time, I reached toward him to wipe white cream off his chin, but then put my hand down.

“You have frosting on your …” He gently smeared a thumb across my lips, meeting my gaze with something warm and inviting.

I turned away and forked a big chunk of the cake.

“Anyway …” Kate cleared her throat. “How about we play ping-pong after dessert?”

Kate, what are you thinking? But I stayed quiet because ping-pong was better than going swimming. And my dear sister, who knew me well, would assume I hadn’t brought a swimsuit.

“Ping-pong?” Ian’s lips tugged at the corner, and his eyes gleamed when he looked at Lee.

“I can’t wait.” Lee waggled his brows in challenge.

Kate and I exchanged glances and laughed. They were competitive like us.

Chapter Six — Ping-Pong

After dinner, Kate and Lee went inside to wash the dishes while Ian and I tidied up. I walked around the outdoor dining table, pushing the chairs in until Mona gently placed a hand on my shoulder.

“This is my job, Ms. Abby. You go have fun. Lee tried to teach me ping-pong, but I gave up. I can’t follow the ball fast enough.” The corner of her eyes crinkled, and the crease on her forehead deepened when she snickered.

“Are you sure?” Being a mother and the firstborn, picking up after others came naturally. I wasn’t used to having someone clean up after me.

“Yes, I’m sure. And that goes for you, too, Mr. Ian. Don’t you dare pick up that plate.” Her tone was stern, all business.

Ian’s lips twisted upward as he threw a used napkin into the trash can by the bar. “Yes, ma’am. You’re the boss.”

“Hurry up, you two,” Lee called from the ping-pong table.

Ian and I exchanged a smile and walked over together. There was nothing to clean up, so I didn’t mind leaving Mona. She headed back inside anyway.

White lights coiled around the palm trees, and outdoor lighting illuminated the surrounding area. Even the swimming pool lit up with color-changing lights. The soft waterfall added the illusion of a rainbow inside the water.

While Tyler and Bridget sat on the lounge chair to watch, Kate and Lee were on one side of the table. I guessed that meant Ian and I were a team. No matter. It was just a game.

Ian handed me a paddle. “Lee has the ball. He’ll serve first. What are we playing for?”

One thing about men, I’d come to realize, was that even playing a simple game was about competition. They had to play for something. I didn’t mind it. Kate and I would do the same when we were younger, usually over something like washing the dishes or doing the laundry.

“The losing team has to make dinner for the next gathering.” Kate looked at Lee to confirm.

I angled an eyebrow at her. Losing team? Ian and I were a team. If we lost, we would have to cook together. What was my sister thinking?

“Do you agree, Abby?” Ian twirled his paddle with a flick of his wrist like a pro.