Page 25 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

My face burned. I had flirted with him, and he had reciprocated. Another time, and in other circumstances, I would have been enthralled, but I didn’t want to lead him on. Things could get awkward. And he was like a brother to Lee, so that could upset my small social circle.

I cleared my throat, mortified, while my sister stood there gawking at me as if I was some kind of novelty.

“Are we going to stand here all day? Let’s get going. Can you get Ty?” I grabbed my purse from the kitchen counter and headed in the direction of the garage.

“Abby. You might want to change out of your pajamas first.” Kate burst into a laugh.

I halted by the door, then held my head up and marched toward my room, passing Kate without looking at her. My neck seared, but behind the door, I let myself giggle.

Chapter Nine — Hanalei

I veered the minivan onto the Kaumualii Highway, then to Highway 529, Maluhia Road, also known as the Tunnel of Trees—one of my favorite places on Kauai. That stretch of road always brought me peace.

A beautiful canopy of eucalyptus trees lined the road for a mile like leafy sentinels. Sunlight spilled through the cracks between the gray, arching branches and crisscrossed the pavement in golden streaks. We turned off to another highway and drove on for another hour.

No clouds graced us once we arrived, only a blanket of blue sky over a gentle stream, the palm trees, and thickets surrounding a lake. I banked right onto a small street at the sign with Catch and Eat carved on a wooden board. The minivan tilted like a seesaw as I slowed over the pebbled road and parked.

“Leave your purse in the car,” I said to Kate, and looked over my shoulder to Tyler. “Watch out for the person getting in his car on your side.”

After I stepped out, I grabbed two sunhats and my purse from the back of the van. I took a moment to close my eyes and inhale a deep breath, bathing in the sun. I loved coming to this side of Kauai.

I’d left my stress, worries, and responsibility in Poipu. There are no thoughts of painting deadlines or bills to pay or rushing Tyler to school. No thinking at all. Just a state of pure bliss and shutting the door on adulthood. Even the air felt lighter and fresher. The breeze curled around me in welcome.

“Where are we?” Kate’s sandals crunched on the gravel walkway.

I tossed one of my straw sunhats to Kate and put on mine. Tyler squeezed between us as we meandered toward a small restaurant that looked like a cozy two-story house painted aqua blue.

“My friend brought me here last year.” I’d meant to bring Tyler and Kate for a while, but time had slipped by. “They mostly serve to the locals, but get a few tourists. It’s not on the map, so you have to hear about it through word of mouth.”

“Shiver me timbers,” Tyler exclaimed.

“You get to catch your own fish, and they’ll cook it for you,” I said. “Kate, I’ll take care of the order.”

I passed a few customers already seated on wooden benches and entered the house. After paying for three meals, I followed a concrete path to where Tyler and Kate stood behind the fence in the watching area. A family of four was fishing.

Colorful pebbles scattered on the path caught Tyler’s eye. He wandered over and bent down, trailing his fingertips over them. He stood and looked around, restless, inching closer to the wooden walkway that led to the water.

“Hey Ty, stand next to your aunt,” I called.

The blue sky, the sparkling water, and the vivid green of a cluster of trees made a perfect backdrop. I took pictures of Tyler and Kate with my phone, then Tyler by himself. And a selfie with the three of us.

“Is it our turn yet?” Tyler slumped his shoulders and let his head fall back, his voice heavy and low with an edge of whine seeping in.

I opened my mouth to answer, but a shadow loomed over us. A tall young man wearing jeans and a Catch and Eat T-shirt offered a wide grin, teeth gleaming in his well-tanned face. A white apron was tied around his slim waist. I recognized him.

“Abby?”

Justin owned a couple of restaurants and occasionally helped his parents at Catch and Eat when they went on vacation. I’d met him last year when he’d served my friend and me and then ran into him again at one of his upscale restaurants in Poipu. He had asked me out, but I had turned him down.

“Hello, Justin.” I offered an affable smile.

“How have you been?” He planted a quick kiss on my cheek and pulled back, looking between Kate and Tyler.

I adjusted my hat, which almost blew away in a sudden breeze. “Justin, this is my sister Kate and my son, Tyler.”

“Oh.” He fixed his hazel eyes on Tyler, surprised.

He must be glad I'd turned him down. Most single men don’t want to date someone who already has a child. Since I’d had no intention of saying yes, I hadn’t felt the need to mention my single-mom status.