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Twenty-Three
DAKOTA
The view was nothing short of astonishing; the spectacular orange sun setting beneath an impossibly purple sky. Like a golden coin it sank slowly into the ocean, as Merrick guided our little aircraft through the lush green mountains at the far end of the beautiful island.
My God, it’s gorgeous!
We drifted in slowly, floating past Hana, gliding effortlessly down to the sea. There were many tiny inlets on the north face of Maui, but the guys had one particular cove in mind as the pontoons of the seaplane finally skidded against the glass-like surface of the rapidly-deepening water.
I was a total spectator. An honored guest. Every offer to help was politely refused as Merrick taxied our aircraft-turned-boat as close to shore as he dared, and Jace threw the anchor that would moor it in place.
A few minutes later we were wading ashore, and the guys were busy setting up camp. Until the tent actually went up I didn’t realize we were sleeping on the beach, but the idea thrilled and excited me as I wandered out to gather driftwood for the fire.
“Look for anything dry,” said Jace. His expression reflected my own happy smile. “We’ve still got a couple of bundles of our own, though.”
The place we’d landed looked wholly inaccessible from above. We had our little private cove. A black sand beach where the sky opened directly above us and cliffs surrounded us from three sides.
And of course the fourth side: the gentle crash of tiny waves from the ocean.
In no time we were sitting on blankets, feeding a humble yet growing fire. A spacious-looking tent has been staked out nearby. The boys had raised it quickly and with military efficiency.
“This is insane,” I said for the third or fourth time. “I can’t believe this place exists!”
“It only really exists if you have a boat,” Jace explained.
“Or a seaplane,” said Merrick, adding a handsome grin.
As if all of this wasn’t romantic enough, they began pulling things from a canvas rucksack. First blankets, then a bottle of wine. A bottle of whiskey, too.
“We can just set up here?” I asked.
“Yup.”
“And stay the night?”
Jace laughed. “Does itlooklike we’re staying the night?”
I shook my head, not fully accepting the situation for what it was. It was just so unbelievably awesome, it felt like someone would come along and spoil it.
“Here.”
I looked up, and Merrick was handing me a couple of long wooden skewers already speared through various foods. I saw chicken, shrimp, vegetables…
“We’ve got to cook our own meal tonight,” said Jace, grabbing the next batch from his friend. “But this still counts as ‘hooking up with you and taking you to dinner.’”
I crossed my legs on the blanket, scooting my ass a little closer to the fire. “I’ll be sure to tell my brother,” I said sardonically.
“You do that.”
We sat there slow-roasting our modest meal over the fire. I drank from a glass they thoughtfully provided, while the guys passed the whiskey bottle back and forth.
“You’ve been here before,” I asked nonchalantly.
The guys glanced at each other, then nodded. “Found it a couple of years back while fishing for Marlin,” Merrick said. “We try to get out here once or twice a year, ever since.”
I bit into a roasted red pepper, then washed it down with a gulp of wine.
“Ever bring a girl with you?”
