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“How about Layla in Cyprus?” Teller added, taking the seat beside Reid.
“Ha!” Dev’s face lit up. “Layla was single. She truly loved me.”
With a straight face, Angel asked, “How many children did she have?”
Dev sighed. “Six.”
“Didshe love you?” Reid asked. “Or did she love the idea of you taking care of her and her six children?”
Dev stared at the back of the seat in front of him. “I wasn’t ready to be a father of six.”
“Nobody is ready to be a father of six,” Angel said. “Thankfully, we only had a week in Cyprus before we moved on to our next job.”
Dev pressed a hand to his heart. “Layla was beautiful.”
“As was CeCe,” Reid pointed out.
“And Mandy with her red hair and freckles.” Dev sighed again. “I love women.”
“You just haven’t met one you can trust,” Teller concluded.
“A woman you can trust is like a unicorn,” Dev said. “You want to believe they exist, but they don’t.”
At that moment, Leilani climbed the steps onto the bus, laid her clipboard on the dash and slid into the driver’s seat.
Angel could barely see the top of her head. His only reassurance she was actually driving was her reflection in the large mirror hanging from the front windshield.
She smiled up into the mirror. “Welcome to Windsong Tours. Sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of Maui.”
Her smile was genuine, and her stories about Maui, its history and indigenous people were interesting and delivered with such passion. Angel was captivated from the moment they left the resort, following the Hanna Highway.
When they arrived at the Ho’olawa Valley’s Twin Falls, Leilani parked the small bus in a gravel parking lot near a fresh fruit stand. She quickly dropped to the ground to assist the older passengers as they descended.
She led the group slowly up a gentle slope, following the Big Ho’olawa Stream for a mile, where she took the right fork in the path. They passed an irrigation ditch and soon arrived at the base of Twin Falls.
“Those who don’t wish to hike further can stay here and enjoy the falls or swim in the pool,” Leilani said. “If you’re up for more of a hike, I’ll take you to Caveman Falls.”
Everyone opted to follow Leilani back to the left fork, past an irrigation ditch and across a stream. Eventually, the path opened to a shallow cave draped with green vines, the waterfall running over the front of the cave before dropping into a shallow pool.
“You can swim here, but the water is shallow and cold,” she said. “You have thirty minutes to enjoy the beauty of the area, explore or just sit on the rocks and commune with nature.”
The last word had just left her mouth when a flash of skin and speedo burst past the group. With what could only be described as a sound akin to a Native American war cry, Reid splashed into the pool and performed a righteous belly flop. He turned on his back and floated in the midday sunshine.
Several women in the older crowd pulled blankets from their large tote bags and spread them out on the large boulders surrounding the pool. They settled on the blankets and brought out snacks.
Teller and Dev stripped down to their swim trunks and followed Reid into the water, splashing each other and pushing each other beneath the surface.
Leilani came to stand beside Angel, her gaze on the antics of the men in the pool. “Aren’t you going to get in with your friends?”
Angelo debated joining the others and shook his head. “We still have a couple more stops. I don’t feel like sitting in my wet swimwear for the next couple of hours as we progress through the rest of your waterfall tour.”
She smiled. “I brought dry towels.”
“I might reconsider.” Her smile was infectious and made his lips twitch upward.
“How often do you lead tour groups here?” he asked.
Her smile faded. “I used to lead these tours a lot during the summers to earn extra spending money when I was in high school and college. After college, I didn’t conduct the tours anymore, focusing on other aspects of the business.” Her brow furrowed. “Until recently.”
