The Hawaiian Quilt (27 page)

“Did you enjoy riding the big waves?” Ellen asked.

“Yeah. It’s me at the mercy of the ocean. It’s a rush—kind of hard to describe.”

All Mandy could do was shake her head. She didn’t want to let on how scared she’d been when Ken got lost for a few seconds in the wave.

“Would you like a glass of cold hibiscus tea?” Ellen reached for the cooler they’d brought along. “I imagine you’re pretty thirsty by now.”

“Sure. I’d appreciate something cold to drink.”

“How about something to eat?” Mandy offered, relieved Ken was back on dry land. “We brought along some Maui onion chips, as well as some of Luana’s macadamia nut cookies.”

“They both sound good.”

Ellen poured the iced tea, while Mandy got out the food. When they started to eat, the dog bounded up, barking and wagging his tail.

“The poor pooch looks hungry.” Mandy broke off a piece of her cookie and held it out.

“Oh, oh, now you’ve done it. We’ll never get rid of the mutt.” Ken smirked as he reached out and scratched behind the critter’s ears. “We’re gonna have a friend for life.”

“I guess so.” Mandy giggled. “Maybe we should ask some of the people here on the beach if the dog belongs to anyone.”

“I’ll do it as soon as I finish my snack.” He gave the dog a few chips. Although there was nothing left in Ken’s hand, the mutt continued to lick the salt off his fingers. “From the way the pooch gobbled it up, I’m guessing he hasn’t eaten in a while. One more reason to believe he’s a stray.” He stood and wiped his hand against his black tank top before Mandy could think to hand him a napkin. “Wouldn’t be surprised if someone didn’t drop the dog off somewhere and he wandered down to the beach in search of food.”

Mandy hated to think anyone would do such a thing, but even back home some dogs ended up to be strays, abandoned by their masters. If this dog was homeless, it was a shame, because he seemed so smart, not to mention friendly and playful. She wished they could take him back to the B&B, but Luana didn’t have any pets and probably wouldn’t appreciate having a dog hanging around pestering her guests.

As if he could read Mandy’s mind, Ken looked over at her and smiled. “If I don’t find the dog’s owner, I’ll take him with me—at least till I can find him a good home.”

She smiled, too, thinking once more what a nice person he was.

“Oh, great. Looks like the vog is creeping in.” Ken pointed to the haze blowing toward them.

“Could that be why my eyes are itching all of a sudden?” Mandy asked.

“Wouldn’t be a bit surprised. I’ll go ask around about the dog, and then we should probably get going before the vog becomes any worse.” Ken stood and started down the beach, with the dog trailing along.

“If the hund doesn’t already have a home, I bet he’ll find one with Ken,” Ellen remarked.

Mandy was about to comment, when a round of sneezing overtook her.
Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!
“Oh, dear, my eyes itch worse now, too.” She reached into her tote for a tissue.

When Ken returned, he took one look at Mandy and suggested he ought to take her home. He pointed to the dog. “Guess the mutt’s coming with me for now, ‘cause nobody I talked to knows where he belongs.”

Mandy smiled, despite how miserable she felt. She was glad Ken would be taking the dog. It wouldn’t be right to leave the poor animal alone on the beach.

Luana went out to the lanai to visit with Makaio awhile, but the telephone rang. “I’d better get it.” She handed him a glass of freshly made lemonade. “It could be Ailani calling about the doctor’s appointment she went to this morning.”

She hurried back to the kitchen and picked up the receiver. “The Palms Bed-and-Breakfast.” When she realized it was someone asking about the availability of a room next month, she grabbed the guest book to check for vacancies. She gave the woman the available dates and details, then took down her information, including a credit card number to hold the reservation.

After Luana hung up, she returned to the lanai with a glass of lemonade for herself. “It wasn’t our daughter, but we do have another guest scheduled for the first weekend in February.”

“Good to hear. We need all the business we can get, especially with many of my hospital bills still unpaid.” Makaio’s brows furrowed. “I’ll be glad when the doctor says my leg’s healed sufficiently and I can resume my regular duties here. I feel like a burden to you when all I do is sit around. Think I’ve put on a few extra pounds, too.” Patting his stomach, he took a sip of lemonade. “Good tasting. You make it just the way I like.”

“Mahalo.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “And you’re not a burden. You’d do the same for me if I were the one laid up. It’s part of the commitment we made to each other when we got married.”

“True. I only wish—”

“And don’t you worry. You’ll lose those extra pounds when you’re up and about again.” Luana patted his cheeks. “I’ll see that you do.” The phone rang again, and she stood. “Hold your thoughts. I’ll be right back.”

Middlebury

Gideon hoped when he called Mandy this time, she’d be free to talk. He missed her and wanted to know she was missing him, too. Right now, he felt insecure feelings creeping in—the ones that told him Mandy wasn’t his girlfriend anymore.

He chided himself for thinking this way and took a moment to shake off his doubts before making the call. After pausing at the door of the phone shack a few seconds, Gideon stepped inside and took a seat on the wooden stool. Then he punched in the number for the B&B. Mandy’s birthday was coming up soon, and he wanted to tell her that he’d sent a gift and a card. The phone rang several times before a woman’s voice came on the line. “Aloha! This is the Palms Bed-and-Breakfast.”

“This is Gideon Eash. Is Mandy there? I’d like to speak with her, please.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Mandy isn’t here right now. She’s at the beach with Ken. She mentioned something about surfing.”

“What did you say?” Gideon was sure he must have misunderstood. No way would Mandy have gone surfing. She couldn’t even swim.

“I said, Mandy’s at the beach. Ken took them surfing.”

A chill shot up his spine. If she’d been foolish enough to try surfing, then her life could be in danger. The sport was dangerous—even for a strong swimmer, which Mandy definitely was not. Then another thought popped into his head.
Mandy’s with that guy named Ken again. Just who is this fellow, and how close have they become?

“Would you please tell her Gideon called and that I’ll try to call again on her birthday? Oh, and let her know to expect a card and a gift from me.”

“What day is Mandy’s birthday?” the woman asked.

“January twenty-eighth. She’ll be twenty-one years old.”

“Thanks for letting me know. We’ll be sure to do something special to help Mandy celebrate her birthday.”

Gideon’s jaw clenched.
It should be me helping Mandy celebrate, not people she barely knows. She was off someplace with him before when I called
. A rush of adrenaline coursed through his body.
Seems like she spends a lot of time with this fellow. Sure hope I have nothing to worry about
.

Kapaa

By the time Mandy and Ellen arrived back at the B&B, Mandy’s nose was sore from blowing it so many times. She’d been sneezing a lot, and her eyes had become even itchier than they were at the beach.

“Is something wrong, Mandy?” Luana asked when they entered the kitchen. “You look like you’ve been crying.”

“I’ve been sneezing, and my eyes are red and itchy.” She brought her hand up to her right eye and rubbed it. “This started while we were on the beach and got worse as Ken drove us back here.”

“I’ll bet it’s the vog.” Luana handed Mandy a tissue. “I’ll give you an allergy pill and then you should go lie down for a while.”

Ellen gave Mandy’s shoulder a tender squeeze. “See, not all things in Hawaii are perfect. You’d have to deal with the vog all the time if you lived here.”

“Not all the time,” Luana corrected. “Only when the wind blows the ash over from the Big Island.”

Mandy sighed. “Guess there’s good and bad in everything. Wherever you go, no place is perfect.” She pushed her shoulders back and smiled. “Even with the vog, I still enjoy being here on Kauai.”

O
h my, this is a surprise!” Mandy exclaimed when she entered Luana’s dining room and saw a decorated cake with her name on it. A pink tablecloth, with brightly colored balloons and the words
Happy Birthday
printed around the edge, covered the table. Paper plates and matching napkins had also been added. “How did you know today was my birthday?” Before Luana could respond, Mandy nudged Ellen’s arm. “I’ll bet you spilled the beans.”

“Nope. It wasn’t me.”

“It was the young man who calls to speak with you so often.” Luana covered her mouth. “Sorry, but I forgot to tell you he called the day you and Ellen went to the beach with Ken. He wanted to let you know he was sending a card and gift for your birthday.”

Mandy scratched at her cheek where a mosquito had taken a bite. “That’s strange. I haven’t received anything from Gideon in the mail. The only birthday cards I’ve gotten were from my parents and from Barbara and Sadie.” She sighed. “I wish you could have met our other two friends who made the trip to Hawaii with us. I’m sure you would have liked them.”

“If they’re anything like you two, we definitely would have liked them.” Makaio motioned to the birthday cake in the middle of the table. “Mandy, why don’t you make a wish and blow out your candles so we can all eat some of my wife’s yummy coconut cake?”

“Not yet.” Luana shook her head. “We won’t cut the cake until Ken gets here.”

“Ken’s coming over?” Mandy couldn’t hide her pleasure.

“Yes. He’ll be here as soon as he’s done eating supper.” Luana gave a playful wink. “I believe he has something for you.”

Mandy grinned. She looked forward to seeing Ken.

She thought about the dog they’d found on the beach and how Ken had taken it home. He’d named the mutt Rusty, and it had taken a liking to Ken’s mother right away. Now the critter was her constant companion.

“I have a present for you.” Ellen handed Mandy a floral gift bag. “Happy birthday.”

Mandy reached inside and felt some fabric between her fingers. She raised it up and discovered a green, Amish-style dress. It wasn’t what she’d expected, and it was difficult to show appreciation—especially when she’d told Ellen previously how content she was wearing a muumuu.

“It’s for our trip home,” Ellen explained. “Since you have only one Amish dress, you’ll need a change of clothes.”

Mandy hadn’t even thought about her clothing for the trip. Ellen was right. She would need more than one plain dress. She hugged her friend. “Danki for your thoughtfulness in making the dress for me. It must have been hard to sew it without me finding out.”

“Not really.” Ellen smiled. “Whenever you went shopping with Luana or somewhere with Ken, I worked on it. I’m thankful she has a sewing machine.”

“Here’s our gift to you.” Luana handed Mandy a large box covered with paper in a design of tropical birds. “There are actually two gifts inside—one from Makaio and one from me.”

Mandy tore off the paper and pulled the lid aside. The first thing she saw was a set of lovely potholders and an apron to match. Each had different Hawaiian flowers on them. “Mahalo, Luana. Did you make these?”