Page 49 of Cocky Cruiser

The walk to the overlook was less than five minutes. As we approached the falls, the sound of the water pounding into the river was deafening.

And when we took in the full view, we learned the reason for the name. “Wow.” I gaped in awe.

A rainbow floated in the mists created by the waterfall meeting the river. “That’s amazing,” I marveled.

“Rainbow Falls is eighty feet high and one hundred feet in diameter. It is said that the falls flow over a natural lava cave, the mythological home to Hina, an ancient Hawaiian goddess.”

Cohen and I took several selfies and pictures of the waterfall before riding back to the main farm, where they gave us a few minutes to shop. Cohen purchased several packages of both coffee and macadamia nuts. “I have a new dessert recipe I want to try with these; a coffee and macadamia nut meringue.”

As we followed the guide back to the van, I admitted, “I’d love to taste it one day.”

I could’ve sworn that made him blush, but it was so quick I could’ve been imagining it. “You should come to one of my restaurants in Vegas. I’ll personally cook for you.”

The thought reminded me of the distance separating us and the major hindrance of something more between Cohen and me. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that.” I grinned up at him.

From the farm, we drove to the cave. The guide gave each person a flashlight before we descended down a steep concrete staircase into the mouth of the cave. “This lava tube was formed in 1881 by an eruption from Mauna Loa, the active volcano on Hilo. Legend has it that Hawaii's Princess Ruth, who was sent from Honolulu, is responsible for saving the tiny village. She was carried into the hills in late July and took up a position in front of the lava, praying to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of religion and fire, to spare the town. The flow began to slow and finally stopped in early August, just one and a half miles from Hilo Bay,” the guide explained.

“I love all this mythology,” I told Cohen as we walked through the foliage to the cave entrance.

Cohen smiled. “I do, too. History and mythology are my two biggest interests.”

“I know. Which mythology is your favorite?”

He took a minute to think, his brow furrowing. “Norse. What about you?”

“Greek. Artemis is my favorite goddess. I did a research paper on her in high school, and I’ve been fascinated ever since.”

“You’d like Skadi then. She’s basically Artemis’s equivalent in Norse mythology. You should read about her sometime.”

I nodded. “I will. I think I’ll look into some of these Polynesian gods we’re learning about, too.”

The floor of the caves was composed of reddish-black rock that varied in texture from smooth to ragged. Water dripped from the ceiling as we ventured inside.

The farther in we went, the cooler and darker it got. Since the ground was uneven and wet, Cohen held my arm to steady me as we walked. We also had to be careful climbing over the loose rocks.

The start of the lava tube was apparent when we reached it. The texture of the rock and walls completely changed from the rest of the cave.

The floor had an almost perfect path running through it, and the sides of the tube were completely smooth. “This is so cool,” I marveled as I ran my hands along one of the walls. “It’s crazy how different it is from the entrance of the cave when it’s literally inside it.”

Cohen chuckled. “Mother Nature is pretty extraordinary.”

We couldn’t follow the tube all the way out because the end was on private property, so once we finished, we went back the way we came and exited the cave where we’d entered.

As we loaded back into the shuttle, I speculated, “I wonder if I could convince Chance and Aubrey to move to Hawaii.”

Cohen shrugged, the corner of his lips curving up. “Who wouldn’t want to live here?”

I sighed, thoughts racing through my head of living in Hawaii with Cohen, going on adventures every day and making love before bed each night. I pushed them away before I let my emotions get the best of me. “I bet marine biology programs here are better than anything Stateside.”

“That’s probably true. Maybe you can apply for scholarships that include housing on campus. Many schools offer packages like that. And then you could do it on your own.”

The thought both thrilled and scared me at the same time. I’d never lived on my own, except for the short time that Chance was still in prison after our mom died. “I might look into that. Moving that far from home by myself is kinda terrifying.”

Cohen laughed. “Little guppie all on her own.”

I smacked him, which made him laugh harder as he rubbed his arm. “See? You can take care of yourself.”

Rolling my eyes, I scoffed. The shuttle stopped, and the guide led us off and into our final stop, Richardson’s Beach.

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