Page 52 of Try Easy

Change of Plans

Lou

They spentthe rest of the afternoon eating fish that Bones had pulled out of the ocean, drinking beers, and playing music.

As night fell, Bones and Keoni went up to Bones’s place and got blankets. They spread them out in the sand, stoked the fire, and played music.

For a little while, Lou forgot about everything that was bothering her and let herself enjoy the night.

Penny sat down next to Lou on the blanket, and they looked up at the starry sky.

“What happened with you today?” Penny asked.

They hadn’t seen each other since early that morning. They had hardly seen each other at all over their vacation. Penny had gone off alone with Bones at every opportunity. Even though Lou hadn’t approved of their relationship, she hadn’t complained, because it had given her time with Keoni.

“I tried chili water,” Lou said, summing up her day for Penny. “I almost died, and Keoni kissed me.”

Penny drew in a sharp breath. “How was it?”

“Which part?”

“The kiss!”

“I felt it in my toes,” Lou said in a hushed voice. “I felt it all the way to my toes.”

Lou lifted her gaze to where Keoni and Bones sat by the fire. They were laughing over something and tuning their instruments to a new song. Keoni had his guitar, and Bones was playing the ukulele. The tiny instrument should have looked ridiculous in the hands of a man his size, but nothing about Bones was ridiculous. He was handsome and kind, and nearly as funny as Keoni, only in a more direct way.

Lou could see how Penny had fallen in love with Bones.

Her eyes flicked over to Keoni. The light from the fire danced over his handsome face, concealing the bruises.

The thought of saying goodbye to Keoni in a few days made her heart constrict, and she looked away.

“What about you?” she asked Penny. “What did you do today?”

Penny glanced away from the ocean to look at Lou. Even in the darkness, Lou could see the guilt on her face.

“Penny?” Lou took her friend by the shoulder and gripped her hard. “Tell me.”

“We’re in love,” Penny said.

“You’ve only known each other a few days. How can you say you’re in love?”

“When you know, you know.”

“What about Joe?” Lou asked. “What about Seward Park? And our plan?”

Penny glared, her amber eyes glittering in the darkness. “You kissed Keoni.”

“He kissed me,” she protested, even though the result was the same.

“You let him,” Penny pointed out. “What would Paul think?”

Lou’s mouth clamped shut. “Don’t turn this around on me,” she said, straightening her spine.

“Lou, I could use your support on this,” Penny said.

“You really mean this?” Lou asked. “You would really throw away everything for him?”

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