Page 28 of Try Easy

“Just try one,” he said, smiling.

Lou took one of the pastries and bit into it. The dough was crisp on the outside and soft in the center, still warm from the oven. The flavors of sugar and cinnamon burst over her tongue.

“Delicious,” Lou said, licking sugar from the corner of her mouth. “You must be Keoni’s brother?” she asked, taking another bite.

Kimo rolled his eyes. “All my life, I get that. Same thing, all da time. Keoni’s little bruddah. I never catch a break.” He said it with a teasing tone and a broad smile, making sure that Lou knew he was kidding. “Name’s Kimo Makai,” he said, offering his hand.

“Mary Lou Hunter,” she said.

“I think my brother has it bad for you, eh?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Lou narrowed her eyes at Kimo. “What makes you say that?” she asked, taking another bite of the pastry with what she hoped was an air of nonchalance.

“He looks like he wants to come over here and bust me up just for talking to you.”

Kimo inclined his head across the room. Lou followed Kimo’s eyes and saw that Keoni was watching them with a scowl.

“He’s too afraid to make a move, eh?” Kimo asked.

Lou felt her cheeks redden. “No. It’s not that,” she said.

“Oh, yeah,” Kimo said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “He has a thing about tourists.”

Lou raised her eyebrows. “What thing is that?” she asked.

“I dunno,” Kimo said, waving his hand in the air as if he couldn’t be bothered with remembering. “But he’s crazy if he doesn’t make a move on you. I would make one myself, but I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Where are you going?”

“San Diego. I’m starting my advanced individual training.”

Lou’s stomach dropped when she realized what he was saying. “You enlisted?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Kimo said, bursting with pride. “I just finished boot camp.”

Lou studied his handsome face. He couldn’t be any older than her brother, John, who had enlisted last year when he’d finished high school. Six months afterward, John had landed in Vietnam.

“How old are you?” she asked Kimo.

“Eighteen.”

Lou nodded, feeling tears come quickly. Her knees went weak, and she suddenly felt the need to sit down.

“Are you okay?” Kimo asked, putting his hand on her elbow to steady her.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“Come on.” He set down the plate of malasadas and grabbed her hand. “Let’s get some air.”

Kimo swept Lou through the living room and out the back door of the house onto a small porch that overlooked the backyard.

“Sit down,” Kimo said, pointing to a bench.

Lou sank down to the bench and put her head in her hands. Kimo squatted down beside her.

After a moment, Lou got herself together and lifted her head to look at Kimo. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just that you remind me of my brother.”

Kimo rolled his eyes again, smiling with effortless charm. “I can’t catch a break,” he said. “Prettiest girl I ever saw says I remind her of her brother.”

---