Page 60 of Big Island Horizons
And tell them what?
There’s been a break in. No, he didn’t take anything. How do I know? Well, he left two pieces of gold jewelry behind.
She didn’t foresee receiving any help on that front.
Outside, the goats screamed their protest at their milking and dinner being delayed. Lani sank to the floor of the kitchen, hiding her distress from her daughter as she curled up into a ball on the floor.
What was she supposed to do? Go out there into the dark, alone?
But she couldn’t leave the goats. And she couldn’t ask Tara to do what she was afraid to; her neighbor had enough on her plate.
Finally, she decided to wait for Tenn. He could go out with her to milk the goats, and then they could sleep at his house that night.
Well, he and Rory could sleep.
Lani was starting to wonder if she would ever sleep well again.
20
‘Olena
Lani had been so anxious all morning that it was starting to put ‘Olena on edge.
“Are you okay?” she asked her cousin.
Lani jumped when she put a hand on her shoulder. She gathered herself quickly, pasting on a smile.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. What’s going on?”
Quickly, glancing around to make sure that there was no one nearby, Lani related the story of her home invasion and the subtle message that Zeke had left behind.
Even here,the rings on the nightstand said,you’re not safe. Even now, I think of you as mine. There will be no sense of safety for you. No escape.
It chilled her in a way that was completely antithetical to the perfect, sunny day around them. The grass shone green underfoot and children laughed nearby, but the fear that she saw in Lani’s eyes just about broke her heart.
A slow fury grew in her chest like fire.
“I’ll kill him,” ‘Olena muttered under her breath.
“Stop it.” Lani looked stricken. “That doesn’t help. Just… forget about it for today, okay? Don’t focus on me.”
‘Olena gave her an incredulous look.
“There’s nothing we can do about him right now. Anyway, this is your day. I’m here to celebrate you, to supportyou. Okay?”
She nodded reluctantly. “Okay. Come on.”
They walked across the lawn to meet the crowd that had gathered near the playground.
The girls had run ahead to play with their friends. The co-op parents milled about nearby, chatting. Every Pualena Playschool family had gathered that morning to celebrate the reopening of New Horizons Community Center.
‘Olena and her board of directors had appeared at the Office of the County Clerk to present the paperwork for their new nonprofit and describe their plans for the community center.
The council had given them hardly any time at all, barely eight minutes wedged between other matters of the day, but it had been enough.
The community center was officially in the hands of the community.
