Page 65 of Big Island Sunset
“No way,” Piper said. “He hates it there.”
“But is he going to live at the ranch with us or not?”
“Who knows? He’s practically a grown-up already. Maybe he and Juniper will get their own house.”
“In this economy?” Paige demanded, parroting a show they liked.
Piper snorted so hard that lemonade shot out her nose.
Tara sat back, smiling at her daughters even as she stared at the front door. Her heart was a jumble of love and excitement and fear.
Moving up to the ranch was the best thing for their family. She felt sure of that.
She just hoped that Cody would come around sooner rather than later.
19
Emma
Keith arrived at dawn, as promised.
Emma had already been out in the garden for an hour. She loved going out into the yard at first light, walking through the dew-drenched grass and surveying the land she stewarded as she formulated a plan for the day.
It was such a peaceful time, those pale pre-dawn moments. Nell and her babies were still asleep, and so was Kai. Toni and Juniper had already left for one of the weekly markets where Juniper sold tea. The only sounds were birdsong and the distant crowing of roosters.
Dio was her shadow in the mornings, watching over her. When he sprinted back to the house, she knew that Kai must be up and out of bed. He was used to grabbing himself some breakfast — usually some homemade yogurt or homegrown bananas — and eating it out on the lanai, where he cuddled up with Dio and Zuko to watch the sunrise. By the time the first raysof sunlight hit the yard and began to dry the grass, he was fully awake and running around.
Keith texted rather than letting himself in, and Emma met him at the front gate. He said a quiet hello, somehow adding to the peace of the morning rather than disturbing it.
They didn’t talk much as they walked through the front yard – a question here, a bit of advice there. He pointed at a branch from the blue marble tree that was reaching towards the house and recommended trimming it before it reached the roof; in a soft and confident voice, he offered to do the work himself.
Kai was still half awake when they walked by, and he glared down at them from the lanai. Dio thumped his tail uncertainly, as if apologizing for not being a better guard dog. Usually he warned them when someone came to the gate — but if Kai had food in his hand, all bets were off.
Their cat leapt up onto the porch railing, meowing indignantly at Emma to remind her that she’d yet to feed him that day.
“Zuko, come back,” Kai pleaded.
The orange tabby jumped back into his lap, obedient as any dog, and Kai rewarded him with a spoonful of yogurt.
Emma gave Keith a quick tour of the property, introducing him to the well-established fruit trees and the garden that she had grown from the ground up. Nell gave them a cheery wave from the goat pen, where she was finishing up her portion of the morning chores.
The tour petered out when they reached the duck pond in the back corner of the lot. Emma stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do next, too aware of Keith’s arm just a few inches from hers as they stood there watching the ducks dive beneath the surface of the water and bob back up again.
“So?” Keith said when she had been quiet for a while. “Where should we start?”
“I really don’t know,” Emma said, realizing that she should have figured something out when they set a date for him to come by. “I’ve been keeping up with the weeds in the garden lately, but the rest of the property is starting to get away from me.” She gestured towards the vines and grasses that had formed a dense mass of vegetation on the other side of the pond. “I’d love your help with pruning the fruit trees, if they need it… if it’s even the right time of year for that. Maybe you could take a look at the orchard and give me advice? Fertilizer, future pruning, that sort of thing?”
“I’d be happy to help with all of that.” He paused and then said, “Maybe we could start with scouting out a spot for your gift?”
“My what?” She frowned at him in confusion. There was a soft smile on his face, and his eyes were intent on hers.
“I bought you a present. It’s still in my truck. I didn’t want to assume… but it’s yours if you want it. Come see.”
They walked back up the length of the property. Kai and Cassie were up a tree, eating lychee straight from the branches. The grass was littered with discarded red shells.
“What a childhood,” Keith said admiringly.
“That’s why we’re here.” She snuck glances at him as they walked: the long line of his nose, the strong muscles in his sun-tanned arms. She could picture him as a boy on a farm somewhere, living a Huck Finn sort of childhood. “Did you grow up like that? Up a tree every day?”
