from Devon’s arms. “Are there speed bumps in the clouds, or what?”
“Just some turbulence, Nana,” Devon said smoothly. “Happens all the time. If you close your eyes, it’s kind of like being rocked to sleep.”
“I think we all better close our eyes,” I said, squeezing back in the seat beside Nana and stubbornly screwing my eyes shut. I was just as tired as she was, so I was pretty sure I was already dreaming when I felt her pat my hand gently.
Chapter 5
The sun was already high in the sky once we landed in Hawaii, and it was just as beautiful as I ever could’ve imagined. I’d seen the same movie of Devon’s as Nana, but the filmography just didn’t do the little fishing village justice. Flower sellers, fruit sellers, and other vendors clamored in the main strip, but where we were staying was outside of the bustle of town, in a cozy little cottage near the water.
We stopped by there to unpack and recharge, but we didn’t need to. Nana was raring to go to the beach that had been featured in the film.
“It’s not too far from here,” Devon was saying. He hadn’t mentioned what had happened on the plane, and he seemed happier than he’d ever been since I met him. “I rented this cottage specifically for its location. We could’ve had somewhere nicer….”
“The cottage is fine,” I said firmly as we reached a path through some thick vegetation.
“This is just marvelous,” Nana breathed, clapping her fragile hands together as we wheeled her down the path. “Just smell that sea air. Breathing that every day—now, that would make a person live forever.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Devon said pleasantly. “I’m quite sure you’re going to outlive me.”
“Stop it,” she said, tittering like a small girl. “Oh, here it is. Here’s your beach, Devon. Here it is. Right in front of us.”
It was hard to fight my grin—or the tears in my eyes—that Nana had gotten the opportunity to see something she’d only dreamed about. It had all been because of Devon. I understood that and accepted it. He’d had an ulterior motive, but I didn’t care. I was so grateful to him for taking us here.
“We don’t have very much time right now, but we’ll come back here soon,” Devon said. “I just wanted you to see it first thing, Nana. This beach has your name all over it.”
“What are we doing right now?” I asked, peering at him.
“Some friends I met the last time I was here have asked if they could come to the cottage and cook for us,” he said, smiling. “They have a big mess of fish, and others want to make a traditional barbecue for us. It’s probably going to be way too much food, but these people love a good excuse for a feast.”
“What about it, Nana?” I asked her, leaning down. She didn’t take her eyes off the horizon, distant over the turquoise waters. “Does a feast sound good to you?”
“I could eat up this view all day,” she said, “but I suppose a body needs food.”
“We’ll come back here.” I laughed at her. “This is only the beginning of our vacation, you know. We have all the time in the world to see this.”
Devon’s friends were so hospitable and kind, and they really did know how to put on a shindig. There was way too much food, and I allowed Nana to stray from her diet for this special event. She completely pigged out on barbecue and fish and all the fixings, swaying and clapping her hands to the beat when a couple of guys broke out a guitar and a ukulele for an impromptu concert.
This…this was really nice. It was really special. I had to tell Devon how much this meant to us.
He was chatting with a couple of people across the yard, but he looked at me while I studied him, flashing me a smile. It wasn’t one of those perfect grins from his movie posters. It was a sincere, genuine gesture. I could feel it.
God help me, I smiled right back. He excused
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