She slipped white leather sandals on her feet and admired the red polish that twinkled on the ends of her toes. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d painted her nails. It didn’t stay on long with all her exposure to seawater. Glancing in the full-length mirror, she decided she would pass. She just needed the bracelet that matched her earrings as the final touch.
It wasn’t on her dresser. She sighed. If there was one thing she would change about herself, it was her propensity for misplacing things. She didn’t think she could blame the cat today. She generally kept her bedroom door shut to keep him from taking things. This one was her own fault.
She dug in her jewelry box. Not there. Maybe she’d left it in the bathroom. She checked there but didn’t find it. It was past ten before she found it in the pocket of a pair of jeans in her closet. Kaia fastened the clasp around her wrist and went into the living room to wait for Jesse.
She found Hiwa curled on the couch with Kaia’s cell phone. “I would have been looking for that in a little while,” she scolded. She tucked the cell phone into her purse.
The driveway gravel crunched, and she looked up to see Jesse’s red Jeep outside. He’d been thoughtful enough to put the soft top up on it. That man thought of everything. She hurried to the door.
“Good morning,” he said.
Dressed in off-white chinos, a light blue shirt that made his eyes look like the sky, and deck shoes with no socks, he looked too good for Kaia’s peace of mind. He was going to make all the unmarried girls at church take a second look.
His gaze seemed glued to her face. Her cheeks flamed. “Do I have a smudge on my nose?” She glanced in the mirror by the door.
“No, you look beautiful,” he said. “You ready?”
“Yep.” She grabbed the Bible on the hall table. Her grand mother had given it to her when she was seven. The white cover was tattered and barely clung to the rest of the book, but it was dear and familiar with many marked pages.
He escorted her to the Jeep and opened the door for her. “Whoa, you cleaned out your Jeep,” she exclaimed. The inside sparkled, even the windows. Not a speck of sand marred the floor.
“I thought you deserved it.” He went around to his side.
Heidi was scowling in the backseat. “What’s wrong?” Kaia asked.
“Uncle Jesse made me wear a dress.” Heidi folded her arms across her chest and cast a scornful look down at the blue dress she wore.
“You look very pretty,” Kaia told her. “Sometimes it’s fun to wear a dress.”
“Not for me.” Heidi’s mutinous scowl deepened.
A change of topic might be good. Kaia smiled. “Did you bring your bathing suit and shorts for after church?”
Heidi nodded. “And my pail and shovel. I’m going to bury Uncle Jesse in the sand.” She glared at her uncle as he got in the car.
He grinned. “Just punishment for the dress wearing, huh?” He glanced toward Kaia. “You both look beautiful.”
His comment warmed Kaia. She fastened her seat belt and glanced at the Bible on the console between them. The leather cover was worn. That was a good sign. The deeper she delved into the real man under the surface, the more intrigued she grew.
Her grandfather was already at church when they arrived. Kaia took Heidi to junior church then joined Jesse in the pew with her grandfather. The scent of flowers that blew through the open windows put her in the right frame of mind for worship.
Jesse laid his arm along the back of the pew. Kaia settled in to pay attention to the service. The music and message were like water and breath to her soul, and she wondered how she’d been able to stay away so long.
She saw a man and woman pause at their pew on the way out. Kaia heard Jesse gasp, and she glanced at him. His gaze was riveted on the man.
He stood. “Steve, what are you doing here?”
Kaia had never seen the couple before. The man was about thirty-five with light brown hair and pale blue eyes. The woman was a few years younger and heavier, built almost like a man. They didn’t seem to go together, but Steve clasped her hand with tobacco-stained fingers like he was afraid to let go.
The man smiled uncertainly. “Hello, Jesse. I hoped you would be here.”
Jesse’s shoulders were rigid, but he returned the man’s smile. “Were you looking for me?”
“Not really. This is Becky, my wife. You got off the phone the other day before I could tell you we were moving here. I just bought a new security business.”
Jesse seemed frozen in place. Kaia held out her hand. “I’m Kaia Oana, a friend of Jesse’s.”
Her words seemed to shock Jesse into action. “This is my brother-in-law, Steve Prickett.”
Kaia’s first instinct was to stare, but she quickly recovered her manners. “Hello.” She shook Steve’s hand and noticed he was doing his own share of staring at her. Jesse seemed uncomfortable, and she had to wonder if he felt guilty to be with her.
“Pleased to meet you,” Steve said. “I’m glad to see Jesse is moving on with his life.” He stared into Jesse’s face. “I just wanted to see you face-to-face and see if we can still be friends. I could use a friend here on the island.”