out and now I was putting her in a jam. “Maybe you should call her and tell her you have a big assignment to take care of. Maybe meet her somewhere in Honolulu when we’re there, but keep her clear of here until after Katie’s party.”
She sat up and went to her fridge, pulling out all kinds of yummy looking food. “I guess I’ll have to, no thanks to you. What about your parents?” She pulled down two plates from the cupboard and two bowls.
“They’re dead,” I said, the words sounding harsher than I intended. The crash of the plate at my unexpected answer had her fumbling it before it hit the floor.
“Good gosh, I’m sorry, Maltrand,” she said, setting the plate back on the counter.
“It was a plane crash in the ocean on a stormy night. My brother lives in Honolulu, but that’s all the family I have left.”
She stopped the motion of the butter knife she was using to spread mayonnaise. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me.”
I shrugged. “They died a long time ago and I’ve moved on. I’m sure that’s why it didn’t cross my mind about your family. I’ll apologize right now for that, too. I’ve made a jumbled mess of things.”
She set the sandwiches at the small table and then went back for fruit salad and bowls. “Yes, you have.”
I watched her closely as she moved around in her own space. She seemed more relaxed now that she was here, even if I had made a mess of her life. As she walked toward me, I noticed her favoring her right leg. She always walked with a bit of a hitch, but this looked like an acute injury.
“Did you hurt yourself when you fell earlier?” I asked, pointing at her leg. I could have been blind and seen how quickly she stiffened her body, finished the walk to the table, and slid into her chair.
“No, why would you think that? I just fell. Geez, get over it, everyone does it.”
She jammed a bite of sandwich into her mouth and chewed, so I decided saying ‘not everyone’ wasn’t the wisest choice. I may be slow, but I do catch on quickly to topics people don’t want to discuss. I picked up my sandwich and checked it out.
“What the hell is this?” I asked inspecting the layers on the roll.
“It’s a sandwich with turkey, tomatoes, sprouts, avocado, and mayo,” she said, swigging down her Sprite.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” I joked and she looked up sharply.
“Are you accusing me of not being native?”
I raised one brow, as I was ready to take a bite of the sandwich. “I’m not accusing you of anything.”
“Well, for your information, not that I care what people think, but I was born and raised on Oahu.”
I laid my empty hand on her arm and felt her shudder under my touch. “Relax, Ellie. You should know that I joke around a lot, but only when I’m with someone I’m very comfortable around. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
She shrugged her shoulder. “I’m not offended. I’m just trying to figure out how to get us out of this mess. The whole thing is giving me heartburn.”
I removed my hand from her arm and took a bite of the sandwich, chewing thoughtfully. When I swallowed, I met her eyes. “I’m impressed. This is quite an amazing whirlwind of flavors.”
“I had it once at a restaurant on the mainland when we went to California. It’s easy to recreate, so it became my favorite in college and now that I’m all grown up, I eat it when I’m stressed.”
“You’re stressed?” I asked, knowing the answer, but hoping she would expand on the reasons.
“Gee, do you think? Not only do I have a huge project looming for Gideon, I also have a party to pull off for Katie. Oh, and did I forget to mention I’m a newlywed, but I know nothing about my groom?” Her voice went up two octaves on the last word and it wasn’t so much a question as an angry statement.
“You aren’t actually married, you know that, right?”
She threw her hands up and pushed her plate away, leaning on the table with her
She sat up and went to her fridge, pulling out all kinds of yummy looking food. “I guess I’ll have to, no thanks to you. What about your parents?” She pulled down two plates from the cupboard and two bowls.
“They’re dead,” I said, the words sounding harsher than I intended. The crash of the plate at my unexpected answer had her fumbling it before it hit the floor.
“Good gosh, I’m sorry, Maltrand,” she said, setting the plate back on the counter.
“It was a plane crash in the ocean on a stormy night. My brother lives in Honolulu, but that’s all the family I have left.”
She stopped the motion of the butter knife she was using to spread mayonnaise. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me.”
I shrugged. “They died a long time ago and I’ve moved on. I’m sure that’s why it didn’t cross my mind about your family. I’ll apologize right now for that, too. I’ve made a jumbled mess of things.”
She set the sandwiches at the small table and then went back for fruit salad and bowls. “Yes, you have.”
I watched her closely as she moved around in her own space. She seemed more relaxed now that she was here, even if I had made a mess of her life. As she walked toward me, I noticed her favoring her right leg. She always walked with a bit of a hitch, but this looked like an acute injury.
“Did you hurt yourself when you fell earlier?” I asked, pointing at her leg. I could have been blind and seen how quickly she stiffened her body, finished the walk to the table, and slid into her chair.
“No, why would you think that? I just fell. Geez, get over it, everyone does it.”
She jammed a bite of sandwich into her mouth and chewed, so I decided saying ‘not everyone’ wasn’t the wisest choice. I may be slow, but I do catch on quickly to topics people don’t want to discuss. I picked up my sandwich and checked it out.
“What the hell is this?” I asked inspecting the layers on the roll.
“It’s a sandwich with turkey, tomatoes, sprouts, avocado, and mayo,” she said, swigging down her Sprite.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” I joked and she looked up sharply.
“Are you accusing me of not being native?”
I raised one brow, as I was ready to take a bite of the sandwich. “I’m not accusing you of anything.”
“Well, for your information, not that I care what people think, but I was born and raised on Oahu.”
I laid my empty hand on her arm and felt her shudder under my touch. “Relax, Ellie. You should know that I joke around a lot, but only when I’m with someone I’m very comfortable around. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
She shrugged her shoulder. “I’m not offended. I’m just trying to figure out how to get us out of this mess. The whole thing is giving me heartburn.”
I removed my hand from her arm and took a bite of the sandwich, chewing thoughtfully. When I swallowed, I met her eyes. “I’m impressed. This is quite an amazing whirlwind of flavors.”
“I had it once at a restaurant on the mainland when we went to California. It’s easy to recreate, so it became my favorite in college and now that I’m all grown up, I eat it when I’m stressed.”
“You’re stressed?” I asked, knowing the answer, but hoping she would expand on the reasons.
“Gee, do you think? Not only do I have a huge project looming for Gideon, I also have a party to pull off for Katie. Oh, and did I forget to mention I’m a newlywed, but I know nothing about my groom?” Her voice went up two octaves on the last word and it wasn’t so much a question as an angry statement.
“You aren’t actually married, you know that, right?”
She threw her hands up and pushed her plate away, leaning on the table with her
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