Her Island Homecoming
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Anna J. Stewart
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19.7K
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CHAPTER ONE
“REMY ALWAYS CONSIDERED the sunrise to be his own personal show.” Bare toes scrunching in the damp morning sand, Sydney Calvert stood on the shoreline and tried once again to swallow the lump of grief she’d been carrying around since she’d gotten the call. It wasn’t possible her big brother was gone. Not so soon. Dying without warning at thirty-four? She drew in a trembling breath and dug deep for the strength she needed.
The tropical-tinted air kissed the white-capped waves drifting onto the shore of Nalani, Hawai’i. They’d been born here, in this tiny little cap of a town on the east shore of the Big Island. A town that now offered the promise of a new day. A new beginning.
A breeze wound its way through the maze of coconut palms, rustling the leaves in an early-morning wake-up call. It had been too long since she’d stood here. Too long since she’d come home. Years had passed, and yet coming back now didn’t feel as if she’d been away. Didn’t feel as if anything was different. And yet?
And yet. Sydney blew out a long, controlled breath. Everything had changed.
The time would come when the thought of her brother wouldn’t bring a tear to her eye but a smile to her lips. She just had to hold on long enough to get there. Today she’d embrace the otherworldly quality of black-sand beaches and uninterrupted vistas of tumbling waves and surf. Surf Remy had made his own by riding it every chance he got. Surf that, today, would serve as the site of his memorial.
Progress and time might have left their stamps on the islands as a whole, but there were pockets—so many perfect, pristine pockets—of utter and complete...paradise.
Sydney closed her eyes, inhaled the familiar intoxicating scent of hibiscus and jasmine, and accepted what was to come.
“I keep expecting him to run out of the house and say this was all some horrible practical joke.” Smiling, she tucked her wind-caught hair behind one ear and turned, waiting for the morning sun to dry her tears as she looked at her late-brother’s longtime girlfriend. “Instead, it’s the day we’ll all say goodbye.”
Tears glistened in Tehani Iokepa’s eyes, her black hair long and straight down her back and set off by a solitary hibiscus blossom behind her ear. The same hibiscus flowers that made up the dozen or so leis Remy’s girlfriend had spent the past few days crafting.
Leis that sat piled gently nearby, awaiting their final placement on the water.
Tehani stood straight and unbending as she looked beyond Sydney into the ocean around them as if she, too, expected Remy to magically reappear. “Nalani is giving us the perfect send-off for him.” Her voice was thick with emotion, her eyes filled with longing for the man she’d loved. The man who, had they only a little more time, would have become her husband.
Sydney held out her hand, palm open, and Tehani stepped forward, and grabbed hold. “Remy always took paddle-outs very seriously.” Sydney’s recollection was an attempt to lighten the mood. They’d had three weeks to get used to the idea that Remy was gone; that life would never be the same for anyone who knew him, let alone loved him. Remembering what had made him so amazing was the best gift she and Tehani could give each other.
Remy Calvert had been the kind of man whose presence overwhelmed all others. But not with ego. Never with ego. With vivacity. With welcome. Love. There wasn’t a friend he wouldn’t help or a challenge he could refuse, and all of it was done with a gratitude and grace Sydney didn’t possess.
For years Sydney had teased Remy that he could pull a smile out of a stone, but he’d taken it as a compliment and wore his charm and soul-deep love for his home on his smiling face. He’d loved their home, from the chain of islands to the simple little town of Nalani, to the two-story bungalow nestled in a thicket of coconut trees on the far end of the beach. Home.
He’d loved this place so much he’d rarely ever left. Sydney tried to find comfort in that—that he’d died where he’d been the happiest. But comfort was difficult to come by when, at the age of thirty, she’d now said goodbye to her entire family.
A familiar, gentle bell tinkled in the distance. “That sounds like Maru’s malasada cart.” Sydney’s eyes went wide as she turned and spotted an older woman and a much younger one unloading a carload of trays and clear plastic boxes filled with sugary goodness. “Didn’t Remy tell me she had a stroke last year?”
“It would take more than that to stop Maru,” Tehani said. “Her granddaughter helps her to make them now, and she doesn’t wheel that cart around anymore. Mano and Remy repurposed an old tiki bar as a mobile stall for her so she could stay out and be out of the sun. But the bell remained.” A smile crossed her lips. “Everyone around here knows what that bell means.”
“That bell means I’m going to gain five pounds by the time I head home.” Even now, Sydney’s stomach rumbled for the coconut pudding-stuffed doughnuts. “I swear I dream about those haupia-filled ones.”
Tehani stepped back and pulled her hand free as cars began filing into the makeshift parking lot. Vans and open-air Jeeps and trucks unloaded by the dozen; people young and old yanked colorful surfboards free of their transport before heading to the beach. More cars transported more people carrying freshly made leis, which they draped over one another’s necks.
Beyond the lot sat Nalani’s main drag, a street that was filled with various shops, eateries, and stalls where locals offered their handmade crafts and homemade goods. A full-tropical one-stop hit of Hawaiian goodness.
A tropical artist colony was how Sydney had always referred to it, with homes situated in and around both the beach and village. Old and sturdy coconut, pine and banyan trees gave shelter and shade for those who called Nalani home while also allowing for climbing lessons for the young ones embracing outdoor life. Down the road, money trees mingled with eucalyptus in arching groves against the sun while framing perfect island scenes.
“I didn’t think so many people would come.” Sydney’s whisper earned an arched brow from Tehani. “It’s a weekday.”
“You’ve been away too long if you’ve forgotten how important ohana is,” Tehani scolded. “Family always comes first.”
Absolutely, it did. It was why Remy had named his local tour-and-excursion company Ohana Odysseys. He wanted everyone who came here, who paid for his and his employees’ services, to feel like family. No, not just feel like family—become family.
Become oh-ha-na.
“Remy always made time for them,” Tehani said. “Of course they’ll be here for him today. Mano made certain of it.”
“Right.” Sydney winced at her careless comment. “Sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Tehani nodded as they were approached by a familiar face.
“Mano.” Sydney smiled, walked toward Tehani’s brother and, after he plowed two surfboards into the sand, stepped straight into a hug. He was exactly as she remembered him, with his broad shoulders, tattooed arms and healthy physique. He was considered quite the island catch, but from what Remy had said, their old friend was firmly hooked on his ex. Not that Sydney had any thoughts other than friendship where Mano was concerned. Even now, as he held her tight, she knew it was as close to a brotherly hug as she’d ever get again. “I hear you’re partially responsible for arranging the paddle-out.”
“I put the word out, is all.” Mano’s voice carried the same tight grief Sydney had been trying to talk around. “Kaikunane.” He reached for Tehani. “It’s a good day, sister.”
“We were just saying,” Sydney interjected when tears jumped back into Tehani’s eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner to help plan—”
“Plans are taken care of,” Mano assured her. “What’s important is that you’re here. Remy would be—”
“Irritated over all the fuss,” Sydney said, trying to joke, “and wondering when the party was going to start.”
“Mano!” Someone from a group of surfers called from the parking lot and headed over, some detouring over to Maru’s stand for a jolt of breakfast sugar. “Brah, we’ll give Remy a good send-off, yeah?” The young man at the front of the pack carried a surfboard under one arm. He wore brightly colored board shorts and a warm smile. “You must be Sydney. I recognize your picture from the office. I’m Kiri. Aloha.”
“Aloha,” Sydney responded.
“Kiri assisted with a lot of your brother’s land tours and surfing lessons,” Mano told her. “But Tehani can fill you in on all those details later. Shall we get this ceremony underway? Daphne. Good morning.”
“Good morning.” A tall, statuesque redhead had joined them, a yellow zip-up sweatshirt tugged around her. She wore her long red hair braided down her back and a cautious expression on her face. “Welcome back, Sydney. Glad you got in safely. How was your flight?”
“I’d have been happier flying the plane myself.”
“Remy always said you were the worst passenger on a flight.” Daphne’s face brightened; Sydney bet it was from fond memories. “He couldn’t stop bragging about his hotshot rescue-pilot sister.”
“Yeah, well.” Sydney had no response to that. She did the job she was good at. The job she loved. Being in the air, having her hands on the control instruments of anything with wings... There was nothing better in the world. Unless it was using her skills to help people.
The truth was, if she had been flying her plane last night, she wouldn’t have had so much time to think. And wonder. And worry about what could have been. All pointless things that had only added to her grief and stress. By the time her flight had landed—three hours late—she opted to stay mostly right here on the beach, coming to terms with the fact she wouldn’t ever be welcomed home by her brother again.
“You’re looking great, Daphne,” Sydney said. “Remy told me you’d moved out here a couple of years ago to work with him. Island life certainly seems to agree with you.”
Daphne nodded. “I can’t imagine it not agreeing with anyone.”
Sydney wasn’t so sure. She’d loved it here, but the rest of the world had called to her through one big bullhorn. This small town had never felt big enough to contain her dreams.
“Not going to paddle out with us, Daph?” Tehani asked as she stripped down to the floral bikini she wore under her shorts and T-shirt.
“Surfboards and I are not a good combination,” Daphne said with a slight chuckle. “I’ll stay on shore with the rest and hand out leis. Help set up the food and direct people.”
Ah, the food. Sydney shook her head. She’d missed the pre-funeral feast, but she was hoping to make up for it with the post-ceremony celebration. Today was the first time in weeks she actually had an appetite.
“That’d be great. Thanks, Daphne,” Tehani said. “Syd? You ready?”
No, Sydney thought as she took a deep breath. She wasn’t ready. Not by a long shot. She glanced down at the gray urn containing her brother’s ashes. But she had to be if any of them were going to move on.
“If you need some more time,” Mano began, but Sydney shook her head and quickly stepped out of her skirt and blouse, shivering as her swimsuit-clad body adjusted to the morning air.
“Forgot how chilly it can feel.” But even as she said it, a warm breeze wafted over the area.
Tehani raised her face to the sun, offered a smile. “I think maybe he heard you.”
“Yeah.” Sydney’s voice broke as she bent to pick up the urn. “I think maybe he did.”
“You good paddling out with it?” Mano asked as she accepted one of the smaller boards he’d brought for her. “How long has it been since you were on the water?”
“Not that long.” She’d found some good surf spots out in South Carolina. The water was different on that side of the country. Harsher. Sharper. But being in the water came in second only to being in the sky. “If I need help, I’ll give a shout.”
Mano and Tehani waded out into the ocean on their boards, using their arms to paddle a good distance from shore. As Sydney made her way through the water, she watched as countless others followed Mano and Tehani out. Every one of them was here because of Remy. Because they’d loved and respected him. She could get through this without losing it.
She owed them—and Remy—that much, at least.
Sydney kept the urn close to her chest as she paddled out, the cold water lapping up and over the board, splashing into her face. With every stroke, she could feel her pulse quicken, as if taking extra beats for her brother. Well out from shore, she saw the circle of boards and surfers forming, stretching into a large ring. Mano and Tehani shifted aside to make room for her. She came up, straddled the board, keeping one hand on the urn as she caught her balance.
In lieu of a eulogy, Mano had suggested a traditional Hawaiian blessing be sung, the sounds of which now rose up as Sydney lifted her eyes to the sky. Her tears mingled with the droplets of ocean water. Bright, fluffy clouds drifted by as the surfers joined in. They began placing or tossing their leis into the water and, as the song came to an end, Sydney lowered her chin and pried open the urn.
She turned the metal container over, poured most of Remy’s ashes into the water, stopped and then offered the urn to Tehani. “‘O ʽoe kāna hōkū.’ You were his star.”
Tehani visibly swallowed, bowed her head and accepted the urn. “Mahalo,” she whispered and, after a moment of quiet, poured out the rest of the ashes.
A whoop sounded from across the circle, and seconds later, hands and feet began splashing, creating waves of acceptance and transmittance as the ocean became Remy’s final resting place. More flowers flew, soaring into the sky before dropping onto the water, petals falling loose and dotting the ocean with beautiful hibiscus, roses and orchids.
The cheers of celebration over honoring a friend, honoring family, echoed until Sydney could no longer see the ashes. Her feet dangled in the water, and she clasped the edge of the board as the circle broke apart and some paddled off to ride the waves farther down the beach. One final tributary ride for Remy.
“You okay?” Mano asked the two of them.
Tehani nodded but didn’t say another word before she turned her board around and headed back to shore.
“Did you know?” Sydney asked Mano now that they were alone. “That he was sick?” She didn’t have to look at him to know he had flinched at her question.
“I knew something was wrong. He’d been...off. Distracted. Not by much. But by enough to notice.” He went silent for a moment. “Dwelling on it now won’t change anything, Sydney. He wouldn’t want it to.”
“I know.” She did know. But it didn’t make it any easier. “He asked me to come back. A few months ago. He said he had this new idea he wanted to run past me, but he wanted to present it in person.” Her smile contained nothing other than bitterness. “I told him if it was so important, he should come to me. It was a safe challenge, one I knew he’d never accept.” She bent over to feel the ocean caress her face. “Nothing could ever make him leave this place.”
“I don’t have to tell you how much he loved you. Or how proud he was of you,” Mano said.
“No,” Sydney said, finally letting go of some of the guilt. “No, you don’t.” The flowers and leis bobbed and danced in the water as the sun rose higher. “I just hope I deserved it.” She nodded, gave one last look out at the horizon and then looked to Mano. “I’m ready.”
Together, they turned and rode the gentle waves into the shore.
“I HAD A feeling this was where you were hiding.” Tehani faux-stumbled into the two-story office space that housed Ohana Odysseys and plopped into the chair on the other side of Remy’s desk. She’d covered her bikini with a sarong the color of ripe peaches that set her dark skin to glowing. “I swear if I eat one more malasada, I’m going to explode.”
“I needed some quiet.” Sydney sat back in her brother’s chair. The memorial celebration had been going on for hours, and Sydney was beyond exhausted. It was as if her body had been waiting for her mind to catch up. Only trouble was, with the funeral behind her, she had new things to worry about. “Business has been doing pretty well, it looks like, for you guys and the company.”
Tehani shrugged. “Better than ‘pretty well.’ He was planning to expand.”
“Yeah.” She’d come across some sketched-out plans. “He definitely had ideas.”
The building that housed the successful tour-and-excursion company sat smack-dab in the middle of Nalani’s main stretch, its weatherproof modern-day structure covered in bamboo to give the authentic feel of a vacation in the tropics. The roof, a solid and sturdy tile, lay beneath a decorative thick layer of dried grass. The three-step porch on the outside led into an open office space on the ground floor, with wide, open windows overlooking the beach and a partial loft space that, at one time, had served as Remy’s living quarters.
Those threadbare days were gone, as were most of the financial struggles that barely kept Odyssey afloat as Remy guided tourists and visitors all over the area. That wasn’t to say tough times weren’t ahead, especially with a planned expansion. Quirky, cartoony tourist posters hung framed on the wall. The front desk, Tehani’s terrain, boasted an upscale computer booking system and information center, and the bulletin board behind displayed photographs of the locals with the positions they held: tour guides; catering for in-house meal delivery; private swimming, surfing or diving classes. Then there were the local experts, including Daphne, who was a botanist by trade but gave in-depth horticultural tours by request.
What had started out with simple Jeep outings had gradually grown into a pair of fifteen-seat vans that transported their customers to various land, water and hiking excursions. The zip line excursion had become one of the most popular activities, according to the financial records Sydney had pulled up. But the helicopter tours—courtesy of the rebuilt 2004 chopper Sydney had found for Remy through one of her pilot contacts—had been bringing in the most profit over the past eighteen months.
“I can’t even wrap my brain around most of this,” Sydney muttered.
Tehani looked at her for a good long moment, then pushed herself up and retrieved a key from her desk. “Scoot over.” She nudged Sydney and the chair, then crouched to open the bottom-left drawer Sydney had given up hope of exploring. Inside, with the binders and folders, sat an envelope with Sydney’s name on it. “No better time than now, I suppose.”
“What is it?”
“You know what it is. Or at least, you’re afraid you do.” Tehani reclaimed her seat, rested her folded hands over her stomach as she watched Sydney open the envelope and read.
Was it possible for a heart to speed up and stop at the same time? Sydney’s chest tightened as her eyes skimmed, then skimmed again. Then she slowed and read every single word.
“He left me the business.” She lowered the papers. “He left me Ohana Odysseys.”
“He did,” Tehani said with a nod. Sydney blinked at her, looking for any hint of animosity or anger or resentment. But she didn’t find anything other than curiosity over what Sydney might be thinking. “You can’t be surprised.”
“I can.” Sydney shook her head, set the letter down, picked it back up. Stared at her brother’s girlfriend. “Tehani, it should have been you. Or Mano. I thought there was some discussion about them partnering up to give Hibiscus Bay Resort its own private company.”
“There was. Then Remy got...distracted.” Tehani shook her head, a clear sign she didn’t want to discuss that issue further. At least not yet. “Remy’s plans, the ones he told you about when he called a few months ago—you were a big part of them. He wanted you to come home.”
“Yeah, I got that message loud and clear.”
“No, it was more than him wanting you to visit. He wanted you to be a full partner in Ohana Odysseys. You and the others.”
“The others. What others?” She really didn’t think her mind could spin any faster.
“You, maybe Mano. Daphne was already here, so he figured he’d won her over. You guys, in this all together.”
“I don’t understand.” Why was her mind so foggy? “Remy wanted us to buy in?”
Tehani nodded. “He wanted to make Ohana a true family business. And what better way to do that than with the people he considered family?”
It was a lovely idea, but... “What about you?”
“I was on board. It made good business sense, especially with the way we’ve been growing. Most of the money he brings in stays here in Nalani. He was able to fund the school repairs and get some new roofs on the city office buildings. Help people pay their rent or mortgages.”
“No, I mean, that’s all great, but what about you as a partner?”
Tehani’s eyes were dry when she looked at Sydney. “That was going to happen after we got married.”
Grief resurged, this time along with anger over the utter unfairness of her brother dying. Sydney shot to her feet, began pacing, as if she could outrun her brother’s plans for her. Plans that in all rights, should have been for Tehani. “I can’t do this. He expected me to come back here and help run the place?”
“I wouldn’t say expected,” Tehani said softly. “More like hoped. But things are different now. Expectations have definitely shifted.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means that without Ohana Odysseys, there’s a very good chance Nalani will cease to exist. Oh, it won’t happen overnight,” Tehani added quickly but with more than a little heat. “But it’ll be difficult to keep the stores running and the houses occupied without tourists filling the coffers. Hilo and Kona have always been huge draws. We’ve been pulling from that and expanding our reach. But without someone steady at the helm—”
“You. You should be at the helm.”
Tehani shook her head. “If Remy wanted me to run Ohana, he would have made that plain. He didn’t. He left this place to you. There are more detailed business plans for you to follow at the house. I can show you where they are in his home office.”
“I don’t want to see more developed plans. I have...” Plans of my own. “I have to get home, Tehani. I’m this close to having enough money to start my own flight school. It’s what I’ve been working toward for the past six years.” She sank back into the chair and rested her face in her hands. “I can’t just walk away from that.”
“I understand.” Tehani actually sounded as if she did. But her understanding did nothing to shake the panic descending like a tidal wave over Sydney. “It’s not like you could take a sabbatical with your job and see if there’s some way to actually make this work. Right?”
Sydney dropped her hands and glared. “My brother really did tell you everything.”
Tehani’s expression softened. “He mentioned you had a lot of vacation time saved up and that you’d been given the opportunity to do some traveling. What if you spent that time here? A couple of months, maybe six? Come back and see if you can make this work. I will help as much as I can, and you know everyone here will do the same. Please, Sydney. Remy’s already gone. I don’t think I could bear to see his dream die with him.”
Sydney could feel herself caving, those pleading dark eyes of her almost-sister-in-law boring into her with a helpless defiance. “Tehani, I don’t know.” Was she really considering this? Thinking about giving up her own plans, her own dreams, to try to save her brother’s?
“It wasn’t just Ohana Remy left in your hands, Sydney.” Tehani’s voice quieted, then intensified, as if she’d formed her final argument. “It’s Nalani’s future as well. There’s no telling who will come after the business if you put it up for sale. Certainly no one with Nalani’s best interest at heart.”
Now it was Sydney’s turn to glare. “That’s just playing dirty pool.”
“Maybe it is,” Tehani agreed. “But Nalani’s my home. It was Remy’s home and yours. I’m willing to do anything I have to in order to save it.” She hesitated, then pounced. “The question is, are you?”
