The seashell of ohana, p.1
The Seashell of 'Ohana, page 1
Other Books by Mary Ting
Spirit of ‘Ohana Series
When the Wind Chimes
International Sensory Assassin Network Series
ISAN, Book 1
HELIX, Book 2
GENES, Book 3
CODE, Book 4
Jaclyn and the Beanstalk
Forthcoming from Mary Ting
International Sensory Assassin Network Series
AVA, Book 5
Spirit of ‘Ohana Series Awards
Grand Prize Winner: Romantic Fiction
Chatelaine Book Awards
Gold Medal Winner: Fiction—Romance
Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards
Gold Medal Winner: Romance
New York Book Festival
Finalist: Romance
Next Generation Indie Book Awards
The Seashell of ‘Ohana
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2022 Mary Ting
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the publisher, except where permitted by law.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
Cover design by Michael J. Canales
www.MJCImageworks.com
ISBN: 978-1-64548-087-7
Published by Rosewind Books
An imprint of Vesuvian Books
www.RosewindBooks.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One — Lucky Day
Chapter Two — Welcome Home
Chapter Three — Four Years
Chapter Four — Carousel Gallery
Chapter Five — Saturday at Lee’s
Chapter Six — Ping-Pong
Chapter Seven — Safe at Home
Chapter Eight — ‘Ohana
Chapter Nine — Hanalei
Chapter Ten — Back to Work
Chapter Eleven — Apology
Chapter Twelve — Sick Day
Chapter Thirteen — The Interview
Chapter Fourteen — After School
Chapter Fifteen — Alone With My Thoughts
Chapter Sixteen — Ian’s House
Chapter Seventeen — Under the Moonlight
Chapter Eighteen — Bucket List
Chapter Nineteen — Home Sweet Home
Chapter Twenty — Shopping
Chapter Twenty-One — Zip-Lining
Chapter Twenty-Two — Liam
Chapter Twenty-Three — Horseback
Chapter Twenty-Four — Engagement
Chapter Twenty-Five — After
Chapter Twenty-Six — Charity
Chapter Twenty-Seven — Declaration
Chapter Twenty-Eight — Revelation
Chapter Twenty-Nine — Florida
Chapter Thirty — Confession
Chapter Thirty-One — The Letter
Chapter Thirty-Two — A New Beginning
Chapter Thirty-Three — Two Weeks Later
About the Author
Chapter One — Lucky Day
The wheels on our shopping cart squeaked across the tile floor, drawing annoyed glances from other shoppers. Of all the carts, we got this one.
Tyler didn’t seem to mind the persistent squeak, so I left it alone. My son walked ahead, pushing the cart without me. A young woman at a cash register smiled at him as he passed.
The slightly frayed hem of his pants brushed the top of his ankles. He needed a new pair of jeans. When had he outgrown them?
“Ty, not too fast.” I speed-walked behind him, my arms outstretched, ready to take the reins.
Tyler glared over his shoulder, squinting his brown eyes at me with an obvious “don’t tell me what to do” look.
He’d turned eight recently and had been testing boundaries by talking back to me, asking to play video games before he did his homework, or staying up later during the school nights.
Being a single mom was hard enough, but it wore my patience thin when he fought me at every step. I narrowed my eyes at him, even though he had turned back and couldn’t see me. At least he had slowed down.
Next to a paper towel sale display, a woman pulled her toddler to the side. She lowered her gaze to the wheels on our cart and frowned at the noise. She had enough room, but you couldn’t be too careful with toddlers. I would have done the same.
“Sorry.” I offered an affable smile with a wave.
My black flats slapped with the rhythm of his steps. I wasn’t an overbearing parent, but Tyler had rammed our cart into a grumpy old woman last week.
We didn’t need another accident.
Thank God the old woman hadn’t been injured. But even after Tyler had apologized, she’d flipped us off. Tyler had had the shock of his life, then I’d had the shock of mine when my son let out a belly laugh and pointed at her. The laugh had been so loud that it had seized everyone’s attention. I had been mortified, beyond humiliated, but at the same time, an inappropriate giggle had bubbled up my throat.
I’d grabbed my son and the cart and booked it out of the vegetable section before the old lady could throw more profanity at us. I hoped I didn’t run into her today, or any other day, for that matter.
All the cashiers knew us, as I had shopped at this grocery store at least once a week for the past four years—our little community market in Poipu, Kauai. After my husband passed away, Tyler and I moved to Kauai to heal.
Squeak, squeak, squeak.
Tyler veered the cart to the bread aisle. He slowed to squeeze past a middle-aged man who had his cart smack in the middle of the lane. I had a routine, and Tyler knew exactly where to go.
“Do we need hamburger buns, Mom?”
“No, not today. Follow me.” I adjusted my purse strap over my shoulder and strode past the canned vegetables and soups, repeating my short list under my breath. Cereal. Eggs. Yogurt. Butter lettuce.
I had written down what I needed but had forgotten to bring the list, having left it inside the cup holder in my minivan. Ugh! I should text it to myself next time. No matter, I only needed four things.
Cereal. Eggs. Yogurt. Butter lettuce. More than once, I’d gone to the market and walked out without the item I’d intended to buy in the first place.
“This way, Ty.” I turned into the cereal aisle but halted, distracted by the scent of something sweet.
Fresh leis made with pink and purple orchids and plumeria hung on a small rack at the floral section. Big balloons read “Happy Birthday” and “I love you,” alongside bouquets of various flowers. Steve used to buy me flowers.
Plumeria was one of my local favorites, and I loved how they smelled like ripe peaches. I had some in a water bowl in my house that I had picked from the tree in my front yard. I smiled, imagining the flowers Steve would bring home if he’d lived.
My reverie dissolved when a pale woman twirled the revolving shelves with Kauai magnets near the flower section. A guy with heavy black glasses showed her a Kauai T-shirt he’d grabbed from the near shelf. They must be tourists.
“Mom, can I buy this one?” Tyler handed me a box, his eyes gleaming.
I examined the ingredients on the back. Organic. Low fat. Low sugar. Hardly any sodium. Even had calcium and fiber. Good. But Tyler liked the chocolate flavor, and this was vanilla. I saw why he wanted it when I flipped it to the front.
The cereal bits were shaped like skulls and pirate hats. His favorite video game used to be Unicorns versus Skeletons, but he had outgrown it and advanced to Buccaneers versus Skeletons. A small plastic figure of one of the characters came inside the box.
I leveled my eyes to his. “Are you going to eat it?”
When my younger sister Kate was little, she used to beg our mother to buy certain cereals just for the toy. My mother had always given in, and of course, Kate had never finished the box. As I contemplated buying it, I wondered if I would eat the cereal.
“Aye, Captain. I promise.” Tyler slung his arm like a pirate and placed a hand over his heart on his T-shirt.
“Are you sure?” I lowered my eyebrows. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it if he didn’t. A promise was a promise—a word he shouldn’t use lightly to get his way.
Tyler pinched his eyebrows together and paused as if in thought. He grabbed the box, shelved it, and took out a smaller one of the same kind.
“This one is on sale, and it comes with the same toy,” he said. “If I don’t finish it, then you can take it out of my allowance.”
I resisted hugging him in public, but I was so proud. What eight-year-old would say such a thing? It had been just Tyler and me for almost four years without Steve. He’d had to grow up faster than most kids his age, including learning about finances earlier than I’d anticipated.
“Well, since you put it that way, and you’ve obviously learned the skill of negotiation, I’ll take that deal.” I placed the box in the cart.
“Shiver me timbers.” Tyler’s face glowed with happiness, his lips curling upward.
I shook my head, smili
Cereal. Scratch that off the list. Eggs, yogurt, and butter lettuce.
Squeak, squeak, squeak went the wheels as Tyler trailed behind me. The noise sounded louder in the deserted milk and egg section.
I grabbed a carton of jumbo brown eggs and strolled to the next refrigerated section near the butcher. While Tyler busied himself by looking at the cereal box, I placed my purse inside the cart and reached for the yogurt. The brand Tyler and I liked was on the top and pushed all the way back.
I got on my tiptoes and pressed my body closer as I stretched my arm up, but I still couldn’t grab it. Didn’t they know some shoppers were petite? I let out a groan, gave a little hop, and landed with a clomp. Almost, but I wasn’t going to be able to reach it no matter how many times I leaped.
I cursed under my breath and glanced to either side. No workers. None of the few customers passing by appeared tall enough to help. I certainly wasn’t going to ask the old woman slowly strolling by, who was scrutinizing me like I was going to steal something.
With no other choice, I stepped on a small ledge, about two feet high, and then pushed upward. Got one. Success. But my smile was quickly replaced with panic. My foot slipped on the metal, and I teetered, trying to right myself even as I knew it was a losing battle. I twisted on my way down, about to fall flat on my face.
Thoughts flashed through my mind. Tyler was going to be without a mom, or I would break a limb, leaving us both helpless.
This had been a reckless, asinine decision. How many times had I scolded Tyler for jumping on his bed? How often had I emphasized that he could crack his skull or break a leg if he slipped and landed on the floor wrong?
As I prepared for the fall, I threw up a quick prayer.
Footsteps pounded, and then my back collided with something firm. I let out an oomph and was enveloped by a wave of musky scent mixed with ocean breeze.
Oh, thank God.
I knew that scent. I hadn’t forgotten even after all these years. But it couldn’t be him. My breath caught. Two strong arms helped me to a standing position, and I met the familiar gorgeous brown eyes sparkling with shock and recognition. My heart skipped pleasantly at the sight of Ian Bordonaro.
“Are you okay?” His smooth, deep voice sent all sorts of unwanted tingles through my veins.
Ian wore dark jeans and a black T-shirt, looking friendly out of his business suit, but this simple attire combined with his five o’clock shadow had me thinking things I shouldn’t.
It had been about three years since I’d seen him, but I hadn’t forgotten his scent, his sexy deep voice, or that handsome face. He’d appeared like a hot guardian angel just when I needed him.
Stop thinking about hot angels in fantasy books.
“Ty. It’s nice to see you.” Ian went straight for Tyler. “You’ve grown taller. How are you?”
“Hi, Ian. How are you?” Tyler held the cereal box with the other arm as they shook hands.
I was surprised Tyler recognized Ian and proud that he’d remembered his manners. My lectures had paid off—twice in one day.
Ian’s grin widened. “Good. Thanks for asking. So, you’re helping your mom.”
“Yeah, sort of.” Tyler lowered his voice, his shoulders drooping a little. “I had no choice. Mom forgot a few things from the market, again.” He said the last word with a pained sigh.
Ian let out a chuckle, and that sound reached something inside me. He gave me a once-over like he was checking me out. My cheeks warmed, and I suddenly forgot how to breathe.
I was sure I had bags under my eyes, and my long hair was a tangled mess. I’d had a rough day at the art gallery and had rushed over here. I hadn’t met with clients today, so I had on an old pair of gray jeans and a white T-shirt, purple and yellow oil paint staining the hem.
A pause stretched between us. A few women passed, their eyes on Ian, admiring him a bit too long. He didn’t notice as his attention was on me. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so … seen.
“Pure. That’s my favorite.” Ian pointed at my hand, breaking the silence.
Apparently, I had forgotten what I was doing here. “Oh, yes. Pure is our favorite, too.”
“Do you need just one?” He let out the same delicious chuckle and made me want to hear him laugh again.
I gave him a sidelong glance. “Just one …?”
“Yogurt?” He sounded unsure.
“Oh, this.” I raised the yogurt. “Yes. I mean, no.” I shook my head. Stop acting like a girl with a crush. “I mean, I need a few more. Could you, please?”
His toned biceps flexed as he grabbed a container and placed it in the cart. My gaze lingered over his thick eyebrows framing deep-set dark eyes with killer eyelashes that gave the illusion he was wearing eyeliner. He reminded me of the hot pirate character in Tyler’s game.
He halted as he stretched his arm to grab another container, craned his neck to me, and slowly tugged his lips into a devilish grin. His eyes beamed with amusement that said—I know you’re looking at me.
I backed away a step with a nervous smile, noticing that my treacherous body had leaned toward him. He placed the one he held gently in the cart on top of two piles he had made by my purse.
“Will ten be enough, or do you need more?” he asked.
Ten? What? I had been too enthralled and hadn’t noticed.
“This is plenty. Thank you.” I offered a grateful smile and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Were you passing by? I mean, I didn’t see you.”
I lowered my eyes to the black plastic basket next to his feet. That must have been the thing that had clattered on the ground before he’d caught me. Inside, he had a loaf of wheat bread, two tomatoes in a clear plastic bag, and turkey sandwich meat.
Ian rubbed at his stubbled jaw and flicked his gaze to Tyler. “I was on my way to get some ice cream when I heard a squeaking sound, and I wanted to know who the cart belonged to.”
Perhaps lucky after all.
“So, are you back from a business trip?” I asked. “Or are you off to another country?”
I wasn’t trying to pry in his personal business, but it’d be weird to thank him and walk off. After all, he was Leonardo’s good friend. They were practically brothers. And it wasn’t like we were strangers.
Ian grabbed a couple of Pure yogurts and lowered them into his basket. “I got back from Singapore last night. I’ll be staying for a while.”
I nodded, and an awkward silence fell between us. I put my hand on the cart’s handle, about to tell him goodbye, but he said, “Will you be at your gallery any time soon?”
“I’m swamped at work, so I’m there every day.”
Ian picked up his basket with one swift scoop. “I need to buy some paintings, so I’ll stop by when I get a chance. Anyway, I better let you two get going.” He glanced at Tyler, who was shaking the box of cereal near his ear like a Christmas present.
“Thank you for rescuing me.” My cheeks heated. “See you around.” See you around? So lame. I wished I had a redo.
“I’d like that,” he said, then gave his attention to Tyler. “Take care of your mom. And …” He leaned lower, but gave me a sly sidelong glance as if he was saying it to me. “Don’t forget to buy chocolate chip ice cream. That’s my favorite.”
“Mine too.” Tyler’s eyes rounded.
Ian nodded at the box Tyler held, then held out his palm for a high five. “See you soon, kid. Ahoy, mate.”
“Blimey.” Tyler’s smile stretched wider, and he looked at Ian as if he was his hero.
I started when Ian swooped his arms around my waist and placed a tender kiss on my cheek.
“It was good seeing you, Abby.” His kind words caressed the shell of my ear.
Ian’s warm body was firm against mine, and his stubble lightly grazed my skin. I sucked in a breath, surprised as those touches traveled to places they shouldn’t, caressing me like a gentle ocean wave. It happened so fast—it almost felt like it hadn’t happened at all.
