Page 21 of Catch a Wave
“Wake up, sleepyhead!” my brother’s obnoxiously happy morning-person voice booms from the hallway.
The door to the guest bedroom opens a moment later.
“What if I was getting dressed?” I ask him.
The raspy tone from my unexercised vocal cords makes me sound like I’m a pack-a-day smoker.
I pull the covers snugly against my chin, emphasizing my intention to make a permanent home in this bed. I could end up in the Guinness Book of World Records for people who stayed in bed the longest. Now there’s a contest I can get behind.
“You should be getting dressed. I let you sleep in. It’s already eight-thirty. Time to get coffee and get your tour on. Come on. Get up.”
He has the nerve to pull my blankets back. And of course, at that moment, Bodhi walks by. Our eyes lock. I’m wearing a pajama set of silky pink shorts and a matching tank. I could be on the beach wearing less. He’s seen me in much less on my board in the water. Somehow, I feel more exposed right now.
Bodhi mumbles, “Good morning,” and keeps walking.
“He’s going to work. You are going to play. Let’s go.” Kai’s bossy tone only comes out in his relationship with me. Yay, me! I won the bossy-brother lottery.
“Why does it feel like work? Play feels fun. This is not fun. I wanted to sleep in.”
“You napped all day yesterday. Come on. I have to show you where to get the best coffee on Marbella. And I want to introduce you to a few friends, tour you through the resort …”
“Can we get food?”
Kai chuckles. “Yeah. We’ll get food. Come on.”
Without another word, he’s out the bedroom door, snicking it shut behind himself. I hear the low rumble of conversation between him and Bodhi in the living room while I stand, grabbing my boot and a change of clothes and making my way across the hall into the bathroom.
By the time I’m showered and dressed, Bodhi is long gone.
Kai’s relaxing on the sofa, scrolling his phone. He looks up. “Ready?”
“I guess?”
“You are going to love Marbella, Kala. It’s beautiful and chill. All the island vibes, but California style. And the resort has a lot to offer.”
I can’t help but smile at Kai’s enthusiasm.
“I should have come sooner—under other conditions.”
“I should have invited you. And I should have told you about my housing situation.”
“Yeah. You should have. And I’m still mad at you. I might look like a normal, happy girl with only one functioning leg and some serious equilibrium issues, but don’t let my smile fool you. You should definitely keep one eye open when you sleep.”
“Noted.” He laughs and his eyes crinkle at the edges, but then he turns toward me with a softness in his eyes.
I know Kai’s not making light of his choices. He’s just happy to see me, and probably relieved I’m not holding a full-blown grudge. I don’t know why I’m not, except I’m just so tired of hurting and struggling over the past four weeks. I don’t have it in me to maintain anger.
Besides, I have to admit, I’m beyond happy to see my brother in person. Kai and I were always close. We were raised to put ohana first above everything. That means our blood family members, but also adopted family—people who come into our lives and feel like they belong to us.
“I missed you.” Kai looks down at me when he opens the front door so I can hobble out past him. “I watched all your contests.”
I look up at him and nod. I can feel my smile. It’s not full, but I am glad he watched me. Sometimes he’d call me after a contest, or text. I knew he followed my career. But we weren’t very good about connecting when we weren’t together. We both live too much in the moment to be skilled at long-distance relationships. Maybe if he had been my sister we would have done better. Barely a day goes by that I don’t text Leilani. But she would hunt me down if I didn’t.
“So, where are we headed?” I ask Kai.
He walks toward a golf cart parked in front of his home and steps into the driver’s seat.
“Is this yours?”
