Charlie Graced nodded in agreement. “Or anything else, really.”
10
Aweek later, Reva and Kellen arrived home from their extended honeymoon trip to Maui. Lila couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement tinged with a hint of envy at the thought of the adventures they must have had. She stood at Reva’s door with Charlie Grace and Capri, eager to hear all about their vacation.
“Maybe we should’ve texted before just dropping in,” Charlie Grace warned. “Reva is a married woman now.”
“What? You think we’ll catch Kellen in his underwear?” Capri laughed. “He’ll learn.”
Lila held her breath as Capri knocked. “Well, true…but we might be a bit much for the poor man. I mean, we’re a lot to get used to.”
Capri knocked again. “Like I said, he’ll adjust.”
The door opened and Reva stood there, looking surprised to see them. Nonetheless, her eyes brightened. “Oh, my goodness! I’ve missed you girls.” She scooped them into a group hug. “Come in.” She motioned them inside.
“So, was it as wonderful as you hoped?” Charlie Grace asked.
“The honeymoon trip, not the…” Lila cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “You know.”
Reva playfully slapped her friend’s shoulder. “Both were wonderful.” The corners of her mouth lifted in a sly smile.
Lila peeled off her denim jacket and placed it over the back of a chair. “We can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“Obviously,” came Reva’s reply. “Let me get you girls a cup of coffee and then I’ll tell you everything.”
“Everything?” Capri teased.
“Not everything,” a man’s voice answered.
Kellen walked toward them from down the hallway, smiling. He held little Lucan in his arms.
“I—I didn’t mean that,” Capri stammered. They all knew she was lying between her teeth, so she grinned. “You can tell us later, Reva.” She winked at her friend.
They all laughed. Even Lucan joined in while waving his stuffed turtle in the air.
Kellen walked barefoot to the refrigerator and pulled the door open. “Well, I guess I’ll let my new wife have some time with her friends.” He retrieved a bottle of apple juice and a toddler’s sippy cup from the cupboard. “We’ll be on the deck if you need us.” He planted a kiss on Reva’s cheek and granted another wide smile to the rest of them before heading outside.
Reva motioned them to the sofa. “Sit. Let me get the coffee, and I’ll join you. I can’t wait to tell you all about our romantic trip.”
She returned minutes later with a large tray filled with mugs of steaming coffee, a plate of donuts, and a plate of sliced pineapple. “There’s more coffee in the carafe,” she told them, pointing to the silver container on the tray.
Capri grabbed a donut that was covered in powdered sugar. “Oh, thank goodness. I’m starved.”
When the others gave her a look, she frowned. “What? I didn’t eat breakfast.”
Charlie Grace waved her off and turned to Reva. “Was the trip everything you hoped? Did you get to connect with Tom and Ava? Did you get to tour Pali Maui?”
Reva wrapped both hands around her steaming mug. “Yes…to everything.” She took a quick sip before continuing. “Pali Maui was amazing. I’d never been on a pineapple plantation. We had a private tour. Did you know pineapples take up to twenty-four months from propagation to fruit?”
“That’s what Ava told us when she was visiting out at Teton Trails. I couldn’t believe it took that long.” Charlie Grace took a piece of pineapple and slipped it in her mouth. Juice escaped the corners of her mouth as she chewed. “This is delicious!” she said, grabbing for a napkin.
Reva nodded in agreement. “The Pali Maui pineapples are the sweetest I’ve ever tasted.”
“Did you go to a luau?” Capri asked.
“We did! Ava’s best friend, Alani, runs one of the most popular on the island. We got to experience the whole shebang. Kalua pork cooked in a pit. Huli huli chicken. Lomi lomi.” She chuckled. “We didn’t care for the poi. Tasted like that paste we used in elementary school.”
Charlie Grace wrinkled her nose. “Sounds awful. Did you go snorkeling?”
