Someone Else’s Life(22)
Annie nodded. “We just saw a one-level home in the Wailua Homesteads, up the mountain about ten minutes from here. It was really nice, definitely a contender.” She added two cups of water to the cleaned rice and set it in the rice cooker before placing the lid on. She leaned back against the counter as she told Serena about the house they’d seen.
It had a newly renovated kitchen with light brown cabinets and tan speckled granite countertops. All the appliances were stainless steel, and there was a large island in the middle of the kitchen. Annie had always wanted one. Their kitchen in the lake house was spacious but didn’t have an island. Something about people gathered around an island when she entertained had always appealed to her. Not that she entertained much lately.
She’d also liked the layout of the house. The three bedrooms and two baths were on one end of the kitchen, and then down a few steps on the other side was the living room. It had a fenced-in, flat backyard lined with flowering plants and fruit trees, perfect for Finn and Marley.
“Think you’re going to offer?” Serena played with the stem of her wineglass.
“Brody wants to, but I’m not sure . . .” She did like the house, but somehow, putting in an offer on a house made this move permanent. By staying in the Ohana, it was almost like they were just on an extended visit, and would go home to their New York life soon. But they’d sold the lake house as soon as it was on the market. And did she want to go back, after what had happened in August? Would she be able to walk by the woods next to their lake beach and not picture Finn being carried out, covered in blood and crying hysterically?
“You don’t like the house?” Serena’s question snapped the gruesome image out of Annie’s head.
“I do. And there’s some amazing fruit trees on the property. There’s avocado, lime, mango, banana, and an orange tree.” Looking at the rice cooker, Annie realized she’d never turned it on, so she reached over and flipped the switch down before leaning back against the countertop.
“That sounds amazing.” Serena clasped her hands together. “Can you imagine? You could get up in the morning and pick bananas and mangoes for breakfast, and make fresh orange juice. Or make guacamole with the avocado and limes.”
“Hm.” Annie tapped a finger to her lips. “That does sound good. The house is nestled right at the backside of Sleeping Giant with the northwest trail about sixty yards away. And it’s a dead-end street just like this one, which is great for Finn and Marley.”
“I haven’t hiked on Sleeping Giant yet. I heard it’s great.” Serena took a sip of her wine. “Why’s it called Sleeping Giant?”
“Because it looks like a giant sleeping on his back.” Annie laughed. “Finn thinks its real name is NoNo Mountain.”
“It’s not?” Serena angled her head.
“Its real name is Nounou Mountain. But I guess it’s close enough to Finn’s interpretation.” Annie’s lips curved. “We’ll probably take Marley hiking there one day. If it ever stops raining, that is.” They both glanced out the kitchen window, where the rain continued to pour down in torrential sheets. “And the views up there are incredible.”
“I’m not very athletic.” Serena gestured to her body, which was curvier than Annie’s but nicely proportioned. Annie envied Serena her curves, since her own body was more like a boy’s, flat chested with no hips. “But I definitely should hike part of it, from everything people say.”
“You can come with us.” Annie threw a look over her shoulder as she covered the cucumber salad and placed it in the refrigerator. She was surprised when the words left her mouth, but realized she meant them. It would be fun to have Serena go hiking with them.
She looked back to see Serena smiling at her as she toasted Annie with her wineglass. “I’d love that.”
Annie smiled back. “It’s a date, then.”
12
When dinner was ready, they sat at the small table and dug into the food. The lu rou fan was delicious: salty, yet slightly sweet, the sauce sticky and rich, making it perfect with the white rice. The tang and crispness of the marinated cucumbers were a great complement to the fatty pork belly dish, and Serena actually moaned out loud in pleasure as she ate, making Annie laugh. It was the perfect comfort meal for a stormy night. The torrential rain continued to rage outside, but in here, it was warm and cozy. The food was delicious, not to mention the new friendship that was forming. Contentment spread through Annie’s body as she took another bite.
“This is so good,” Serena said. “Do you cook much?”
“I didn’t used to, but in the past few years, I’ve started to try new recipes.” She didn’t add that she’d started cooking when she’d lost her company because she was suddenly without a job and had nothing else to do. Annie took a bite of the cucumber, enjoying the way it crunched between her teeth. “Do you cook?”
“A little. Not a lot. It’s no fun cooking for one person. When Danny—that’s the name of my ex-fiancé—and I were together, though, I used to cook for us a lot.” Serena got quiet, and Annie glanced over at her new friend. She looked so sad, and Annie wondered again what had happened to make Danny break up with her right before their wedding.
“Have you seen the monk seal and the honu at Poipu Beach yet?” Annie asked to distract her.