When the Wind Chimes - Mary Ting Page 0,61

few feet away from the kids and the gazebo, so I stopped too.

The sunlight bounced off his sunglasses but I could tell his eyes were pinned on mine.

“Thank you again,” he said. “I didn’t mean to put you in that position, but you’re easy to talk to. I’m glad we got the chance to be friends. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. So ... will you be joining us for the helicopter ride tomorrow?”

The question threw me off. We hadn’t talked about it for a couple of days. But we were friends. He’d clearly stated that, so I didn’t see the harm in it.

I planted my fists on my hips and leaned to one side. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Can you help with the sandcastle? It’s a lot of digging.”

He threw his head back and let out a joyful sound. “Of course. It’s a deal.”

Lee handed Bridget her cookie and we got down on our knees.

Jessica stopped by to chat, but when Tyler accidentally flicked sand on her, she left in a hurry. Lee and I laughed at that.

Others came by to admire our sandcastle and took pictures. The creation wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect in my eyes. And so was everything else about the day.

Chapter Twenty-Four — Tour of Kauai

Phillip picked me up from Abby’s house and took me back to Lee’s. I scooted over for Bridget in the car and belted her in while Lee hopped in the front.

“Good morning, passengers.” Lee twisted his body to face me, grinning. “Phillip is going to drive us to the hangar, and we’ll get on the helicopter from there. Here. Put this on and take this. These will help with the motion sickness.”

He handed me a wristband, a pill, and a bottle of water.

I had already purchased a wristband, but since he’d gone out of his way to get one for me, I didn’t want to refuse. It was sweet of him to remember I got motion sickness.

“Don’t be scared, Kate. Papa is a good helicopter driver.” Bridget patted my knee in a curiously grown-up way.

Bridget was observant for a child her age, and so was Tyler. As if the tragedy in their lives made them mature faster.

Abby had been against me going. Not because she didn’t trust Lee, but because she felt I was getting too attached to both of them. I told her we were friends, but she’d scowled and shook her head.

I wasn’t sure how I’d given her the impression that I couldn’t handle myself. Lee had clearly stated he was glad we were friends. His expectations were clear. Mine were too.

There was the fact that he had never seemed remotely interested in me more than as a friend. Sure, we had the occasional moment, but sometimes sparks fizz out without ever igniting. And the job search hadn’t gone well, so I needed to go back home.

As silence took over the small space in the vehicle, I looked out the window. We passed through the town where locals and tourists were busy at restaurants and shops, and then through the tree tunnels. Outside the tunnel, tall grasses skirted the areas that had not been developed yet.

Before I knew it, we had arrived. Countless helicopters were stationed in their designated parking area. All the helicopters looked alike and I didn’t know which one belonged to Lee.

My door opened just as I tugged at the handle. Lee popped a hand in front of me, and I graciously took it. He also took out my camera bag and carried it for me.

Bridget and I followed Lee to the helicopter, its propeller already lazily spinning. I ducked my head into the front with Lee while Bridget sat in the back.

“Here, put these on.” Lee handed us headsets after he put on his. “This will block out noise and we’ll be able to hear each other.” He flipped switches on the control panel, the blades picked up speed, and the helicopter lifted off the ground. “Ready? Here we go.”

My muscles tightened and I folded my hands onto my lap. The farther up he went, the faster butterflies swarmed in my center.

“Yah!” Bridget’s laughter filled my earpiece.

People, cars, buildings, and the town shrank to little dots, while we lifted higher into the sky with scattered white clouds. Lee banked left, giving me a view of the vast ocean. So beautiful in its simplicity from up high. As he got closer to the mountain, waterfalls sporadically appeared here and there.

I took out