fidgeted, as if he were uncomfortable. Was his conscience hurting him because he hadn’t been coming to church? Or was he sorry he’d volunteered to come with her?
Linc had been impressed with the pastor when he’d met him previously, and he thought his sermon on the parable of the prodigal son was well planned. He presented it effectively. But the text cut straight to Linc’s heart. Had God planned this message especially for him? To close his message, the minister emphasized his text once again:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son…So he got up and went to his father.
Linc took stock of his spiritual self, realizing how far he’d strayed from his Father’s house. He slanted a sideways glance at Maddie, whose face mirrored contentment and peace as she focused her attention on the message. Had it taken Maddie’s example of innocent faith to call attention to his lack of devotion to God?
Maddie was more talkative than usual as they drove home. Linc concluded that her strength of character and her deep faith had developed through a consistent fellowship with other Christians. This gave him much to think about when considering his relationship with Maddie. In addition to the age difference between them, Linc knew he lacked the faith Maddie would expect in any man she dated.
Linc unlocked the door of the house, saying, “Roselina has Sunday afternoon and evenings off. I usually just snack during that time—I’m not a cook. We can go out for lunch, or we can have a sandwich and eat our evening meal before we come back from our drive. What would you rather do?”
“Let’s eat here. I’ll help you, although I haven’t done much cooking since I went to VOH four years ago. Except for breakfast, I eat most of my meals in the university cafeteria. Lucy and I have a refrigerator and microwave in our room, and we heat rolls, bagels and stuff like that for breakfast.”
Heading toward the kitchen, Linc said, “Roselina wanted to fix our lunch, but I put my foot down. She needs time to herself. I told her we could manage.”
“You’re fortunate to have her.”
“I’ll say,” he agreed as he rummaged in the fridge. He set out cold cuts, condiments and a variety of bread.
“How about some melon, too?” he said. “Roselina has a bowl prepared. She doesn’t pay much attention to my orders,” he admitted with a slight laugh. “Sometimes, I wonder who the boss is around here.”
Maddie smiled with him. She’d already decided that Roselina had a mind of her own.
“I like melon. We can eat that for dessert.”
He shook his head. “She’s made a coconut cream pie, but I’ll leave it in the refrigerator until we’re ready for dessert. We’ll eat the melon with our sandwiches. If you make them, I’ll take plates and cups to the patio. What do you want to drink?”
“Just water with lemon.”
“All right. Two glasses of iced water coming up.” He filled the glasses with ice, dropped in a chunk of lemon that Roselina had also provided and turned to the sink. Maddie spread four slices of brown bread with mayonnaise and added cheese and ham. She heard the front door open, and her hands stilled when Ahonui Kingsbury walked into the kitchen.
“Good, we’re just in time for lunch,” she said, and her eyes seemed to challenge Linc. A man entered the kitchen behind Ahonui, and thinking that it might be Ahonui’s husband or boyfriend, Maddie was pleased. Her pleasure ended when Ahonui said, “I wanted my brother, Steve, to meet you, Maddie.”
Linc filled the two glasses before he turned to greet the Kingsburys. Why was Ahonui taking such an interest in Maddie? He and Roselina entertained the Kingsburys occasionally, but Ahonui had never just dropped in like this before. Today’s visit irritated him, and since he wasn’t always able to keep his emotions from showing on his face, there was a tense moment in the kitchen.
Linc resented the appraising way Steve looked at Maddie, but he forced himself to say amiably, “Hello, Steve.”
Ahonui put her purse on one of the kitchen chairs. “I’ll make our sandwiches,” she said. She took the bread and lunch meat from Maddie’s hands and started fashioning more sandwiches.
Controlling his temper, Linc said, “You’re welcome to have lunch with us, but Maddie and I are leaving in an hour.”
“Any place we can tag along?” Ahonui asked.
“No,” Linc answered and reached into the cabinet for two more place settings. “Steve, we’re eating on the patio. Why don’t you carry these out?”
Maddie could sense tension during the meal. She tried to determine the relationship between Linc and Ahonui. She had thought Linc was irritated when the Kingsburys showed up, but he was civil to them, so perhaps she had imagined that. Once again she wondered if he was romantically involved with her.
Much of the conversation around the table was between Linc and Ahonui concerning business matters that had come up during the two days he’d been away from the office. But after they’d finished their sandwiches, Steve turned to Maddie.
“Are you enjoying your visit?” he asked.
“Very much. It seems like a wonderful place to live.”
“It has its drawbacks,” he said. “Most people who come here from mainland U.S.A. like it at first, but they soon get tired of it. It’s very confining, you know. People who are used to driving hundreds of miles in any direction don’t stay here very long. I’m thinking about moving—perhaps to Japan.”
Steve was a chunky, swarthy man. His face was darker than Ahonui’s, and he didn’t have his sister’s handsome features. He had a habit of looking over Maddie’s left shoulder as he talked to her, a mannerism she found disconcerting. She kept wanting to look behind her. She noticed that although Linc seemed intent on what Ahonui was saying, he often glanced toward her and Steve, as if he was monitoring their conversation.
“Do you work in Honolulu, Mr. Kingsbury?”
“Yes, and please, call me Steve. I have a boat rental on Waikiki.”
“Linc and I were there yesterday. Did you see us?”
“No. I played golf yesterday.”
They tarried over their luncheon until Linc looked at his watch. “Maddie, we should get started. If you want to go to the cottage and change, I’ll clear away the dishes. We’ll leave in thirty minutes.”
“It won’t take that long for me to get out of this dress and into something more casual,” she said. “I’ll help put the things in the dishwasher. You and Roselina are spoiling me.”
Picking up her own plate and silverware, Ahonui cast a speculative glance at Maddie. “So you’re staying in the guesthouse.”
“Yes, and it’s a perfect place. I love hearing the ocean waves when I wake up in the morning.”
“When are you coming back to work, Linc?” Ahonui asked.
“I have appointments on Friday, so I’ll be back by then. Maybe Thursday. We’re going to Kauai tomorrow and on to Hawaii before we come home. I don’t have a set itinerary.”
“You mean to skip Maui?” Steve said.
“We’ll go there after Christmas,” Linc said.
“Well, I can contact you on your cell phone if I need you,” Ahonui said.
“If you do, leave a message. I’ll keep it turned off and check mail once a day. Too many people have my phone number, and I don’t want to be bothered all the time we’re traveling.”
Maddie hurried to the guesthouse and changed into a pair of shorts and a knit shirt, unable to comprehend that it could be snowing at home. She picked up her camera and locked the door behind her. Linc waited for her by the garage. The