When the Wind Chimes, page 1
Other Books by Mary Ting
ISAN, International Sensory Assassin Network, Book 1
HELIX, International Sensory Assassin Network, Book 2
GENES, International Sensory Assassin Network, Book 3
CODE, International Sensory Assassin Network, Book 4
AVA, International Sensory Assassin Network, Book 5
Jaclyn and the Beanstalk
Forthcoming from Mary Ting
The Seashell of ‘Ohana, Spirit of ‘Ohana, Book 2
Awards
ISAN—International Sensory Assassin Network, Book I
GOLD MEDAL—Science Fiction & Fantasy
Benjamin Franklin Awards
GOLD MEDAL—Science Fiction—Post-Apocalyptic
American Fiction Awards
GOLD MEDAL—Science Fiction
International Book Awards
GOLD MEDAL—Young Adult Thriller
Readers' Favorite Awards
GOLD MEDAL—Young Adult Action
Readers' Favorite Awards
SILVER MEDAL—Young Adult Fiction—Fantasy / Sci-Fi
Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards
FINALIST — Action Adventure
Silver Falchion Awards
Jaclyn and the Beanstalk
BRONZE MEDAL – Juvenile / Young Adult Fiction
Illumination Book Awards
When the Wind Chimes
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2022 Mary Ting
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the publisher, except where permitted by law.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
Cover design by Qamber Designs and Media
www.QamberDesignsandMedia.com
ISBN: 978-1-64548-205-5
Published by Rosewind Books
An imprint of Vesuvian Books
www.RosewindBooks.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One — Unexpected Passenger
Chapter Two — My Family
Chapter Three — Poipu Shopping Plaza
Chapter Four — The Interview
Chapter Five — Sick Day
Chapter Six — Game Time
Chapter Seven — Carousel Art Gallery
Chapter Eight — Mr. Medici
Chapter Nine — Confession
Chapter Ten — Poipu Preschool
Chapter Eleven — The Beach Front House
Chapter Twelve — Surprise
Chapter Thirteen — After School
Chapter Fourteen — Movie Night
Chapter Fifteen — First Day
Chapter Sixteen — Snooping
Chapter Seventeen — All the Sparkling Things
Chapter Eighteen — Bedtime Story
Chapter Nineteen — Welcome Home Lee
Chapter Twenty — Sisterly Bond
Chapter Twenty-One — Unwelcome Visitor
Chapter Twenty-Two — The Next Morning
Chapter Twenty-Three — Picnic at the Beach
Chapter Twenty-Four — Tour of Kauai
Chapter Twenty-Five — Never Again
Chapter Twenty-Six — Painting Room
Chapter Twenty-Seven — Charity Gala
Chapter Twenty-Eight — After
Chapter Twenty-Nine — Parents
Chapter Thirty — Christmas Eve
Chapter Thirty-One — Christmas Day
Chapter Thirty-Two — Soulmates
Chapter Thirty-Three — Mauna Kea
About the Author
Chapter One — Unexpected Passenger
“Jingle Bells” blasted at Lihue Airport on Kauai, only I wasn’t dashing through the snow. I was sprinting through the terminal with a carry-on duffel bag hiked over my shoulder and a smaller one clutched in my hand.
Outside the terminal, dark gray clouds clumped like gloomy snowballs. Rain was imminent. All the travelers scurrying over the tile floor toward the doors had the same plan—to catch a cab before the downpour.
Footsteps pounded around and past me. People bumped into me as I hurried along. My duffel bag became heavier the longer I carried it. Even as I struggled to keep pace with the flow, I admired the garland adorned with red baubles, coiled around the pillars.
The beautiful twelve-foot Christmas tree with twinkling lights distracted me as I passed, and I almost ran into someone who’d stopped in the walkway.
“Sorry. Excuse me,” I said. Good grief, Kate. Pay attention before you do some damage.
He waved a hand with an affable grin and tugged his rolling suitcase away.
I arrived breathless at the outside baggage center, sweat beading my forehead, but was soothed by the sweet fragrance permeating the air. In every direction were kiosks selling handmade leis, some with beads or coconut shells. A lady waved a pink fresh-flower lei in my face, but I politely declined and walked toward the taxi line under an awning about fifty yards away.
The cool wind kissed my cheeks and tousled my long brunette hair, and I pulled my unbuttoned sweater off. Seventy-two-degree weather didn’t warrant a sweater even with the rain. As soon as I joined the line for a cab, the sky unleashed its wrath and water pelted the ground like bullets.
This line will take forever.
“A Holly Jolly Christmas” belted through the outside speakers, but the crowd and weather offered no cheer. People squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder under the awning while they waited to catch a shuttle or flag down a taxi. All the line jostling caused my neighbor to bump my arm when a suitcase slammed into him. My eyes watered as someone’s strong perfume fought with the fragrant leis. I grimaced and wondered what had happened to personal space.
I had promised my sister she could count on me this year for Christmas, especially since I hadn’t been there last year. I couldn’t wait to spend time with her and my nephew. The last time I had seen them had been in early spring for my brother-in-law’s funeral in New York where they used to live.
I pulled out my phone to text my sister to let her know I had arrived.
Abby: I’m sorry I couldn’t pick you up.
Me: Don’t worry. I’m on my way.
As I pushed send, a taxi pulled up and parked across the street. I had two choices: stay dry under the awning and wait my turn or grab the taxi across the street.
Forget staying dry. Forget waiting in line.
“Taxi!” I waved frantically splashed through the puddles, as I made a mad dash toward it, lowering my head against the pouring rain. The likelihood of snatching the taxi was slim. But I had to try.
A few cars honked as I dodged past. Not a good idea. “Sorry,” I bellowed, but a roll of thunder drowned out my voice.
The wind had kicked up and practically pushed me across the road. With my bags trying to take flight, I felt like Mary Poppins, only less graceful and more drenched to the bone.
Not a good idea? More like horrible, dangerous, idiotic idea. I could have been hit by a distracted driver. Or I could have slipped, and in the rain, no one would spot me until I’d been flattened. What was I thinking?
But I made it safely across.
I jerked open the door and threw my bags—and my soggy self—into the back.
“Hi.” I flipped my damp hair to the side and checked that I’d closed the door. My cold wet clothes stuck to me like a second skin, I sighed with relief and positioned the smaller bag on my lap. “Poipu, please.”
Beside me, someone cleared his throat.
I gasped and jerked, my heart thundering with the storm. I hadn’t expected anyone else in the backseat, especially a good-looking man with slicked-back dark hair and wide, annoyed eyes.
He smoothed the lapel of his out of place, but classy, gray tailored suit. Who flew to Kauai in business attire? He sure smelled nice, though. A scent of cedar and pine permeated the small space.
Either I was hallucinating my dream guy, or he had gotten in the cab at the same time. But I had been the only crazy person running across traffic. I’d done a quick check before I got in, but the tinted window had prevented me from getting a clear view.
He clutched a dry, folded umbrella on his lap. I waited in case he was a passenger that hadn’t gotten out yet. A guy in a suit like that might be hesitant to run into the rain.
He blinked the most beautiful chestnut-colored eyes framed with thick eyebrows. The intensity of his stare drew me in and made me forget about the pelting rain, but I imagined cozy nights and intimate dinners. Then a muscle twitched in his jaw, and he wiped away the water I had flicked on his face with my hair.
I covered my mouth in horror. Oops.
“I’m ... I’m so sorry.” I swallowed, expecting him to yell or shoo me out of the cab. “I didn’t see you. I’ll just go.” But I didn’t move.
It’d take forever to get another taxi, because I’d have to get back in the long line and wait my turn. When I finally broke the gaze, I clamped my fingers around the metal door handle just as a gentle hand rested on my shoulder.
“It’s fine. You stay. I was just leaving.”
Combined wit
Forget it!
He was probably leaving for a business trip, anyway—he was dressed much better than the average tourist. But then the taxi would have dropped him off at the departure terminal and not across the street.
“What do you mean?” The driver twisted at his waist and propped an arm along the seat back. “You just got in. I can take you both.”
The man gave an uncomfortable laugh. In spot-on timing with the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” playing softly in the background, the man said, “I can’t stay.”
Keep me company. I parted my mouth and the words almost escaped. I was surprised how much I hoped he would. So much for my holiday vow to forget men.
“It’s okay. You can stay. I mean, you do what you want. I’m sorry I got you ...” I winced. “Wet. I honestly didn’t see you there. We can share a cab, and I am more than willing to pay.”
Stop rambling.
“No need to apologize,” he said in that smooth voice.
“But—”
Before I could say more, he stepped out and raised his black umbrella, shielding himself as he leaned over the door.
“Brandon, take this lovely lady where she needs to go. Put it on my tab and add the same amount of tip as usual.”
“Thanks, Lee.”
Did he just call me lovely?
“What? Wait.”
“Have a good day. Don’t worry about me. I can call my driver.” He offered a gorgeous crooked grin and shut the door.
I twisted around to get a better look at him and watched him strut away like the weather was perfect. Like a dream, he faded into the pouring rain.
“Where to, lady?”
I faced the bald, middle-aged man and pulled the seatbelt strap over my chest. Then I gave him my sister’s address.
“He called you Brandon. You guys know each other?”
Nosy question, but the man’s kindness had been unexpected. What a gentleman to not only leave in the rain and give me the cab, but to pay for my ride. Nobody did stuff like that these days. It was like something out of an old movie.
The driver looked at the rearview mirror, green eyes glinting at me, and turned on the meter.
“His name is Leonardo, but his friends call him Lee. He calls me every time he’s back from a business trip even though he could call his driver. Not much of a talker, but a big tipper. Told me once he likes to pay it forward.”
I thought about asking more about Leonardo but didn’t see the point. I was never going to see him again, anyway.
As Brandon talked nonsense on the way, my mind drifted to Leonardo and wondered where he lived. What his occupation was, if he had a family of his own. I didn’t usually fixate on a guy just because he was attractive, but he had intrigued me and had made my crappy day a little bit brighter.
My crappy day had started before I’d even gotten out of bed. First, I’d slept through my alarm, and a horrible accident on the freeway had almost caused me to miss my plane. Then the family sitting behind me had a toddler who wouldn’t stop kicking my seat and an infant who cried almost the entire trip. From the flight alone, I needed some serious spa time.
Brandon cleared his throat and turned the wheel to the left. “Where are you from, miss?”
“Los Angeles. Have you been?” I ran my fingers through my wet hair.
“No, but I’d like to visit one day, though I hear the traffic is horrible.”
“It’s not like Kauai for sure.”
Brandon chuckled. “Got that right. There’s no place like Kauai. Are you here for business or pleasure?”
“I’m visiting my sister and my nephew.” I shifted to get comfortable from my sodden jeans, fighting the urge to itch through the stiff material. The rain had stopped almost as soon as we had exited the airport. Just my luck to have been caught by the deluge.
“What about your brother-in-law?” Brandon stopped at an intersection, glanced back at me, and then turned right.
“Excuse me?” I fanned my shirt from the hem, hoping that would make it dry faster.
“You left out your brother-in-law. Are they divorced?”
What’s with the personal questions? I’d never met such a nosy cab driver.
“No, he passed away from cancer.” I looked out the window when we got on the highway. The swaying palm trees and the grassy hills blurred the faster he drove.
Brandon sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
I forced an awkward smile, but he didn’t look back. I never knew if it was appropriate to tell someone casually that my sister’s husband had died. I also didn’t know what to say when someone apologized. Sometimes his death seemed so long ago, and sometimes like it happened yesterday.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked to break the silence.
“All my life. I’ve been a cab driver for almost thirty years. I meet all kinds of people, and I’ve learned to read people well. So what troubles you?”
I pulled my gaze away from the landscape, startled. “I have no troubles.” Besides a broken heart from my ex and my brother-in-law’s passing, but he didn’t need to know that.
Brandon hiked his eyebrows, meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror. “That’s what they all say at first. Don’t worry. Whatever you say stays in this cab. I’m a once-in-a-life chance for free therapy. Something about this island makes newcomers open up. Eventually, my passengers always spill their guts to me. They can’t help themselves.”
I let out a light laugh. He was quite entertaining. “I’m fine, but thank you.”
It was going to take at least forty minutes to get to my sister’s house, so I gazed out the window, admiring the simple beauty of the curvy hills that stretched for miles.
There were no clumps of looming buildings or people hustling and bustling on the streets. As “Mele Kalikimaka” played on the radio, the six feet tall grass blurred along the long stretch of one-way road and joined forces with the sun as it peeked through the clouds.
“We’re now passing through one of the famous sites in Kauai: the tree tunnel,” Brandon said, breaking my trance. “A grand gateway to Kauai’s South Shore.”
I leaned to the middle to see through the windshield. “Wow. It’s beautiful.”
Trees lined on either side of the road like a canopy. Sunlight spilled through the cracks between the branches and crisscrossed the pavement in golden streaks.
“This tunnel started with five hundred eucalyptus trees from Australia.” He grinned at me in the rearview mirror and winked. “I tell this to every one of my passengers.”
“You’re a great tour guide,” I said as I admired the scenery.
A few miles on, we drove through a town. We passed by a group of boys renting surfboards and snorkeling gear at a wooden storefront. Restaurants were filled with families, and people strolled around shopping plazas.
Elation bubbled inside my chest. I couldn’t wait to explore the island and spend time with my family.
As I took in the serenity of the slow-paced life Kauai was known for, no sign remained of the rain except for the beautiful rainbow that shimmered across the sky. I had no doubt this Christmas would be special.
Chapter Two — My Family
Brandon turned into a neighborhood where the houses were close enough to feel neighborly, but separated by a good-sized lot for privacy. He slowed as a family of chickens made its way across the street. Not something you’d see every day on the streets of LA.
The cab slowed to a stop in front of a house. My sister and nephew ran across the yard. Two pairs of arms wrapped around me as soon as I got out of the taxi.
I squealed and hugged them tight. “Abby. Tyler. It’s so good to see you.”
We held each other as if we were each other’s lifeline, and I didn’t want to let go. I’d felt that way when I’d had to go home after Steve’s funeral. The guilt of leaving had never subsided, but I was here now. We were together and that was all that mattered.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Auntie Kate.” My four-year-old nephew’s voice was muffled, his face pressed to my stomach.
It was still so strange that Steve was gone. One less person to greet, one less hug. I could almost feel him with us. Any second now, my tall and lean brother-in-law would casually walk out the door and, being his usual shy self, would wait for an invitation before joining the hug.
