Wren is a hardworking archaeologist on his first vacation in years. While he’s tempted to look for ancient artifacts, this is Maui and he needs to focus on taking it easy. So it’s off to the beach to relax. There Wren dives into trouble, literally. Luckily, the backward roll and breathing techniques he learned studying Ninjutsu saves his life, because the shore break called Satan’s Washing Machine grinds him up and spits him out, temporarily blinded and badly battered. A karate dojo owner named Steven takes him to a doctor, a pharmacy, and then back to the beach, only to find Wren’s car and all his belongings have been stolen. So Steven invites him home instead. Will their mutual love of martial arts lead to other a deeper relationship? Or will their shared desire for humbleness and respect for others keep them from falling in love?

Beyond Black Belt

“Open what’s left of your suitcase,” Steven said.


We hefted it up onto the table, and I gingerly, I must say, opened it up. I don’t know what I expected. It was still locked, but it sure had had a rough trip.


“It looks like they tried to open it by running over it with the car,” Steven pointed out.


It did at that, but I knew the lock (and so did anyone in TSA). I was pretty excited because, after all that happened, I could not remember what I had packed.


“Underwear? What for?” Steven joked, pointing at my hot pink jockeys.


Of course, I had to yank them out and chase him around the room with them.


A thin voice came floating through the wall. “I can hear you!”


After a while, dressed in my own clothes and underwear, we headed out to see the old churches and abandoned cemeteries. The petroglyphs, Steven said, could wait for later in the week. We both knew there would be a later in the week for us to share.


Chapter 13