by Mimi Barbour
Then he gathered the dress to his chest, and flew out of the room and down the hall. His bedroom door slammed hard enough to rock the whole foundation.
Chapter Twenty-nine
“Please don’t look so glum.” Kale put his arms around Leilani at the front door. Over her head, he gazed with delight at the wonderland of sparkling lights, and Christmas charm. How in the world did this one pocket-sized woman have so much talent?
With her head nestled against his chest, he felt the sigh that rippled through her slight form. “Things were so good all day, and then like in a horror movie the monster reemerged.”
“Mano?”
“No, me. I never thought how he’d feel to see me wearing her clothes. Now he hates me again.” Desperation darkened her features; her voice implored him to understand. “It was such fun getting the decorations put up and baking the cookies. Even the time we spent at the beach swimming and playing in the water was relaxing. But from the moment we returned to the house, and he saw the tree lights on, he went into a bit of a slump.”
“He was tired from the day at the beach.”
“No, he has so much energy that you even played ball to help him use it up. Then he walked in on me wearing his Tutu’s dress, and he’s regressed completely.”
“Love, it’s not that bad.” How could he cheer this woman up? Her heartbreak ate away at him, and he would have given anything money could buy to see the happy look return to her endearing face. Sad that money couldn’t give the woman what she wanted most. Husky with emotion, her voice interrupted his thoughts and he hugged her harder.
“You saw him. He wouldn’t eat or talk. Not to you or even to Pi. I saw tears on his face before he wiped them away, and I felt useless. I knew he wouldn’t let me comfort him.”
“Yes, I saw them too. Thank goodness for your old friend. Mano went to bed willingly enough when Pi offered to see him settled.”
“It should be me who takes him to bed. I want so much to be the one to read him bedtime stories and get his hugs.”
“I know, sweetheart and you will. He’s taking to you a little more each day. Look, now that the papers are ready, we’ll be able to approach Kaimi, get her to sign off, and accept the settlement. With those details out of the way, we can move forward. Once that’s all finished, my lawyers say there’s no reason why you couldn’t apply for custody with adoption being the final goal.”
“Oh Kale, that would be wonderful and it might help him to accept me if he knew we’d be a family. I’ve hesitated to say anything to Mano about me wanting to adopt him, in case there were any problems with the courts. I’m worried that my being a Canadian might hinder the proceedings.”
He gently moved her away, so he could look into eyes glittering with tears. “Since I’m hopeful you’ll be married to an American citizen very soon, should you even let that concern enter the equation?”
The kiss that followed almost convinced them that returning to the bedroom for another round of lovemaking was imperative. Uh huh! Not a good idea! Leilani had already agreed with him that they shouldn’t take any chances tonight. After Mano had gone to bed, he’d cried out in his sleep a few times and could awaken again at any minute. It was better not push their luck.
With a final kiss to her forehead, followed by a nose rub that teased and brought a smile, he left. Walking to his car, images of his lonely suite brought on a slight depression, which quickly subsided when he realized he’d proposed— sort of, and she’d accepted—sort of. He did a quick twirl and stopped when he saw her smiling face in the window beside the glowing tree lights.
He blew a kiss, got into his car, and drove away, satisfaction his co-pilot.
A quick peek on her prickly little ward had Leilani reaching to gently push the overly long ringlet-type curls from his eyes. The little charmer needs a haircut. She knew she couldn’t approach the subject, but maybe Pi could talk him into a trip to the barbers before Christmas Eve. With a gentle kiss on his forehead, she headed down the hall to crawl into her bed and dream of the man who made her so glad she’d been born a woman.
Chapter Thirty
“Why did you take me away from my house? I want to go home! I want Leilani!” Mano didn’t stop screaming his anger until the crazy lady slapped him across the face.
“Shut up! You will quit that yelling, do you hear me? I’m sick and tired of listening to it.” She’d grabbed his shoulders and shook; her long nails dug in and scratched his skin. “I’ve told you before. Leilani doesn’t care about you. All she wants is the land that Mele left to you. You have to stay with me now. I’m your mother, Mele’s daughter. We’re related.” Her eyes glared truth at him, but he didn’t believe her. He knew his grandmother would never have lied.
“My mother is dead. She died in a boat, in the ocean. Tutu told me so, and you’re lying.”
The mean woman, whose eyes scared him, knelt down in front of where he’d slid to the floor. “My mother probably believed I had died in that boating accident. I never told her I’d survived.”
“She cried for Kaimi… for a long time.”
“I am Kaimi, you little brat. From now on, you and me have to live together until I can dump the property. Then we’ll see how good you can be. I’m not keeping any sniveling little kid who can’t behave.”
Mano’s heart beat so hard he thought he would throw up. Without any clothes on except his sleeping shorts, the cool air made him shiver, and his face hurt from where he’d been hit. He wouldn’t rub it and let her see she’d hurt him… he just wouldn’t. Instead, he lifted Wally, his special whale, to hide behind.
Then he thought about what she’d said. This lady, who called herself his mother, wanted to sell his house. Where would he live then? All of a sudden, a vision of his friend Pi came to him. Then he pictured Leilani and felt a whole lot better… until he thought of what he’d said to her yesterday. She’d always been so nice to him, and he’d treated her mean and had yelled. Sorrow filled him, and for the first time, a few tears escaped. He used his friend Wally to wipe them away ‘cause he’d never let the ugly meanie see him cry.
“Pi and Leilani will find me, and so will Kale.” He sniffled. “They won’t let you keep me. Leilani’s my relative, and Pi and Kale are my friends. A…and you’re just a big, fat, old poopy-head.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Leilani looked everywhere and Mano was no-where to be found. Heart beating like a tom-tom, her senses screamed for her to do something. Find him! She ran to the phone and dialed Kale’s number. Two rings later, he answered, his tone low and sexy. “Hi, doll. It’s a bit early—”
“He’s gone. Kale, Mano is gone! I’ve looked—” Her voice rose with every word.
Kale’s appeasing words broke in on her tirade. “Take a deep breath and calm down, Leilani. Now, tell me what happened.”
She paced as far as the old-fashioned phone cord would let her. “When I woke up earlier I expected to find him watching cartoons and eating cereal, like every morning, but he’s nowhere around. I’ve checked all the likely places.”
“Has Pi been there? Could he have picked Mano up and taken him out?”
“Oh God! Yes, maybe. Hold on while I see if there’s a note.” She ran as fast as she could to where they wrote memos on a pad stuck to the fridge, but the paper was bare. Nothing! Racing to the phone, she bit her lip to stop the waterworks and answered Kale’s question. “No. There’s no note and Pi would never take him without leaving a message of some sorts or waking me to let me know.”
“No, you’re right, he wouldn’t. Okay, hold on a little longer, babe. I’m on my way. In the meantime, check and see if any of his belongings are missing. Enough anyway to stuff in a backpack. I remember at his age running away from home. I believe I took a package of cookies, a bottle of juice, my favorite stuffed toy and a clean pair of underpants.” She heard him chuckle. “My mom was a stickler on me changing my underwear every day.”
“I never thought of that. Oh, Kale. He was upset yes
terday. Maybe he did decide to run away. It’s just that I don’t know where he would go.”
“I’ll bring Cesar with me to track him, and we’ll soon have the little monster back home. Don’t worry. You might also want to call Pi. He’d have a better idea than either of us as to where the boy might hide.”
“Yes, you’re right. I’ll do that, and Kale…please come quick! I’m hanging on by a hair right now. I need your clear head to stop me from losing it completely.”
“I’m on my way.”
She heard the click of his phone and felt as if she’d been cut off from common sense and clear thinking to slip back into wallowing in fear and shame. Where was her cell phone? She had stored Pi’s number.
When she ran into her room to get her purse, she saw the empty hanger. Why in the hell had she thought to wear that silly dress, anyway? If she’d have known if would matter so much to Mano, she’d have enclosed it in a glass case, and hung it in his room. Before her shaking fingers could punch in the number, Pi’s special knock sounded on the front door. Dashing to answer it, she whipped it open, and then flung herself into his open arms.
“Heavens, Leilani, what has happened? You’re pale and shaking.” Pi led her over to the sofa and sat beside her, taking her cold hands in his to warm them.
“It’s Mano. He’s missing. Did you see him this morning? Do you know where he’d hide?”
“Slow down, little one. What are you talking? Mano wouldn’t run away.” Pi stood up, his attitude that of a man on a mission. While he headed in the direction of Mano’s room, his head twisted from side to side, as if he’d missed something and couldn’t believe it. Leilani heard him mumbling and it added to her fear. Pi had always shown a cool control. To see him fall apart would be the final straw. She’d lose it for sure.
They stepped into Mano’s room and Leilani told him about her phone call with Kale. “He said we should see if he might have taken his backpack… Oh my God! His clothes are here.” Pi had picked up the messed up bedding and sure enough, the outfit he’d worn since his grandmother had died lay rolled on the floor in a clump.
Pi muttered. “He wouldn’t have worn anything else. His stuffed whale is missing. Why would he take that and not his clothes?”
Gathering the soiled t-shirt and shorts against her chest, Leilani began to cry. “Something doesn’t feel right, Pi. Kale is bringing his Doberman, Cesar, and if Mano’s just hiding on the property, they’ll find him. Except now I don’t believe he’s run away.”
“In the meantime, do you have an address where his mother lives?” Rigid with disapproval, Pi’s harsh manner had crept into his voice, which had her head swiveling in his direction. She’d never heard him sound so cold.
The clicking of a dog’s feet on the wood floor caught their attention moments before Kale entered with the animal. Zeroing in on their anxiety, Kale quickly swept Leilani into his arms and reached out to pat Pi’s shoulder. “Don’t look so sad. It’s not the end of the world for a boy to take it into his head to run away from home.”
Pi answered first. “He didn’t run away. Someone came and took him.”
Leilani stifled her sob and nodded. “I think Pi’s right, Kale. If he had chosen to go, he would be wearing his clothes.” She held them out for the now worried man to see. “Pi says Wally, his stuffed whale is missing, but we can’t see anything else he might have taken.”
Unleashed, the dog walked around the room, a low growl issuing from between snarling lips. Then he barked, ran to the open window and leapt out before anyone could stop him. Kale followed and so did Leilani. Bringing up the rear, Pi struggled to keep up.
Rather than heading in the direction of the back-yard jungle, the animal ran toward the street and sniffed at a spot about a block from the house. Since he’d stopped and frantically snuffled all around the curb, it was obviously a place where a car had been parked. Alarmed, the others quickly joined him. The sleek dog ran from side to side whining, his pointed ears alert, and his anxious glance begging for instructions.
Chapter Thirty-two
Kale caught Pi’s glance behind Leilani’s back and the two men were instantly on the same page. “Leilani, do you have Kaimi’s address? If not, I’m going to call a friend who’s a detective with the Honolulu police department.”
“Pete might have her address. He said he would gather as much of her background information as possible, for us to use if she got greedy. Do you think it’s a good idea for us to call in the police? They might decide to take Mano into protective custody and put him with Child Services. I’d rather not take any chances of that happening.”
Pi spoke up and agreed with Leilani. “She’s right, Kale. It’s her mother’s name on the legal documents signed by Mele, not Leilani’s. We need time to have them changed over legally through the courts. Do you think we should risk it?”
Kale looked unsure, then added. “We have to find him.”
“The poor baby must be so frightened. I’m sure Aunt Mele would have told him his mother had died. If Kaimi has him, he won’t know what to believe. I’ll go and call Pete, but if he doesn’t know, we’ll have to turn to the police and just pray that they’ll understand.” She turned to Kale. “You didn’t see her, but I did. She’s a vicious, money-hungry hussy who cares about one thing and one thing only… herself.”
As the three hurried toward the house, an older model jeep, similar to the one parked in the yard, pulled into the front driveway. They arrived in time to see the devil herself alight. Looking for Mano, Leilani peered into the disgusting mess of the interior, but the child wasn’t inside the vehicle.
Kaimi, her coarse voice sounding overly loud, spoke first. “Let’s take our business inside, shall we?” So saying, she strutted to the veranda and through the door that had been left unlocked for Kale. As if she owned the place, she walked into the kitchen and leaned back against the counter. She crossed her arms and, with a flip of her head, threw her thin, obviously straightened hair over her shoulder.
Leilani, wanting to scratch her smirking eyes out, clenched her hands to stop herself from following through. God, how could Kaimi live with herself? Just being in the same room with her made Leilani feel unclean.
Kale stepped closer. Thankful for his silent strength, Leilani noticed that the pain in her neck and shoulders subsided slightly. Pi pulled a chair and collapsed, as if his body weighed more than he could handle. He looked weary and heart-sick and Leilani had the urge to give him a hug. Instead, she moved closer to him so she could put her hand on his shoulder in comfort. Leilani spoke first, breaking up the tension. “You have Mano?”
“Oh you figured it out, did you? Yeah, I came and got him last night. Thanks for looking after him, but he belongs to me. He’s my son and I’ll be keeping him with me from now on.”
“I don’t think so, Kaimi. Legally through my mother, I have custody of Mano and I have no intention of giving him up…none whatsoever. I’ve contacted your mother’s lawyer who figures it’ll be a simple procedure to have the legal papers drawn up for me to retain custody.”
“Well Miss High and Mighty Smarty-pants, my lawyer told me that since I’m his mother, the courts will decide in my favor.”
Leilani felt her face blanch, and her hesitation gave Kaimi a reason for sneering in her direction. Before Leilani could swallow and continue, Kale spoke in a low voice, mesmerizing with power.
“By the way, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Kale Jordan, owner of the Jordan hotels. I’m also Leilani’s finance, and soon to be Mano’s adoptive father.”
Leilani clutched Pi’s shoulders harder in order not to fall over. The man speaking now was incredibly commanding. His presence screamed influence and his attitude dominated.
“I don’t know where you met your lawyers, likely in a bar, but I can assure you that I retain the most successful law firm on the island. They have agreed to take on the court case should there be one and have assured me that with your record, your claim would be repealed with no prob
lem whatsoever.”
While fear ate away her confidence, Kaimi’s lost some of her insolence. She no longer leaned comfortably against the counter but instead stood rooted, her fists clenched. “I don’t care what your fancy lawyers say. He’s my kid.”
Leilani experienced the strength of will to fight this bitch now that Kale had given her the ammunition. “Then why didn’t you live with him, love him and act like a mother? Why lie about being killed?”
“I didn’t lie.”
“You didn’t come forward either, to let your mother know you hadn’t drowned. What kind of a person…a daughter, does that to her family?”
“You can talk about family? You’re only here to get the kid’s inheritance…his property.”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong. I’m here to protect a little boy who I happen to love. Since he belongs here, I’ll never let you sell this land, if I have to fight you in every court in Hawaii. Do you understand?” With each word, Leilani approached the defiant woman until she had her face right up close enough to see the other flinch and try to look away.
Throat clearing from behind made her turn slightly to see the papers that Kale held out in her direction. She turned back to Kaimi and continued, her voice lacking none of the conviction from her earlier harangue.
“I took the liberty of having some papers drawn up in case you returned. Basically, they say that you will give up all rights to Mano and his inheritance. That you will never again put a claim on his possessions, be it real estate or any monies that come to him through his grandmother. Most important, you will sign away your entitlements as his mother and allow me to adopt him as my son.”
“Like I’d do that—”
“In return I’ll be willing to give you a fair settlement. Half of what today’s market value is for the land and buildings and another one hundred thousand on top to sweeten the pie.”
A smile appeared on Kaimi’s avaricious face while she reached for the papers. “You want to buy my kid?” she chuckled.