It was the opportunity I'd been looking for. I needed to talk to somebody before I cracked. Besides Keanu, Poncho was the one person around here who could keep a secret, and I decided to take the plunge. "I've been offered a chance to go to Hollywood and screen test for a role in a movie. The director says there's a good chance I'll get the part."
Poncho's eyes widened. "That is incredible, ho'aloha!" The light suddenly faded from his face, and his expression grew somber. "But you would be leaving the Loco Moco. Do you think you would come back someday?"
I answered without hesitation. "Of course. Howie said I'd only be out there for a few months."
Poncho's mouth twitched into a grin underneath his slim moustache. "I am pretty sure your job here would be safe. You seem to have an in with the manager. What does Keanu say about all this?"
My mouth went dry. "I haven't told him yet."
He deftly raised one eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Because I only found out this afternoon and want to tell him in person. He's meeting me at my apartment tonight." My voice quivered like a little girl's. "Poncho, I'm not sure that I should go."
"This is what you have always wanted. Why would you not go?" He paused for a moment. "Ah. Because of Keanu. How serious are things between you two?"
I wasn't sure how comfortable I felt talking to Poncho about my love life. "He…he told me that he loved me."
Poncho placed the cookie dough in the fridge. "That does not surprise me. And do you love him?"
"Yes," I whispered. "But for some weird reason, I have a difficult time saying the actual words out loud. What's wrong with me?"
He went to the sink to wash his hands. "Nothing's wrong with you. There is a simple explanation. You are afraid of being hurt again, ho'aloha. All you have ever known is people who have broken your heart."
Poncho knew about my childhood. He'd experienced a rough life himself—a checkered past that included the accidental killing of another man. If there was anyone who understood about missed opportunities and the concept that life was too short to waste, it was him.
"You're right," I said honestly. "But I'm afraid I might lose him."
He patted my shoulder. "You have been through a lot, but do not shut Keanu out in the process. Do not be afraid to love him back. He is a good man, and I know how much he cares for you. He will not break your heart like that Cad did before."
"Brad," I joked. "His name was Brad."
He chuckled. "Do you not know about a play on words?"
Emotions overwhelmed me as I reached out to him. Although Poncho wasn't a demonstrative man, he allowed me to hug him, then patted my back awkwardly.
"Go to Keanu, little girl. Tell him what has happened. If you both truly care for each other, things will work themselves out."
I glanced at my watch. Six o'clock. Keanu had hoped that the meeting would be out by five thirty. If that was the case, he might already be at my apartment. "Okay, let me just finish this search first." I typed Wendy Ritzer's name into Google, and to my joy and surprise, a phone number with an 808 area code popped up. There was a picture of the woman and next to it read, Your Happy Insurance Agent, on call 24 hours a day.
I jotted her name and phone number down on a piece of paper then went into the back room to call her. Poncho was on the phone with his wife, and I felt certain he wouldn't hear me. The call was answered on its second ring.
"Wendy Ritzer." Her tone was brisk and businesslike.
"Hi, Miss Ritzer. I'm interested in some quotes for automobile insurance."
"Make, model, and year of the car, please."
Jeez, nice to meet you too. Since I didn't have a car, I used Keanu's for this purpose. "A 2017 Jeep Wrangler."
"Give me a phone number to reach you at, and I'll get back to you shortly with a quote."
"Um," I hedged. "Could we possibly meet in person?"
"I don't usually do in-person meetings unless you're looking for life insurance, and they're no longer required for that either. Everything can be done over the phone, except for your medical exam."
"Oh! I forgot to mention that I did want life insurance as well. And I have lots of questions, so it would be great if we could meet."
She was silent for a moment, and I could hear the distinct rustle of papers on the other end. "Okay, I have some free time tomorrow afternoon."
"But I have to work at eleven," I protested. "Is there any chance we could meet at ten?"
The prolonged quiet spoke volumes, and I imagined Wendy cursing me out on the other end. "Fine. Where do you live? I'm in Kauai for the next couple of days."
I didn't want her coming to my house. "I work at the Aloha Lagoon Resort. Could we meet on the patio of The Lava Pot, say at ten o'clock?"
"I know the place," she said curtly. "What'd you say your name was?"
"Coral. Coral Palu." Sure, it was rotten to borrow Coral's name for this purpose but also kind of necessary.
"See you then." Wendy clicked off. Her abrupt manner warned me that she wouldn't be all that friendly, and it might be difficult to obtain any information. Maybe she weighed all her potential clients by the philosophy "Time is money."
Keanu had offered to come and pick me up, but I told him I'd meet him at the apartment. It was only a ten-minute walk, and I needed some air, plus time to think. There was still plenty of light left in the sky, and I was determined to clear the cobwebs from my brain.
When I went into the employee's room to gather my items I was surprised to see Ava standing there. She was placing some clean aprons inside the cubbies located above the lockers.
"Hello, Carrie." She smiled pleasantly.
"Hi, Ava." I reached for my purse and started to walk past her. "Have a great night."
She held up a hand. "Carrie, I was wondering if you had a minute to talk."
Oh boy. I tried not to think the worst but wondered if she might have heard Poncho and me chatting. That would prove to be a major embarrassment. Still, what choice did I have? The woman was my boss. "Sure, no problem."
She flushed slightly. "I wanted to apologize for everything that's happened. I know you never took that money. Terry knows it as well."
So why doesn't Terry tell me himself? "Ava, you have nothing to apologize for. You've been very good to me."
The blue eyes, so much like Keanu's, met mine and then shifted to the floor. "It's been hard on Terry. He's a changed man since we lost Kara." Her voice held a sudden catch. "I'm sure Keanu's told you about his sister."
A lump gathered in my throat. "Yes, he has. I wish I had words to express how sorry I am."
She bit into her lower lip. "Thank you. Losing Kara has made Keanu even more precious to us. It's a parent's worst nightmare to lose a child."
I was sure she was right. If my mother had ever lost Penny, she would have been devastated.
Ava seemed to guess my thoughts. "Keanu told me that you and your mother don't have much of a relationship and that you're virtually on your own. I'm truly sorry about that. It must be difficult."
As much as I liked Ava, I didn't want her pity. "Thanks, but I'm fine. Your son has been wonderful to me."
She smiled. "Keanu thinks the world of you, I can tell." She hesitated, groping for words. "I'd like for us to be friends, so if you ever need anything, please let me know."
I was touched by her concern. Keanu was lucky to have a mother like Ava. She was warm, friendly, and I'd never seen her raise her voice to anyone in the café. Ava was the complete opposite of her husband, but I did understand that grief affected people differently. Keanu himself had mentioned his father hadn't always been like that, so who was I to judge the man? There was no way to know what pain another person had endured, so I decided it was best to never make assumptions.
"Thank you," I said. "I'd like us to be friends too and know that it would make Keanu happy as well."
She sighed. "I hate to put so much on him, but Terry and I need to fly out to Arizona again as soon as possible. There are issues at s
ome of our grocery stores. But we don't want to leave until we know what will happen with Randolph's wife—Miss Davenport."
I attempted to hold back a grimace. "I heard she was planning to sue."
Ava pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Apparently she already has. We learned today that Miss Davenport filed a wrongful death suit with her attorney. The toxicology reports aren't back yet, but cyanide found in coffee prepared by the Loco Moco doesn't exactly make us look good."
Randolph hadn't been a saint, especially when you considered the way he'd treated Coral and her mother all these years. He'd also acted like everyone was beneath him. However, this so-called wife of his might be just as bad, or even worse. There were rumors of infidelity, a failed modeling career, and she was hungry for some cold, hard cash. Add these factors together, and I got killer. It should be obvious that Belinda was the one since she had the most to lose. So why was I convinced that there was still something missing from this equation?
"That's terrible," I said. "They're implicating me as well since I delivered the food."
She wrung her hands together in obvious frustration. "I wish Terry had never asked you to go."
"I didn't mean to suggest it was your fault in any way."
Ava gave me a warm, genuine smile. "I appreciate that. I really would like to get to know you better and want Keanu to bring you over for dinner some night when your show isn't on. We'd be honored to come to a performance as well."
Her words managed to tie my stomach in knots. The thought of Terry and Ava in the audience at Little Women was almost as nerve wracking as me on my own in Hollywood. Shoot me now, please. "That would be nice," I lied.
Ava patted my hand. "Well, you seem to be in a hurry, so tell my son I said hello." She winked and then started to climb the stairs back to the office.
I let myself out the patio entrance and started the walk toward my apartment. We'd had some rain earlier, but the day had turned glorious. The lush greenery around the island never ceased to amaze me. Brilliant sunlight reflected off the ocean and made the water appear even bluer than usual, while the tide had started to rush in. I longed to sit and daydream on the beach for a while, but real life was imminent.
Questions thundered through my head at a nonstop furious pace. Should I stay, or should I go? How would I tell Keanu? Was there any chance that he could come with me? Perhaps Detective Ray wouldn't allow me to leave the island until the murder had been solved. Who was the person that had taken Randolph Cremshaw's life, and why did I feel that the disappearance of Sean Tyler over twenty years ago had something to do with it?
I ran up the steps of my apartment and inserted my key into the door. Keanu was sitting on the couch, watching television. As always, he'd thrown his tie and jacket on the end table, and his white oxford shirt was rolled up at the elbows. He had a beer in one hand, and the other rubbed the top of Benny's head, who was curled contentedly in his lap. My heart warmed at the sight of them together, and I longed to come home to this visual every night.
"Hi, baby." Keanu rose to his feet and gently laid Benny on the couch. He walked over and planted a soft kiss on my lips then started toward the kitchen. "Ready to eat? I'm starved."
I stood there and watched as he removed silverware from a drawer and placed it on the small wooden table. He whistled softly as he set the plates on the table, as comfortable in the apartment as if it were his own. "So why did Jeff want to see you?" he asked suddenly.
Poncho's words from earlier flashed through my head, and something primal ignited inside me. I continued to follow Keanu's movements without speaking. In the few months that I had known this man, he had never once let me down or given me a reason to think he ever would. I worried about giving my heart away to him, but the truth was that it had happened months ago.
"Carrie?"
Keanu straightened up from the table and watched me with those beautiful eyes that were so easy to lose myself in. His expression was puzzled. "You okay?"
The thought of leaving him was so overwhelming that I couldn't bear it. For once in my life I had the two things I'd always been denied; a chance at a career I loved, and to be loved. Even though the relocation to Hollywood wouldn't be permanent, it still felt like I was being forced to decide between two things I wanted desperately. Life was so unfair at times.
Tonight, there would be no choices. I would have what I wanted.
"What's wrong?"
Keanu was standing very close to me, and the pupils of his eyes had darkened as he watched me. Without another word, I placed my arms around his neck and attacked his mouth in a greedy manner. He pulled me close against him and responded ardently. Within seconds our embrace became hotter than an inferno. Keanu tore his mouth away from mine and studied me, expression serious.
"Are you sure?" he asked softly as my heart continued to thunder away in my chest, so loud that I was positive he could hear.
My answer came promptly and without hesitation this time. "Yes. I'm sure that I love you."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
A sudden pressure awakened me. I opened one eye to see Benny staring down at me from his perch on my chest, an ominous scowl upon his face. He had positioned himself at such an angle that it was impossible for me to draw a deep breath. This was not unusual behavior for my furry feline. Any time I tried to sleep in and Benny's breakfast was late, it resulted in a similar occurrence.
After raising myself into a sitting position, I hugged the cat tightly to my chest. The smell of coffee infiltrated my nostrils as I leaned back against the headboard, and the curtains flapped around the open window behind me. A seabird outside of my window uttered a high-pitched whistle.
Sighing in content, I glanced at my watch. It was still twelve o'clock. Aargh. I'd have to get a new battery later today. This was driving me crazy.
I heard Keanu moving around in the kitchen, humming to himself. Heat burned my cheeks as I recalled the events from last night. Maybe it was the actress in me, but sometimes I couldn't help comparing movies to real life. My entire body tingled as I remembered feeling a bit like Scarlet O'Hara must have when Rhett Butler carried her up the stairs during Gone with the Wind. Unlike Scarlet though, I hadn't exactly been fighting Keanu off.
I was relieved that I hadn't mentioned the trip to California to him. It was pointless now anyway because I'd already decided not to go. Someday I'd have another chance. Maybe.
As I looked on my nightstand and tried to remember where I'd left my phone, Keanu's muscular form filled the doorway. For a few seconds he stood there, watching me in silence with a smile on his face that lit up the entire room. He held a cup of coffee in his hands and sat down on the edge of the bed, planting a soft kiss on my lips. "Morning, beautiful."
I stroked the unshaved stubble on his chin. "Good morning yourself."
His blue eyes shone with unrestrained happiness as he handed me the steaming mug. "Did you sleep well?"
I took a sip from the cup and then placed it on the nightstand. "Like a baby."
Keanu pulled me toward him, and we kissed again—this time, a long and lingering one that left me breathless. I tasted coffee and mint-flavored toothpaste and savored the smell of his cologne—a woodsy musk scent. Like the rest of him, it was intoxicating.
After we broke apart, he cradled my face gently between his hands. "Thank you for last night. I'll treasure it always."
My entire body tingled at the words. "Me too."
His voice was low and sexy. "I'd love an encore right now, but unfortunately I've got to rush home and put on a monkey suit. Then I need to get over to the café to pay some bills and be at the resort for an eleven o'clock meeting. Thank God this is the last one, and then everyone will be flying back to Arizona tonight, so things can finally get back to normal around here."
"What time is it?" I asked.
He nuzzled my hair. "Eight thirty. You're working at eleven, right?"
I ran my hands over his bare rock-hard chest. "Eleven
to six. How about dinner around seven? I'll make us something here."
Keanu straightened up and made a face. "I might be kind of late. Since it's the last day of meetings, you never know how long these things tend to get drawn out. All the stores are having issues, from back stabbing between the employees to not enough profits, and we've been trying to figure out some new schematics. Dad even wants to clean house at one of the stores. Who knows how long this might take."
"That's all right. I'm not going anywhere, so whenever you get here is fine." I glanced around the room. "Have you seen my phone?"
He rose from the bed. "Yeah, you left it on the coffee table last night. I'll grab it."
"Thanks." I watched him leave the bedroom and sipped my coffee like a lady of leisure. When we had first started dating, I'd promised myself that I wasn't going to rush into another relationship. I'd been wary of men after my tumultuous experience with Brad and wanted to take things slow. Keanu understood and had never pushed me. The bond between us had been strong from the beginning, and now it was unbreakable. Despite my initial vigilance, I'd fallen—and fallen hard for him.
I took another long sip from the mug and decided to call Howie after Keanu left, to thank him for the opportunity but also tell him that I had decided not to go to California after all. Howie would probably try to talk me out of it, and Jeff might too, but it was no use. My mind was made up.
Keanu came back into the bedroom as I continued to stroke Benny's fur. He'd been staring down at the screen of my phone and now glanced up at me with a puzzled expression. Benny jumped off the bed, as if he had a sudden premonition. The rigid stance of Keanu's body told me that something was very wrong.
"What is it?" Suddenly I feared the worst.
He said nothing as he handed the phone to me. There was a text from Tad that had literally come in seconds ago. The phone might have even lit up with the incoming message while Keanu had brought it to me. Of all the worse luck. It read: Good morning, Miss Hollywood! Have you told K the news yet? When will you be leaving for California? I want to throw a super bash before you go. A Khardashian-sized blast. Love ya, toots.
Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 54