Jake looked apologetically at Lena. “I didn’t know Pepper had company and thought it sounded like a booty call, so I said yes.”
They laughed.
Pepper looked mischievous. “I didn’t tell him about you and Olaf until this morning when he smelled coffee. He’d had too much to drink for any details last night.”
“I’m leaving in an hour, as soon as I get something out of my safe,” Jake explained. “I need a document before I leave tomorrow.
“Tomorrow? I thought you left today,” Pepper said.
“I fly out of Honolulu tomorrow.” Jake sipped his coffee and stared out at the view. “How do you like the house, Lena?”
“I love it. Thanks for letting Pepper stay here, and indirectly, thanks for not kicking me out now that you know I’m using Pepper to stay in your house. I hope you’re OK with a dog.”
Jake’s free hand dangled over his deck chair absent-mindedly petting Olaf’s head. “I love dogs.”
Would Pepper insist Jake spend another night on Maui? Lena wouldn’t mind. He seemed very laid back and not proprietary of his house. He hadn’t even been sure where he kept the coffee mugs a few minutes earlier, but then, with three residences, it might be confusing.
“Pepper knows my house is open to her anytime.”
“You don’t rent it when you’re not here?” Lena was curious.
“I tried that, but I like knowing I can just fly over anytime. Maui is my escape. Even for the weekend sometimes. When I’m here, I don’t do business. I just play tennis and stare at the ocean.”
Pepper interrupted. “Except for the coffee farm.”
He agreed but the smile on his face was joyous. “Owning a Big Island coffee farm is just fun. There’s nothing I need to worry about because I have a brilliant partner who does all the work. Like this week. I’m stress free while my partner is buying another field in Kona.” Holding up his mug of coffee, Jake made a toast. “To Kona Java’s new coffee field.”
By the time they’d finished Lena’s homemade waffles with a strawberry syrup and freshly whipped cream, Jake was joking about staying for a few more meals. “See how much more of Lena’s cooking I can cram in before I leave for my bachelor Christmas in Aspen,” he joked.
Pepper stared at him open-mouthed. “Aren’t you going to your parents’ house?”
“They’re in London visiting my sister. Aspen is just me this year.” Seeing Pepper’s face, he amended his revelation. “I have a lot of friends. Don’t look at me like I’m an orphan.”
One pointed look between Lena and Pepper and the invitation was on the table for Jake to stay the week with them.
“It would be fun to have you here,” Lena said.
He refused.
Pepper pouted. “Please, Jake.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to crash your girl time.”
The women insisted and he promised to stay at least for Christmas dinner in a few days.
“We have a fifteen-pound turkey,” Lena laughed. “That’s five pounds per person.”
It was obvious that Pepper had a genuine fondness for Jake and he seemed like a welcome addition. With her intuition and talent for reading people, Lena liked Jake and was more than happy to add him to their party, even if he and Pepper were probably re-kindling a love affair.
Three people would seem more like Christmas.
KALANI
Kalani was in Kona when Jake called. “I’m in Kona. The crop looks perfect. Just like you said, Jake. Did you get what you needed from the safe?” Kalani had been in on Jake’s plan to sneak into his house without disturbing his ex-girlfriend’s week of housesitting by letting himself in the house while she was singing.
“Not exactly. Pepper has a friend staying here. The lights and TV were on, so I left. I went over to check in at the Ritz for the night, Pepper saw me, and I ended up at the house for the night.”
Kalani knew that would be a good thing seeing Jake had never gotten over Pepper.
“I’ve been asked to stay the week, give up the idea of Aspen, all in the spirit of Christmas hospitality and a big turkey dinner. I accepted. Christmas with Pepper won over drinking with friends in the mountains.”
“Sounds like you made a good decision. Who can turn down Christmas dinner or a beautiful woman?”
“Pepper can’t cook to save her life, but her girlfriend can cook like she was raised in a five-star kitchen.”
“You landed well.” Kalani laughed and thought of how lucky Jake always seemed to be.
“Speaking of which, how was your sleep at the farm last night?”
Should he admit it? “Like I slept on a sheet of bedrock. I’m looking for a hotel that takes dogs.”
“I know one.”
“So far, they’re all full for Christmas. I called my diving buddies on Kona side and one has a couch.”
“This place I’m thinking of has availability, Sealy Posturepedic mattresses, an ocean view, and a gourmet cook. Come to Maui.”
Jake was offering a bed in his house. Probably expensive mattresses. “I don’t want to intrude.”
Jake laughed. “For one thing, it’s not my party, it’s theirs. I’m a crasher myself. I slept in the guest room last night. The women pretended to be thrilled to have a man in the house and I pretended to believe them. Honestly, Kalani, two men might make their week. Both are single, funny, pretty, and one of them can cook. At the very least, it will be fun.”
“I’m not sure about leaving the farm.”
“We have a caretaker. You planned to take time off this week anyhow, right? My place has five bedrooms and only three are being used.”
“Maybe.” He hadn’t been back to Maui since he got out of the hospital. If his father would agree to meet with him, the trip over would be worth it. “Sounds tempting.” He could keep an eye on the evacuation from Maui.
“I’ll pick you and Latte up at the airport. Just text me your flight details.”
Could he just pack up his dog and head to Maui for a week? He hadn’t been back since his father disowned him. Maybe there’d been enough time for his father to rethink his decision. Kalani’s plan had always been to get his life straightened around, then approach his father with an apology.
“We’re having Shrimp Scampi over Linguine for dinner.”
A home cooked meal sounded great. Even if his dad wouldn’t see him, Kalani needed to do something for the week. A beachfront home on Maui was his best option. “I’ll call the airline,” Kalani said, looking at Latte and wondering how she’d fare on the twenty-minute inter-island flight in the baggage compartment.
“I’ll tell Lena to set another place at the dinner table.
Kalani was part-way to his jeep with a duffle bag of clothes and toiletries when he remembered that Jake said ‘Lena.’ Not a common name.
Shit. If it was Lena Patterson, he was screwed.
Chapter 4
LENA
Pepper and Lena had been staring at the bay’s flat surface long enough to decide to get dive tanks and get in the water. The lava outcrop that submerged on the north side promised something interesting underwater, maybe turtles and Lena was excited to strap on a tank after not diving for years.
“Like riding a bicycle,” Pepper said.
It was easy for Pepper to say. She dived regularly. The last time Lena went diving, Charlotte was a baby. She’d left the water invigorated, thinking she needed to keep up with her favorite ocean sport. But Billy didn’t dive. He was a surfer and without a scuba buddy, Lena forgot how much she enjoyed exploring the coral reef.
Pepper’s friend, Tina, owned a dive shop in Lahaina and after getting gear, Lena and Pepper suited up and headed to the water’s edge at Jake’s beach. The pervasive weight on her back would float, once they got wet, but Lena was sweating under her short wetsuit, anxious to feel the cool water trickle in the arms and legs.
“The men,” as Jake had said to include Olaf, would make poolside phone calls while the women were gone. “If there
are any lobsters…” Jake called as the women below in the water. “see if they want to join us for dinner.”
Pepper and Lena submerged and followed the sand ripples to the lava rock that was blanketed in corals of sky blue, lime green and orange. Lena smiled past her breathing regulator, remembering how much she liked diving, and reminded herself to remain calm and breath evenly. She’d never been a heavy breather on dives, but she wanted to make this time last and not have to end the dive early because she was getting low on air.
The little fish were plentiful, darting in and out of the rocks. Bright Yellow Tangs and striped Moorish Idols lazily searched the reef for food. The conditions today were perfect with no current and the noon time sunshine cut through the water like a spotlight throwing rays to the sandy bottom. Giving each other the OK signal, they continued with the rock on their right until a turtle scooted out from its hiding place under a ledge, ten feet in front of Pepper.
They’d frightened it.
Lena thought she could feel the turtle’s fear, but that was ridiculous. Most days she could imagine that her psychic readings had merit but to feel fear from a turtle sounded a little crazy. Even to her. They continued, exploring the reef, bubbles of exhalation heading for the surface. By the time they surfaced close to the beach, her leg muscles were feeling the burn. It had been a good workout for her quads.
Olaf and Jake waited at the water’s edge, the dog off his leash.
“He loves the ocean,” Jake said nodding to his little companion.
Lena laughed to see her dog jump, take off, and scratch at the sand where the waves gently touched shore, then run into the water, barking. “He hasn’t tried to run away?”
Jake shook his head. “Or swim out to sea.”
Pepper walked out of the water and gave Jake a kiss on the lips. “Thanks for being you, Jake-Man.”
He looked surprised. “What was that for?”
“Just because you like dogs.”
He took the women’s fins and they headed up the stairs to the pool and patio. Just as Lena turned for the outdoor shower, Jake spoke.
“I hope you don’t mind but my business partner on the Big Island was evacuated from his house in Pahoa, can’t find a hotel, and I asked him to join us until he gets the all-clear to go home. He might only be here one or two nights.” He looked apologetically at Pepper. “It was kind of an emergency. He can’t get a hotel because it’s Christmas.”
Lena’s first thought was that it might be nice to have someone else to talk to. “OK by me,” she said casually.
Pepper agreed, and Jake got his car keys from the deck table. “Good, because I’m going to pick him up.”
Pepper shook her head, shooting Lena a look. “Life with Jake is one big party.”
Jake took that as a compliment. “Thanks, Pep. Oh, and Kalani has a dog that’s really friendly and well-behaved,” he said. “I’m sure it’ll be like an early Christmas present for Olaf to have someone to play with.”
Lena hoped that was true. Most puppies did well with other dogs. It wasn’t until Jake was out of sight that Lena realized he’d said ‘Kalani.’ And he’d indicated that this new guest was his business partner in Kona Java.
Lena stopped in her tracks.
Kalani Shipton would be staying in the house with them.
Not only a man with a reputation as a reckless partier, but a man she’d flirted with at a party, then broke the news that her wedding ring was being repaired. She’d said she wasn’t free to leave with him, go get a quiet drink somewhere. Kalani had been under the influence of a lot of cocktails that night, but had charmingly told her that Lena was the woman of his fantasies. “You have the most seductive mouth,” he’d said.
Days later, when she was talking to friends, Lena had asked about Kalani, still thinking about the compliment and his interesting eyes.
“He’s the black sheep of THE Shipton family. His mother was local, his father is Matthew Shipton, THE Matthew Shipton.”
The Shiptons had owned a lot of land, upcountry Maui since the 1800’s and had started the pineapple business on Maui. Their name was a household word on the Valley Isle.
“He had a motorcycle accident and moved to the Big Island. I think he broke his back,” Tia had said.
Their friend Jane had chimed in. “He was drunk driving and his father bailed him out of trouble, then disowned him when he got out of the hospital.”
Since Kalani Shipton had been the only man to flirt with Lena in a decade, she’d fallen a tiny bit for him that night in a married woman meets a playboy way. With his chiseled face, coffee-colored skin, and deep brown eyes, Kalani was the man who’d occupied more than one of her fantasies since Billy had left their marriage. He was just enough bad boy mixed with business man to make Lena worried about how she’d handle herself this week around a man who’d once propositioned her.
Lena took a deep breath and escaped to the bathroom to make sure she didn’t have anything in her teeth or bags under her eyes.
Shit.
Kalani Shipton would walk through the door in an hour.
KALANI
Kalani knew Lena. Not well, but she was the wife of Billy Patterson, owner of Kilauea Realty. Although they weren’t doing the land deal with Billy, Kalani knew him from around town. And, had admired his wife from afar. Hadn’t he heard that Billy walked out on his pretty wife for Tammy Palau, a rich barracuda who he’d heard ate her way through men?
The only time Kalani had ever spoken with Lena had been at a cocktail party last year, when Billy was ignoring his wife to flirt with women. Kalani had been watching Lena from across the room, thought she was the most beautiful thing at the party, but also looked tragically sad. Her gaze was on her husband who was talking with a blonde in a low-cut dress.
That night, four months of sobriety had earlier flown out the window like a destructive trade wind for Kalani. He’d ended up in a blackout and the next day couldn’t remember much of the previous night, except Lena.
“Lena Patterson, from Kona?” he asked Jake who was maneuvering the car through airport traffic.
“She’s from Kona but I don’t know her last name. Pepper said she’s divorced, has two children who are with their father for Christmas.”
That would be her. Kalani had seen Billy yesterday and he said he’d be spending Christmas assembling toys for his girls. So, Lena and Billy were officially divorced. “She’s the ex-wife of Billy who owns Kilauea Realty,” Kalani said.
“I didn’t know that.” Jake said. “She is one helluva cook. I can tell you that. Just before I left for the airport she was talking about making a cake.” He smiled at Kalani. “This lady is going to be welcome anytime at my house.”
“Is she brunette, tall, big eyes?”
Jake confirmed and Kalani knew this was the same woman he’d hit on at that cocktail party. Even though the conversation came to a grinding halt when she revealed she was married, Kalani could have sworn she’d felt something for him even with his sketchy recollection of the night.
As the two men closed the distance between the airport and Jake’s place, Kalani realized that if Lena still remembered him and how he’d presented himself at that party, the first few hours of being at Jake’s house might be embarrassing. At the very least. He might have to lead with an apology, something he’d become very good at since getting sober.
“She’s got a puppy. A hairy white thing that’s kind of cute. I hope Latte likes him.” Jake pulled into the driveway and soon, a gate was in sight.
“Latte is good with other dogs. Especially puppies. I think she wishes she’d had some kids, like us, Dude.” He and Jake had talked about not having had any children during one of those late-night heart to heart talks and even though Jake sounded like he’d missed the boat and would always regret that, Kalani still hoped that at the age of thirty-one, there’d be children in his future. He wanted to be a father someday. Now that he’d been sober for seventeen months, two weeks and three days, he’d discovered
all sorts of things he wanted to do with his life. Like start a business, fall in love, have children. Earn the respect and love of a good woman.
The gate opened, and the Porsche came to a stop behind a black Escalade.
“Your pimpmobile or Pepper’s?” Kalani asked.
“Just for that, you can’t drive it this week. If you want to go anywhere, you’ll have to take the Porsche.”
They laughed, exited the car with Latte coming from the small back seat. “Nice digs, Man.” Kalani came from money but could still appreciate living in luxury. Especially after last night and sleeping on the floor. His damn back was still twinging.
The house smelled like something delicious that involved a whole lot of chocolate. Kalani looked to Jake. “I’d say chocolate cake.” He put his bag down and followed Jake to the kitchen with Latte on his leash. Coming around a corner, Kalani saw Lena Patterson in short shorts, bent over an oven. He had to bite his tongue from saying something sexist about his greatest fantasy. Instead he gulped down his appreciation of her backside. The puppy bounded towards Latte who’d stopped with Kalani.
“Be nice,” Kalani said.
Latte’s tail wagged and as Olaf licked her face, she started behaving like a mother dog, licking the puppy back, lying down to let Olaf crawl all over her.
Lena had turned and now laughed, oven mitts on, cake in her hands. “I wasn’t sure what my dog would do, but I’d say they’re going to be fine.”
Kalani dropped the leash. “They’re good.” He approached Lena, hand outstretched. “I’m Kalani.”
She put the cake on the counter and took off an oven mitt. “I saw you run out of Kilauea Realty yesterday.” Her eyes narrowed. “You were driving like your house was on fire and now I wonder if it was. You got evacuated, right?”
Romancing the Holidays: Twelve Christmas Romances - Benefits Breast Cancer Research Page 46