by Reina Torres
“Got it. I’ll take care of it.” He looked down at the tablet in his hands. “You have the notes in the file?”
“Yes.” Impulsively, she wrapped him up in a big hug and pressed a kiss to his cheek as she stepped back. “You are a life saver.”
He waved it off and turned back to the group. “I’ll leave you in Ku‘uipo’s capable hands and she can take you on the tour.”
Relieved that she had the time and the confidence to take the group on the tour she’d promised them, she turned back and looked at the group, counting the number of people. Cullen, Mace, Baron, Shado, and Efrain.
She did a quick double take when it came to Efrain. Just a few moments ago he was smiling at her and now, his mouth was a little more than a pale line against his tanned skin. And the hazel of his eyes didn’t hold any kind of light in them.
Ku‘uipo didn’t have time to worry about the reason, she had a tour to give. “We’re missing Ajax,” she nodded, “I knew he was going to stay close to Hi‘ilani. But Commander Chastain isn’t here?”
Cullen looked at Efrain, but when he didn’t offer an explanation, Cullen answered. “Sorry about that. He was called back to Oʻahu.”
She shrugged. “I’m going to miss him coming along, but duty calls.”
She leaned to the side to look at Baron through the group. “I’m glad to see you here, Baron. I didn’t think you’d be coming.”
He shrugged. “I was going to stay at the hotel and maybe jump in the pool, but I have this rooster outside my window.”
“It’s a hen, B.” Mace rolled his eyes. “It’s not a rooster.”
“It’s a rooster,” Baron argued back, “and it hates me. He called out all night long.” He jerked a thumb at Efrain. “He’s not bothered by it. Slept like a baby all night long.”
Ku‘uipo smiled at the handsome soldier who’d been in her thoughts. “Glad you got some sleep. What you did for James was really nice.”
He shrugged. “Can’t hurt to be nice to people.” His tone was flat, sullen. “I guess it’s part of hospitality.”
“Okay,” she didn’t know what had happened in the last few minutes, but she didn’t have time to work it out. She had a tour to do. “If you’ll follow me to the history wall.” With a smile on her lips, Ku‘uipo walked backward across the lobby floor and stopped beside a wall that looked more like a shadow box. “While we are going to open the hotel as the Kailani Palms, this hotel had a very vibrant life before the name change.”
Determined to reconnect with Efrain, she really was having a hard time thinking of him using his ‘nickname,’ Ku‘uipo tried to include him in the narrative.
“I’m pretty sure that Train will tell you that this used to be the Coco Palms during the time that Elvis filmed Blue Hawai‘i here, but in 1992 Hurricane Iniki plowed into the islands and the hotel was closed. Over the years several companies and organizations have tried to bring it back to life, but things never seem to work out, but I have faith in this property.”
She looked over at Efrain but he didn’t seem to be looking back at her. His gaze was fixed on the display, so she kept going.
“The Palms was a gem in Hawai‘i’s hospitality crown. Along the lines of the pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the iconic mural on the Hilton’s Rainbow Tower in Waikiki, the Palms was instantly recognizable.” With a gentle gesture of her hand, she beckoned the group forward and pointed at a movie still from Blue Hawai‘i. “The lagoon at the center of the hotel is usually the first thing that people remember from its heyday.” She looked over at Efrain and saw that his attention was focused on the display and it seemed like he’d dropped the walls he’d put up just a few minutes ago.
“If you’d like to follow me, I’ll take you into one of the suites and you can see the efforts we’ve taken to bring back the elegance of the Palms here at Kailani.”
The rest of the tour had gone well.
Sort of.
Efrain hadn’t said more than two words to her. “Thank you.”
Sighing, she looked over Uluwehi’s notes from the morning. It was amazing how much he’d gotten done.
Then again, she wasn’t really surprised. Uluwehi was a good man and a fantastic friend, but he was also a first-rate manager. He led by example and was as concerned with the workers as he was with the customers. She had big plans for him, and as she stood over her stove finishing up her part of the potluck, she wondered what Miles had been up to all day. He wasn’t what she would call dedicated. In fact, she couldn’t even call him mildly interested.
She knew enough of his story to understand why he acted like a jerk, but she didn’t understand why he couldn’t seem to muster up the energy to even pretend to care.
He was going to be set up for his life once he graduated from school. His mother came from a family who owned over a thousand hotels across the world and when she saw his application in the pile she had been excited. Foolishly so, apparently. Ku‘uipo had thought he was learning from the ground up, but the only thing he wanted to do was slack off and disappear at odd times and he certainly didn’t feel a need to explain himself.
And she was coming to the end of her rope where he was concerned.
She needed someone who was going to help her. Not blow her off for… whatever. Ku‘uipo knew she couldn’t give him many more choices. She needed to decide what to do with him, and fast.
A text alert pulled Sato’s focus from the stock readout on his computer. Blowing out a long, heated breath, he lifted the phone from the desktop and saw the message.
He dialed the phone and waited.
The call picked up on the other end. “Mr. Sato. Konichiwa.”
“Don’t kiss my ass, Jenkins.”
The debonair gentlemen on the other end of the call didn’t even react to the implied threat. “I’m just improving my language skills. Here in Hawai‘i, having a working knowledge of Japanese is still currency in the bank for men like me.”
“Men… like you?” Sato narrowed his eyes at the screen. “I don’t know what you think you are, but I know what you are to me. A means to an end.”
He ignored the shock on the other man’s face.
“And I’m waiting for a report on the Palms.”
Jenkins turned his head and stared at the wall, or something off screen. “We’re working on it.”
Sato wanted to throw his phone across the room, but he kept it sitting on the desk. “What does that mean?” When silence was the answer back, Sato felt a cold prickle of anger rush over him. “I need them to give up on this little venture of theirs. I want the hotel.”
Jenkins was searching for something. His vague hand gestures and the way his mouth worked at forming a sound, Sato knew that the man was as weak-minded as he was greedy.
Still, he could serve his purpose.
If he didn’t grease the wheels, he just might end up under them.
“I have an asset in the hotel staff.”
“Asset?” Sato couldn’t help the heavy judgement in his tone. “I hope you don’t see yourself as some kind of spy, Mr. Jenkins. Your job here is less than complicated. I pay you quite a bit of money to stop that hotel from opening up.”
“You do,” he nodded, “and you’re going to get what you want. I have a plan for later tonight. It’s just another… mishap that will help this pathetic venture look like a bad investment. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see people bailing out of the project tomorrow morning.”
Sato let out a breath and kept his gaze on the other man. Raising his voice would only give the man the impression that he was important.
That was far from the truth. He was another cog in the machine, another disposable part. He only hoped that Jenkins would prove to be less of a disappointment than the men he’d hired to deal with Mackie.
Their inept behavior had dragged that young woman into the mix. Hi‘ilani Ahfong was now outside of his reach. The last thing he wanted was to bring the American military into his life again. On the island of Kaua‘i, he wasn�
�t likely to face them again.
The wedding rehearsal happened late that afternoon, with the best man pushing a borrowed wheelchair to get the placement right and James was present in a video call from his hospital room.
All in all, it went well. So, well that the bride had to take a moment to compose herself when she repeated the vows looking at James visible on the screen of someone’s tablet computer.
Uluwehi slipped into the chapel and stood beside her as she watched the preacher have a few words with the bride and the groom’s image.
It was a sweet moment.
“You’re tired.”
“I bet you are too.”
Uluwehi laughed. “Yeah, well, things need to be done and-”
“Some people aren’t doing their work. Yeah,” she understood his concern. “When I checked in with the groups and their progress, no one had seen Miles all day.”
Uluwehi groaned and grumbled under his breath. “I bet we’ll see him at the party tonight though.”
They both shared a laugh at that.
“I think you’re right. Miles is unpredictable in his absences but we can always expect him for meals.”
The bride’s mother looked over at Ku‘uipo and smiled. She quietly crossed the room while the preacher continued to speak to the young couple.
Mrs. Bismark may have been in her sixties, but the smile she wore on her features was transformative. The white in her hair made her blonde waves look like silver against the pale gold. She danced across the last few feet and took Ku‘uipo’s hands in hers. “I wanted to thank you again, Miss Ornellas. You have been such a dear. I know it could not have been easy to adjust the timeline for the ceremony and other events.”
Ku‘uipo felt a warm rush of pride fill her up. “I give most of the credit to my staff, ma’am. They are all touched by James and Hilarie’s story and we’re only too happy to see them married in nothing less than a tropical wedding that you will all be talking about for years.”
A loud squeal was heard from the front of the chapel.
As they turned to look, Robert called out his apologies. “Sorry. I think I need to oil it or something.”
Ku‘uipo couldn’t help the soft smile that formed on her lips at the other man’s predicament.
Rather than let it upset him or their momentum, Robert laughed at himself. “I better get this taken care of before the ceremony.”
Ku‘uipo nodded. “You’ll be fine, Robert. Just remember to keep an eye on where you’re going. The cast that they put on James’ leg-”
“Yeah, it’s way out there.” He blew out a breath. “I’ve got this.”
“Yes, you do.”
She saw Hilarie touch Robert’s arm and the two shared a moment before they turned to leave the chapel.
“Oh,” Mrs. Bismark gave Ku‘uipo a smile, “I forgot to tell you something.”
That usually wasn’t the start of a happy admission, but Ku‘uipo put a little steel in her backbone and waited with a smile.
“A couple of reporters from Honolulu approached us about having their cameras in the chapel tomorrow. Now, I know I probably should have called you right away, but everything is so stressful and so many things had to be fixed before the wedding since we had to move it back a day, so I hope you’ll understand that I just told them yes, but I also told them that they’ll have to talk to you about where it would be appropriate to have the cameras since I’m sure the photographer is going to need lots of space during the wedding.”
Ku‘uipo was out of breath, but the mother of bride didn’t seem to have any problems with the sheer number of words that she rushed out in one seemingly endless sentence.
“That was okay, wasn’t it, my dear?”
“Sure!” Ku‘uipo wanted to faint dead away. “That sounds lovely.”
“Oh,” she opened the top of her purse with a click and rummaged around the interior as she spoke, “and they also said they wanted to interview you as well. The whole human-interest story will be lovely for you and of course as a business thing I’m sure it will help to get more support for your efforts.” She pulled a piece of paper from a side pocket and held it out like the Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. “Here you go. Names and phone numbers. They’ll be arriving in the morning. I’ll be happy to pay for a room for each of them should they want to freshen up.”
Ku‘uipo’s smile didn’t crack. It didn’t even dip or tug down the corners of her mouth. “Not a problem, Missus Bismark. I’ll take care of the reporters-”
“And their cameramen… or was it women? Oh, I can’t remember, but they’re bringing along camera… camerapeople.”
“Wonderful!”
With that crazy infodump behind them, Mrs. Bismark blinked away a tear. “I’ll see you tomorrow, my dear. I can’t wait to see my little girl married.”
When the mother of the bride left, Ku‘uipo grabbed onto Uluwehi’s arm. “Me too.”
“I’m glad you said it first.” He shook his head. “Seriously, if you hadn’t climbed down to that ledge-”
“If those men hadn’t found him. Oh wow… how horrible would it have been for this whole thing to end in tragedy.”
“And now you have reporters from Honolulu on their way. This could be huge!”
“Would it be crazy to say I’m not ready for reporters?”
Uluwehi laughed at her and slung an arm over her shoulders. “Babe, you’ve been ready for this for a long time. Come on, let’s go check in on the others and then you can get in a quick splash of water before the party tonight.”
“I’ll need a wire scrub brush and gallons of water to get ready for the party tonight.”
He turned her around and they walked out of the front door of the chapel, passing by the groundskeeper who was going to sweep the rug and lock up. As they continued to walk across the lawn, alongside the historical lagoon, Ku‘uipo tried to remind herself that she was indeed ready for the next day.
This was going to be a success. They’d all put in too much hard work for it to be anything but.
Then she reminded herself- ‘Just don’t faint.’
Six
By the time most of the platters on the table were nearing empty the party was just starting to kick up. Music wasn’t a problem, even if the electricity on the entire island blew out, Train saw a whole stack of instrument cases off to the side. Guitar cases and smaller ones that he was fairly sure were ʻukulele.
The interns were… well there were too many for him to remember what their names were. Ku‘uipo did. And that was incredible in and of itself.
She was incredible.
And apparently un-available.
He didn’t know why that bothered him so much.
No, that was a lie. He knew what was bothering him. It was that tall Hawaiian Adonis that just couldn’t seem to leave her side.
Great.
Just great.
A trade wind blew through and something touched his cheek. Train swatted it away but it fell back against his cheek. He took another swat at the irritation. “What is this?”
“Uh oh.” Hi‘ilani flopped down beside him on the lawn, barely tugging on the straw mat he was occupying. “You look a little less like yourself.”
Train blew out a breath. “This lei thing is driving me nuts.”
Hi‘ilani leaned over and twisted the lei around so that the leaf wouldn’t brush against his cheek. “It’s just a matter of adjusting it.”
He narrowed his eyes across the lawn. “Whatever it is.”
She laughed and leaned closer until her shoulder butted up against his, matching his gaze across the darkened green. “Ah… I see.”
He moved his shoulder away and then had to grab for her to make sure she didn’t fall over. That really made her laugh and it killed him when Ku‘uipo turned to look at them.
“You don’t see anything.”
She didn’t stop laughing when she sat up, it just became silent laughter. “I see a lot.”
“No,” he insisted, “I don’t think you do.” He gave her a pointed look. “Nothing to see.”
Hi‘ilani leaned back and narrowed her eyes at him. “I see that you’re upset.”
Train barely avoided rolling his eyes.
“You got a ‘thing’ for Ipo and now you’re thinking you’re too late.”
He gave her a quick look. “Ipo?”
Hi‘ilani shrugged. “Nickname.”
“Okay.” He looked across the way again and saw Ku‘uipo in a discussion with a different guy. This one was shorter, probably about the same age as ‘that guy’ but the look on their faces said it wasn’t a happy conversation.
Train looked down at the hand that Hi‘ilani had placed on his arm. “What?”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
Hi‘ilani looked at him. “Don’t go over there.”
He slanted a look at Ku‘uipo again. “They’re not exchanging recipes.”
A snort of laughter reached his ears. “Who does?”
“What I mean is-”
“I know what you mean, but she’s okay, Train. She’s been working with these interns for months now. Ipo knows how to handle them.”
Leaning back on his hands, he kept his gaze on the two. “I still don’t like the look in his eyes.”
“Then maybe you should talk to her… after she’s done talking to him.”
“What about her boyfriend? Wouldn’t he have an issue with me worrying about her?”
Silence descended between them even though the music continued on from the stereo. And Train wondered what he’d managed to stick his foot in.
Something brushed against his cheek again and he reached up his hand to knock it away.
“Hey,” Hi‘ilani sighed, “stop that.” Shifting the lei around again she shook her head. “You moved it when you leaned back.”
“How do you wear these things and not get bothered with it touching your skin.”
“Your problem isn’t the lei,” she laughed, “you’re not really bothered by it. You’re bothered by what you think you know… but you don’t.”