A Hawaiian Christmas Romance
Author
Anna J. Stewart
Reads
16.9K
Chapters
16
CHAPTER ONE
IN THE TWO months since Kai was born, Tehani Iokepa had come to one inescapable conclusion: her son had been born with the most perfect timing ever given to an infant. And also the worst.
In either case, he was currently working his way through an unblemished record of knowing precisely when she was wearing a brand-new or even a clean top. Even now, Tehani could feel his latest feeding dribbling down the back of her shoulder.
“Perfect aim as always, mae-mae.” Beloved. Cuddling him close, Tehani turned her lips against his head and pressed a kiss to the soft cap of dark hair. The holiday ukulele music plinking out of the office speakers tinged the late afternoon with the promise of a perfect island Christmas that was fast approaching. She’d missed this place. Her friends. The work they did. So much so that she’d come back earlier than she’d planned. “How do you always miss the towel?”
“Because that takes talent and my nephew is the most talented baby that was ever born, aren’t you, Kai?” Sydney Calvert made familiar baby noises and rattled one of Kai’s favorite toys behind Tehani’s back. Tehani’s friend and boss at Ohana Odysseys—Hawai’i’s premier tour and excursion company located in Nalani—circled around, her arms outstretched and fingers wiggling in excited anticipation. The adoration on Sydney’s face when she looked at her nephew had remained unchanged since the moment Kai was born in very late September. The undeniable love Tehani’s son received from her Ohana, her family and friends, almost eased the ache of loss that continued to cling to her.
Sydney’s long sun-kissed dark blond hair was tied in a knot on the top of her head, no doubt an advance move to keep Kai from grabbing a clump and sticking it in his mouth. The khaki multipocketed shorts she wore, along with the bright red tank top, spoke of the holiday season they were quickly barreling into now that Thanksgiving was behind them. The town was already putting on its holiday show with its boughs and holly, pineapples and poinsettias.
“Give him here and go change,” Sydney ordered gently. “Or you’re going to be late.”
Tehani kissed Kai again and handed him over, a tiny part of her silently wailing at the momentary loss. The only thing that tempered the emotion was knowing her son could not be in safer or more loving hands. Being constantly surrounded by her loved ones had been such a blessing as she traversed these first months of single motherhood. Despite having lost Kai’s father earlier this year, everywhere Tehani turned in her hometown of Nalani, she found open hands, open arms and, most importantly, open hearts.
She and her son were blessed to have so many people looking out for them.
Tehani closed her eyes for a moment, letting the fading sorrow of losing Remy so unexpectedly wash over her. Embracing his loss, acknowledging it, accepting it, had been the only path to coping. The pain of his death would never completely go away, but she was gradually learning to incorporate the new normal as she moved forward. Despite the secrets she still carried.
“There are some clean shirts in my locker.” Sydney snatched the still pristine burping cloth off Tehani’s shoulder and expertly draped it over her own. Kai cooed and babbled a bit as he heaved an infant-sized sigh and rested his cheek against his aunt’s shoulder.
“I’ve got some of my own,” Tehani admitted and earned a grin of amusement from Sydney. “I learned my lesson last time. Give me two seconds.”
“Take your time.” Sydney rubbed Kai’s onesie-covered back. “No rush. We’re in the calm before the storm portion of the tourist season. Enjoy it while you can.”
Tehani ducked into the locker room, tugging her holiday-inspired strapped blouse over her head. Served her right for wearing white. She really needed to reevaluate her wardrobe now that she had no control over what ended up on or down her shirt.
Her ankle-strap sandals slapped against the tile floor as she pulled open her locker and, after sorting through the handful of backup clothes she’d stashed inside, chose a bright blue flowy tank top she’d been saving for a special occasion. She pulled her long hair free and gave the shirt a quick tug and smoothed it over her still slightly rounded stomach. The last of the baby weight would take care of itself, but personally she liked the added curves she’d more than earned.
Coming back to work right after Halloween had ended the most amazing time of her life, but she’d been anxious to find her new normal as a single mother. She’d followed the long-held island tradition of staying home with her son for the first month after his birth. She’d wanted for nothing as neighbors, friends and family delivered food and offered emotional support so she could keep all her attention not only on Kai but also herself. Whatever immediate bond she’d felt with her child upon his birth had only strengthened in those weeks. And it was only after that time that she’d finally come to terms with losing the love of her life.
That didn’t mean her new reality didn’t have her struggling to find her footing. Every day she found herself stumbling a bit, readjusting, even as she came face-to-face with countless memories. But every day got a little better. How could it not when she had the most perfect baby boy? Remy’s son. Even now, the guilt she felt over not having told Remy about the baby before he’d died clung to her. There was nothing she could do about that decision now and while Remy might never have known about his child, she had no doubt he was out there, watching over both of them. If only that brought her as much peace as she needed.
“Hey, T?” Sydney poked her head into the locker room and waggled Tehani’s cell phone in her outstretched hand. “Your phone keeps ringing. Caller ID says it’s Aimita Haoa from the Hawai’i Ocean Education Foundation.”
“Oh.” Tehani reached for the phone. “Thanks.” She glanced at the screen, gnawing on her lower lip until the call went to voicemail. Tehani knew the reason for the call; Aimita was on the board of the HOEF, a nonprofit organization, and was responsible for putting on the annual Surfing Santa Charity Championship in Kona. Remy had been one of the founding board members of the organization and he and Tehani had attended the event every year. No doubt Aimita was calling to see if Tehani planned to come this year.
Tehani took a long, slow breath and set her phone down on the shelf in her locker, then noticed her hand was trembling. Tehani clenched her fist and rode out the new wave of grief that crashed over her.
The two-day event had been close to Remy’s heart since it first began six years ago. The various activities, including the crowd favorite Surfing Santa Charity Championship, raised money for the HOEF, which was dedicated to promoting marine environment conservation by sponsoring numerous school programs and community events along with sponsored surfing lessons and water education.
As with everything he’d been passionate about, Remy had taken an active role in the HOEF and had acted as a sponsor and a judge, and even participated in the competition a time or two. No one could pull off board shorts with a Christmas-light pattern while wearing a long Santa beard and surfing the waves quite like Remy Calvert.
Tehani reached up and touched the photo-captured smile displayed on the door of her locker. She traced her finger over Remy’s handsome, laughing face. She could almost feel the soft dark curls that matched those of their son.
“ʼE kala mai iaʽu.” I’m sorry.
She knew it was cowardly not to take the call from Aimita, but attending this year was out of the question. Especially after last year. Her heart twisted to the point of pain. She wasn’t sure she could ever go back.
What she wouldn’t give to go back in time and handle that situation with Remy differently. But she knew, even if she’d told him about the baby, it wouldn’t have changed anything. What she could do was focus on the happier times, all the years they’d shared together. Like the one displayed in the image on her locker door of Remy straddling his board, breezing through life with his ever-present “hang loose” signal on full display.
“Everyone sees you in Kai,” she whispered to the photograph. “Everyone says how much he looks like you.” And everyone was right. The moment Kai had been placed in her arms, she’d looked into eyes she never thought she’d see again. It had been a blow of sorts, how undeniably Kai’s features resembled his father. For a while she’d worried that her son had been born beneath a shadow he might never be able to walk out of. That Kai would feel as confined and limited as she had for a good portion of her life. She’d spent a lot of years doing the expected, not wanting to rock any of the boats she had access to. She’d walked on tiptoe for what felt like forever. She’d make certain her son never once felt that way.
The most important thing for Tehani to do as a mother was to make sure Kai was his own person, that he didn’t feel intimidated or beholden to a man who unfortunately he’d never know. She had every intention of telling Kai about his father, what he’d stood for, the kind way he’d lived his life by always putting someone else first. But she needed to do that in a way that didn’t overwhelm her son with the same grief so many others carried around Remy’s death.
The gentle tinkle of the door opening broke her free of her melancholy. She shook her head as if dislodging the cobwebs of loss and brushed her finger over Remy’s face before she grabbed her phone and shut her locker door.
After she quickly rinsed out her stained shirt and left it hanging on the drying rack near the window, she splashed some water on her face. The sound of laughter and familiar voices from the main office area brought a smile to her lips. Upon her return to her desk to gather her purse, Tehani found her next-door neighbor and local handyman Wyatt Jenkins along with surfer and dinner cruise operator Keane Harper lugging in a seven-foot Christmas tree.
“Trees finally made it from the mainland,” Keane announced like a stressed-out Santa. “Delivery one of six now complete.”
Tehani covered her mouth to stop the laugh from escaping. It was such an island sight to see: surfers—hair dripping and toned, taut bodies encased in black wet suits that zipped up the back. The two men were definite stellar examples of the male species but trying to shift a giant tree between them was clearly a comedy of errors. They managed to get the tree upright and wedged against the front corner of the office, where it would await its decor.
Wyatt stepped back, slapped his hands together and turned his million-watt smile on Tehani.
“Hey, T.” Wyatt’s sparkling eyes always managed to light up any space far brighter than a strand of Christmas lights. His positivity, his encouragement and his unwavering calm had played a pivotal role in Tehani moving into this new life with her son. Her gratitude for Wyatt’s friendship grew exponentially every single day. There wasn’t a time he hadn’t made her smile. She couldn’t, not for one moment, imagine life without him.
Wyatt stood a few inches shorter than the six-foot-plus Keane, and carried at least twenty fewer pounds, but with that mass of brown curls on his head and an attitude that never, at least to her knowledge, needed adjusting, he fit in wherever he went. Kindness personified. Something that was becoming a rarity these days. And something she definitely did not take for granted.
“You look pretty,” he told her. “All set for your dinner?”
“Yes, thanks.” Tehani’s cheeks warmed and she found herself looking away. Wyatt was like the sun. If she looked at him for too long, she began seeing—and feeling—things that weren’t there. Sunspots of a sort.
Smoothing her hand once more over her stomach, she inclined her head, gazed at her son and sighed. She’d actually miss her quiet dinner on the sofa, gently rocking her son’s carrier with her foot as they both dozed off watching TV. “I guess I’d better get going.”
“Got a date?” Keane’s eyebrows almost disappeared under his crop of damp and overgrown dark blond hair. The former champion swimmer and ladies’ man had turned in his bachelor’s card this past summer after getting knocked off his feet by a vacationing Marella Benoit. Marella had been in Nalani for her sister’s wedding and, to hear Marella tell it at least, the island magic worked its spell on the two of them. The couple had just settled into their new home in time to celebrate the Christmas holidays with a visit from Marella’s family. A family that included Pippy, Marella’s spitfire of a grandmother, someone Tehani couldn’t wait to see again.
“Not a date,” Tehani told Keane. “Just dinner. My friend Maylea’s here from Maui for the hospitality seminar they’re hosting at the Hibiscus Bay.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get a move on.” She glanced at Wyatt. “You’re still okay watching him this evening?”
“Pfffth.” Wyatt waved off her concern. “No problem.”
“I didn’t realize you were meeting with Maylea.” Sydney patted Kai gently on the back. “Should we be worried?”
“About what?” Tehani frowned at the three of them as they exchanged knowing—at least to them—looks.
“Because the last time you talked with Maylea, she tried to steal you to work at her fancy schmancy Maui resort hotel of hers,” Keane said.
“Oh. That.” Tehani stopped herself from flinching with guilt. “That wasn’t anything.” Just a huge decision she’d made without talking with her friends. Fortunately, the job fell through before she’d broken her lease or quit her job. “I’m happy here and so is Kai.” She reached out and tugged on Kai’s onesie. “Besides, I don’t think he’d ever forgive me for taking him away from you all. Don’t worry,” she assured a still-skeptical-looking Sydney. “Nalani is my home. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Sydney said. “Right, Kai?” She did her now-practiced jiggle walk as Kai snuggled deeper into her shoulder. “See?” Sydney aimed a triumphant look at Tehani. “He totally agrees with me.”
“He’s two months old.” Tehani rolled her eyes. “He hasn’t learned how to argue yet.”
“Anytime you want to revisit the conversation about becoming a partner in Ohana Odysseys—” Sydney swayed back and forth to keep Kai asleep “—you just say the word. It’s long past due.”
“Sydney’s gotten pretty good at the paperwork,” Keane added with a wide, charming grin. “First me, then Daphne, the more partners the better if you ask me.”
“I appreciate that,” Tehani said carefully, even as conflicting emotions raced through her. Remy had made plans to make his college friends his partners, but not Tehani. It hadn’t hurt exactly. She’d understood his desire to bring his sister and college friends to Nalani, to have everyone he considered family close, working side by side, in what he considered paradise. Offering them partnerships in the business was a natural plan for a man like Remy, whose greatest talent lay in bringing people together. And of course, once she and Remy were married, she’d have become an automatic partner by default. Doing so in another way now seemed...wrong somehow.
“I have to admit, my brother made a big mistake not making you one from the jump,” Sydney said. “I’m more than willing to correct that.”
Tehani simply nodded. The uneasiness that circled whenever her and Remy’s relationship was put under a microscope returned. She was well aware of the picture-perfect portrait the two of them had made for the ten plus years they’d been together. And she’d loved him with her whole heart. But no relationship, especially hers and Remy’s, was all sunshine and jasmine. Particularly those last few weeks before his death. “I really need to go.” She slung her cross-body, clutch-sized purse over her head, and stopped long enough to touch her hand to Kai’s head. “Be good, mae-mae.”
“We’ll take excellent care of him,” Sydney assured her.
“You’re Ohana. I know you will.” Tehani headed out the door and was down the stairs before she heard Wyatt calling her name. She spun and saw him hurrying toward her.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” Wyatt said when she met his gaze. “I know talking about Remy and the business isn’t your favorite thing.”
Only because she was trying so desperately to move on. Before she was forced to reveal the truth. She shook her head and offered a tempered smile. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. It’s just—” Wyatt stopped, frowned, an expression so unfamiliar that Tehani wasn’t sure how to process it.
“What?” She reached out, touched her fingertips to his bare arm and felt a kind of charge shoot up her own. Unsettled, she tried to shift her focus. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s silly, I guess.” Wyatt wasn’t a man prone to uncertainty. He was a rock of stability and assuredness and had been the strongest shoulder she’d had to cry on since Remy’s passing. “You really are planning to stay in Nalani, right? Maylea didn’t ask you to dinner to tempt you with another job offer, did she?”
“I doubt it, but even if she does, I’m not interested,” Tehani assured him.
“I seem to recall you telling me Maylea doesn’t like being told no.”
“She’s just not used to it is all.” Funny, she always seemed to end up defending Maylea in some way. “Doesn’t affect my ability to say the word.”
“Okay.” Wyatt seemed convinced. “Just remember, she usually has ulterior motives when she pops up. You said it yourself. You tend to see her only when she wants something.”
Of course Wyatt had actually listened to her and remembered what she’d said. “I will. But honestly, we’re just going to catch up. She’s gotten engaged so I’m sure most of what we’ll be talking about is wedding related. Besides—” she quickly squeezed his arm “—there’s nothing she could ever say that would make me want to leave.” Not anymore anyway.
“Good. Okay.” He shoved his hair out of his face and nodded. “That’s good. Nalani wouldn’t be the same without you. And Kai,” he added quickly.
Tehani’s smile relaxed. “That’s sweet.”
“Yeah, well, that’s me,” Wyatt said with a bit of an edge in his voice. “Sweet, harmless Wyatt Jenkins.”
“It’s good to know you aren’t trying to get out of emergency babysitting duties,” she teased.
“Never. I love taking care of Kai.” Something odd flashed in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite identify. “I love him. We all do.” He blushed. “Besides, you and I have an agreement. Who else am I going to sit out on the front porch steps with to watch the sunset?”
“My guess? Anyone you’d like.” Their nightly routine that had begun shortly after Remy’s death quickly became one of if not her absolute favorite parts of the day. Spending time with Wyatt had eased so much of her pain and helped her come to terms with everything that had changed. He was, truly, a good, kind man. A good friend. “You listen. You admit when you’re wrong.” Which wasn’t that often, not that she was going to add that comment. “Plus, you’re awfully nice to look at,” she teased. “You know very well there are many women in Nalani who’d like to hang out with you, Wyatt. All you have to do is say so.”
His cheeks went pink before he ducked his head. “I’m a one-woman kind of guy.”
“All the more reason you’re popular,” Tehani laughed. “Seriously, Wyatt. You’re a great catch. Any woman would be so lucky to have you.”
“Any woman, huh?” He looked hopeful. “You think?”
“I don’t think.” She reached up to touch his face. “I know.” Her fingers warmed. Instead of a quick gesture, she found herself transfixed, as if she’d fallen into something she wasn’t entirely sure how to climb out of.
Wyatt reached up and caught her hand. “Tehani—”
“I’m sorry.” She tugged her hand free and stepped back, uncertainty and something akin to alarm slipping through her. “I really have to go. I’ll see you when I pick Kai up. And then sunset tomorrow, yeah?”
“You bet.” He offered a quick smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course. Sunset tomorrow. Wouldn’t miss it.”
WYATT WATCHED TEHANI make her way down the hill from the Ohana Odysseys office into town. His bare feet scrunched against the asphalt, toes scraping. He flexed his hands, uncertainty pulsing through him.
The relief he’d felt after Tehani’s job offer fell through over the summer had long since faded, only to be replaced by the nagging worry something else was going on with her. He had no doubt she was still dealing with the overwhelming loss of Remy; they’d been together since she was sixteen. More than ten years. That wasn’t something someone just got over. But he couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more going on. Something...she wasn’t ready to talk about yet.
“Or maybe you’re just imagining things,” Wyatt muttered to himself. He’d learned at a very early age to be prepared for anything. This could just be his own anxieties needing some kind of workout. Or the feelings he’d squashed down surging to the surface. Don’t worry until there’s something to worry about. That was the lesson he needed to remind himself of.
The end of November breeze ruffled the decades-old palm trees arching and swaying overhead.
Store windows were alight night and day with blinking bulbs, and full green boughs were wrapped in colorful flowered ribbons accented with bright orchids and glittered poinsettias. Branches swayed almost in time to the soundtrack of the ocean lapping and rolling on the other side of the office. The reinforced bamboo structure of the building Remy himself had rebuilt was one of Wyatt’s favorites in Nalani as it looked like a throwback to the traditional homes once so prevalent in the area.
Remy’s vision for the physical home of Ohana Odysseys had been carried out with Wyatt’s then fledgling expertise. Wyatt, who had always been a hands-on learner, had developed a good chunk of his construction abilities thanks to that job. Now, as the go-to handyman, construction consultant and all-around fix-it guy in Nalani, there wasn’t much Wyatt wasn’t able to tackle. And all because his friend Remy had believed in him. He’d also taken his friend’s advice by never settling, never becoming complacent and always being willing to accept new challenges.
In the past few weeks, he’d gotten a crash course in solar power installation thanks to Keane and Marella’s recently purchased system for their new home. But this building, Remy’s dream project, remained one of Wyatt’s best accomplishments.
“Hey!” Keane shouted from the top of the stairs, holding up a huge tangle of holiday lights. “You up for getting the Christmas lights up before you head off with the kid? We can get ahead of things for once?”
Wyatt plastered a smile on and faced his friend. Like Tehani had said, it wasn’t like Kai could argue with a change in plans. “Sounds good.”
He took his time heading back inside, wanting to stop his mind from spinning. He wanted to enjoy the coming season. Christmas was his favorite time of year and, with it being Kai’s first and everyone’s first without Remy, he planned to do his best to keep the mood elevated and the holiday stress-free. Remy had always made everyone feel like a friend, even strangers. If Wyatt could step into those shoes, even a little bit, he’d consider that a suitable tribute to his friend.
Shifting Tehani into the center of his focus had taken some adjustment. For so long, he’d kept himself at a bit of a distance, afraid his long unrequited crush would either be noticed or he’d make an utter fool of himself. But after Remy’s death, Tehani and he had gravitated toward one another naturally; after all, they’d lived next door to one another for years. It had started with just a quick daily check-in that progressed to text messaging throughout the day, to him dropping by in the morning with breakfast—malasadas most of the time as the Portuguese-inspired fried donuts were her absolute favorite.
Then, one night about a month after Remy’s death, he’d gotten home just as the sun was beginning to set. He’d found Tehani sitting out on her front porch, drinking mango lemonade and watching the sky. He’d joined her, and from that night on their meeting had become a ritual. The day simply wasn’t complete without watching the sun set with her. He’d watched over her as her pregnancy progressed and even driven her to the hospital at one in the morning when her water finally broke.
He’d be forever grateful to whatever powers in the universe had put him in the right place at the right time to be the first person to hold Kai when he was born. He would never, ever forget the power of that moment. Of being able to whisper a welcome to the world even as his heart twisted in grief over missing the friend who should have been there.
Placing Kai in Tehani’s arms had been the privilege of his life.
It had changed everything for him, but instead of giving in to his feelings, he’d become even more determined to keep them to himself.
He’d shifted his attention to Kai, became an expert diaper changer, an even better swaddler and an on-call babysitter. He’d even gone so far as to buy himself a selection of baby items for his own house, including a baby sling so he’d always have one handy. Now? He couldn’t imagine his life without the baby boy.
Or without the boy’s mother.
Upon stepping back into the office, he spotted Sydney on the phone, struggling to hold a conversation and keep a now squirming, irritable Kai securely in place.
With the sound of Keane shuffling through boxes in the storage room, Wyatt swooped in and scooped Kai into his arms. “I’ve got him.”
“Thanks.” Sydney sighed in relief and rotated her shoulder as she headed to her desk.
Wyatt expertly extricated the infant from his aunt’s hold and, tucking him into his arm, earned a toothless, drooling smile of approval.
“You’re seriously earning cred as a baby whisperer,” Keane told him as he carried out two clear plastic bins filled with holiday decor. “Good to know.”
“Why?” Wyatt arched a brow. “You and Marella thinking about having a baby?”
Keane shrugged. “Maybe.” He disappeared back into the storage room for more decorations. Wyatt was tempted to observe that they tended to overdo it with the holiday cheer, but he didn’t believe that was a thing. “We’ll have a whole houseful of them if Pippy has anything to say about it.”
The mention of Marella’s grandmother had Wyatt’s heart squeezing in its usual reminder of grief. He missed his grandmother—and his grandfather—every day. His mother’s parents had given him a home when his mother passed and his father had been incapable of dealing with a grieving teenager. Not only a home, but a family. A life. Everything turned around the moment he stepped foot in Nalani.
Losing them two years ago within months of each other had felt like a double kick from life, but he’d witnessed their love. After more than fifty years of marriage, they hadn’t been meant to be here without one another. Tethered, his grandmother had told him frequently. In the best kind of way.
Speaking of tethered...
“I bet all these thoughts of babies is your doing, little guy,” Wyatt murmured to Kai. “Once upon a time your uncle Keane couldn’t even imagine having a family. Now?” Now Wyatt had the strong suspicion Keane and his wife would be filling up those empty bedrooms in their new home in short time. “I’m betting you will end up with lots of little cousins running around.”
Sydney hung up, looking a bit dazed.
“What’s wrong?” Wyatt asked as Keane stuck his head out of the supply room.
“That was Mano,” Sydney said slowly. “Something’s going on with our sponsorship for the Surfing Santa Charity Championship.” She went to her desk to gather up her belongings.
“Something?” Wyatt asked as Kai squirmed in his arms.
“Don’t know.” Sydney frowned, looking toward the locker room. “Aimita Haoa called Tehani earlier. But Tehani would have told us if something was wrong. Especially with the event so close. Wouldn’t she?”
Unless Tehani hadn’t answered the phone. Wyatt kept his focus on Kai. He knew Tehani’s method of dealing with emotionally fraught subjects was to avoid them as long as possible. He had no doubt even thinking about the charity event she and Remy had always attended together brought up a whole bunch of feelings she didn’t want to cope with.
Perhaps that’s what he’d been picking up on with her earlier.
“We need to get some more information. I’m going to head over to the Hibiscus Bay and get into it with Mano. You okay to close up the office?” she asked Keane.
“No problem,” Keane confirmed. “I’m done with surfing lessons for the day, so my schedule’s clear. We’re going to get going on the decorating. We don’t want to let the rest of Nalani beat us to it.”
“Great.” Sydney looked relieved. “That’d be great, thanks. And you’re good with—” She gestured to Kai.
“Perfectly.” Wyatt looked at the baby in his arms. “His carrier’s right over there and we’ve got a dinner planned of sushi for me and formula for him.” He kept a supply of Tehani’s preferred formula at his place for when she couldn’t feed him herself. “He can supervise us putting up the Christmas lights. Don’t worry,” he added at her hesitation. “You go figure out what’s going on with the Surfing Santas. We’ll have ourselves a guys’ night, right, Kai?”
Kai blew a big spit bubble in his sleep.
“Looks like a yes to me,” Keane said.
“I wonder what’s going on,” Wyatt mused after Sydney took off and he set Kai into his cushioned carrier. “That event’s been Kona’s biggest fundraiser for years.”
“Mano and Sydney will get to the bottom of it,” Keane said as he popped open the top bin and pulled out yet another tangled string of lights. Tehani’s brother had connections all over the islands. If he couldn’t get a straight answer from the charity, he was going to find one elsewhere. “Something tells me we might be here all night.”
Wyatt chuckled and grabbed his own handful of colorful strands. Given what other entanglements he found himself pondering these days, Christmas lights might just be the least of his worries.
