Faye could hardly sleep. Finally, things were moving in the right direction. In the morning, she felt vibrant in spite of her lack of sleep, and she hummed as she measured flour into a bowl and added macadamia nuts to the waffle mixture. She cleaned and diced papaya, strawberries, and pineapple for fruit smoothies.
In her perfect kitchen she felt in control. The smooth granite counters and floor, the European-style cabinets with their sleek lines, and the stainless appliances made her feel like a veritable Rachel Ray from TV. If Kaia and Jesse saw her here, they’d know she could handle any problem.
The clock on the mantel chimed eight times. Kaia and Heidi should be here any minute. Curtis would be so proud of her. She knew exactly how to handle this and just what she was going to say. Curtis said to be subtle. She’d show him just how good she was at that.
The doorbell rang and she jumped. She glanced at herself in the hall mirror as she rushed to the door. Her face was flushed, and there was a smudge of flour on her nose. She brushed it away and flung open the door. Her smile faded as she saw only Jesse and Heidi.
“Kaia isn’t with you?” She stepped aside for them to enter.
Jesse guided Heidi inside. Her expression was mutinous. “She twisted her ankle last night, and I made her go home to bed. She said to tell you she’d come for breakfast in a couple of days. She’ll call you.”
Faye’s lips trembled, and she pressed them together. She couldn’t let Jesse see how disappointed she was. He’d wonder why it mattered so much. “I have breakfast ready. Macadamia-nut waffles with strawberry syrup.”
“Sounds great. I need to get back to the base, but I think I can force down a waffle or two.” He smiled and followed her to the kitchen. Heidi trailed behind them.
Faye brought him a plate of food. “We can eat in the dining room.”
“Oh, this is fine,” he said. He took the plate and sat at the bar stool at the counter.
Oh dear, none of this was going the way she’d planned. She bit her lip and gave Heidi her breakfast. “I’d thought to take Heidi snorkeling today, but she looks like she could use a nap.” The little girl propped her head on one hand and picked at her food.
Jesse mouthed, “She misses her mom.” He began to wolf down his food. “Wow, this is good. It’s been forever since I had a breakfast like this.”
Faye smiled and sat beside him. She picked daintily at her own breakfast, her appetite gone as quickly as her plans.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Jesse shoved his plate away. “Let me tuck her into bed; then I need to talk to you for a minute.”
He sounded serious. Faye caught her breath and prayed he hadn’t discovered her secret. She showed Jesse to the guest bedroom. He kissed Heidi then slipped her sandals off. Her eyes closed before Jesse and Faye had exited the room.
Faye ushered Jesse to the living room. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he had to say. Her gaze swept the room. It was in perfect order, unlike her life.
He perched on the edge of the sofa. Folding his big hands in front of him, he cleared his throat. “I need a favor.”
Relief as sweet as pineapple swept through her. “Is that all? I thought the fate of the world hung in the balance from the way you looked. You know I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
He nodded. “You’ve been great. I don’t know what Heidi and I would have done without you. I’m not sure why you’re being so good to us, but I appreciate it.”
Faye couldn’t look him in the eye. If he only knew. She resolved to try to get to know Heidi for her own sake. It was wrong to be using the child. And caring for a rambunctious eight-year-old hadn’t been easy.
She pleated her skirt and looked at the carpet. “What can I do to help?”
“I’m going to need to start going out on the boat with Kaia. She was injured last night on duty, and I want to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Faye put her hand to her throat. “What happened?”
Jesse told her about Kaia’s sprained ankle. Faye wished she could go check on the younger woman, but they were merely casual acquaintances. It would look odd.
“I see. And how do I come in?”
“Could you let Heidi sleep here? I’ll come get her after work so you can have the evening with your husband. Then I’ll bring her back and put her down to bed.”
For a moment, Faye was taken aback at his temerity in asking such a consuming “favor.” This would disrupt her whole life, not just the day. She was tempted to say no. But Kaia would hear of it and think her selfish. She bit her lip.
Jesse’s coaxing smile faded. “I know it’s a lot to ask. I’ll see if I can find someone to stay at my place with her at night. It’s too much for you.”
“No, no, I was just surprised.” Faye swallowed her irritation. “For how long?”
“Two weeks. Just until the missile tests are over. Less than that if we can nail who’s breaching security.”
She resisted the inclination to sigh. “I’ll do it.”
Jesse’s blue eyes clouded. “On second thought, this isn’t a good idea. If you could do this for a few days, I’ll find someone to stay at the house. Let me see what I can do.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I like Heidi.” She managed a smile. Why on earth was she trying to talk him out of it now? It was going to put a major crimp in her life. She’d basically have the keiki 24-7 with the exception of a few hours in the evening. Curtis might have a fit. On second thought, he probably wouldn’t mind.
This could work to their advantage.
BANE HAD CLEANED THE HOUSE BEFORE KAIA GOT UP THIS morning, and she wished Jesse could see it now. From her view, she could see clear to Ni`ihau. The breeze had died down, and the sea rolled smoothly in to shore in mesmerizing waves of blue. The crutches had been more a hindrance than a help, and she’d left them in her house. Kaia hopped down the stone steps to her grandfather’s. Clinging to the iron rail, she made her way to the bottom. The pain in her ankle was much less than she’d expected. Though the joint was still purple, it was more stiff than painful.
A curl of smoke rose from her grandfather’s front yard. The aroma of another roasting pig floated to her nose, and her mouth watered. When was the last time she’d eaten? She thought back. Probably about this time yesterday. No wonder she was famished. Tûtû kâne would be more than happy to feed her.
Bane and Mano were raking the yard and putting out chairs for tonight’s lu’au. “Hi, guys. What are you doing off work this morning?” she asked Mano.
“I’m not. I just don’t have to report for duty until noon.” Propping the rake against the house, Mano put his hands on his hips. “What did you do this time?”
“Fell out of a tree.” Kaia’s gaze lingered on Mano’s face. She wondered if Nahele had called her brother and warned him what to expect. But no, she couldn’t believe her brother would have anything to do with something that might put her in danger.
“Figures. When will you learn to be more careful?” Bane scolded. He grabbed a chair and pushed it toward her. “Sit down.”
“I’m fine. It’s just stiff.” She wished she could confide in her older brother, but she didn’t dare. Not this time. Bane would go marching off to see Nahele in high indignation, and he might blame Mano as well. And anything she said to Mano might get back to Pele Hawai´i. If she wanted information from Mano, she needed to shut up and wait until they were alone.
Was there a flicker of guilt in Mano’s face? Maybe not, she decided. It could be fatigue. Dirt smeared one cheek and the side of his neck. Tûtû kâne had worked the guys hard today.
“How’s the training going?” Bane asked.
“Slow.”
“It would be a lot easier if you just used a food reward.”
Kaia shook her head. “Then it would be just training, not really her learning on her own volition. I don’t want there to be any doubt about her intelligence when the study is done. It’s harder and it takes longer, but it will be something worth working for.” If Curtis would only give her the chance to prove it.
“You think you’re going to get shut down?” Bane’s gaze lingered on her face.
She sighed. “Curtis is more interested in amusement parks than scientific research. So it’s a possibility. But he hasn’t cut me out yet.”
“You’ll get there.” He patted her shoulder.
She laid her hand over his then looked toward the cottage. “Where’s Tûtû kâne?”
“I’m right here.” Her grandfather stepped through the front door and came toward her with a welcoming smile on his face. His gaze went to her bandaged foot. “Klutzy as usual, I see.” He handed each of his grandsons a glass of soda.
“It was either fall or get eaten by a cane spider.” She shuddered at the thought. She’d had nightmares about that one.
Bane whistled. “No wonder you let go of the tree limb. But you never said what you were doing in the tree in the first place.”
“Climbing it, what else?” She poked Bane in the ribs.
He was like Nani with her ball. The only way she’d get him to leave it alone would be to find him something else. “You have to report back to work in two weeks, don’t you?”
Bane grimaced. “Don’t remind me. I’ve been enjoying my leave.”
“Will you still be on the Big island?”
He nodded. “No sign of new orders.”
“How’s it going with your navy work?” her grandfather asked her.
“Okay. But I haven’t quite caught on to sleeping during the day yet.”
“How much longer do you have to do this?” Mano asked. “I hate that you’re helping them.” He took a swig of his soda.
“Get over it,” Bane said sharply. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, Mano. You didn’t use to be so militant. And you’re navy yourself.”
“Just until I can get out.” Mano took another swig.
Kaia watched the muscles move in his broad back. How could she get him alone to question him about Nahele?
Bane turned his gaze to her. “Did you see the paper this morning?”
“No. Something interesting in there for a change?”
He nodded and went to fetch it for her from the porch. “Look here,” he said, pointing to a front-page article.
She scanned it, and her heart fell. “Oh great. Another lab says they’re close to having a breakthrough in dolphin communication.” She tossed the paper aside. “And here I’m stuck with this navy detail when I could be working more with Nani and the others.”
“You think the paper is right?”
“There are a lot of groups working on the same thing.” She tried to treat it lightly, but in truth, it looked like all her dreams might come crashing down. She glanced at Mano. “Would you mind running me over to the base to get my truck?”
“Sure. No problem.” Mano drained his glass. His eyes grew wide, and he threw the glass across the yard.
“A scorpion in the glass.”
Kaia shuddered. Scorpions were even worse than spiders, if that were possible.
“Was it still alive?” Bane walked to the glass and scooped it up. He began to grin. “This your big, bad scorpion?” He dug into the glass and came out holding a hideous-looking specimen.
“Don’t touch it!” Kaia said.
When her grandfather began to chuckle, she knew they’d all been had. “Tûtû kâne, is that rubber?” she scolded.
He laughed, a delighted sound that made him sound sixty years younger.
Mano flushed, then he began to laugh too. “You’d think I’d learn after all this time.”
“Life is meant for laughter,” Tûtû kâne said. “Not for dwelling on gloomy things.”
“What enjoyment do you get out of making us look like fools?” Bane asked. The amusement on his face softened his question.
Their grandfather shrugged. “A cheerful heart is good medicine,” he said, quoting Proverbs 17.
“If that’s the case, you’re never going to die,” Mano quipped.
They all laughed, and Kaia felt her spirits lifting. Her grandfather had always been able to do that to her. In the dark days after her mother left, he’d kept a cheerful banter going that soon made her forget her abandonment. Or at least she’d tried to.
Oke smiled at her. “How about I fix us all lunch tomorrow after you get off work and have a rest.”
“Sounds great.”
“There is something I want to talk to you about,” her grandfather said. “But it can wait until tomorrow.”
“What is it?”
He waved his hand. “No matter. We can discuss it tomorrow. I want all three of you to be here.”
She frowned. Tûtû kâne didn’t often call a family meeting. “I guess I have to wait then.”
“You are always so impatient, lei aloha. It will keep.”
She wasn’t going to get anything out of him today. He was still smiling inanely over the rubber scorpion.
She ducked inside and brushed her teeth with a spare brush she kept at her grandfather’s. She checked in the mirror for any spots she’d missed then put her toothbrush away and hobbled outside.
Mano’s truck was back from the garage, and he brought it around from the back. Shiny black, the big Dodge Ram truck was his pride and joy. She settled onto the plush seat and rolled down the window. The trade winds lifted the hair on the nape of her neck, and she breathed in the scent of plumeria. Her stomach rumbled.
“I heard that,” Mano said. “Let’s stop and get something to eat. I’ll run through Pacific Pizza and we can share. I’m hungry too.”
“Perfect.” She rubbed her ankle while she considered how to bring up the subject of Nahele.
“You’ve got something on your mind. I can see the wheels turning.” Mano pulled onto Highway 50.
“I was wondering if you’d seen Nahele lately.”
Mano’s eyebrows winged up, and he swerved across the center line. Mano gave a shamefaced grin. “Sorry. That would be more like something you’d do.”
“Hey, I’m not that bad a driver.” Was he trying to avoid her question? Her spirits sank.
He gave her a sidelong glance. “Nahele had me come by yesterday. Why?”
Rats. She had hoped Mano was completely out of it. “Do you mind telling me what he wanted?”
“It had to do with business stuff.” He shifted in his seat.
“This is important, Mano. I wouldn’t ask otherwise.”
“It’s nothing to do with you, Kaia,” he said.
“He was just outside naval property yesterday. And one of his goons manhandled me last night.”
Mano’s fingers tightened on the wheel. “Manhandled you?” He stopped at Pacific Pizza and killed the engine. “I think it’s about time you told me what really happened to your ankle.”
Kaia hadn’t seen him look so grim in a long time. Maybe never. Mano had always been her easy-going brother. The intensity he’d shown over this Pele Hawai´i thing had surprised her.
She sighed. “I think Nahele is trying to sabotage the missile tests.” Mano rolled his eyes. “Mano, if Pele Hawai´i had anything to do with Laban’s death—”
Mano shook his head. “You’re wrong.”
She told him what had happened the night before. His eyes grew flinty when she showed him the bruises on her arm where Kim had grabbed her and dragged her toward the boat.
“I’ll take care of it, Kaia. You stay out of it. I think you should quit working with the navy on this.”
“I wish I could. I just want to get back to my research. But my boss has ordered me to do this project. I need to finish it out and get back to Seaworthy Labs. This piecemeal research isn’t getting me the answers I need.”
“I don’t want you hurt.”
There was more he wasn’t saying. She squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn’t have to see the determination in her brother’s face. He was involved in this somehow.