Her Hawaiian Homecoming

Dallas’s face hovered over hers, a smile in his eyes as he moved even closer. Allie thought for sure he’d kiss her right then, but he moved at the last minute, his lips missing hers by millimeters as he leaned into her ear.

“I’ll think about it,” he whispered, and she could feel his warm breath on her earlobe. It made her shiver. And not with murderous rage.

“Damn you, Dallas McCormick,” she ground out, and stomped on one of his booted feet. Her flimsy flip-flop did no good against the thick leather, and Dallas just threw his head back and laughed. She could hear the laughter following her almost all the way back to her the house. Her face burned in humiliation: he’d played her. She was thoroughly tired of being played by men. It wouldn’t happen again, she swore.

* * *

IF DALLAS MEANT to declare war, then, fine, two could play that game. Allie would just have to redouble her efforts to win over Kaimana, get that paper signed and sell her half. She’d love to see the look on Dallas McCormick’s face when she told him she’d sold her half to resort developers. See how he’d fare with just half his crop and no roasting barn.

The only problem was that, whenever Allie went to Kaimana’s house, she found the door locked, the blinds drawn.

Well, Allie wasn’t going to give up that easily. She made her plans even as she rinsed off in the kitchen sink with jugs of water bought from the local grocery store. She didn’t think she’d find herself wishing for an outdoor shower, but anything would be better than this.

One thing was for sure: she’d make Dallas pay.

She knew of only one person who could help her: Kai Brady. After finishing her hasty sponge bath, she got dressed and drove her rental into town.

She walked slowly down the main street of Kailua-Kona, with its brightly colored storefronts facing out to the ocean. Lines of green palm trees swayed against the blue sky nearby, and the sidewalk looked pristine, bathed in bright Hawaiian sunshine. Hula Coffee sat sandwiched between a salon and a little sushi restaurant. Painted a bright baby blue with white trim, the shop boasted an old-fashioned wooden sign carved into the shape of a Hula dancer, a Hawaiian woman wearing a white-flowered lei and green grass skirt, a halo of white flowers in her jet-black, waist-length hair. The small coffee shop was bustling even at two in the afternoon, the window-seat benches filled with people of all stripes. A handsome guy in his midtwenties, wearing board shorts and a tank top, opened the door, holding it for her.

“After you,” he said, taking in her sundress, his eyes lingering on her legs. She ignored him. She didn’t need complications right now. She saw Kai talking to his sister, Jesse, at the register and waved.

“Allie!” He motioned her over. “Come in. Say hi to...”

He hadn’t even got out Jesse’s name before the tanned, petite brunette had launched herself over the counter and clobbered Allie in a huge hug. “Why are you never on Facebook?” she scolded. “Seriously—we need to catch up! It’s been a thousand years!”

Allie had forgotten about Jesse’s bubbling enthusiasm for everything. She and Kai had the same mom and different dads, but they both had their Irish mother’s warm, hazel-colored eyes. She was two years younger than Allie and Kai, and what Allie remembered was a fierce little girl who wanted to climb every tree they did.

“This is a great place,” Allie said, meaning it as she looked around at the warm koa-wood tables and the easy conversation happening across the various nooks in the small but surprisingly open shop. Pastries of every kind called invitingly from behind a glass counter, and the air smelled like coffee and vanilla.

“Thanks,” Kai said, standing a little straighter, clearly taking pride in his establishment. “I never imagined having a life other than surfing, but my finance guy said it’s good to diversify.”

“That’s only because surfing is probably going to kill you,” Jesse scolded. “This guy liked to surf the big waves. Like seventy feet!”

“Seventy...?” Allie’s mouth dropped open in shock. Kai had always been fearless, even as a toddler, but somehow she couldn’t quite imagine his muscled body handling such serious surf.

“That was on a slow day,” Kai said, half teasing, half not. He pointed to the espresso machine. “Care for a cappuccino? On the house.”

“Well, I...” Allie hesitated for a split second, but before she could even properly answer, Jesse had bounced over to get started.

“You don’t want him making one. He doesn’t know how,” Jesse explained.

“I do so!”

“You’re only here a couple days a week,” Jesse teased, as they bickered warmly like the siblings she remembered. “During the slow times. Ask him where he is in the morning, during rush time?”

“Hey! I surf mornings!” Kai protested. “Got to keep giving those young kids a run for their money on the circuit. I just come in here to supervise, make sure you’re not sleeping on the job.”

Jesse snapped a dishrag at him, and Kai just laughed. In a few moments, she handed Allie a lush cappuccino.

“This is the second time this week someone put coffee in my hands.” Allie inhaled the rich aroma and then took a sip. It was the richest, most delicious thing she’d ever tasted. Nothing bitter about it, just dense, lush goodness.

“This is amazing,” Allie said, dumbstruck that she actually liked coffee without a sugary shot of vanilla or caramel.

Kai grinned, ear to ear. “Made from one hundred percent Kona Estate coffee.”

“My grandmother’s coffee?”

Kai nodded.

“Wow, this stuff is really good.” Allie took another sip, relishing it.

“The best Kona on Hawai’i,” Jesse said.

“Your grandmother’s coffee made this place,” Kai seconded.

Allie felt a shudder of guilt as she glanced around at all the happy patrons in Kai’s shop. They all seemed to like the coffee so much, and she could understand why. It was delicious, like none she’d ever tasted. But she had no intention of growing coffee, at least, not with her share. What would happen to Kai’s shop, to these patrons drinking her coffee, if they sold the land? Developed it for condos?

Not your problem, Allie thought. Your problem is Dallas McCormick and that smug smile he wears on his face.

“You said someone else gave you coffee?” Kai asked. “Where did you get it? Please don’t tell me it was you-know-what down the street. Please don’t!”

“Kai won’t even say their name, it’s that personal,” Jesse said.

“Don’t get me started on why,” he said. “Big corporate lattes! Wouldn’t know good coffee if it bit them in the...”

“Oh, no, don’t worry,” Allie said. “I haven’t been to any competitors. Your aunt gave me coffee grounds, actually.”

Kai immediately relaxed. “You saw Auntie K? She’s always had a soft spot for you. Did she make you a lei?”

“Uh, yes, actually. Gorgeous.” Allie cleared her throat. “I wanted to talk to you about her, actually. Grandma Misu wanted me to talk to her about the estate if I was going to sell, so...”

“She did?”

“Yeah, and I didn’t have much luck. She, uh...she...pretended not to know English.”

Kai and Jesse exchanged a meaningful glance. “That wasn’t very nice. Let me go talk to her,” Kai pronounced, like a big brother ready to go to bat for a little sister.

“No, that’s okay. I mean, I know she probably didn’t want to talk to me about selling Grandma Misu’s land, so I get it. But now she won’t answer the door, and...”

“That’s none of her business whether you sell or not,” Kai muttered. “That’s your choice, not hers. You should be able to sell if that’s what you want to do.”

Jesse didn’t say a word. Allie could tell she didn’t approve of selling, but she was grateful Kai didn’t judge her. “I just feel kind of stupid. I fell for it. I really thought she didn’t know English.”

“Aw, she does that to everyone,” Kai said. “Hell, the postal carrier didn’t know for years, and I don’t think the tax assessor still does.”

They all laughed, and Allie felt an easy kinship between them that she hadn’t felt in...years. She liked Jesse and Kai a lot. They felt like long-lost family.

“Hey, want to come to dinner tomorrow? We could help you talk to Aunt Kaimana. Maybe get this all sorted out.”