I'm Kona Love You Forever (Islands of Aloha Mystery Series Book 6) by JoAnn Bassett Read Free Book Online

you want to go to the room?” Hatch said in a menacing voice.
    At the word “ room” Wahine jumped down and froze. Obviously, exile was something she didn’t want any part of. She looked up at me with worried brown eyes.
    “It’s okay,” I said. “I won’t let him do it.”
    I asked Hatch if he could come to dinner tomorrow.
    “Is the zombie going to be there?”
    “You mean, Kaili? No. It’ll be you, me, Farrah and Ono. It’s at my house, but Farrah’s bringing the food.”
    “Whew, dodged a bullet there,” he said.
    “I hope you’re referring to Kaili not joining us and not something else.”
    “Yeah, for sure.” He pulled me in close and kissed the top of my head. “You’re an amazing woman, Pali. You run your own business and you gave up a huge inheritance to make your brothers and sisters financially secure. Not to mention you could kick my butt without breaking a sweat. But let’s face it, for all the things you can do, you can’t do Iron Chef .”
    “Hey, I know it. I t’d be a stretch for me to even do ‘aluminum foil chef’,” I said. “That’s why I’m glad you’re learning to cook at the fire house.”
    “ Well, don’t get too excited. So far, my repertoire only includes the smoke eaters’ holy trinity: spaghetti, chili and mac and cheese.”
    “Tha t’s three more dishes than I can whip up,” I said.
    “Speaking of food,” Hatch said. “I’m hungry. How about I pull out some cheese and crackers and you get us a bottle wine from my stash? Pick something that goes with brie.”
    Okay, the verdict was in. Nobody was willing to eat my cooking, but I was gaining something of a reputation as a sommelier. Fine with me. After all, fruit’s always been my favorite food group.

    CHAPTER 8
     
    When Kaili showed up the next morning she’d toned down the scary a few notches. She still had green hair, but she’d combed it straight back into a chubby ponytail at the nape of her neck. And she wore a wide black stretchy headband to keep the strays at bay. She’d lightened up on the Goth make-up a bit, too. Her face was still Casper-the-Ghost white, but the thick black eyeliner had been replaced by what modern brides refer to as “smoky eye,” and I could make out a thin sheen of gloss on her lips instead of the black tar-like substance she’d coated them with the day before.
    “Hi,” she said in a sprightly voice. “What do you think?” She twirled around like a bride showing off a six-foot lace train.
    “You look good.” I refused to say, “great” because she still had quite a ways to go.
    “ Aunt Lani gave me some lip gloss.” She smacked her lips and made a “mmm-wah”’ sound.
    “Very good. The gloss makes your teeth look really white.” I was used to “finding the good” when dealing with brides who were, shall we say, “appearance-challenged.” An annoying spray of acne across the cheeks, a too-wide waistline due to a failed diet, or a so-called “lazy eye” that wouldn’t properly line up in the socket were artfully ignored as I commented on a girl’s lovely smile, glossy hair, or perfect manicure.
    “What’ll we be doing today?” Kaili said.
    “I’ve got a few things to clear up here in the shop and then we’re off to work with vendors. I think you’ll like it.”
    “Sounds great,” she said. Even her attitude seemed to have lightened up.
    We puttered around the shop until noon. I had her inventory a small box of sample bridesmaid gifts that had come in, and then the two of us tackled a more or less deep cleaning of the front of the shop—floors, wall smudges, and Windexing the glass cases inside and out.
    At lunchtime I ran next door to get quick sandwiches at the Gadda. We ate quickly and then went out to my car to make our rounds to the vendors. At each stop, the vendors hugged me and chatted about personal stuff—inquiring after my brother, Steve, Farrah, and Hatch before ever mentioning a word about business. In about an hour and a