Read Online I'm Kona Love You Forever (Islands of Aloha Mystery Series Book 6) by JoAnn Bassett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: JoAnn Bassett
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in sky blue paper.
“ Mahalo ,” I said.
“Wait, I know that one. It’s on the trash cans at McDonald’s. It means ‘thank you,’ right? ”
“That’s right.”
I peeled the wrapping away. Inside was a piece of stained glass about six-inches square. It was a symmetrical pattern of sea-glass colors framed in koa wood.
“It’s called a ‘sun catcher’,” said Kaili. “See how the blues and greens look like the ocean? Auntie Lani said it’s a pattern from some famous guy who did stained glass. I can’t remember his name.”
“Frank Lloyd Wright,” I said. “He designed the windows at the King Kamehameha Golf Club in Wailuku.”
“Yeah, I think that’s the guy.”
“This is really pretty,” I said. “ Mahalo .”
“Is there a Hawaiian word for ‘you’re welcome’?”
“You know, I don’t know a good Hawaiian word for ‘you’re welcome.’ In my ‘ohana when somebody gives you a gift you give them a hug. I figure that’s pretty much how you say ‘you’re welcome’.”
I put out my arms and we hugged.
“Okay, enough kumbaya ,” I said. “We’ve got to get to work. I’m going out of town and I need to leave work a little early today.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m heading over to the Big Island for a relaxing weekend and to track down a birth certificate for one of my brides.”
“She doesn’t have one?”
“I’m sure she does, but there was a mix-up when she was adopted.”
“She was adopted?”
“Yeah.” I thought about telling Kaili about how Hawaiian hanai adoption worked but decided to let it go. I figured it’d be better to just stick to things she could use.
I spent the morning catching up on my bookkeeping and I had Kaili clean up the back room. By lunchtime the entire shop gleamed and I could actually see the wood on the top of my desk.
“I don’t think this place has looked this good since the fire,” I said.
“Fire?”
As we walked to Café des Amis for lunch, I told her the story of how a disgruntled customer had set fire to my shop.
“Wow,” she said. “That’s crazy. My mom says Maui’s boring—nothing ever happens. So even though Auntie Lani and Uncle Doug live here my mom wanted to live in Honolulu.”
“It’s true we don’t have big city life, but believe me, plenty of stuff happens.”
***
On the way back from lunch I steered Kaili into the Gadda da Vida.
“Farrah, I’d like you to meet Kaili, Sifu Doug’s niece. She’s been helping me out in the shop this week.”
Farrah came around from behind the counter and enveloped Kaili in a hug. “That’s so far out. Your uncle’s such a righteous dude. And, well, this girl here’s my b/b/f/f. That stands for bestest best friend forever. So, I guess that makes you a friend of my bestest best friend forever. How would that go? Like f/o/m/b/b/f/f?”
Kaili glanced over at me and smiled. A couple of days earlier she probably would’ve thought Farrah was messing with her, but now she knew better.
“ That’s great,” said Kaili. Her tone was a tad condescending, but I figured she was just practicing her “fake it ‘til you make it” and I didn’t take offense. Farrah’s gushing was pretty over-the-top.
“Yeah,” I said. “W hy don’t you go in the back and get us each a Popsicle? If there’s a pineapple one, I dibs it.”
“No problem,” Kaili said. “I don’t like pineapple.”
Once Kaili was out of earshot, Farrah said, “What kind of wahine doesn’t like pineapple?”
“The kind that wishes she was back home in Los Angeles,” I said. I quietly explained how Sifu Doug had sort of foisted Kaili off on me.
That afternoon I told Kaili we’d be knocking off early. “I’ve got to pack for my trip.”
“Do you think my mom w ould let me get a tattoo?” Kaili said. “Most girls my age have at least one tattoo.”
“Why don’t you save up your money to get one in an inconspicuous place?” I said. “It’s probably best to start small since
“ Mahalo ,” I said.
“Wait, I know that one. It’s on the trash cans at McDonald’s. It means ‘thank you,’ right? ”
“That’s right.”
I peeled the wrapping away. Inside was a piece of stained glass about six-inches square. It was a symmetrical pattern of sea-glass colors framed in koa wood.
“It’s called a ‘sun catcher’,” said Kaili. “See how the blues and greens look like the ocean? Auntie Lani said it’s a pattern from some famous guy who did stained glass. I can’t remember his name.”
“Frank Lloyd Wright,” I said. “He designed the windows at the King Kamehameha Golf Club in Wailuku.”
“Yeah, I think that’s the guy.”
“This is really pretty,” I said. “ Mahalo .”
“Is there a Hawaiian word for ‘you’re welcome’?”
“You know, I don’t know a good Hawaiian word for ‘you’re welcome.’ In my ‘ohana when somebody gives you a gift you give them a hug. I figure that’s pretty much how you say ‘you’re welcome’.”
I put out my arms and we hugged.
“Okay, enough kumbaya ,” I said. “We’ve got to get to work. I’m going out of town and I need to leave work a little early today.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m heading over to the Big Island for a relaxing weekend and to track down a birth certificate for one of my brides.”
“She doesn’t have one?”
“I’m sure she does, but there was a mix-up when she was adopted.”
“She was adopted?”
“Yeah.” I thought about telling Kaili about how Hawaiian hanai adoption worked but decided to let it go. I figured it’d be better to just stick to things she could use.
I spent the morning catching up on my bookkeeping and I had Kaili clean up the back room. By lunchtime the entire shop gleamed and I could actually see the wood on the top of my desk.
“I don’t think this place has looked this good since the fire,” I said.
“Fire?”
As we walked to Café des Amis for lunch, I told her the story of how a disgruntled customer had set fire to my shop.
“Wow,” she said. “That’s crazy. My mom says Maui’s boring—nothing ever happens. So even though Auntie Lani and Uncle Doug live here my mom wanted to live in Honolulu.”
“It’s true we don’t have big city life, but believe me, plenty of stuff happens.”
***
On the way back from lunch I steered Kaili into the Gadda da Vida.
“Farrah, I’d like you to meet Kaili, Sifu Doug’s niece. She’s been helping me out in the shop this week.”
Farrah came around from behind the counter and enveloped Kaili in a hug. “That’s so far out. Your uncle’s such a righteous dude. And, well, this girl here’s my b/b/f/f. That stands for bestest best friend forever. So, I guess that makes you a friend of my bestest best friend forever. How would that go? Like f/o/m/b/b/f/f?”
Kaili glanced over at me and smiled. A couple of days earlier she probably would’ve thought Farrah was messing with her, but now she knew better.
“ That’s great,” said Kaili. Her tone was a tad condescending, but I figured she was just practicing her “fake it ‘til you make it” and I didn’t take offense. Farrah’s gushing was pretty over-the-top.
“Yeah,” I said. “W hy don’t you go in the back and get us each a Popsicle? If there’s a pineapple one, I dibs it.”
“No problem,” Kaili said. “I don’t like pineapple.”
Once Kaili was out of earshot, Farrah said, “What kind of wahine doesn’t like pineapple?”
“The kind that wishes she was back home in Los Angeles,” I said. I quietly explained how Sifu Doug had sort of foisted Kaili off on me.
That afternoon I told Kaili we’d be knocking off early. “I’ve got to pack for my trip.”
“Do you think my mom w ould let me get a tattoo?” Kaili said. “Most girls my age have at least one tattoo.”
“Why don’t you save up your money to get one in an inconspicuous place?” I said. “It’s probably best to start small since
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