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There was no way this guy was anywhere near seventeen. If I had to guess, I’d say he was pushing thirty.
If this guy was her boyfriend, Alani was way out of his league. He was dark, but in a smarmy way, and had a greasy air about him. One look at him, and I could already tell he was trouble, and had no business being
around someone fresh and wholesome like Alani.
I gnawed my lip as I worried about what Cade’s reaction would be. Who was I kidding, I knew Cade’s reaction; he’d kill the greasy bastard.
“Call me later,” I heard the man say, and turned just as Alani’s face fell.
As I scurried across the sidewalk to the bakery, I wondered what the hell kind of hold that much older man had over our sweet Alani, and what in the hell a sweet high school girl like her, would be doing with an obvious thug like him.
I schooled my features as the bell dinged above the bakery door and I took in my surroundings.
Pretty, cotton candy pink and white décor, a case full of delicious baked goods, and smells that would make angels sing. I smiled, even as my heart clenched at how much I was missing Amy May and her bakery back home.
“Aloha,” the beautiful dark-haired woman said as she walked out from the back, a welcoming smile on her face.
“Hi,” I replied with a smile to match.
I walked closer to the case and looked inside at the display of cupcakes. When I let out a loud sigh of happiness, the woman laughed and said, “What can I get for you today?”
Just then, the bell dinged again, and I turned to see Alani walk in, her face once again sunny and clear.
“Aloha, Kaulana,” she said in greeting.
“Aloha, Ni Ni, how is school going?”
Alani rolled her eyes and replied, “As boring as ever.”
Kaulana clucked her tongue and said, “It’s necessary, and you are almost through. At least, until you start college in the fall.”
“How much longer are you in school?” I asked, realizing no one had ever mentioned it, but since my kids were already on summer vacation, I figured she must be almost out as well.
“Next week are our final exams, then we have senior skip days. Graduation is in a week and a half. I can’t wait!” Alani exclaimed, then wrinkled her nose and looked back at Kaulana. “I’m not so sure I want to go to college though. I’m so tired of school.”
Kaulana looked surprised. “I doubt your parents will be happy to hear you say that.”
Alani frowned, then shrugged and walked over to stand next to me by the case.
“Lila here is a cupcake lover. She’s the one I brought your pineapple coconut to, so she wanted to come by and get some more.”
Kaulana gave me a look, acknowledging Alani’s change of subject, so I smiled and nodded, trying to convey that I would pass along the things that we’d just learned to Alani’s family. Not that I wanted to be a narc, but Alani was obviously at some sort of crossroads, and it didn’t look like she was making the right choices.
“Which one would you like?”
“Actually,” I said, my eyes roaming over the various delicious choices, “I’ll take a dozen assorted. You pick.”
My head spun back and forth as I tried to take everything in and not miss any of the cool stuff people were selling.
Alani had brought me to an open-air market, with rows and rows of tables lined up with goods for sale. There were necklaces, pretty summer dresses, and tons of handcrafted items that would make great souvenirs.
My belly was full with a banana cream cupcake, and I was shopping outside in the beautiful Hawaiian weather. I was one happy lady.
The only thing hindering my happy buzz was the memory of everything that had transpired with Alani. I hated to tattle on her, I was trying to build a relationship with her after all, but I couldn’t ignore what had happened, and the things she’d said. Especially knowing how upset Cade and his parents would be if I kept it from them. Plus, if it was Elin or Elena, I’d want to be told.
It may not make me cool in Alani’s book, but that was a risk I was willing to take.
All of that would come later though. For now, we were enjoying the lovely afternoon together.
