AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Makai answered on the second ring. “Hey, Leilani, I can’t speak now. I’m in the middle of something for work.”
“Real quick, do you know where Alyssa is meeting her bridesmaids for their fittings?”
“No clue,” he responded. “Call her. I have to go.” He ended the call before Leilani could tell him that she had tried to call his fiancée, but she didn’t pick up.
“He didn’t know?” Angel asked.
Leilani shook her head, frowning.
“Can you call one of the other bridesmaids?” Angel asked.
“I’m not sure I have their numbers.” She pulled up her contacts list and scrolled through, looking for the maid of honor, Brooke Owens. Thankfully, she found her and called her number.
After the fourth ring, Leilani was about to give up when Brooke answered, “Hello. This is Brooke.”
“Brooke, it’s Leilani, Makai’s cousin.”
“Leilani, we were just talking about you, wondering where you were. We thought you said you were coming to the fitting.”
“I’m here now at the Bridal Boutique,” Leilani said.
“But that’s not where it is. We’re at my parent’s house. The boutique sent the dresses and their seamstress here for a more intimate setting. Since Alyssa sent out the original invitation, I thought she let everyone know the location had changed.”
“I didn’t get the message,” Leilani said, careful not to let her irritation come across in her tone.
“Hold on, I’ll text you the address. When you get to the gate, just hit the call button, and I’ll let the gate guard know to let you in. Don’t worry about being late. Alyssa is running behind as well. See you in a few.”
Brooke ended the call before Leilani could tell her that she was bringing Angel with her.” Her lips pressed together. Well, Angel would just have to be a surprise, and they’d have to be okay with that, or Leilani would go back to the resort, pop open a bottle of wine and not give a damn what the other bridesmaids thought.
She really would rather go back to the resort and drink wine anyway.
Then she thought about Makai and the fact that she was his only living relative. He’d wanted her to be in his wedding. Leilani suspected Alyssa had felt obligated to invite her to be one of her bridesmaids.
Her phone pinged with the incoming text from Brooke with the address of her parent’s home.
Leilani brought it up on her map.
“Is that the new location of the fitting?” Angel asked, pulling out of the parking lot.
Leilani nodded. “Everyone else got the message but me. But Brooke says it’s okay because the bride is running late anyway.” She shot an apologetic glance toward Angel. “I’m sorry you’re getting dragged around. I can think of a dozen other things I’d rather be doing. I can imagine you’re feeling the same.”
He smiled. “It’s okay. I’m in good company. I can’t complain.”
His words made her feel only slightly better. She still had to get through an evening with a gaggle of women who were Alyssa’s friends, not hers. Leilani was the odd man out—the obligatory family member.
She reminded herself she was doing this for her cousin. Squaring her shoulders, she was determined not to be the Debbie Downer of the party.
They drove another twenty minutes to a gated community in the hills, stopping at the gate where Angel gave Leilani’s name to the gate guard. The man checked his list, nodded and punched a button, raising the gate bar.
Angel drove through, following the GPS through winding streets and coming to a stop on a hill in front of a large stucco house with massive picture windows and views of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. He parked to the side of the house, next to a line of sports cars.
Angel got out of the car and came around to open Leilani’s door. “Does your cousin’s fiancée come from a wealthy family?”
Leilani shook her head. “Not at all. Though I think she attended a private school on scholarship because of her prowess at surfing. She’s won a few competitions in her class. Makai told me that she’s been scouted by some companies that want her to represent their brand of beachwear and surfing gear.”
“She’s that good?” Angel asked as they walked toward the front door.
“That’s how she and Makai met, at surfing competitions. They’re both highly competitive. Or at least, they were before the fires. They haven’t been to a competition since because they were waiting on special boards to replace the ones they lost.”
