Aloha

by Laurie Roma

  Kade had been her sounding board while she had been planning her project, so he already knew all about it. He had encouraged her to dream big when caution had made her hesitate, and his support meant the world to her.

  Kade: I’ll be there.

  Elle: I thought you were in Breakers!

  Kade: No.

  His response made her chuckle. The one-word response was so typical of him. Pleased that she would be seeing him soon, she put her phone away. When she looked up, she found Brennan and Zane staring at her.

  “What?” she asked defensively.

  Zane’s eyes narrowed. “You have a weird look on your face.”

  “This is my hungry face,” she said defensively.

  “Uh huh. Sure, it is.”

  “Sorry,” Griffin said as he walked back over to join them. “I had to confirm the change in the flight plan for the plane we booked to take me and my beautiful bride to Fiji the day after the wedding.”

  “I thought you were going to Europe,” she said.

  “We realized we’re going to need a lot more time in Europe since we keep adding destinations to our list. So, we’re postponing that trip until the fall, and going to Fiji now. This way, we won’t miss any of the important events coming up, especially your graduation. Then, we have the opening of the Palace Hotel, the summer festival, Hammer and Kali’s wedding, and Dare and Evie’s wedding. Everything is pretty spread out on the calendar, so it’s better if we just wait until we know we’ll have the time clear.”

  “More weddings. Don’t fucking remind me,” Brennan groaned, making everyone laugh.

  Once they finished their beers, they left Brennan’s house and made their way down the paved walkway that led through the woods toward their mom’s house. Darkness was slowly spreading across the sky, and the automatic lamps that lined the pathway turned on, illuminating their way.

  Since Jarvis was still young, Griffin kept him on leash to stop him from running off and getting lost. Thankfully, Oreo and Boss took pity on the puppy and slowed down so their little pack could sniff around and explore together.

  Zane bumped into Elle to get her attention, and they slowed their pace until they were behind the others. “I noticed you didn’t seem happy when Griffin mentioned your graduation. You worried about finals or something, geek girl?”

  That nickname annoyed her, but she didn’t complain about it, or he’d just use it more. Brothers. Zane was a pain in the ass most of the time, but his overt sense of humor and outgoing personality hid the fact that he was also one of the most perceptive people she knew.

  “No, it’s nothing like that. I just feel bad that Griffin and Vivienne had to change their plans. Fiji sounds amazing, but if they want to travel around Europe for their honeymoon, that’s what they should do.”

  “They’re going on both trips.” He frowned at her. “Quit lying. You suck at it, and hearing it irritates me. What’s really bothering you? Did you think Griffin was going to blow off your graduation? Because, there is no way in hell he’d miss it.”

  “It’s just that I…I’m not sure I want to do the whole cap and gown thing.”

  “Graduating college is a big fucking deal, Elle. You deserve to celebrate your achievement, which means doing all the ceremonial stuff that goes with it. We’re all looking forward to it, and we’re going to be obnoxiously loud when you walk across that stage to get your diploma.”

  “Is that supposed to motivate me? You guys just want an excuse to embarrass me in public.”

  “Honey, we don’t need an excuse to do that.”

  “That’s true enough.” She finally confessed, “I don’t actually feel like I’m part of this graduating class. I don’t really know anyone since I’m hardly ever on campus. It’s also taken me longer to finish than most students.”

  “Give yourself a break. You only take a few classes each semester, and that’s mostly because of security reasons. Not only are you the first one in our family to graduate with a college degree, you’re doing it with honors. We’re all very proud of you,” he added quietly.

  Touched, she leaned against him. “I guess I’ll order my cap and gown, then.”

  “That’s good…because it would hurt mom’s feelings if you skipped the ceremony.”

  “Damn, that was a low blow.” She kicked a rock off of the path. “Even if it is true.”

  He chuckled and slung his arm around her shoulders. “Have you chosen which graduate school you want to go to? No? Well, you don’t have to rush the decision. Take the summer off. Relax, take a vacation and enjoy yourself.”

  She made a noncommittal humming sound in response.

  After a long pause, he asked, “Anything else you want to tell me?”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Are you bringing a date to the wedding?”

  She shoved him away from her. “God, you sound like mom.”

  He let out a pained laugh. “Don’t even joke about that. If it were up to her, we’d all be settled down and giving her grandbabies. But…if you start dating someone, mom would focus on you next and leave me alone.”

  In retaliation, she said, “I hope the woman you end up marrying wants one of those big, elaborate weddings that takes over a year to plan.” She snickered and sidestepped when he reached for her. “That should give mom plenty of time to drive you crazy.”

  “You’re an evil brat,” he growled. “If I ever get married, we’ll be going straight to the courthouse.”

  Laughing, she held out her hand. “Bet.”

  Zane muttered a low curse, then shook on it.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “It’s about time the lot of you got here,” Siobhan Doyle called out to them as they walked toward her house. She may have left her homeland behind years ago, but her voice still carried a touch of a charming Irish lilt in it.

  She looked lovely standing outside of her greenhouse in a shimmering blue shirt and white linen pants, holding a small basket of cut flowers. Despite the gray streaks in her short brown hair, Elle thought her mom looked far too young to have four grown children.

  Delighted to see her, the dogs let out happy barks as they raced forward. Griffin bent down to unclip the leash so the puppy wouldn’t be left behind. Setting the basket on the ground, Siobhan petted each dog in turn, then hugged each of her children in the order of their birth.

  “Do you notice how we rate after the dogs?” Griffin teased his siblings.

  Zane snorted out a laugh. “At least we’re higher on the list than Elle.”

  She glared at them. “Funny.”

  “They try to be. You missed a fun call with Bliss, my darling girl.” Siobhan wrapped her arm around Elle’s waist. “The dress looks absolutely gorgeous.”

  “I can’t wait to see it this weekend. I had to go talk to the boys about, well, you know.”

  “Yes, I do.” Siobhan laughed. “Dana and I drove by the demo site earlier so we could see what you did for ourselves.”

  “I didn’t know you were there today, ma.”

  “Oh, we didn’t get out of the car. We just drove by and admired all the color.”

  Brennan muttered to himself as he lifted the basket of flowers and stomped toward the house while the rest of them trailed after him. The mouthwatering aroma of homemade chicken pot pie drifted through the air as soon as the door to the mud room was opened. The dogs raced inside, following the scent of food, while the humans paused to remove their shoes before entering the main house.

  Vivienne hurried over to Griffin, and he lifted her off her feet, kissing her as if they had been separated for months instead of a few, short hours. They seemed like opposites. Wearing a pretty dress the color of ripe apricots, she looked like she belonged at a classy garden party. In contrast, Griffin was dressed in an old USMC T-shirt that had seen better days and a pair of old jeans that were worn white at the knees.

  Despite all of his money, she had a sophistication and elegance he would never attain. Yet somehow, they were a pe
rfect match. They had been lucky enough to find true love, and their differences only seemed to make them stronger together.

  When Elle had first met Vivienne, she had been slightly in awe of her. The beautiful blonde had a posh accent that came from her years spent in an exclusive British boarding school, and she had a style and grace to be envied. In fact, Elle found herself being a little intimidated by Vivi and her best friends, Aria and Jolie Whitley.

  Vivi was a talented artist whose paintings were being sold through a local gallery, and Aria had built a veritable jewelry empire from the ground up. Then, there was Jolie, who was an actual genius in every sense of the word. Their amazing accomplishments would have made anyone feel lacking in comparison, but they never bragged about their exceptional skills. Their modesty just made it easier to admire them.

  Aria came over to greet them, while Jolie ignored everyone as she continued to work on her laptop in the small parlor off of the main living room. Since that wasn’t unusual behavior for her, no one was offended. The two sisters might have the same pale gray eyes, stunning beauty, and hair the color of rich chocolate, but their personalities couldn’t have been more different.

  When the dogs went on alert, Griffin glanced out the window. “What’s Kade doing here? I thought he was heading into Breakers with the guys tonight.”

  Elle wondered if she should try to act surprised so they wouldn’t know she had asked him to come for moral support, then simply said, “I guess he couldn’t pass up mom’s chicken pot pie.” When Brennan shot her a look, she stiffened defensively. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  Siobhan put the cut flowers into a crystal vase, placing it on the long table that had already been set. “I guess we need one more setting.”

  Elle headed into the kitchen. “I got it, mom.”

  “I’ll help,” Zane offered.

  After Griffin opened the door, Siobhan hurried over and hugged Kade in greeting just like she had her own children. Elle loved watching him interact with her mom, and she smiled as her gaze met his. Though she felt bad for interrupting his night out with his friends, her happiness at seeing him overrode any guilt she felt.

  “Did my pot pie lure you over?” Siobhan teased.

  Kade grinned as he handed her a bottle of wine. “Have enough for one more?”

  “You know I always make extra for my boys,” she assured him, patting his cheek affectionately. “We still have a little time before dinner is ready. Let’s drink some of this wine in the living room while we wait.”

  The wine was poured, and beer bottles were opened. While everyone headed into the living room with their drinks, Elle playfully bumped against Kade. Since he was so damn big and solid, she just bounced off of him. He frowned down at her and held onto her arm to steady her.

  “Thanks for coming tonight. Sorry if I messed up your plans for burgers and beer with the boys.”

  “You didn’t mess up anything.”

  Kade sat down next to her on one of the couches and took a long pull of his beer. Honestly, he couldn’t understand what she was thanking him for. If she wanted him there, that was exactly where he’d be. The beer and promise of a homecooked meal were just a tasty bonus.

  He didn’t bother telling her he had been halfway to Breakers when he’d gotten her text. He’d pulled over to exchange messages with her, then he had turned around and headed back to town. He’d stopped to pick up a bottle of wine on the way. It didn’t matter how well he knew Siobhan Doyle or that she always had a place for him at her table. Good manners wouldn’t allow him to show up for the dinner without bringing something for the hostess.

  While he’d waited in line to pay for the wine, he’d texted his friends to let them know his plans had changed. They would have said he was pussy whipped if they knew the hold Elle had on him, but he didn’t care. He’d rather be with her than anywhere else.

  It was as simple as that.

  After they all took their seats, Jarvis wiggled his way between Vivienne and Griffin on one of the plush sofas. Oreo settled down on the large dog bed in front of the fireplace that had been closed off for the season and filled with several candles on thick stands. On the other side of the room, Boss sprawled out in front of where Aria took a seat, making her lift her feet so he wouldn’t cover them with his substantial weight.

  “I don’t know why he always does that. I think Cooper trained him to do it on purpose to ruin my shoes,” Aria claimed, staring down at the dog. Boss met her frown with a lopsided grin and a happy wag of his tail.

  “You aren’t wearing shoes right now,” Vivienne pointed out. “Since you usually wear black slacks, you do seem to collect quite a bit of dog hair, though.”

  “Which is why I now carry a lint brush in my purse.” Aria shifted on the couch, trying to figure out where to put her feet down.

  “That sweet boy adores you,” Siobhan said with a smile. “You may talk a good game, but you like that three-legged fur baby.”

  “I guess I do.” Sighing, Aria gave in and propped her feet on the dog’s back like a furry ottoman. Boss gave the top of her foot an affectionate lick, then settled down for a nap.

  When Siobhan reached for the wedding binder that was on the coffee table, several groans filled the air. “We have less than two weeks left,” she reminded them. “There are still a lot of things we need to do.”

  Jolie closed her laptop and finally joined them in the living room. She thanked Griffin for the glass of wine he handed her, then took a seat before saying, “You already handed out assignments to each of us. We’ve also been discussing the wedding all day. I don’t see the need to go over everything again. It seems redundant.”

  Clearly not insulted by the blunt statement, Siobhan chuckled. “I have gone a little crazy about this wedding, haven’t I?”

  Even though that question didn’t require a response, Jolie answered her. “I wouldn’t call it crazy, but I would classify it as slightly obsessive.”

  “Jolie,” Aria admonished.

  Siobhan laughed. “Don’t worry. She’s just saying what everyone else is thinking.”

  “But we fear your wrath too much to say it out loud…” Zane muttered, then he winced when Elle shoved him. “Look. I can’t wait for Vivi to officially be part of our family even though I still think she’s too good for you, Griff.”

  “She is.”

  “I’m happy to help. Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it. I just don’t need to talk about it for hours. Especially not on an empty stomach,” Zane said. “No offense.”

  Vivienne smiled. “None taken. Siobhan, you’ve really been so wonderful. You’ve taken all the stress out of this process, even with our accelerated timetable. We wouldn’t have been able to pull any of this off without you.”

  “I just want to make sure your special day is perfect.”

  “I’m sure it will be.” Vivienne shared a smile with Griffin. “Next week is going to be non-stop party planning, so I think we should all just relax and enjoy our dinner tonight without any wedding talk.”

  Siobhan pushed the wedding binder toward the center of the coffee table in front of her. “Okay, we’ll talk about something else. Anyone have anything interesting to discuss?” Her eyes took on a calculated gleam. “Are any of you dating someone new?”

  “For the love of—”

  “I have something I’d like to discuss,” Elle announced before she could stop herself, and her brothers and Aria looked relieved. She shot Kade a quick glance, and his discreet nod gave her the courage to go on. It was time for her to stop stalling. “Well, umm…as you know, I’ll be graduating soon, and—”

  “We’re so proud of you,” her mother gushed. “We’ll have to plan a big party.”

  The thought of that made her feel a little sick. “I think I’d like to keep it small.”

  “Oh, but—”

  Griffin chuckled as he shook his head. “Ma, aren’t you tired of planning parties yet?”

  “Never.” Ca
pitulating with a laugh, Siobhan said, “Fine. We’ll keep your graduation party to just family.”

  Elle flashed her a grateful smile. “Thanks, mom. So, umm…about after graduation…”

  “Spill it already,” Brennan demanded.

  “I’ve decided not to go to graduate school.” The words burst out of her in a rush.

  “Good.” Zane slumped down on the couch. “Now, I don’t have to sneak into your condo and burn all of your applications.”

  She let out a startled laugh. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Oh, he totally would,” Griffin countered. “I’m relieved, too. I was worried you’d pick a school far away from here. You would have been pissed about all of the bodyguards we would have sent with you,” he added under his breath.

  “I’m sorry, I should have told you sooner that I didn’t want to go.”

  Siobhan’s eyes clouded with concern. “Honey, did you feel like we were forcing you to continue your education?”

  “No, of course not.” She was doing this all wrong. “When I started college, my goal was to take some classes that would help me with the special project I’ve been working on. Actually, I enjoyed school, which is why I finished, but I’m ready to start working now. I’m starting a charity.”

  Griffin frowned. “I thought you were going to help me with my stuff.”

  “I am. I mean, that’s part of it, but there’s more.” She wasn’t used to keeping secrets from her family, and it felt good to finally share with them. “I’m starting a nonprofit organization called the Five Leaf Clover Foundation. You remember, dad always said that—”

  “Five leaf clovers are luckier than four,” Siobhan finished for her.

  “And that we were the five that represented all of the good that was in his life,” Griffin added softly.

  Elle smiled at the memory of hearing her dad say those words. “We all give a lot of time and money to different causes, but it hasn’t been very organized.”

  “Damn it, you’re never going to let me live that down,” Zane muttered.

  “Live what down?” Aria asked, confused.

  “I may have given money to the rescue center in Breakers twice in one month because I’d forgotten I had already donated.”