Loveable Christmas Angel: Book #3 - Romance and Heavenly Spirits! (Angels with Attitudes) (10 page)

“How do I apply to be his legal guardian?”

“It’s not so easy. Because we know his mother is alive, we’d either have to wait and see if she’ll step forward, and from what you’ve told me, she’s threatened to do that very thing. Or there might be another way to solve the situation without having to take it as far as a court battle.”

“I’ll do anything.”

“Even something slightly unethical?”

Leilani hesitated. “Yes.” Doubt rang in her voice; she heard it and knew he had also. She clenched her hands together tightly and waited.

“You say the woman looked as if all she cared about was the money.”

“Yes, definitely! The…the avaricious cow mentioned the property before she ever said a word about her own son. It wasn’t until I told her that he inherited it, that the miserable creature showed any interest in him whatsoever.”

“So was her interest sentimental, the idea of owning the home where she grew up? Or was it the value of it that mattered?”

“Definitely the value. She doesn’t care about the house or she’d have stayed, right?”

“What if you were to offer her a settlement? Do you have any money that you could use…well, to pay her off?”

“Not enough to cover the value.” She heard her voice waver and again knew he had also. Keeping it together was becoming more difficult with every moment. Fear rode her hard, and the acrid taste in her mouth wouldn’t be swallowed. Crying inside, her heart heavier than any time in her life, she fought the impulse to scream with fury at the unfairness of life. A thought blasted into her head, seemingly from out of nowhere. “I own a house in Victoria. It’s old, but property values there are quite high.”

“You would be willing to sell?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Do you know anyone who might lend you the money until such time as that could be arranged? I think you should take advantage of Kaimi’s disorientation as soon as possible. You said she looked stunned but willing to do anything for money, even take on the responsibility of her son?”

“Going by her behavior, probably but you’re asking me to attempt to put a price on Mano.”

“Pretty much… yes.”

Shaking her head, Leilani searched her soul. Could she do this? Could she take advantage of the woman’s condition to trick her?

Again, her conscience played devil’s advocate and reminded her of the one thing she’d forgotten.
“Everyone makes choices. You’re giving her a choice. She’s an adult, and Mano’s a little boy. He has no choices.”

The lawyer’s voice broke into her musings. “If it makes you feel better, think of it as giving her a share of the estate. We can draw up the papers in such a way as you will be making an investment and will retain a part ownership with Mano. I’ll draw up a legal document, a petition for the voluntary termination of her parental rights. Once you get her to sign it, we’ll file it, and a hearing date will be set. A judge would listen to the reasons for the request. If Kaimi doesn’t contest the action, you would retain custody and full power of attorney. Should I go ahead?”

“Yes. I’ll put my house on the market in Canada.” She knew her friend Shana had always loved her home, and in her position as an oncologist, she could afford to buy. With her fingers crossed, she stood to leave.

“I’d like to come by the house later and drop off the papers for you to read over. Would that be permissible?”

“Of course.”

“How about if I bring dinner and we share a meal. You can show me around and I can meet Mano.” Pete took her cold hand to shake, and instead, sandwiched it between his two large warm ones. “Don’t worry, Leilani. I’ll look after you.”

Chapter Nineteen

“What the hell are you talking about? How could she have left the hotel?”

Kale’s manager flinched at his raised voice but didn’t back down from his earlier statement. “Miss Taylor is gone, her suite has been cleared out, and the boy, of course, went with her. I believe it would have been last evening. The maid found the room empty this morning.”

“She wouldn’t have just left. Didn’t she talk to the receptionist about checking out?”

“I followed up on that myself, and it seems when she called down to have her bill processed, Cheri told her she owed nothing, and she’d have the paperwork ready for whenever she wished. Not long after, her driver picked it up from the front desk.”

“Thanks Kimo. I believe I know where she’s gone. What I don’t know is why she snuck out without informing me of her plans.”

“You were rather busy in the early part of the evening with …uhh Miss Haui.”

“Ramona! Yes, damn tiresome situation.”

“You do know she smashed a few of the finer pieces in the suite she’d occupied before she vacated.”

“Not surprising. Small price to pay, I suppose, so forget it. All I have to say is good riddance.” He shuddered, and it wasn’t in pretense. The crazy bitch gave him the willies! She’d acted as if he’d broken off an engagement and was incensed, frighteningly so. Screaming, swearing… Again, he shuddered.

Kimo, the man he trusted most to look after his interests, and who proudly held the position as manager of the hotel, grinned and purposefully shook his head. “You sure can pick ‘em, Kale.”

“Yeah, tell me about it? No more high-society chicks for me. I’ve learned my lesson.” The two men shared a grin, and then Kale was alone.

His thoughts returned to the woman who’d stolen them when he’d first met her.
What in the world had happened?
During their wonderful day at his beach house, Leilani’s glowing happiness had gotten through to him. Kale had noticed her gorgeous brown eyes held a soft shine whenever she’d looked his way. It had made him feel like a hero. The achievements he’d made with his talent had never been about acknowledgment in any way, not until he’d hoped to impress the Canadian beauty.

Since he’d first started creating, he’d hid away his pieces and took some kind of a sick pleasure in secreting his gifts. All because his mother hadn’t given him the praise he’d needed. Well he wasn’t a boy any longer. As Leilani pointed out, maybe it was time to let the world share his genius in his beautiful stained-glass windows.

He stood and paced the room. Cesar, in Waikiki for his vet’s visit, started to follow, and after Kale motioned with his hand, the dog sat and whined. Always able to pick up on his master’s moods, the clever canine tried in his own way to show his adoration. His rear end, though sitting as instructed, wiggled back and forth while his worried eyes followed every move Kale made.

Finally, Kale couldn’t take his crestfallen expression of pleading any longer and went over to pat his friend and rub his ears. “Don’t worry, Cesar. We’ll find out what made her run, and bring them back. Right?”

Barking in agreement, the dog jumped up and sprinted to the door. His posture screamed. What are you waiting for?

Kale looked at the animal and made up his mind.
He’s right! What the hell am I waiting for? I’ll go and see Mano, and bring the dog as my excuse. Plus, Leilani did promise to show me around her aunt’s house.

A premonition skittered over him, tightening his stomach muscles and making him bite hard on his molars. The last time he’d felt such trepidation was the day he’d showed his mother his stained glass.

Chapter Twenty

The jeep coughed and spit, took a last wheezing groan, and then died. It had no intentions of leaving the shady spot it inhabited when Leilani had gone to start it earlier. She had found the keys hanging by the back door and decided if she had her own vehicle to drive Pi wouldn’t have to transport her everywhere.

As it was he’d promised to babysit Mano for her while she kept the appointment with her aunt’s lawyers. Funny how, as soon as he’d arrived, the horrible death gasps from the engine had changed. He’d worked under the hood with a screwdriver, no less, and within seconds, the miracle man had the car humming like it was new. For the zillionth time, Leilani wondered how she would manage without her friend.

Driving toward the house after her visit with the lawyer, she slowed down as she approached the turnoff, only to speed up again when she saw the powerful black Lexus in her driveway. Since she’d been a passenger in that car not so many days earlier, she knew exactly who owned the vehicle. Sure enough, there he was coming around from the side yard with Mano sitting on his shoulders, laughing, while an excited Doberman pranced around the two, his stubby tail wagging ferociously.

Pi, smiling and looking relaxed, waved his hands in a pantomime of storytelling. He also looked happy, his face wreathed in smiles.

Only Leilani felt as if her world had tilted and she clung precariously to stop herself from falling into a big black void. Until she had a chance to talk to Shana about the house in Victoria, she wanted nothing to do with Kale. He’d been slotted in as her ‘last resort’, and she whispered a little prayer that she wouldn’t ever have to turn to him.
Please God!
Don’t let me be needy.
Conflicting emotions whipped at her all at once.

What if she’d made a mistake about Kaimi? In the light of day, Leilani had a hard time accepting that anyone could have been as heartless as that woman had appeared to them the night before. She had to admit that just having the woman show up had thrown her for a loop.

Maybe her fear of losing Mano had hindered her from even trying to give her own cousin, his birth mother a chance… to hear her story? What if circumstances had driven the girl into rebelling, and a helping hand could rejuvenate a lost soul?

Mind in turmoil, she drove around aimlessly, until an overpowering thirst forced her to park. At an ABC store, she bought some water and a sandwich, and then she sat on a bench to nibble and watch the world go by. After choking down a couple of bites, she fed the rest of the crust to the pecking birds, beady eyes begging for handouts.

The time had come for her to question what she intended to do, what her future held. Granted, her priorities certainly had changed. No longer did her mother come first. From now on her responsibility centered on a cheeky devil with scads of curls, dimples that looked like moon craters and eyes that spit anger whenever they looked in her direction.

Loud laughter caught her attention. She let go of her musings to eavesdrop on the noisemakers. They were a group sitting at an outside table in a nearby bar, and one prominent voice had attracted her attention by its loudness, bad language, and insolence.

“Soon, I’ll have it made. No more working the streets for me, I’ll have plenty of dough to buy whatever I want. Drink up. Come on guys, let’s par-tay!”

The tramp!!!

Sure enough it was a drunken Kaimi, the girl who she’d felt sorry for only a few minutes earlier. Obviously, it had been a huge waste of her time and energy.

Leilani’s hand itched to connect with the scads of makeup slathered on the other’s cheek—to hit hard enough to shut her heartless mouth.

Kaimi, whose black blouse gaped so low that an imagination wouldn’t be necessary, worked the table like a pro. Her body language screamed look at me. Worse, her screeching laugh when she told the other losers that her decision not to abort her kid had finally paid off.

Disgust can be visceral, Leilani discovered. It can sicken and make a person’s lip curl in a way that’s offensive to passersby. Quickly hiding her face, she stomped to her car, pulled out her cell phone, and waited for the connection on the other end.

“Shana, I have a really great deal for you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“Pi,” said Leilani, “I saw Kale here today.” The two were relaxing at the kitchen table, a room where they seemed to spend a great deal of time.

“I know you did. I watched you drive on by. Why didn’t you stop, little one. He wanted to see you, not only Mano.”

“I don’t want to talk with him. Clearly, I have no choice. I need his help.” Leilani looked down and absently brushed at the tiny spot of coffee on her blouse.

She felt his gaze on her. When he spoke, he changed the subject. “What did the lawyer say?” His voice had changed, becoming harder. “I’ve been jumpy all day, waiting to find out.”

At his tone, she glanced up and tried to smile, but it didn’t quite make it. “He seems really nice. His name is Pete Wright, and he’ll be here for dinner tonight. In fact, he’s promised to bring the food with him. I’d like you to stay, if you don’t have any other plans?” Her question was accompanied by a plea, which she knew he’d seen as soon as he reached over to pat her cheek.

“Sure. No problem, Leilani. I hope he brings something good. Mano and I could eat a whale after the day we’ve had. Clearing out the back area is hard work for an old man. Good thing I had the help of a strong lad.”

Mano approached from the other room, a grin plastered over his face from hearing the words just spoken. Careful to sidestep Leilani’s space, he headed straight for Pi. Then he climbed onto the older man’s knee, knowing he’d be accepted with a gentleness that had Leilani breathe a prayer of thankfulness.
I’m so glad you’re my friend!

“What do you have there, Mano?” Leilani noticed that he carried a huge fancy parcel that looked a little like a box of chocolates.

He didn’t look at her, but he did answer. “Kale brought us some Honolulu cookies. Tutu used to buy them sometimes. They’re good, right Pi?”

“Yes you little glutton. They’re good but you need to save some room in that endless hole for real food.” He poked Mano in the stomach and the boy giggled.

A knock on the front door interrupted the light moment and all three stopped. Before Mano could race to answer, Leilani waved him back. In case it was their unwanted visitor from the night before, she went herself. No way she’d let that woman anywhere near the precious child.

“Hi, Pete.” Leilani let out the breath she held.

The lawyer had taken time to change and now looked like a tourist in designer shorts topped by a dressy Hawaiian shirt whose colors matched. “Hi, Leilani. I’ve brought dinner and some wine to go with it. Hope you like sushi. I’ve found a great place near where I live and they make the best Nigiri and Makizushi, even Temakizushi.” He carried two big sacks of food and a bag from a wine store.