“This is Auntie Kua’s place,” he said.
“Who?” Laurie touched her thumb to her chin and wiggled her index finger. She was so confused and distracted that she didn’t even realize she had used the sign along with the word – until Kekoa smiled like she had just done something adorable. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
“The local auntie who owns that empty building. Come on!” He hopped out of the truck and circled around to open her door.
“You’re serious?” she asked.
“Why not? She loves visitors. Come on!”
“I don’t– we can’t just– I didn’t even bring anything!”
Kekoa smiled and flashed the bag of candied ginger he’d gotten at the grocery store. Then he turned and walked through a gap in the hedge, leaving her to either wait in the car or follow him in.
After another moment’s indecision, Laurie hurried after him.
Beyond the hedge, the yard was teeming with ducks. From tiny white call ducks to huge red-faced muscovies, they all waddled around the muddy green yard waggling their little tails. Laurie couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mia would love this.”
“We should bring her sometime,” said Kekoa.
Laurie frowned at him. She didn’t wantanyman driving her daughter around. Not even this one.
“I stop by with ‘Io at least once a week,” he said. “He loves to feed the ducks.”
That’s right, Laurie thought.He has a son.
She had almost forgotten that the boy who was always running around the Madeira place with his cousins was Kekoa’s kid; she just thought of him as Mahina’s grandson.
A little old lady in rubber shoes came around the corner, trailed by another dozen ducks. Laurie recognized her face. She knew her the way that she knew every longtime resident of Pualena – by sight, if nothing else.
Kekoa walked across the yard and charmed her. Laurie could hear some of what he was saying, but not enough to follow the conversation. She couldn’t hear Auntie Kua’s voice at all.
Kua waved her over, and Laurie picked her way across the yard to join them.
“Aloha, Auntie.”
“So, you’re the one who wants to rent my old dance studio.”
That was quick. Laurie shot Kekoa a look.
“I hear you want to turn it into a bookshop,” Kua continued.
Laurie’s first instinct was to argue, but she bit her tongue. She wasn’t going to shoot down opportunities, however unexpected they might be.
“How would you feel about that?” she asked instead.
Kua popped a piece of candied ginger into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. After a while, she said, “I feel like this town would benefit from a good bookshop.”
Laurie grinned. Excitement rose up in her chest, overwhelming all common sense.
“It’s not as if the place is making any money right now, and I’d sooner let the pigs and mongooses take over than sell it to some mainland developer.”
“What would the rent be?” Laurie asked.
“I’ll have to think on it.”
“I understand.”
