Tidal wave, p.5
Tidal Wave, page 5
"Why were you at the resort last night? I heard they double-booked the kitchen, so why didn't Kennedy King move the event?"
"The only other place that could hold that many guests was his house, and his kitchen has been getting some remodeling done and the work hadn't been finished in time for the party. When we learned of the double-booking, I knew it was too late to change anything. Let me tell you, Whitney had to do a lot of talking to stop the resort from cancelling your event in favor of Kennedy King's."
"Where were you at the time of death?" I asked, not sure if I was now grateful to Whitney or not.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Oh, nothing. I just wondered if you heard anything that may have indicated who killed her?" I had to be careful if I wanted to keep her talking.
Thankfully she settled. "I was serving my high-profile clients and didn't hear a thing."
"It looked like Detective Ray gave you all a grilling."
She rolled her eyes. "Didn't he just. I think for a minute there, he thought I might have been guilty, but honestly, as much as I hated Vivienne, she did me a favor. If I was still working for the resort, then I never would have gotten the job I have now. Anyway," she continued, scrolling on her laptop. "My next available date for a wedding would be November next year."
"Even if I don't want it at the resort?"
"It doesn't matter to me where you have it. That's the next free date that I have on my calendar."
I sighed.
"Look, why don't you take some time to consider which package you'd like?" She handed me a business card. "I'll tentatively keep that date free for you, and you let me know what you decide."
I nodded and accepted the card, slipping it into my pocket as Rhiannon stood. As she headed for the door, I got the impression that it was time to leave.
* * *
"Is it too early for a cocktail?" I asked Owen, the surfer-looking bartender who was filling in for Casey while he had time off. Owen was pretty cute, with his sun-bleached hair, tanned skin, and exceptional biceps.
"It's never too early," he replied with a smile, his leather bracelets sliding up his wrist as he collected a dirty glass from the bar top. "But your mother was in here earlier, and she might disagree."
"What are the chances of her coming back anytime soon?" I asked, glancing around the tiki bar for any signs of her.
"No idea, but she was looking for Luke and she didn't seem happy."
"Well, at least she wasn't looking for me," I replied, unable to hide my grin.
"Don't speak too soon. I'm sure I heard her mention your name."
Oh geez. "You'd better make it a cocktail, then. And make it strong." I loved my mother, but I needed alcohol in my system if I was to deal with her when she was annoyed.
"Make it two. Thanks Owen," Alani added, looking past him towards the door to the kitchen. "Is Luke back there?"
"Yeah. Lunch shift just finished, so he should be about to take his break."
As head cook at The Lava Pot, lunch was one of Luke's busiest times.
Owen pushed the kitchen door open and stuck his head inside. "Hey Luke. Alani and your sister are here."
Seconds later Luke appeared. He had a chef's jacket covering his T-shirt, flour dusting his black pants, his hair pulled back into a man bun, and the second his eyes connected with Alani's, his grin was his accessory of choice.
"Hey. There's my girl." He used his hip to push open the wooden gate that kept the clientele on their side of the bar and pulled Alani in for a hug.
"You smell like fish." She giggled before he shushed her with a kiss.
Watching them made me miss Casey, so I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent him a quick message.
Miss you. What are you up to? x
Seconds later my phone dinged his reply.
Taken Mum and Dad into town to show them around. I should be back before dinner. Miss you too. xo
I sighed. If everything had gone to plan yesterday, he would be hanging around the pool with me about now.
Fatigue, the remains of a hangover, and sadness all weighed my shoulders down, and my heart felt heavy. His words to me ran through my mind—our wedding being delayed changed nothing between us.
He was right, of course. He still loved me, and he would still hold me tight tonight. But the thing is, I'd really wanted to be his wife. I wanted to be known as Samantha Dalton, to wear his ring and for him to wear mine. The notion that we were connected by vows meant more to me than I cared to admit, and the fact that I would have to wait so long to get another opportunity caused a pain behind my breastbone that intensified with every breath.
"Are you okay, Sam?" Alani asked.
"Yep," I squeaked. "Just peachy."
"Then why do you look like you have gas?" Luke asked, releasing Alani from his arms and pulling out a barstool alongside me.
"I do not look like that!"
"You kind of do," Alani agreed with him.
I huffed. Sometimes I hated that my best friend was dating my brother.
"I was just thinking about the last twenty-four hours." I sniffed.
"Don't be sad," Alani encouraged. "Let's focus on the future and celebrate that you get to wear that gorgeous dress a second time."
"Casey's already seen me in it now. Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before they get married? And besides, it's kinda ruined."
"Well then, what about setting a new date? Rhiannon said November, right?"
"Yeah. Next year," I moaned.
"It's better than nothing," Alani added.
"I guess so, but who says I can even afford her?"
"Only one way to find out. Do you have the business card with her website on it?"
I nodded and pulled it from my pocket. Alani read over my shoulder and instantly started to tap at the screen of her phone, finding the website and navigating to the packages page.
"Whoa," she murmured before turning the screen towards me.
It took a moment to count the number of zeros highlighted with a dollar sign, and instantly the world began to spin.
"Are you kidding me? That's more than I earn in six months! I'll never get married at that rate." Anxiety built in my chest, causing my breath to be short and sharp. Tears prickled, and I grabbed for a napkin to wipe my nose.
"For what it's worth, the engagement party was awesome," Luke replied.
"It really was." Alani beamed. "Except for the murdered caterer bit."
"I didn't even get any photos," I cried. I'd expected to have been taking snaps on my phone all afternoon, but instead I'd been so busy pushing my butterflies aside and worrying what Casey's mother was going to think of the wedding, I hadn't once thought to capture the memories.
"I got heaps." Alani stabbed at her phone, thankfully making those awful numbers disappear.
"You're a star," I said to her, my mood taking a turn for the better as Owen placed a tall glass of delicious red liquid on the bar top in front of me.
"It's what best friends are for."
I sipped my drink, hoping the alcohol would settle my upset stomach, as we scrolled through photo after photo.
"Everyone looked to be having a good time," I commented. "Casey's mum is even smiling in a few of them."
Luke laughed. "That was right after I recalled the story of how you fell down the stairs at your high school graduation, showing the entire school your G-string."
Humph.
"Was that Vivienne?" I hurriedly asked, wanting to change the subject and simultaneously using my fingers to stop Alani from scrolling the photos.
We all leaned forward, peering at the screen.
"Yeah. I wanted a photo of the cake before it was moved into the function room," Alani explained. "I guess Vivienne was in the background and I didn't realize."
"She doesn't look happy," Luke commented.
"Did she ever?" Alani asked.
"It looks like she's shouting at someone," I commented.
Alani scrolled to the next photo. Our wedding cake looked stunning, and I took a moment to enjoy it before the memory of Vivienne's blood mixing with the icing made my stomach churn even more.
"Zoom in, Alani," Luke directed.
She did as asked, and a slightly blurry image of two women in the background filled the screen. One was Vivienne, but the other looked like an older woman. Her auburn hair framed her heart-shaped face, her navy-blue suit jacket was pressed, and even with the blurry image, I could see her eyes were spitting fire.
"Who's that?" Luke asked.
Alani and I shrugged.
"Did you hear them when you took the photo?" I asked.
"Not that I remember. To be honest, until I saw this photo, I didn't even know that Vivienne was in the room."
"Well, whoever that lady is, she doesn't look at all happy with her," added Luke. "In fact, I'd go as far to say that if looks could kill, Vivienne would have already been dead."
"Do you think this mystery woman could have killed her?" Alani asked. "She looks angry enough."
"I don't know, but I think it's something we need to find out."
"How are we going to do that?"
That was a very good question.
CHAPTER FIVE
I placed the last of the boards on the sand and took a moment to move to the water's edge and allow it to lap around my ankles as I searched the ocean for rip currents. Casey had called and asked if I could give his nieces a surf lesson, and the last thing I needed was for one of them to be pulled out to the ocean, fearing for her life.
I hadn't really wanted to do the lesson, but I needed to impress his family, and how better to do that than through the eyes of their children? And I'd handled far more than six girls before, so it should be an easy hour.
I relaxed my shoulders as I breathed in the salty air and listened to the breeze whistle over the water, the lap of the waves intoxicating as my toes dug into the soft, wet sand. The surf was pretty quiet with no rips, which settled my anxiety a little bit more, but it was the sound of Casey calling my name as he jogged down the sand towards me that really calmed my soul.
"Hey beautiful!" he called, his grin large as he reached me and pulled me into his arms.
"You smell like coffee." I groaned with desire. I just wasn't sure what I wanted the most at that moment—Casey or coffee.
"Ha, I knew you'd pick up on it. I did the touristy thing and took my family out to the coffee farm on the edge of town."
"Did you bring me anything back?" I asked, putting my nose to his neck and inhaling deeply.
"Of course. You have a one-pound bag of beans waiting for you at home."
And that's why I was marrying the man.
"How was your morning?" he asked as I reluctantly let him go.
"It was okay. The sleep-in was nice." I didn't add my visit to Rhiannon, as his family was making their way towards us.
"Hi, Sam." Olivia almost glowed in the midafternoon sun. Her white shorts displayed her long legs, her sunglasses were pushed up on to the top of her head holding her long blonde hair back from her round face, and despite her fake tan, you could see the distinctive outline of her sunburn.
She was closely followed by two of his other sisters, Audrey and Ellie, both of whom had a similar red patch on their shoulders. I knew from experience that they would all be scrambling for the sunscreen tomorrow.
Their six kids were set for the lesson, dressed in their swimsuits, their smiles at the ready.
"Hi everyone," I sang, a feeling of ease radiating through my body. Well, that was until I noticed Casey's mum Leonie closely following behind.
She had a towel slung over her shoulder, her bikini covered with a loose sun shirt. Her eyes were shielded with dark glasses, and an oversized hat protected her from the sun's rays.
Olivia, Audrey, and Ellie all found beach chairs to fall into, but Leonie marched up to me, her stride full of purpose.
"Hi Leonie." I beamed despite the unease grumbling in my belly.
"Samantha." She nodded as she looked towards the surfboards I had ready.
"Are you having a surf lesson too?" I asked as she dropped her towel on the sand and started to remove her overshirt.
"Of course. Someone needs to look out for the girls."
"I am a qualified instructor," I reminded her, trying my best not to be offended.
I felt her stare from behind her sunglasses.
Casey laughed. "You just don't want to admit that you want to learn to surf as well!" he teased her.
"Nonsense. Before you were born, your father and I used to go surfing in Cornwall all the time."
"Should I remind you that I'm twenty-eight? That was a long time ago." His grin was large and fast, and Leonie obviously enjoyed the banter.
"Why did I ever have kids?" she scoffed, yet her grin matched his. Moving over she dropped her sunglasses into Olivia's lap, followed by her hat.
Olivia's daughter Lexi moved to stand in front of me, staring up through her long lashes, a question clearly on her rosebud lips.
"Are you ready for your lesson?" I asked her, keen to get in the surf myself. I felt at home there. It was a place where I was confident.
Lexi shook her head. For an eight-year-old, she was pretty tall and had obviously inherited her mother's long legs. "I'm scared."
"There's nothing to be scared of," I encouraged.
"But Grandma says there are sharks out there." Her blue eyes, the exact copy of Casey's, were wide.
"Well, yes there are sharks, but they are a long way out and they won't come near you today."
"How do you know?" she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.
"Because Uncle Casey will be there with us making sure they stay far away." I wanted to add that the sharks would be far too afraid of Grandma but bit my comment back just in time.
Lexi seemed happy with that. She spun towards the others and yelled, "It's okay, Grandma. Uncle Casey will keep us safe, so you don't need to worry."
Despite Leonie overseeing my every move, the lesson was enjoyable, and I was pleased when Lexi asked if she could have another lesson tomorrow. I'd already noticed the look in her eye as she had sat on her board about ten meters offshore, breathing in the salty air. She'd quickly fallen in love with the ocean, which filled my heart with joy. It was the number one thing I loved about my job as a children's surf instructor. I had the thrill of helping change their fear of the ocean into a love, and that was what kept me coming back. Okay, I enjoyed the paycheck too, but that was just an added bonus.
"Job well done." Casey nuzzled my ear from behind as he leaned over my shoulder. "You have six very happy girls there."
"What about the big girl?"
"Mum? She's happy."
I sighed as I dried my face with a towel and watched Casey's sisters wrangle their children back to their rooms for showers.
"Then why did she say 'thank God that's over'?"
"She loves those girls and prefers it when they are on land and safe."
That wasn't the impression I'd gotten, but as Casey nibbled my earlobe, I kind of lost focus.
"What are you doing this afternoon?" I asked him, hoping we could go home for some alone time. The emotions he was evoking in me needed some attention.
"Working." I felt the energy drain from him as he released his hold, and all my thoughts of a snuggle blew straight out the proverbial window.
"What?" I demanded, spinning to face him.
"Sorry. Jacob was supposed to replace Owen for the evening shift, but he's called in sick."
"No one else can cover for him?" I whined.
"Not tonight."
I blew out a controlled breath.
"Why don't you come and have dinner at the bar, and we can hang out together at least. And when we get home later, we can…" He wiggled his eyebrows, making me giggle.
"Will you make me a cocktail at least?"
"I'll make you anything you want."
Well, there was an offer I couldn't resist.
* * *
The Lava Pot was buzzing as Benny and his Ukulele Wahines played my favorite Hawaiian song "Aloha Oe" (Farewell to Thee). I sat on a barstool leaning on the bar, swaying my foot to the beat, my mood relaxed thanks to the numerous cocktails Casey had been supplying me with. My stomach was still unsettled, but I figured that was anxiety caused by the events of the last few days, and it hadn't stopped me eating, so I wasn't overly concerned.
The evening had been reasonably quiet, with only a handful of tables filled with resort guests. Casey's family had joined us for dinner but had since retired to their rooms, allowing Casey to chat with me in between serving patrons.
"Hey Case. Who's that guy over there? He looks familiar."
Casey followed my stare. "That's Kennedy King, the guy Olivia is obsessed with."
"Geez, she'll be uptight that she's gone to bed already." I giggled.
"I have no idea what the fuss is all about. I've watched a couple of episodes and didn't get excited about it."
That's because Casey was one hundred percent straight.
Kennedy King was sitting with a group of men, all dressed in white shirts and dress pants. His dark looks stood out amongst their vanilla appearance, his dimples deep as he laughed at one of their jokes. He was smooth, and I could instantly see how he had become a reality TV star.
He caught me staring at him, and within seconds he stood and made his way to the bar.
"Hey Case. Can I have three scotch on the rocks and a soda water please?" he asked, his voice as smooth as his appearance.
Casey nodded and moved to get the drinks.
"How you doing?" Kennedy asked, his gaze falling to me.
My foot instantly stopped tapping to the music as my drink froze halfway to my lips.
"Uh, ummm, I'm great. Thank you." I'd never spoken to a real-life celebrity before, and despite the fact that I had never watched the show, I felt his charm ooze across the space between us, and instantly I became tongue tied.
