“So you say. The big day is in less than two weeks. I’ve got everything riding on this.” No one knew just how much. If he succeeded, he stood to regain all he’d lost. Money, prestige, a purpose. If he failed . . . but he couldn’t let himself think that way. It would be sinking back into the old patterns that had brought his first defeat so many years ago.
His father’s name was rarely spoken now, but that would change in a few short weeks. His name would be on lips across the world. He shook off the fear that clouded his mind. Fear was his only real enemy. If he could defeat the fear of failure, he could beat anything.
Kaia went home and tried not to worry about Mano’s betrayal or her grandfather’s plans. She tried to focus on what she’d try next with Nani but found it impossible to concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Mano. She had left Tutu kane’s without talking to him. Now was as good a time as any. She had a couple of hours before it was time to meet Jesse.
Grabbing her keys, she hurried to her truck and drove back to her brother’s. A yellow glow of lamplight shone from his front window when she pulled into the driveway. She wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject. He’d take one look at her face and know something was wrong.
She didn’t even have time to knock on the door when Mano threw it open. “I heard your truck.” His gaze lingered on her face. “Have you been crying?”
She thought she’d washed all traces away. Her lips tightened, and she shut the door behind her. “I need to talk to you.” He was going to get mad and defensive, but she couldn’t help that.
“So talk.” Mano pointed at the brown couch, a hand-me-down from Aunt Edena. He sat down and began to twirl a pencil in his fingers.
Kaia sank onto the worn fabric. “I might as well tell you—I overheard you today.”
His fingers stilled. “When—what do you mean?”
She could hear the caution in his voice, and it broke her heart. There had never been this distance between them. “When you were talking to the Pele Hawai’i men,” she said softly. “Don’t do this, Mano. Don’t commit treason. That’s what this is. I couldn’t bear it if you were sent to prison. It would kill Tutu kane.”
“You don’t understand, Kaia,” Mano began. “Stay out of it.”
“I can’t. You’re my brother. I love you.” She leaned forward. “Walk away. Now.”
“I can’t. It’s gone too far.” His jaw was hard as he stood and turned his back to her.
She touched his shoulder. “I’m here for you, Mano. I’ll do anything I can to help.”
“I don’t need your help.” He turned toward the kitchen. “I’ll get you some coffee and we can talk about something else.”
Jesse was napping on the couch in his office when his cell phone chirped. He raised his eyebrows at the name on the caller ID. Kaia rarely ever called him, and even before he answered it, he had the feeling it was bad news. “Matthews.”
“Jesse, we need to talk. Where can I meet you?” Kaia’s voice sounded strained.
He glanced at his watch. “What are you doing up already? It’s only twelve.”
“Can you meet me at the front gate in fifteen minutes?”
“Sure.” He clicked off his phone and went to tell his aide he’d be off base for a while. He hopped in his Jeep and headed toward the gate. The two-hour nap had refreshed him. Kaia wasn’t there yet, so he parked and waited.
His cell phone chirped again. The caller ID revealed a name he hadn’t seen in a long time, and he stared at it, wondering if he was seeing it right. It chirped again, and he reluctantly pressed the button. “Matthews.”
“Hi, Jesse. It’s Steve.”
The familiar voice made Jesse’s stomach clench. “Steve. I saw your name on the caller ID.” He didn’t know what to say.
“I bet it gave you a start. Got your new number from Jillian. Surprised to hear from me?”
“You might say that.” Surprise was an understatement. Christy’s family had cut off all contact with him after Christy’s death. Three years had passed since any of them had spoken to him. He gritted his teeth and wondered what Christy’s brother wanted from him.
Steve gave a nervous chuckle. “You’re not making this easy, Jesse. You haven’t so much as sent a Christmas card.”
“Was I supposed to? You told me you never wanted to talk to me again. As I recall, you called me a ‘baby killer.’ I’m sure your parents still hate me. They’d be furious if they knew you’d contacted me.”
“Dad’s gone now. You didn’t know?”
“I hadn’t heard. I’m sorry.”
His father-in-law hadn’t had much use for Jesse. Resignation filled Jesse, and he pinched the bridge of his nose hard.
“We used to be good friends, Jesse. Do you know what today is?”
Like he could ever forget. “Of course. The baby would have been three today if he’d been born on his due date.”