for the subtle reminder that he remembered her mention of the fire dancer she’d met the one time she’d been to Hawaii.
Keola looked at her, head moving to the side but Gia deflected, reaching for her glass as she asked the girl, “Do you like New Orleans?”
“I liked the Christmas lights in the park,” she admitted.
“City Park,” Kai told Gia and she nodded.
“It was cold,” Keeana said. “We’re not used to this kind of cold in Maui.”
“Oh, I bet. It has to be a huge culture shock,” Gia told the woman.
“How big of a shock was it for you when you came here from New York?” Keeana refilled their glasses of wine before she sat, moving her feet to the empty chair next to her.
“Massive, when I came here the first time, but that was when I was eighteen.” She took a sip of her wine to chase back the flash of memory that brimmed to the surface when she thought about college and Luka and how the good memories she had with him, weren’t long enough to stay good.
“College?” Keeana asked.
“Yeah. I started at CPU before I transferred.”
“Oh, I know about CPU,” Keola said, abandoning her phone to lean both elbows on the table. “My friend Bethany said Macy McKenzie was in the music program at CPU before she became famous.”
“If she was, that was before me, I’m afraid.” Gia moved her head, a small apology that she didn’t know the famous pop star personally. She figured that Keola was probably familiar with CPU’s other famous alumni given that her father was Hawaiian and a ball player and that Kona was from the same island. “I did meet Kona Hale. Nice…guy.”
Keola sat up straight, her eyes going wide. “Oh, Kona!” She looked at her father, moving her chin in a nod before she glanced back at Gia. “I know Kona. He…”
“Everybody in Oahu knows Kona Hale, keiki.” He stood, grabbing the dirty plates from dinner like he wasn’t interested in the direction of the conversation. Maybe, Gia thought, Kai remembered how she got when he’d mentioned her time at CPU. She hadn’t told him why she didn’t like to talk about the boy who’d left her heartsick, but Kai had to remember that heartsickness had happened when she was in college.
He picked up two more plates and softened his tone before he spoke to Keola again. “Kona’s the poster boy for famous Hawaiian football players. Why don’t you tell Gia what Reese said about next year’s camp?”
The suggestion had the effect Kai seemed to be looking for. Keola launched into all the details of next year’s camp and how Reese promised she’d let the girl in on as many practices as she could manage to fit in while she visited her father in New Orleans.
“But, I hope makuahine will let me stay longer next fall so I can at least play a game,” Keola said, glancing to her mother in a hint that wasn’t remotely subtle.
“You have school,” Keeana said. “So do I.”
“We could just move here,” Keola suggested, frowning when her mother laughed at her.
“And what would I do about my classes and…Dru?” When her daughter shrugged, acting a little put out by the question, Keeana exhaled, the exasperation in that sigh clear.
“You’re in school?” Gia asked trying to change the subject.
“I’m working on my MBA.”
“She’s going to open the best restaurant in Maui,” Kai said, coming out of the kitchen.
“Well if it’s anything like what you cooked tonight, you’ll be a millionaire.” Gia had stuffed herself on Keeana’s glazed ham with pineapple and mango maple syrup, the creamiest roasted sweet potatoes she’d ever had and the most decadent sweet bread dressing. She glanced at Kai, frowning. “I am not complaining, but why’d you make her cook?”
“Are you crazy? I haven’t had food from home in months. Keeana doesn’t mind, do you?” he asked, shooting a glance her way. When she shook her head, Gia got the impression it had taken some convincing to get her in the kitchen.
“Before you leave, let me take you out. I can cook, but there’s nothing in my kitchen that would prove it. But,” she said grinning behind her glass, “we just happened to be in the best city in the world, in my opinion, for really great food.”
“Except seafood,” Kai said, moving his hands up, as though he didn’t want to debate it when Gia rolled her eyes.
“Hardly,” she said, ignoring him when he leaned forward looking like he wanted to