Kaua'i Me A River Part 9

I stared at him. He probably thought I was judging his candor, but instead I was indulging in a bit of my own mental self-centered prattle. Is this what money does to people? Would my father's millions turn me into an *emotionally taxing' woman? Would Hatch resent being a *kept man'? Maybe on some level I already knew the answers and that's why I hadn't mentioned my inheritance to anyone.

"Charles, I think you have a decision to make. You can live the high life with a demanding woman, knowing that if the marriage ends you'll get nothing. Or, you can walk away from it all right now. It's one-hundred percent up to you."

"What would you do?" he said.

"It's not for me to say. It's a tough decision."

That was a complete lie. I'd never walk away from Eleanor's money.

I'd run.

CHAPTER 13.

At dinnertime I called Hatch at the fire station and gave him an abbreviated version of how my day had gone. I started off by saying it looked like the wedding I had scheduled for the Fourth of July might fizzle. He murmured a few words of consolation. I followed up by telling him someone had dropped off a baby at Farrah's store.

"She's babysitting?" he said.

"Not exactly. The mother left the kid at the store and it doesn't sound like she's coming back."

"Did Farrah meet the mother?"

"Nope. The baby was there when she came down to open the store."

"She should have brought the kid here to the station. We can take abandoned newborns, no questions asked. And there's no blow-back on the mother for abandonment or anything."

"Well, the mother didn't do that. She left him at Farrah's."

"Has Farrah called the cops?"

"No. She's staying up here with me and Steve while she figures out what to do."

"There's nothing to figure out," he said. "She's got to report an abandoned baby. If she doesn't, she's breaking all kinds of laws-child endangerment, custodial interference, you name it."

"Look, Hatch, the child isn't in danger. And Farrah isn't interfering with anybody's custodial rights. The mother left a note saying she wanted Farrah to have him."

"Was the note signed?"

"No, anonymous."

"Then how does Farrah know the mother even wrote the note? Maybe somebody s.n.a.t.c.hed the kid and ditched it at the store to elude the police. She's got to report it."

I didn't say anything.

"Pali, this isn't the former cop in me talking. I'm speaking as a friend. You've got to get Farrah to report this. She can't play *finders keepers' with a kid. She'll end up in jail."

I changed the subject and asked him what I should wear to the firefighter dinner on Sat.u.r.day night.

"Wear a dress," he said.

"But I only have the one dress. And it's starting to look a little shabby."

"So? Buy another one."

I wanted to say I'd rather bury a chopstick in my inner ear than go shopping, but I kept quiet.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'm off tomorrow. Why don't I take you to Queen Ka'ahumanu Center and we'll find you a kick-a.s.s dress? My treat."

I agreed to go.

"Is Farrah handy?" he said. "I'd like to talk to her before we hang up."

"She's trying to put a baby crib together. From the sounds of things, it isn't a good time to interrupt."

"Tell her I'll help her with it tomorrow," he said. "Right now she needs to call the Maui Sheriff's Department."

"I'll tell her."

"Crib, huh? Someday we may need a crib, you know."

The guy was nothing if not full of surprises.

On Friday morning my cell phone rang as I was driving to the Palace of Pain. I hoped it was Charles saying he'd thought it over and decided to go ahead and sign the pre-nup. As annoying as Eleanor could be, maybe the love of a good man would soften her up a little.

"Pali, it's Valentine Fabares."

"Hi Valentine, I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon."

"Yes, well, probate has been scheduled for early Monday morning. Due to the circ.u.mstances, I asked for the earliest possible spot on the docket."

"What circ.u.mstances?"

"You know, a possible pet.i.tion contesting the will. If we can get this probate underway, I think the disqualified heirs will encounter a somewhat steeper slope."

"Maybe Peggy and Joanie have a point. Maybe the other children should have-"

She cut me off. "Look Pali. I knew your father. I have every confidence in the veracity of both the legality of his will and the spirit behind it. Trust me, this is what he wanted. Have you ever heard of the Golden Rule?"

"Of course, *do unto others as you would have them do unto you'."

"That's the cla.s.sic version, yes. But your father practiced a more modern version of the rule. Phil always said, *He who has the gold, rules'. Do you see my point? It's your father's money. You and Sunny are the only people he wanted to give it to. There's no way a judge could see it differently."

"But it seems-"

"See you on Monday. We're first up so I'd appreciate it if you could plan to be over here on Sunday night. Can you do that?"

"Sure."

"Great," she said. "I'll meet you at the courthouse at eight-thirty Monday morning. Aloha." The line went dead and I a.s.sumed she'd hung up.

Hatch showed up at my shop later that morning. Since the Lindberg wedding was on hold, I'd spent the last hour doing a little office housekeeping and answering emails. I hadn't slept well the night before but it wasn't due to the baby crying. I'd tossed and turned wondering how I was going to tell my friends, and especially Hatch, about my upgraded financial status.

"Ready to go rock the Kasbah?" he said. "I'm thinking you should get something glittery. And tight."

I was glad I'd asked him to pick me up at my shop rather than at home. I wanted to keep Hatch away from Farrah because, big surprise, she hadn't called the police. She had managed to get the crib a.s.sembled, though.

As if reading my mind he said, "What did the police say when Farrah called?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. I left the house really early. She wasn't up yet."

"But she called, right?"

"As far as I know." I really wanted to change the subject. "I'm thinking maybe a blue dress. I like blue."

"To go with your eyes?"

"My eyes are hazel."

"Blue, hazel, whatever," he said. "How come women call things fifty different colors and guys get along with five? Get whatever color you want as long as it's got a really short skirt." He winked at me as if he knew a comment like that would garner some major stink eye and I didn't let him down.

We went from store to store to store. My feet hurt and my boredom meter had clicked into the red zone. I'd never known a guy outside of Steve's social milieu who had such shopping stamina. I was about to throw up my hands and offer to attend the dinner naked when I spied a slinky blue number with a soft draped neckline and a slit up the leg that left almost nothing to the imagination.

"But it's long," said Hatch.

"Give me a minute," I said heading to the dressing room. "I'll come out and if you hate it, I'll put it back. No argument."

I slipped on the cool shimmery dress and turned to look at myself in the mirror. The black rubba slippas on my feet didn't do it justice, but the color and drape of the dress hugging my body was amazing.

"Ta-dah," I said as I stepped out into the main area of the store.

Hatch stared. I twirled around to give him the full vision of the above-the-knee slit.

"Wow. I never thought long could be more s.e.xy than short," he said.

"Common mistake," I said. "I have to explain it to brides all the time."

Hatch bought me the dress. On the way back to Pa'ia I couldn't believe how excited I felt about going to the fireman dinner at the Grand Wailea in my fancy new dress. Maybe my being Miss Richie Rich would turn out to be fun after all.

When I went into my shop the message light was blinking. I called the voicemail number.

"Pali, this is Charles Lindberg. I'm sorry, but I just can't do it. I can't spend the rest of my life with someone who's constantly lording her money over me. I told Eleanor my decision and now I'm leaving for home. If I owe you anything for your trouble, give me a call." He left a number with a mainland area code.

I watched in my mind's eye as my bubble of joy about becoming a rich heiress floated up, up, and away before bursting with a tiny pop.

CHAPTER 14.

That night I modeled my new dress for Steve and Farrah. Steve gave me a thumbs-up and Farrah-whose entire wardrobe consists of mu'u mu'us and caftans-declared the style and color divine. When I told her I planned to wear my new pearl amulet with it she beamed.

"But honey, since we're talking accessories," Steve said. "We've got to do something about those shoes."

I looked down at my *good' sandals. They were black leather with inch-and-a-half rundown heels. "No good?"

"Are you planning to run a half-marathon between the salad and soup courses? Because those things look positively athletic."

"I'm not into *do me' shoes, Steve."

"I get that, but c'mon. All you need is to take it up a notch. Maybe a lighter color, like bone or ivory, with a little bit higher heel. Let me take you shoe shopping tomorrow."

I groaned. "I'm not sure I can survive the mall two days in a row."

"Oh, get over yourself," he said. "Aren't you always telling bridesmaids it's their duty to suffer for their friend's big day? Haven't you convinced countless girls to wear the most G.o.d-awful get-ups in the name of love and friendship?"

I nodded. It was Hatch's first firefighter banquet. A little suffering was probably in order.

I woke up on Sat.u.r.day feeling conflicted. I looked forward to my date with Hatch, but not on any level was I looking forward to three hours of tromping through the mall with Steve.

"Maybe I could borrow some shoes," I said to him over breakfast. "You've got a few drag queen friends. Maybe they'd loan me something."

"Sure, if you wear a size fifteen," he said. "Suck it up, honey, we're going sole searching. I promise I'll bless the first decent pair you find."

It sounded like a concession, but I knew Steve well enough to know his notion of *decent' and mine were worlds apart.

Before we left for the mall I begged Farrah one more time to call the authorities and report the baby. I still hadn't heard from Sifu Doug's brother, James, and I wondered if he'd decided he didn't want to get involved.

"Hatch is coming here to pick me up tonight," I said. "He's going to grill you with his *truth stare' and you're going to go down in flames."

"Chill," she said. "I've got a plan. I just need a little more time." She looked down at the baby asleep in her arms. When she looked up, her face was tight with resolve. "I can't let them take him. I just can't."

"Then why haven't you named him?" I said. "I'm not exactly buying that Libra in retrograde thing."

Farrah's expression relaxed. "I haven't named him because I don't have my computer hooked up yet."