Chapter 10

By my secondand Aunt Fae's third margarita, we'd given Elle abbreviated versions of how we'd both ended up in New Ohia. She, in turn, told us about her new job as Events Coordinator for the Hotel Hana.

"How'd you come to get that job?" I asked. "Were you in the hospitality industry before?"

She smiled and shook her head; her shiny black ponytail swished. "Not at all. In fact, right out of college I joined the Army. I've been stationed at Schofield Barracks on O‘ahu for the past couple of years."

"And you just decided to up and leave?" Aunt Fae said.

"Something like that." Elle pressed her lips together as if signaling she wasn't keen on defending her decision or getting into the details of her departure.

But Aunt Fae leaned back in her chair as if settling in. "What did you do at Schofield?"

I rethought my assessment of Aunt Fae not being much of an interrogator.

"I worked in the medical lab. You know, there are two sides to the Army. There's the side that tosses grenades and then the side that patches up our people after the enemy tosses ‘em back. I was on the patching-up side."

"Medical, eh. What department?"

"Research. I was a project manager for a lab. Mostly blood and tropical disease work."

"So, how does that translate to being an Events Coordinator?" said Aunt Fae.

Elle snorted a chuckle. "It doesn"t. But I was ready for a change. Like I told the woman at Hotel Hana who interviewed me, I'm a detail person. My strengths are in seeing what needs to be done and then managing the people and material to get it done. More importantly, I make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Event coordination seems easy, but when you think about it, most nasty reviews of wedding planners and event hosts have one thing in common—somebody dropped the ball on some important detail."

"Well, good for you." Aunt Fae smacked down the heavy tiki-shaped glass Elle had brought to serve the drinks in. "You've got my vote."

"Seems I've been doing all the talking here," Elle said. "What about you, Fae? What did you do before coming to paradise?"

Aunt Fae opened up more than I expected she would with a relative stranger. "As you may have heard, this amazing woman right here was pretty much my whole life for the better part of twenty years. I'd worked various jobs, never really finding anything that fed my soul, until Kat became my ward. Then, everything changed."

"You were orphaned, is that correct?" Elle said, turning to me.

I nodded. After the day I'd had, I didn't want to get into the nitty-gritty of my parents' fatal accident.

Aunt Fae went on. "For me, Kat moving in was like turning on a light in a dark room. Everything became more important, more meaningful. I had a new appreciation for my job at the water district." She held up a hand and ticked off items. "It was reliable, had benefits, and I was allowed to adjust my hours to fit with her school schedule. Plus I spent my days outdoors. We lived out in the country where winters are long, but the summers are glorious. We'd go camping and hiking and this sweet girl was the best company an old maid could ever hope for. I was crushed by the circumstances that brought her to me in losing my brother, her dad . . . but equally blessed that I was given such a wonderful companion to raise and spend life with after we lost him."

Aunt Fae's eyes were damp as we gazed at each other. It was hard to not start up the waterworks again myself, but I kept it in check by blinking rapidly while doing some mental times tables. I probably appeared to be having a seizure.

"Well, and this isn't the booze talking . . ." I said. "I was the fortunate one. I don't know what my life would've been like if you hadn't been willing to take me in, Aunt Fae."

She reached out and took my hand. I squeezed hers; I was finally ready for some physical contact. "Love you, Auntie."

"Love you more. Now, anyone up for a rousing chorus of ‘Kumbaya"? Aunt Fae said. The three of us chuckled.

Aunt Fae got up to pour the last of the margaritas. Her hand slipped and the blender jar tipped over, spilling the last of the sticky green liquid. "Oops. That's gonna have to do. I'd make more, but I don't think we have tequila. Or margarita mix. Or even a blender."

We agreed what we'd had was more than enough. Elle got up to leave and reached out to touch my shoulder. "Great to get to know you better, Kat," she said.

"Thanks. You too." I meant it. I was well on my way to liking her.

She leaned over and gave Aunt Fae a hug. "Thanks for dinner. It was delicious."

I walked Elle to the door and waved goodbye. She swung the empty blender container back and forth in one hand and the canvas bag holding the tiki glasses in the other as she loped down the rise from our driveway toward her house on Pikake Court. I waited until she was out of sight before turning off the porch light.

How did Elle know I was averse to hugging?

And why did she really leave the Army?

I had a feeling, although it might've been a bit warped by tequila, that there was more to Elle Beane's story than just a woman who'd suddenly decided she'd rather plan weddings than save soldiers' lives.