Maui Widow Waltz (Islands of Aloha Mystery Series) Read Online Free Page B

springs retract, and a few
seconds later he poked his head back through the beaded doorway. Strings of
shiny plastic beads draped across his shoulders making him look like a hunky
back-up dancer on a music video.   
    “I’d have to check,” I said. “With
only a few days to buy the fabric; take Lisa Marie’s measurements; cut out the
pattern; and then assemble the main pieces for the first fitting it probably
won’t come cheap. But it would be an original gown that could be passed down to
her daughter.”
    “Like there’s ever going to be a
daughter,” Kevin muttered. I anticipated an outburst from Lisa Marie, but
apparently she didn’t pick up on his cynicism about Brad Sanders ever
contributing to the gene pool.
    “You’re right. I deserve an
original couture design,” she said. “When can I start interviewing
seamstresses?”
    “I don’t think you grasp the
situation here, Lisa. In order to—”
    “It’s Lisa Marie . Only Brad
gets to call me Lisa.”
    “Sorry, Lisa Marie,” I said. “A
wedding gown in less than a week is a minor miracle. Let me call a woman in
Wailuku who does alterations for all the local dress shops. She’s the best on
the island. If she can’t do it, you’ll have to fly over to Honolulu and find an
off-the-rack gown.”
    “No. I’ve decided I want an
original. I don’t care how much it costs. And not another word out of you,
buster.”
    Kevin stepped all the way into the
dressing room and crossed his arms tightly across his chest. He looked as if he
was dying to say something, but he stayed silent. Then he turned on his heel
and went back out. This time I heard his footsteps cross the floor. I winced as
he slammed the front door and the thin plank walls of the plantation-era
building shuddered in response.
    “Don’t mind him,” Lisa Marie said.
“He’s always been a nervous Nelly. Brad told me when they were first getting
the company started Kevin used to freak out all the time about money, patents,
industrial spies, all of it. Now I guess it’s my turn to put up with him while
we try to get this wedding ready. I hope Brad comes back before too long. I
don’t know how much of Kevin’s uptight crap I can take. Especially since I’m
trying to get ready for the biggest day of my entire life.”
    My conscience nagged. I asked Lisa
Marie to have a seat on the dainty stool next to the dressing room step-up
while I perched on the bottom step.
     “You know, the Coast Guard’s
pretty sure Brad fell overboard.” I didn’t know how far I could push her, so I
eased into it, trying to remember the high points of the hostage negotiation
class I’d taken during my air marshal training.
    “Yeah, so?”
    “Well, it’s extremely difficult to
make it back to shore if a person falls into open water during the night.”
    “And your point is?”
    “Lisa Marie, Brad may not be coming
back. Do you understand that? Are you prepared to accept that?”
    “You don’t know Brad. I do. Brad
wants to get married on Valentine’s Day, and so do I. Even putting up with
cranky Kevin is worth it because by next week I’ll be Mrs. Bradley James
Sanders, wife of DigiSystems founder and president.” She narrowed her eyes. “So
tell me, what’s going on with you? It sounds to me like maybe you’re trying to
weasel out of doing this. What is it—do you want more money? Are you afraid you
won’t be able to do what you promised? What?”
    “No, it’s nothing like that. I was
just thinking—“
    “Well, stop thinking. From the
looks of things, thinking’s not your strong shoot. Just answer me this: Are you
going to do what you said you’d do and put on my perfect Valentine’s Day
wedding or not?”
    “Of course. I just—”
    “No, stop. No more negative vibes—I
need to stay positive. Don’t talk to me unless you have something cheerful to
say.” She reached into her purse and brought out a hard-sided glasses case.
Flicking it open, she plucked out a pair of Chanel tortoise