Reluctant Witness (63 page)

“No. Very handsome,” I insisted. “I like
it.”

“Lara pointed it out in a shop window when we
were in Oahu recently.”

I could tell he was nervous as he waited for
my response. I did my best to reassure him, knowing this wasn’t as
much about a shirt as it was about taking on a prospective love
interest.

“I’m glad she did, Dad.”

“I am too.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Liz
give an elbow poke to her blushing friend; a moment later, she
leaned over and whispered something in Lara’s ear. The
co-conspirators were already planning their next moves.

We walked out to the parking lot together and
climbed into the SUV, arranging ourselves in the three rows of
seats for the trip to the Hukilau Lanai. This time, I was prompted
by Liz to sit up front with Jeff.

“I hope you don’t mind, dear. I’d like to sit
with my spouse. I haven’t seen much of him all day.”

“Not at all. It would be my pleasure.”

Jeff helped me navigate the step up into the
front seat, squeezing my hand conspiratorially. I fought the urge
to grin. Would the expert on romance ever be satisfied with her
matchmaking if she thought I was such an easy sell? The more I
seemed to resist the idea of succumbing to her son’s charms, the
more I suspected Lisbeth Causley would work to bring us together,
and that had some benefits I couldn’t deny.

The charming tropical ambiance of the
restaurant delighted us as we followed our host through the dining
room of the Kauai Coast Resort and out to the covered lanai. We
were seated at a large round table at the edge of the tiled
terrace, surrounded by lush foliage and soft lighting. I was no
sooner in my rattan chair between Jeff and Lara when Liz started
asking me questions.

“Chris, how long will you be staying on in
Hawaii?”

“I’m not really sure.” That much was true. As
I continued, I had to fudge my answers, trying not to overact. “I
came to Hawaii after I hit a rough patch. I wanted a change of
scenery while I figure out what to do with the rest of my
life.”

“Oh, sounds like man trouble,” was the reply
from across the table. Liz reached for her glass and took a sip
from her wine glass. Considering that Jared was the man in
question, I didn’t have to feign my dismay when recalling how badly
our engagement ended.

“That would be an understatement. He was
definitely the wrong guy for me. Not a nice man at all.”

“A philanderer?” Liz ignored her son’s
discreet clearing of the throat. Ever the mystery fan, she pressed
on, wanting to know more. Lara attempted to put a restraining hand
on Liz’s arm, but it had no impact on her inquisitive nature.

“No,” I shivered as I let myself remember
what being with Jared was like. I hadn’t even met his family,
despite the engagement. “Much worse.”

“Hmm....What could be worse than that?” Liz
pondered the possibilities. “A villain?”

My father was watching me with concern. Had
he figured out why we were suddenly reunited in Hawaii?

“Liz, I don’t think we should pry into
Chris’s love life,” P. J. told her. “After all, it might be a
painful subject for her. What if he was a criminal...or worse?”

The moment he said that, I glanced at him in
alarm, terrified that my recent experience would come to light.
What would happen if Liz found out?

“Really, Mom, we have no way of knowing
whether poor Chris has been through the wringer. For all we
know....” Jeff held up his hands, leaving the door wide open to
speculation. I wondered if he and his father intended to do that;
they had to know she couldn’t resist a mystery. Maybe it was their
way of insuring that Lisbeth Causley would take me under her wing.
After all, Camille and Étienne had trusted her with their
secret.

I watched mother studying son for a long
minute. Her eyes never strayed from Jeff’s face, even as he poured
Lara and my father a little more wine. A moment later, Liz turned
her attention back to me, but this time she seemed less inclined to
dig through the personal details.

“You’re single,” she wanted to know, “and on
your own?”

“I am,” I sighed. “Free as a bird.”

“And you’re between jobs?” Liz continued to
probe.

“I am at the moment. I expect that to change
as soon as I settle in here and figure out how I can use my
skills,” I added emphatically. “After everything that happened to
me, I just wanted to get away...far, far away. The last thing I
ever expected was to run into my dad here.”

“It’s such a fluke that we bumped into each
other,” he admitted, watching me carefully. I recognized the signs
as those wheels began to turn in his head. He was coming out of
years as a protected witness at the same time I was. Was he putting
two and two together, recognizing there had to be a reason for the
unexpected status changes that had taken place over the last few
months, and even weeks? How could he not be suspicious? After all,
the long-time researcher spent years solving complex problems as a
man of science. Evidence was everything to him and he could tell
this just didn’t add up. But he was also, like me, a person who had
lived a secret life. I counted on him to be discreet in his
curiosity.

“Happily, this fluke seems to have a
fortuitous side,” Jeff declared, holding up his glass in an
impromptu toast. “Who could have imagined such a joyful reunion of
father and daughter? To Chrisanth and Woody!”

“Here, here!” The sound of glasses tinkling
against one another seemed to auger a new direction for the
conversation. We were over the bump in the road, the awkward
explanations of how things came to be. There would be time enough
later to thread the needle and stitch the details of the stories
together.

“
We might have missed each
other. I’m only booked here for another few days,” my father told
the group. “After that, I have to find a short-term rental for the
duration of the project.”

“You know, Dad, I’ve got an extra guest room
in my condo. You’re welcome to use it.”

“I don’t want to inconvenience you,
Chris....”

“Don’t be silly! I insist. It would be nice
to spend some time with you. It’s been so long since we had a
chance to talk.” I thought quickly about the sign I’d seen on the
highway. “Maybe if there’s time, we could go see the Na ‘Aina Kai
Botanical Gardens in Kalihiwai. Jeff and I passed it on the highway
today. And there’s also a chocolate farm that looked
promising.”

“One of several on the island,” Lara informed
us.

“That might be fun.” My dad took a sip of
wine as he mulled that over. “You know, I’ve always wanted to spend
some time exploring Hawaii. It’s actually a great opportunity to
tour some of the agricultural facilities and become familiar with
the natural environment.”

“I’ve got to get back to Cornell, but Liz is
planning on spending some time here working on her newest book.” P.
J. glanced in Jeff’s direction. “What about you, son?”

“I’m due in Wilmington, North Carolina for
some filming for the show and then I’m off to New York for
meetings.”

“You can’t stay?” Liz seemed genuinely
disappointed at the news that Jeff wouldn’t be around. “You should
take some time off. You work too hard.”

“I can’t, Mom. We scheduled these meetings
several months ago. People are counting on me to be there.” I felt
his hand brush up against my knee as he rearranged the napkin in
his lap. “What’s the new book?”

“Oh, it’s actually going to
be a continuation of the
Believe in Happy
Endings
series I started when I
wrote
A Whisper of
Ginger
. It takes place here on Kauai. I’m
calling it
A Hint of
Cinnamon
, and it will be followed up
by
A Pinch of Allspice
,
A Smidgen of
Cardamom
, and
A
Touch of Cloves
. Those mysteries will take
place on other Hawaiian islands. Are you sure you can’t
stay?”

“Positive. How long will you be here?”

“I planned on at least two months of research
for this book. Your father is coming back for a week in April.”

“Maybe I could fly back next month for a long
weekend.” Jeff made a point of pouring me another glass of wine,
and as I looked up, our eyes locked. Even though I knew it was part
of the script, my spirit seemed to soar at the thought of seeing
him again. I was hungry for the chance to be with him, to delve
deeper into the mystery of who Jefferson Cornwall really was. For a
moment, I lost my head and forgot to hide my interest.

“I hope I’m still around when you come, Jeff.
Maybe we could get better acquainted.”

“I’d like that.”

“Well, that leaves Lara,” said Liz. “What are
your plans? Can you stick around a while?”

“Oh, I’m sure nobody wants a third wheel
bouncing awkwardly down the street,” she replied. She patted her
mouth with her napkin and took a sip of water. “It tends to throw
off the momentum. I’ll find a place to rent somewhere around
here.”

My father quickly set her straight. “Not a
third wheel. Liz is staying. You’ll be the fourth. I’d love for you
to join us on our excursions and get to know my daughter.”

One look at my father’s face said it all. As
much as he was looking forward to spending time with me, he had no
desire to part company with Lara to do it. It was my turn to fight
for the cause of the man in the banana leaf shirt.

“Yes, definitely,” I agreed genially. “Please
take pity on my poor father and stay here, Lara. He is better
served by discussing his ideas with someone who actually
understands what he’s talking about when he starts spitting out
genus after genus.”

The hopeful expression on the botanist’s face
spoke volumes. It was clear Lara wanted to get to know my father
better, and with the help of the owners of the Paradise Coffee and
Spice Company, she was going to have ample opportunity to do just
that.

“Perhaps I could remain here an extra week or
two, Woody. I’ll check with the front desk.”

“I’d really like that,” my father told
her.

Jeff’s mother was pleased by this turn of
events and let us all know it. She even made my father’s companion
a tempting offer to seal the deal. “I have a much better idea. You
can move into my second bedroom, Lara.”

“What about Jeff? He said he’ll be coming
back for a visit in a few weeks,” the botanist pointed out.

“Mr. Money Bags can just rent his own place,
if and when he returns,” said Liz, giving her son a sly glance
before she changed the subject. “What are your plans for the next
month, Chris?”

“Hawaii seems like a great place to have a
wedding business, but it’s going to take some time for me to
establish myself. I’ve got to get to know the locals, make
connections, and meet the potential vendors. I thought I might
start with Camille’s friend, Molly.”

“Maybe we could help each other out.” Jeff’s
mother smiled knowingly.

“In what way?”

“
If you don’t mind, I’d like
to tag along when you talk to Molly about setting up a wedding
venue on her farm. Ever since you mentioned your experience as an
event planner, I’ve been kicking around an idea for a twist in my
story.”

“That would be fine,” I replied, opening the
door to our future relationship. Liz smiled at me and then at
Jeff.

“Is this going to be a murder mystery, Liz?”
Lara wanted to know. A second later, she corrected herself. “Oh,
what am I saying? No one ever tried to kill anyone at a
wedding.”

I was about to blurt out that I nearly lost
my life at the Gilded Nest, but I stopped myself in time. With
effort, I put a humorous, lighthearted spin on my response.
“Actually, I’ve seen some folks come mighty close in my time.”

“Really?” P. J. chuckled. “Are we talking
about knock-down, drag-out cat fights over the bouquet?”

“Oh, the horror stories I could tell!
Weddings bring out the worst in some people.” I rolled my eyes,
remembering. “The deceits, the betrayals, the battles over the
budget....”

“You’ll have to tell me all about that,” Liz
decided.

“Name it and I’ve seen it, every thing from
runaway brides to grooms with cold feet.”

“At the moment, I’m thinking of creating a
plot where the mother of a prospective groom gets positively
homicidal when her son makes an idiot of himself by not making a
move when he has the chance.”

“Wow, very subtle, Mom.” Jeff laughed
good-naturedly. “I think you’ll find my mother is an unrepentant,
dyed-in-the-wool romantic at heart, Chris.”

“And I think you’ll find my son is a
reluctant, foot-dragging-all-the-way-to-the-altar one. Beware of
bachelors who just can’t settle down, Chris. Some men are just too
fickle to figure out what is in their own best interests, even when
it’s standing right in front of them.”

“
That’s my cue to say I’d be
an idiot to pass up the chance to get to know the lovely Chrisanth
Neeson better,” he replied, giving me a wink. “Don’t let her marry
you off to anyone until I have a chance to come back and sweep you
off your feet.”

“Is that your stated intention, declared in
front of these witnesses, Jefferson Cornwall?” she shot back. “You
plan to return to Hawaii and woo her properly?”

“I do,” he laughed.

“You heard it, folks,” Liz crowed. “He’s
already practicing those magic words for that trip down the
aisle!”

“Here, here!” P. J. raised his glass in a
toast. “Let’s hear it for smart men who have the good sense to fall
for smart women.”

It was just after eight when we got back to
the resort. Jeff and I excused ourselves to walk Cooper. After a
stroll around the grounds with the tiny terrier, Jeff came upstairs
with me and stayed for about an hour as we continued our
conversation out on the balcony. Just before eleven, he rose.