Page 42 of Casey's Hero

“I know. But this will take more time. And we have way too much of that on our hands.”

“True.” Casey got a dishtowel from a drawer while Kalea filled the sink with soapy water. She was reaching for a wet plate when her cell phone rang. Laying the towel on the counter, she hurried into the dining room, her heart fluttering against her ribs. It couldn’t be Jacob. They wouldn’t be at their destination already.

She didn’t recognize the number on the screen and almost didn’t answer, thinking it might be a spam call. At the third ring, she answered. With all that was going on with the men and awedding that might or might not take place the next day, she couldn’t afford to ignore a call.

“Casey?” a female voice asked.

“This is Casey?” she answered.

“It’s me, Mina Perez,” she said, her voice low and rushed.

Casey frowned. “Hi, Mina. What’s up?”

“I had a visit from my cousin Camila. She left just a few minutes ago.”

Casey’s hand tightened on her cell phone, and she glanced across the bar at Kalea.

Kalea had paused with her hands half out of the water, soap suds up to her elbows.

“Camila came to your salon?” she said loud enough for Kalea to hear. She moved the phone away from her ear and hit the speaker button.

Kalea dried her hands on the towel and came around the bar.

“Yes. She shows up once in a blue moon without an appointment and wants me to drop everything and do her hair. This time, she wanted me to fix it in an updo. She said she’s getting married.”

Kalea gasped.

“Did she say who she was marrying?”

“No. But she said she was in a hurry and had to get everything together before she headed to the ceremony.”

“Did she say where the ceremony would be?” Casey asked.

“On Kauai.” Mina paused. “I thought you’d want to know. She said something else that concerned me.”

As if Camila saying she was getting married wasn’t enough, considering she’d professed her love for Hawk the previous night, Casey’s hand tightened on her phone. “What else did she say?”

“She said, she had one other thing to do before going. Something about insurance to make sure her groom didn’t bail on her.”

Casey met Kalea’s gaze and frowned. “What does that mean?”

“She didn’t elaborate. But it didn’t sound good,” Mina said. “I thought you might want to know. Maybe you could figure out what kind of insurance she’d need if she were planning on marrying your friend. I hope you find him. I gotta go. Good luck.” Mina ended the call.

Casey lowered the phone and met Kalea’s gaze. “What kind of insurance does one get to ensure a man marries her?”

“I’d like to get my hands on this Camila woman,” Kalea said, her face set in grim lines. “My hands around her throat, that is.”

“I’m betting she’s having trouble getting him to agree to marry her,” Casey said.

“He won’t do it,” Kalea said. “Even if his life depends on it.”

Casey’s heart dropped to her belly. “But what if Camila threatened the life of someone he loved…?”

“I know Hawk. He’d move heaven and earth, risking his own life to protect a loved one. I mean, he could have been killed when he was protecting me.” Her eyes widened. “You don’t think…”

Casey not only thought it, but she would bet her favorite clipboard on it. “If she wants to make sure he says yes, she has to hold a carrot over his head.” She pointed a finger at Kalea. “The biggest carrot she can find is Hawk’s bride. Holy hell, Kalea, she’s coming for you.”

Kalea’s eyes widened. “Get the gun.”

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