Page 43 of Big Island Horizons
“Did you file a restraining order yet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“What am I supposed to tell the judge? That he came to the shave ice place? That he talked to me? I don’t have proof of anything.”
“First off, a TRO gives you immediate protection until your court date, which will probably be six months out. No way he sticks around that long and shows up for that.”
“It doesn’t give me any protection. It’s a piece of paper. It doesn’t even take effect legally until he gets served, and how am I supposed to do that if I don’t know where he’s staying?”
‘Olena went quiet. Lani was right, she knew she was. She shouldn’t have even said anything. But the thought that this guy could come here and threaten her cousin with impunity infuriated her.
“Do you want me to come stay with you?” she asked after a while.
“No.” Lani sighed. “Thank you. But he doesn’t know where we live. We’re safe at home.”
“But do youfeelsafe?”
“Sure,” she said, utterly unconvincing.
“What about at work?”
“Kekoa said he’d get my shifts covered for a while, until he stops coming around.” She sighed. “I was looking forward to starting that mural. I guess I can go work on that one in Hilo instead, if they want me to.”
‘Olena was quiet for a while, thinking. Then she grinned. “We serve him at Haumona.”
“What?”
“The restraining order. We leave a copy of it at the shave ice place, and then if he comes sniffing around, whoever’s working can serve him with the TRO.”
“That’s… kind of brilliant.”
“Kekoa will love it,” she said with a vengeful laugh. “Let him try to go up against my brother. Guys like him never want to mess with somebody their own size.”
“Zeke’s a lot smaller than Kekoa.”
“Perfect.”
Another silence fell as they drove down the long, dark slope.
“You tell Tenn yet?” ‘Olena asked eventually.
Lani just shook her head.
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “I don’t want to make it his problem.”
“Girl, hewantsyou to make it his problem.”
“It’s bad enough I got your family mixed up in this.”
“Wewantto be mixed up in this. Don’t you get it? We don’t want you to be alone.”
“But I never should have gotten myself into this situation in the first place!”
“It happens.”
