Page 14 of Forgotten Promise

Then again, apparently she thought he’d meekly accept getting shut out of his own marriage, so maybe she had lost her mind.

Benjamin trailed behind Kailani and John as she speed-walked through the hotel. Hale’ekolu was a beautiful property—Waikiki oceanfront, but at the northern end of the beach. The bulk of the grounds were elevated by a natural stone rise in the shoreline, making it truly oceanfront rather than beachfront. The elevation and the curve of the shore meant Hale’ekolu offered some of the most iconic views of Diamond Head.

They exited the large L-shaped building that was the modern part of the hotel. Kailani’s shoes made a tapping sound on the stone floor of the open-air hallways. The modern multistory hotel bracketed a cluster of older buildings. The property had started as a small residential hotel back before Waikiki was one of the most famous beaches in the world.

The fact that Hale’ekolu could afford to keep the spacious grounds—including a large grassy lawn, winding garden paths, and historic trees—undeveloped was a sign of how well the hotel was doing. Most other oceanfront properties had torn down older, shorter buildings, parking high-rises on the beach in order to maximize the number of ocean-view rooms.

In a place where every square inch of real estate was nearly priceless, the presence of the two-story original hotel, the style uniquely and classically Hawaiian with a Dickey roofline, deep porch, and dozens of second-floor balconies—one for each set of folding wood-framed glass doors—was a testament to the influence the Iona family wielded.

Thinking about her family had Benjamin looking around warily as he followed Kailani. He’d only met her grandmother once, but it had been enough.

Kailani nodded and murmured greetings to the construction crew as they passed by a doorway covered in plastic sheeting. The signs of improvements were everywhere, scaffolding and plastic, the occasional cart of tools. One of the casual dining restaurants and the wine bar were closed due to the construction, but the two fine dining restaurants, located in the original hotel, were still open. He’d checked before the plane landed, hoping that they could sit down and have a meal together. He also had the names of half a dozen other restaurants in a note on his phone, and reservations at each of them. Ideally, if they were going to dinner, they would do so on neutral ground, meaning not at the Hale’ekolu, but Kailani wasn’t one to give up a home-court advantage.

“Where are we going?” John asked as they followed a garden path away from the towering new section of the hotel, headed for the original hotel building.

“You two are going nowhere.” Kailani looked back over her shoulder, her gaze meeting his for a moment.

Benjamin’s heart lurched, and he hated himself for the reaction.

Kailani’s gaze shifted to the building in front of them. “Actually, you can go sit in the restaurant.”

“Hibiscus or Makai?” Benjamin asked as they walked between two giant elephant ear plants, emerging onto the wide covered porch of the historic building.

Kailani shot him a suspicious look.

“Yes, Kailani. I know the names of your hotel’s restaurants. It’s not nefarious, you have one of the only Michelin-star and Forbes five-star restaurants.”

“Forbes rates restaurants?” John asked.

“Not exactly as well-known as Michelin stars,” Benjamin said.

Kailani shook her head. “I can’t…I need to go. Here.” She turned and hurried toward the ocean-facing end of the building. A hostess stand was positioned on an adjacent open set of double doors, a plaque on the front of the podium bearing a stylized flower and the word “Hibiscus.” Behind the hostess, white-draped tables waited for diners, most of the tables outside on the porch, which he thought might have been called a lanai in Hawaii. The space had an indoor-outdoor feel, thanks to the series of tall double doors, all of which had been opened, allowing a seamless flow between the interior and exterior. A single hibiscus bloom in a bud vase waited on each table.

“Hi, Sue, can you get these gentlemen a table and a bottle for me?” Kailani smiled at the hostess, who’d been checking something on a tablet. “I know the staff is still prepping, so don’t worry about that.”

“Actually, Sue, we don’t need a table, but thank you.” Benjamin smiled at the elegant young woman with a flower behind her right ear, who was too professional to react to his countermanding her boss.

Benjamin put his hand on Kailani’s back and steered her through the double doors, into an interior hallway. A grand staircase near the center led up to Makai, the fancier restaurant that sat atop Hibiscus. A few stanchions on the far side of the stairs roped off yet another construction zone.

He’d counted on Kailani’s professionalism to not make a scene. He’d been right. She let him guide her into the hall, but she didn’t stop there, instead turning to take them down a small side hall. They passed the bathrooms, stopping before a narrow door with a “staff” plaque.

“Kailani.” Benjamin reached for her, but stopped himself, dropping his hand when he realized that he’d been planning to grab her shoulder to hold her still, to force her to stop running and actually talk to him. Instead, he cleared his throat. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“That call came from the Trinity Masters,” he countered. “We’re all members.” Benjamin gestured from himself to John. “You need to tell us what that was about.”

“Do you really think that you know every secret the society has?” Kailani’s smile was surface-pretty, but cutting. “Don’t be naive.” The emphasis she put on the last word wasn’t lost on him.

Benjamin felt his back teeth creak as he clenched his jaw, but he didn’t say anything. The same way he hadn’t said anything all those years ago.

“Okay, you’re saying that call was from the Trinity Masters, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the three of us and Benjamin’s request.” John had one shoulder leaning up against the wall, his pose casual, relaxed, which seemed odd.

“Yes.” Kailani glanced at the staff door. “I’m sorry, but I need to—”

“That’s a pretty big coincidence.” John shook his head slowly. “Can you explain it to me again because I’m not getting it?”

Benjamin frowned at John. Was he serious? In their admittedly brief interactions, John always seemed intelligent. Also, there was something vaguely familiar about the way he was talking.

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