Page 7 of Trust

As soon as she was alone, she moved away from the vehicle.

“Where are you going?” Ben called out. Interesting that he seemed to see that she was in the area. Lately, the brother who had always been one of her best friends had not only been ignoring her, but it felt as if aliens had taken over his body. His personality had changed so much in the last year.

“Got a call I have to take from the caterers.”

He nodded as if she worked for him. Granted, she worked for Kingston and had planned to take over the entire legal department when Auntie Mae retired, but lately, she had been having second thoughts. Hence the phone call.

She clicked on her phone to answer the call.

“Lani,” Conner Dillon said. He owned one of the best-known security companies on the island. They had made a name for themselves since Conner moved to Oahu a few years ago. They were headquartered in Miami, but Hawai’i was uniquely positioned worldwide.

“Conner. How are you doing?”

“Doing well. I wanted to touch base with you about my offer.”

Yes,the offer.The last few months had been difficult. Her brother had become a stranger, and things at the business seemed off. She and Mae had talked about it, but neither could find anything. Add in her cheating ex, Rick, and she had been through a lot. When Conner had popped up and told her they were looking for someone to handle all their legal issues in the Pacific Rim, she had played with the idea.

“I have been thinking about it.”

“Look, I’m not calling to pressure you, especially with everything happening.” Everyone on the islands and beyond knew about her brother’s upcoming wedding. “I just wanted to let you know the offer still stands. We want someone from the islands to handle the legal issues, and with your background, I think you will fit right in.”

She would. She had contacts in surfing, but it went beyond that. She had dealt with sponsors worldwide. Auntie Mae had been training her for years to take over. Lani might be the head of PR, but Mae was adamant that Lani would take her spot.

“Can I have another few days? Ben’s wedding is this weekend.”

“Yes, I know. I saw your interview.”

She sighed.

“That reporter is a dick.” She heard a murmur in the background, and she figured it was Conner’s wife, Jillian. “Sorry. He was a jerk.”

“You were right the first time.”

He chuckled. “How about we meet up next Wednesday for lunch? That will give you some time to regroup after the wedding, which I’m sure will be exhausting.”

It was. If she ever got married, Lani would only want her family and her groom’s family there. Maybe a few close friends.

“That sounds great, Conner.”

“I’ll text you Tuesday and set up a time.”

After signing off with him, she stood there for a long moment, letting the idea of not working for Kingston fill her. It was heartbreaking, in a way. Their family, as had she, had been part of the surfing community for decades. Even when she had gone to the mainland, she had spent her time off in Hawai’i helping out in the legal department.

But something else joined that pain…freedom and excitement. She had never even had a part-time job unless it had something to do with Kingston. Even when she interned, it had been with a subsidiary of their company on the mainland. This would be the first time she’d ever stepped out on her own.

Maybe it was time to do just that.

“You’re looking great,” Ben said as they settled on the leather sectional. It was buttery soft, and situated so he could see the waves crashing into the beach.

“Thanks.”

“I guess working less is good for you.”

He noted the comment and filed it away. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was different about his best friend. It had been months since they had been together. Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, he looked the same as usual. There was something off about him, though.

“Been keeping busy.” He had his family business, but he had also stepped into producing. It was one of the things he had always wanted to do. That and direct. One of the reasons he had taken a chance on the new series was that they’d agreed to let him direct one episode of the first season.

“Sure, sure.”

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