Page 15 of Blue Hawaiian
“Seriously?” Gabi’s voice tightened. “We wereneverin the same league.”
The inklings of a caffeine-withdrawal headache needled Jess’s brain. She got up, ambled over to the coffee station, and turned on the mini Keurig. “Do you want any coffee?”
Gabi shook her head. “I had three cups already.”
Maybe that’s the problem, right there.
She selected an Italian roast coffee pod and inserted it into the machine. “Back to what you were saying—even if we weren’t as rich as the Blackwoods, they didn’t care. We stayed at the cabin right next door.”
“Only because Mama’s boss let us stay there. We both know why.”
Not this again. “What’s the big deal? He wanted to help us out.”
“He feltsorryfor us. Like we were some kind of charity case.”
What did it matter if Zach Horton took pity on them? For years, their mom had busted her ass working as Zach’s administrative assistant, putting in long hours, even weekends. Given that he was a wealthy real estate developer with multiple homes, he could afford to give his assistant two weeks paid vacation at his family’s cabin in the mountains. For Jess, those Big Bear vacations were the highlight of her summer, regardless of whether they were offered out of pity or generosity.
“Don’t fool yourself,” Gabi said. “We’re nothing like the Blackwoods. They’re worth millions and we’re—”
“We’re what?Notrich? Most people aren’t rich. That’s why they call them the one percent. At least Mama has a decent job. You should be proud of her.” Jess took a sip of coffee, wincing at the bitterness. She usually took it with cream, but she hated the powdered stuff.
Gabi crossed her arms. “What about Dad? Should we be proud of him?”
“Forget that asshole. We haven’t seen him in twenty years. We don’t even share his last name.” Jess had always been proud to call herself a Chavez girl rather than Teddy Carter’s daughter.
“We’re still related. Last I heard he was back in jail.”
Jess let out her breath in frustration. To her, being poor and biracial was nothing to feel ashamed of. If anything, she was proud as hell to be half Latina. But even though she and Gabi were light enough to pass as white, her sister had always been more conscious of differences in race and class. Especially since she was marrying a white guy from an extremely wealthy family.
“It doesn’t matter where we came from. Marc loves you.” Jess gestured to the sliding door leading to the balcony. “Look outside. We areliterallyin a tropical paradise. You need to chill.”
“Only if you promise you won’t screw up. No getting drunk. No food poisoning. No hooking up with Connor. I’m counting on you.”
Jess swallowed, the bitter coffee unsettling her stomach. A twinge of disappointment ate at her, but she pushed it aside. “I’ll behave. I promise. What’s on the agenda today?”
“Since we have the sunset cruise tonight, we’re doing a low-key beach day, with a little swimming and snorkeling. We’ll meet in the lobby at ten thirty and head out to Ka’anapali Beach.”
Jess held up the bikini, which was a lot more revealing than the black tankini she’d packed in her luggage. “Perfect. Thanks for getting me something to wear.”
Once Gabi had left, Jess felt her muscles slowly loosen. Being around her older sister was exhausting. Gabi had always striven for perfection, but now she was going off the deep end. Jess was caught in the middle, trying to be the perfect sister, the perfect maid of honor, the perfect everything, when she’d never been perfect at anything in her life.
But she wouldn’t forgive herself if she screwed up Gabi’s wedding. Which was why she needed to be on her best behavior.
She gave her newly acquired bikini another glance. The skimpy material would barely cover her curves. But if she wanted to spend time on the beach, she’d have to put it on.
Maybe Lance would be impressed.
Maybe Connor, too.
Not that she cared whathethought.
Chapter 6
The stretch of beach bordering their resort lived up to all of Jess’s tropical fantasies. Golden-white sand, turquoise water, palm trees, and a perfect temperature of 80 degrees. Gabi and Marc brought a picnic basket filled with muffins, dried pineapple slices, and macadamia nuts, as well as a cooler stocked with water and passion-orange-guava juice. Marc even rented snorkel gear from the hotel. Jess laid her towel next to the spot Gabi had staked out, beside their cousin Luisa.
Since Luisa was Gabi’s age, they’d been tight as kids and had often shut Jess out at family get-togethers. But even if Luisa wasn’t Jess’s favorite cousin, she was still family. And she was theonlycousin attending the wedding. It didn’t seem right that Luisa’s parents or her siblings hadn’t come to Maui with her. But none of the extended Chavez family had been able to afford the costs of the airfare and the hotel.
As always, Luisa looked completely put together, dressed in a skimpy black bikini that put her toned figure on display. Her thick black hair fell to her shoulders in loose waves, with none of the humidity-induced frizz that plagued Jess.
