family was going to kill him when they found out about this, especially Mano. His tūtū Ani would likely chew his ear off over the phone. He wished he could just keep it a secret, but since they had to play this relationship as real, he had to tell them. Dexter had warned that Child Services would not only come by the house but could conduct interviews with family and friends. That meant everyone needed to believe that they were husband and wife in every sense of the word. That seemed cruel to do to his family, as they waited anxiously for him to find a wife. Considering he would be divorcing in a short time and this was all a sham, he hated to get their hopes up for nothing. Hopefully he could get away with just telling Mano for now and wait to tell the rest of the family, if necessary, after the New Year.
“Aloha, Mr. Bishop,” the Hawaiian holy man greeted him as he stepped up into the pavilion.
“Aloha and mahalo. I want to thank you for coming on such short notice.”
The older man shook his head. “I always have time in my day to bring together a couple in love. Your hotel is one of my favorite places to perform ceremonies.”
Kal felt a pang of guilt, but he knew he’d better get over it. This man was just the first of many they were lying to to get guardianship of Akela. “I appreciate that. I tried to build something our guests would be willing to travel to Maui to have.”
“Do you have the rings?”
Kal reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the two wedding bands. “I do. Here they are.”
“Very good. I will be ready to start whenever your bride arrives.”
Kal looked down at his watch. They’d agreed on four in the afternoon. It was a minute till. He took a deep breath and tried not to be concerned about Lana’s punctuality. Kal wasn’t in a rush to marry anyway, but he did want this part to be over with quickly.
“Ah, there she is.”
Kal turned to look in the direction the kahuna pule indicated and felt his heart go stone silent in his chest. It was like he’d hit a brick wall at full speed when he saw her. His whole body tightened when he took in his bride, and his tuxedo chafed at his collar and other unmentionable places as though it had suddenly shrunk two sizes.
Lana looked...amazing.
Traditionally Hawaiian brides wore a flowing white dress that was cut in the style of a muumuu. He was extremely thankful at that moment that Lana had opted for something more modern and formfitting on the top. The white lace gown had a deep V neckline that accentuated her shapely décolletage and plunged all the way to the waist. There, the dress flowed down in soft layers of organza that moved in the breeze. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and she was wearing a traditional ring of haku flowers on her head.
Everything about her was soft, romantic and made him long for a wedding night he wasn’t going to have. It was possible that Lana was the most beautiful bride in the history of brides. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Everything around them faded away as though she were all there was in the whole world. In fact, when the kahuna pule blew into the conch shell to announce the arrival of the bride and summon the elements to bear witness to the ceremony, Kal nearly leaped off the ground in surprise.
Lana grinned wide with rosy-pink lips as she walked up the path to him. He reached out to take her hand and help her up the stairs. Despite her joyful demeanor, her hands were ice-cold. He was relieved to know he wasn’t the only nervous one.
“Are we ready to begin?” the holy man asked.
“Yes.”
“Very well.” The kahuna pule opened up his prayer booklet to the marked page. “The Hawaiian word for love is aloha. Today we’ve come together to celebrate the special aloha that exists between you, Kalani and Lanakila, and your desire to make your aloha eternal through the commitment of marriage. As you know, the giving of a lei is an expression of aloha. Kal and Lana, you will exchange leis as a symbol of your aloha for each other. When two people promise to share the adventure of life together, it is a beautiful moment that they will always remember.
“Kal, please place the orchid lei around Lana’s neck.”
Kal reached for the white orchid lei on the table, and Lana tipped her head down for him to place it over her shoulders.
“The unbroken circle of the lei represents your eternal commitment and devotion to each other. The beauty of each individual flower is not lost when it becomes a part of the lei, but is enhanced because of the strength of its bond. Lana, would you place the maile leaf lei around Kal’s neck.”
Kal watched as she took the long strand of green leaves off the table. Her hands were trembling as she lifted it over his head. He caught her eye and winked to reassure her. They would get through this together because that was what best friends did.
“Kal and Lana, you are entering into marriage because you want to be together. You are marrying because you know you will grow more in happiness and aloha more fully as life mates. You will belong entirely to each other, one in mind, one in heart and in all things. Now please hold hands and look into each other’s eyes.”
Kal took her hands in his and held them tightly. He didn’t know if it was the situation or how beautiful she looked today, but touching her was different than before. He felt an unexpected thrill as he took her hand, and it raced all the way through his nervous system like the burning fuse of a firecracker. He was suddenly very aware of the scent of the flowers in her hair, the subtle sparkle of her lipstick and the silky softness of her skin.
“Do you, Kalani, take Lanakila to be your wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward? For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health? To cherish with devoted love and faithfulness till death do you part?”
Kal swallowed hard and found his mouth so dry he could barely part his tongue from the roof of his mouth. He wasn’t used to being nervous, but this had certainly done the trick. “I do,” he managed at last.
That was the easy part. Now he just had to try to live up to the impossible vow he’d just taken.
* * *
The holy man repeated the vows for Lana, but she was hardly listening. How could she hear what he said over the loud pounding of her heart?
She’d been okay until the ceremony started. She’d had butterflies in her stomach, but she’d held it together as long as she focused on each little task—finding a dress, doing her hair, applying her makeup. In the mirror of her suite, she kept repeating to herself that this wasn’t about love, this was about Akela. The ceremony itself was the only real part of this entire marriage. Perhaps that was the problem. As she stood here looking into Kal’s dark brown eyes and let his warm hands steady her shaky ones, it felt real. Too real.
Lana let a ragged breath escape her lungs, then realized both men were looking expectantly at her. “I do,” she said quickly, and hoped that was the correct response.
It was. The kahuna pule continued with the ceremony by blessing the wedding rings. He placed the ti leaf in the koa bowl that was filled with seawater. He then sprinkled the water three times over the ring and repeated the blessing before handing the smaller of the two rings to Kal.
Kal repeated the required words, all the while looking into Lana’s eyes as though there were no other person on the whole planet. There was a twinkle of mischief there in his dark
