Chapter 13
Tita Karra’s knuckles are white as she grips her steering wheel. I glance at Elle, who’s furiously texting on her phone like she’ll never see her friends again.
“Chill, Elle,” I mutter.
“Easy for you to say. You do fine with no technology. All I’ll have is paper, pencil, and shame.”
“Maybe not even that,” Tita warns. My eyes widen. She wouldn’t take my books…would she?
Peering over my shoulder, I see Shaw’s SUV tailing us. If I squint, I can see Gabriel’s worn green truck next in line.
My entourage wheels us back to our dungeon. My stomach flutters—not with dread, but with the smallest kernel of hope. Maybe my idea will work. But first, I need Tita Karra on my side.
I lean forward. “Tita?”
She doesn’t respond, but her dark eyes flick up to the rearview mirror, catching mine.
“Does my mom know what we did?” The car goes silent as Elle stops tapping and waits for the response.
Tita sighs. “Not yet. Your father is on a plane and your mom’s in a classified briefing for another hour, but Shaw has notified his superiors of the incident.”
Basically, I have an hour before Shaw’s boss tells Mom what happened. An hour to convince Tita about my idea.
We pull into the oak tree–lined road that leads to Mystic Hollow Inn. The large old house looks even more enchanting as it appears suddenly from behind the trees.
A figure waits on the front porch. It’s Gabriel’s mom, and as we get closer, the worry on her face is obvious.
Guilt hits me hard and I feel a pain in the back of my throat.
This is worse than the time I was nine and watched a scary movie with Senator Smith’s son, who peed his pants right before a major rally.
I was supposed to be the big kid taking care of everyone.
Instead, I freaked out my charges. Eight years later, I’m still irresponsible.
I snuck out of the house and am getting not only myself in trouble but also Elle.
I look at my watch. I have forty-five minutes before Mom knows.
Ruby rushes to our car. “Is everyone okay?”
My face is probably the color of Ruby’s red sundress. “Yes, we’re good,” I say, trying to project a calm demeanor.
“Our ice cream isn’t,” Elle mutters. She’s right, of course. I dropped our ice cream when we were caught. I assume Gabe got rid of my Pike Special too. Kinda sad I’ll never know what it was.
Gabriel’s truck pulls up and I watch as his mom’s face transforms from concern to fury. My stomach lurches. No, no, no. He can’t get in trouble because of me. Before she says anything to Gabriel, I jump in. “Your son is so talented, Ms. Calabrese,” I say in my most gracious First Daughter tone.
Her face whitens. “You mean at helping you escape.”
“No, no!” I clasp my hands. “Gabriel was helping me figure out community project ideas for me to work on this summer. My mother desires that Elle and I volunteer whenever we can. She believes it not only helps my fellow citizens but also teaches us crucial life and work skills.”
Ruby blinks at me. Tita Karra stands firm with arms crossed, but her silence tells me she’s listening. I don’t look at Gabriel but can feel his eyes on me. I inhale deeply and smile my perfect finishing-school smile.
“As you know, this summer I was supposed to be in Hawaii helping a local community project with Senator Sina’s staff.
But…” My voice trails off as the image of a stupid pineapple pizza pops into my mind.
I chase it away quickly. “But a turn of events changed my itinerary and now I find myself here at your lovely, historic, and charming inn. And I just learned your son is a courteous and informative guide.” I look at Gabriel now and raise my eyebrows, signaling him to play along.
He squints, then I watch as his face melts into a wholly manufactured smile. “Thank you, Ms. Cary-Alzona. The pleasure is all mine,” he says.
Ruby’s shoulders ease and I seize the moment.
“In particular, Mr. Calabrese introduced me to a town tradition I am wildly excited to support.” I dial my voice to full sunny optimism, impersonating one of Mom’s perky social secretaries.
“It checks all my mother’s boxes—small businesses, the arts, community building, and bonus!
It’s patriotic.” I flash my brightest smile.
“It’s the Mystic Hollow Inn’s annual Fourth of July Jubilee! ”
The silence that follows is so thick only the birds dare fill it. At last Ruby speaks. “You want to volunteer for the jubilee?”
I nod enthusiastically. “Exactly. If you’ll have me. Gabriel was showing me around town to meet some of the vendors. The jubilee is exactly the kind of relationship building my parents are hoping I’ll take on.” I think of Pat and his ice cream cart. Not technically a lie.
Ruby glances at Tita. “We could use all the help we can get, but I’m not sure having you on board planning our festival is allowed?”
Tita considers. “Anything official would have to be cleared by the White House.” My stomach sinks, knowing if that happens the chances of my idea working are as good as Mom’s favorite baseball team making the World Series.
“However,” Tita Karra adds. “If Abby is working behind the scenes, is not at all connected or visible, and keeps a low profile—I think that would be fine.”
Ruby and Tita Karra exchange meaningful looks. I hold my breath as the two step aside to discuss. I wring my hands, wondering if I should pitch my case further, but Ruby and Tita break off their conversation.
I freeze as Ruby offers me her hand. “You’ve made a strong case for yourself, Ms. Cary-Alzona. We’re glad to have you on board.”
My jaw drops and I find myself pumping Ruby’s hand and wrapping my arms around Tita. She shakes her head, letting me know she’s still angry at me, but she also squeezes my elbow, letting me know she’s not 100 percent mad.
Meanwhile, Elle does her version of a victory dance. “We’ve got this,” Elle chimes in. “Plus, I’ve got a lock on the young peeps demographic.”
Tita levels us with a look that could melt icebergs. “All fine and great. But no more sneaking out. From now on, everything goes through us and your security detail. Do I make myself clear?”
We all nod like bobbleheads. No one wants to end up permanently on Shaw’s bad side.
Gabe lifts his camera. “How about an unofficial committee photo?”
Ruby grins. “You’ve seen how good he is, right? He’s even shot a couple weddings here.”
Tita claps a hand on his shoulder. “Impressive. How many inns have their very own photographer on staff?”
I catch Gabriel’s face waver, and I recall he hasn’t told anyone about his desire to go to art school.
Gabriel captures a shot, and then after some cajoling, I get Shaw to take a photo so Gabriel can also be in the picture. The two of us are somehow pushed to the front and middle of the shot, standing side by side. I try not to blush at how personal this all feels.
After we finish our photo, Ruby claps her hands, her face transforming into the hotel manager I met on the first day. “Okay, back to work. Why don’t we let the girls get cleaned up? Gabriel, I need your help with some flowers that have to be picked up at Ms. Hirono’s shop.”
He doesn’t say see you later aloud, but his smile at me is practically a promise. The butterflies in my belly aren’t just fluttering—they’re full-on uprising. As he hops back into his truck, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Tita Karra has an amused smile.
I look at her hopefully. “You’ll explain to Mom this was all a big misunderstanding?”
“Indeed, dear niece.”
I clasp my hands. “Thank you for covering for us.”
She sighs. “I’ve watched you and that boy work so hard. Last summer all you did was campaign to help your mother win her reelection. You both deserve some downtime—and to freeze your brains with frozen coffee lattes.”
My eyes widen. “How did you know about the lattes?” I guess right away as Elle scurries inside the inn with a giggle. I turn to my tita. “Elle told you about my bucket list.”
She shrugs. “She gave me some highlights when I caught her at the park.”
I nod. Elle was right. I should’ve told Tita Karra about my list. My aunt turns serious. “Listen, I mean it when I say your participation must be behind the scenes.”
“I know. I know. The last thing we need is some misunderstanding like what happened with the pizza.”
“Not just that,” Tita says, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You need to know that there’s a resort that has recently opened up—”
“I heard about it downtown.”
My aunt looks me dead in the eyes. “That resort is owned by Oliver’s family.”
I stare at Tita before coming to my senses. “Wait. The competing resort is owned by Darby International?”
My stomach flips. If that’s true, then no wonder Gabe is losing customers.
Oliver’s uncle pours a lot of money into marketing for his luxury properties.
And that’s why Gabe was so snarky with Oliver.
Oliver’s family is hurting his mom’s business.
And now, they’re sponsoring a daytime activity to compete with Gabe’s festival.
I moan as I cover my face with my hands. “Helping a family-owned business is usually a good thing,” I say, mostly to myself. “Besides, I don’t work for the Darby family.”
Tita Karra shrugs. “I know. But after your mother asked me that you keep a low profile, do we really want to draw any of her attention by possibly antagonizing her vice president’s family?”
“No, of course not,” I say. “But there’s nothing to worry about. I promise to stay behind the scenes.”
Tita doesn’t budge. “Promise me—no headlines. And make sure no one you work with is the type to sell out to the press.”
I press my lips together. “Got it. All the usual rules. Elle, Shaw, and Nessa—we all know the drill.”
Tita Karra nods, then pulls me in for a side hug. “Good. Here’s to Operation Bucket List.”