Oh Damn One Night of Trouble (3 page)

“
A Kinkajou,” Josh said. He opened the cage and reached in to pet the animal's fur. “She is supposed to be between three and seven pounds. You can see she's barely two pounds. She's from South America.”

“
Does she have a name?”

“
Not yet,” Josh said. He held up a bottle of honey and smiled as the Kinkajou stuck its long skinny tongue into the syrupy liquid. “They love honey.”

“
That should be her name,” Kailani said, smiling at her.

“
Honey,” Josh agreed and he nodded.

Kailani heard a loud roar and she moved behind Joshua. Tubbo had left his couch. He was standing in the doorway, watching them.

“
I really have to do something about him,” Josh said. “He wants to be a pet and he can't be.” He leaned over and whispered in Kailani's ear. “I have to send him to the mainland soon.”

“
Ahh...” Kailani said.

“
A zoo in San Diego has offered to keep him but I haven't told him yet.”

Kailani nodded. The husky sound of his whisper in her ear gave her chills.

Joshua grinned. “I may have to send the couch with him.” He laughed and closed Honey's cage. He took Kailani's hand in his. “Come on. It's almost time for the game.”

Tubbo stood in the doorway and didn't seem to want to move.

“
Maybe...he doesn't want me here,” Kailani said.

“
Buddy, it's time for the game,” Josh said to Tubbo. “Let's go.”

Tubbo turned and went into the other room, crawling back up onto his couch.

“
He listens to you?”

“
Most of the time,” Josh said. “I've had him since he was a cub. Someone left him on the beach and I found him dehydrated and half starved. He's come a long way.”

“
He seems very healthy,” Kailani said.

“
Yes and that's why he has to...” Josh halted and then added, “You know.”

Kailani nodded.

Josh picked up the remote for the TV. “I ordered the pizza. If the delivery man can get past Burt, we'll have it soon.” He sat down next to Kailani. “You look very pretty,” he noted.

“
Thanks.”

Burt started chattering and burst through the trap door at a break neck speed.

Josh jumped up from the couch and ran to the door. “Pizza's here!” he cried out.

Out of curiosity, Kailani got up and went to the door. She watched as the monkey dove onto the delivery man and Josh had to perform an extraction, pulling him away. Josh came back down the walk, carrying the pizza with Burt dancing around his shoulders.

“
He loves pizza,” Josh said. “I'm not sure why. He's not supposed to eat it.”

Burt squealed and Kailani laughed. Josh gave him a small piece and he retreated to the shelf to eat it.

Finally, they were able to sit down and watch the game and eat the pizza.

Burt went outside and Tubbo fell asleep.

“
I have to say this is the most interesting date I've ever had,” Kailani said, with a grin.

“
You should allow me to take you on a real date,” Joshua said, meeting her gaze. “You might enjoy it even more.”

“
I...don't know.”

“
Think about it,” he said. “We might have a lot of fun.”

Chapter 4

The evening out with Josh Chandler proved to be more interesting than she'd expected and caring for the animals revealed an endearing side of his character. Still, she had to remind herself of how he made his money.

“
I heard you went out with Mr. Chandler last night,” Lily said, as she continued to fold the napkins and wrap the silverware.

“
How did you know that?” Kailani asked.

“
People talk.” Lily placed the silverware stacking it in the bin.

“
It wasn't a date actually,” Kailani explained. “I went to his place to watch a football game and we ate pizza.”

“
Well, I told him you'd never seriously date him.”

“
Why would you tell him something like that?” Kailani asked, “And why are you in my business?”

“
You said he was a man whore,” Lily said in a smug tone.

“
You didn't have to tell him.”

Lily looked across the room and watched as an entire table full of lady tourists flirted with Josh as he took their order. “I think he knows what he is,” she said. “Everyone does.” She picked up the bin and went into the kitchen.

Kailani gave him a good look. He was smiling, enjoying the attention. Maybe he was trying to add her to his collection but he was playing it smart by becoming friends first. She sighed and went onto the floor to wait on customers.

“
Kailani,” he said, turning as she passed by him. “Have you given any thought to what I asked you?”

“
I'm sorry,” she said. “I'm busy and it looks like you are too.” He seemed disappointed but she was determined to keep her life on track and her life didn't have any room for a male escort.

Lily wasn't as particular. She practically followed Josh everywhere he went in the diner and spent time during their breaks to chat and joke with him.

Kailani saw him writing something on a piece of paper at the end of the day and he gave it to Lily. She sighed and went into the back room to get her purse and leave.

Lily came in, waving the paper. “We're going out tonight,” she sang out.

“
Who is?” Kailani asked, in a bored tone. She knew who Lily was talking about but acted as though she was too busy to notice or care.

“
I'm going to an event with Joshua,” Lily told her.

“
How much is that going to cost you?” Kailani asked.

“
I'm
not
paying him,” Lily said sharply, “and I'm not a tourist.”

“
You act like one.”

“
Are you jealous?” Lily asked, smiling at her.

“
Jealous?” Kailani laughed. She took her purse from her locker and looked at Lily. “There's a light brown couch at Joshua's place,” she said, lowering her voice as if she were telling a secret, “He loves sitting on it. Make sure you sit there.”

Lily gave her a strange look and left the room.

Kailani was irritated but she managed a smile wondering what exactly Tubbo would do if he found someone on his couch.

She didn't have any classes that night and as Kailani passed by
Kula Lake, she briefly considered sitting by the lake but she changed her mind. Her life was quiet and empty when she had nothing to do. Maybe she should have gone with Joshua to the event but when she saw how quickly he chose Lily, Kailani knew she'd made a smart decision.

She stopped by a garden shop and chose a few plants for her apartment. Surely, with some care, she could make them thrive.

By the time she got home, one of them was already wilting. She gave it water and watched it all evening. It didn't improve. In fact, by nightfall, a leaf fell off onto her table.

Kailani sighed and turned on the TV to watch the news.
Mauna Loa,
one of the volcanoes, was rumbling again and beginning to erupt. Some people claimed the eruption would be small and others said it would be disastrous. No one knew and all they could do was wait it out.
Kailani's home wasn't in the path that the lava was expected to take but Joshua's was. She wondered if he had seen the news or was he busy, occupied with entertaining Lily?

Kailani glanced at her cell phone. The least she could do was leave a message. After all, Tubbo, Honey and Burt were probably home alone. She picked up the phone and tapped her finger on his name. The phone rang and she waited. His voice came on the recording and she waited. “Josh, this is Kailani. I saw on the news that
Mauna Loa might spew tonight. I figured I'd let you know.” She ended the call and put the phone down.

As she placed it on the table beside her, the image on the TV caught her full attention. They were issuing a high alert and
Mauna Loa had erupted in a full violent blast.

Kailani sat up straight and looked down at the phone. He wasn't calling her back. Had he gotten the message? Where was he?

She nervously tapped her fingers on the chair. Honey was locked in a cage. She couldn't get out, even if she wanted to.

Kailani grabbed her jacket and slipped into her shoes. Grabbing her keys from the table, she left her apartment. She couldn't bare the thought of the animals being trapped as the lava crept closer to Joshua's home.

She got into her car, seeing the orange glow in the western sky.

Sirens began to scream out and fire trucks raced past her at a break-neck speed.

Kailani followed behind them and turned down the road that led to Joshua's place. The sky was full of ash and it was falling on the windshield of her car. She turned on the wipers and drove slowly until she reached his house.

She didn't see Tubbo or Burt anywhere but the other animals in the cages were shrieking and screaming. It was chaos. Kailani wasn't sure what to do so she began to unlock the cages. She found Honey, the Kinkajou, curled up in the back of her cage. She was frightened. Gently, Kailani reached into the cage but Honey's eyes widened and she backed away. Kailani picked up the honey bottle and coaxed her to come with her. She picked up the tiny, sick animal and put it into her jacket.

On her way out of the house, Kailani ran into Josh. He was frantic, with ash smudged on his face and his eyes revealed his fear.

“
I didn't know what to do!” Kailani told him. “I unlocked the cages!”

“
Where is Tubbo?”

“
I don't know,” Kailani said. “I haven't seen him or Burt.”

Josh looked out back and returned to the house. “I have to find him.”

“
Where's Lily?” Kailani asked.

“
Who?”

“
Never mind,” Kailani said. She trembled watching as Josh took a rifle from the wall. “You're not going to...” She felt sick to her stomach.

“
It's a tranquilizer gun,” Josh told her. “If he's frightened, I can't gauge his actions. I wish I knew where he's gone off to.”

“
I'll help you look,” Kailani offered.

He called out for Burt but the monkey had either escaped through the trap door or he was hiding. “I can't lose them Kailani,” he said. “I can't. They're the only family I have.” His voice was husky as he paused to pet Honey with the tip of his finger. “Come on,” he said. “We have to find Tubbo. If the police see him, they might not understand...”

Joshua drove slowly and his eyes scanned the area, searching for the Bengal Tiger.

Kailani cradled Honey and hoped they would find Tubbo soon. She never thought she'd want to see a tiger as badly as she did at that moment.

“
I don't see him,” Joshua said. “I don't see him anywhere.”

“
There's so much ash,” Kailani said. “It's too dark.”

“
Here, use this light,” Josh said. “Maybe his eyes will shine and give him away.”

“
What if we don't find him?”

“
I have to find him,” Josh said. “I have to.”

“
Call the police,” Kailani suggested, “and tell them about Tubbo. Maybe if they know about him, they won't think he's wild or rabid.”

Josh glanced at her. His eyes moistened. “That's a good idea Kailani,” he said. He called and gave the police a list of animals that were in the cages. “None of them will hurt anyone,” Josh said, “even Tubbo...but if he's frightened...yes, I have a tranquilizer gun and I'm searching for him. Yes, I'm aware that I'm in a restricted area but I'm not evacuating without him.” He terminated the call and glanced at Kailani. “I'll take you and Honey to a safe place,” he offered.

“
We can take Honey to a safe place,” Kailani said, “but I'm going with you.”

“
It's too dangerous.”

“
It will be better if I'm with you,” Kailani reasoned. “I've lived here all of my life. I know this island as well as I know myself and I can help you look for him. You shouldn't be out there alone.”

“
I've managed very well for years doing everything alone,” he told her.

“
I really want to help,” she said. If she'd heard Tubbo had been shot and killed, she knew something inside of her would die too. “A long time ago there were only Native people on this island,” she told Josh, “and it was their home. They shared it with the animals. They didn't kill or trap them unless they needed food. It's wrong to just kill them. We have to find Tubbo.”

“
All right,” Josh agreed. “We'll take Honey to the vet in town and we'll head back out.”