Lei'd With Cupcakes (Cupcakes 3)

“Oh, thanks, Lena. I didn’t even hear it.”

Cade’s mom left to get the phone, so I stood up and offered to make Lena a plate.

Elena looked at our plates and scrunched up her nose. “I think I’ll just have some toast with peanut butter.”

“Missing out,” Cade said.

“For real,” Elin added.

I popped her toast in the toaster, then poured myself a glass of water. I was yearning for coffee, but I didn’t think coffee would complement my breakfast, so I decided to grab a cup later. Once her toast was slathered with peanut butter, Elena and I joined the guys at the table.

“Where’s Pops?” Elena asked.

Cade lifted his chin toward the back, indicating his dad was already out on the beach.

“Can I take this outside?” Elena asked, lifting her plate.

“Go ahead,” I replied, smiling after my daughter as she rushed to join Cade’s dad in hopes of getting in some surfing. I turned to Cade and said,

“She’s really going to miss him when we go home.”

Cade was about to reply, but was cut off when his mom came rushing back into the room and said, “That was Hannah’s parents. Hannah didn’t come home last night.”

Cade’s face hardened. He pushed his plate away as he stood up, the chair screeching on the tile, then he strode out.

My stomach clenched, and I lost my appetite, as I also stood from the table.

“They were hoping she was here?” I guessed.

Mama nodded.

“What did Alani say?”

“She’s not in her room,” Cade’s mom replied, and my heart dropped.

Before I could go in search of Cade, he stormed back in.

“Alani’s car is gone. Did she say anything to you?” he asked his mother.

“No,” she replied.

“Go ask Lena if Ni Ni said anything to her this morning, then call me on my cell,” he told me, then spun on his heel.

“Where are you going?” I asked his retreating back, but he was already gone. “Shit,” I muttered as I went out the back door.

“Lena,” I called as soon as my feet hit the sand.

She turned from talking to Pops and asked, “Yeah?”

“Did you see Alani this morning?”

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “She was gone when I woke up.”

I started to go back inside, then heard the familiar sound of pipes and went running around the house in time to see Cade flying up the hill on a motorcycle.

“Where did that come from?” I asked out loud, jumping when Cade’s mom replied from behind me.

“Cade and his dad built that bike together when Cade was sixteen. He tinkers with it every time he comes home.”