The Hales had no intention of giving up. Instead of leaving, they rented a long-term suite at the five-star oceanfront hotel directly across from my dessert shop. Separated only by the street, they began hounding me relentlessly.
Every morning the moment I rolled up the metal shutter, Kenton would appear across the road right on schedule. One day he hauled over a crate of limited-edition air-freighted sweet coconuts.
The next day, Leonard hobbled over with his cane and held out the keys to an oceanfront villa along Hawaii's bay.
The day after that, Eleanor arrived with teary eyes, clutching several officially stamped documents. She said she planned to transfer ownership of half the Hale collection vault to my name.
I could not even be bothered to glance at any of it. Every gift was tos
