Something wasn’t right. Quinn didn’t get a bully vibe from him, but she did feel a sense of déjà vu.

“Again,” he added, an amused glint in his eyes.

She studied his face, then noticed his arm and the tribal tattoo that snaked around his bicep.

“You’re the surfer,” she said, feeling strangely insecure.

“Sometimes,” he said. “Today I’m a contractor.”

“You two know each other?” Maria asked.

Kupuna was quiet as he rubbed at the table’s scars under his fingers, listening intently.

“No,” Quinn said quickly. “He was just on the resort beach at the same time as I was and asked if I wanted to paddleboard.”

“Why were you out there?” Maria asked him. “You know you don’t like to share the water with the tourists.”

He shrugged. “I needed a change of scenery. Not sure why, I just felt drawn there on my way to Napili Beach. I go where the ocean pulls me.”

Maria narrowed her eyes at him, her expression doubtful.

He ignored her silent reproach and turned his gaze to Quinn.

“I’d like to hear your ideas about the kitchen,” he said to Quinn, finally breaking the awkward silence. He pulled a pad and pen from his shirt pocket, prepared to take notes.

Quinn relaxed. Maria took a chair next to her father, and the contractor—Liam—waited for her to respond. She felt relief. She wasn’t going to have to argue to be able to plan her own kitchen. She started with the shabby Formica surface.

“Okay, I want new countertops for sure. Something not too modern, but definitely more updated than this,” she said, running a hand along it.

“We can do that. Easy,” Liam said. “I suppose you want granite?”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “You suppose?”

He nodded. “Most of the mainlanders who buy or build here want granite.”

Quinn turned to Maria. “What do you think, Maria? I don’t want to be like most of the mainlanders.”

Maria didn’t reply. She looked thoughtful.

Realization flooded through Quinn. “Oh, Maria, I’m so sorry. How insensitive to ask your opinion when this is your house I’m remodeling for me.”

Maria smiled. “No, it’s fine. I’m happy to give my opinion. I love this house, and it deserves to be brought back to its former glory. To be honest, I’ve always wanted to use maple butcher block to match the cupboards. But soapstone is also nice.”

“Both sound lovely, but I think I’ll go with soapstone.” Quinn turned her attention back to Liam. “I’m not sure about the cabinets. Do you think they can be cleaned up?”

He paused, studying the cabinet doors. The interiors were glass, but the paint around the panes was peeling. Even yellowed.

He opened one and peered inside.

“They’re original,” Maria said. “Most kitchens back then had these glass doors.”