main
building was underwhelming, too, but then, while Saint Lucia was a
tourist hot spot, travelers probably didn’t flock here the way they
did to larger locales. According to Mark, Saint Lucia was only
twenty-seven miles long and fourteen miles wide. A person could
drive around the entire island several times in one day if they
wanted to.
After grabbing their luggage and working
through customs and picking up their four-wheel drive rental, Mark
drove them away from the airport.
The hardest thing to get used to was driving
on the left side of the road, but of course, Mark handled it with
ease.
“How long are we staying?” she said as they
drove south along the coast. She caught glimpses of the sea between
the trees and shops dotting the roadside.
“Nine days. We fly back next Sunday.”
Over a week in paradise. Nine days of beaches
and walking in the surf. Of no one but her and Mark. No work, no
tense family Christmas visits.
Was Christmas really only five days away?
And she wasn’t spending it with her
family.
It saddened her that her dad had drawn such a
hard line against Mark, and, consequently, her. Didn’t twenty-six
years of love, devotion, fishing trips to Peterman Lake, and
countless father-daughter nights in front of the TV cheering on
their favorite teams count for anything? Her dad had discarded her
as if their relationship meant nothing.
Her melancholy must have shown, because Mark
reached across the console and closed his hand around hers.
“What’s wrong?” he said.
Mark could read her so damn easily. He’d
always been able to. An invisible link seemed to connect his mind
to hers. She’d never known anyone so attuned to her.
“I was just thinking about my dad.”
He squeezed her hand. “He’ll come
around.”
“I’m not so sure.” She sighed and dropped her
gaze to her lap. “Do you realize this is the first Christmas I
won’t spend with him and my family?”
Mark’s fingers wove more firmly around hers.
“I know. It’s one reason why I wanted to bring you here. To help
take your mind off what’s happening between you and your dad.” He
paused, shooting her a quick glance before turning his eyes back to
the road. “And . . . I remembered what you said
about that picture in your bedroom. The one of the seascape. You
told me that you often lie on your bed, looking at that picture,
and imagine yourself on a tropical beach somewhere.”
She smiled at their joined hands then admired
his profile. “And, now, here I am. You’ve brought my daydreams to
life.”
“Something like that.” He darted another
sideways glance toward her and smiled reassuringly.
He took such good care of her. She had never
complained about the coming holiday. Had never mentioned her
sadness over not being able to spend Christmas with her dad. But
Mark had known. Whatever connection his mind shared with hers had
warned him she needed extra TLC right now. And like a knight in
shining armor, Mark delivered above and beyond. What better way to
take her mind off her sadness than by whisking her away to a
tropical island?
When the hustle of Castries lay fifteen
minutes behind them and they’d entered a more isolated area, Mark
slowed and turned into the driveway of a large villa. Karma nearly
choked on her saliva at the enormous size.
“What’s this?”
Mark shut off the engine. “This is our home
for the next nine days.”
Her mouth fell open as she turned her gaze
back to the impressive home. “We’re not . .
I . . . hold on a second.” She raised her hand,
feeling like a fairy princess in the middle of a fantasy. “We’re
not staying in a hotel?”
His eyebrows knotted over the bridge of his
nose as his mouth twisted in amusement. “No. Should we be staying
in a hotel?”
“I just assumed . . .” She
turned wide eyes back to the villa as words failed her.
He had rented them an entire house, complete
with an open view of the sea and a crystal blue sky dotted with
puffy
building was underwhelming, too, but then, while Saint Lucia was a
tourist hot spot, travelers probably didn’t flock here the way they
did to larger locales. According to Mark, Saint Lucia was only
twenty-seven miles long and fourteen miles wide. A person could
drive around the entire island several times in one day if they
wanted to.
After grabbing their luggage and working
through customs and picking up their four-wheel drive rental, Mark
drove them away from the airport.
The hardest thing to get used to was driving
on the left side of the road, but of course, Mark handled it with
ease.
“How long are we staying?” she said as they
drove south along the coast. She caught glimpses of the sea between
the trees and shops dotting the roadside.
“Nine days. We fly back next Sunday.”
Over a week in paradise. Nine days of beaches
and walking in the surf. Of no one but her and Mark. No work, no
tense family Christmas visits.
Was Christmas really only five days away?
And she wasn’t spending it with her
family.
It saddened her that her dad had drawn such a
hard line against Mark, and, consequently, her. Didn’t twenty-six
years of love, devotion, fishing trips to Peterman Lake, and
countless father-daughter nights in front of the TV cheering on
their favorite teams count for anything? Her dad had discarded her
as if their relationship meant nothing.
Her melancholy must have shown, because Mark
reached across the console and closed his hand around hers.
“What’s wrong?” he said.
Mark could read her so damn easily. He’d
always been able to. An invisible link seemed to connect his mind
to hers. She’d never known anyone so attuned to her.
“I was just thinking about my dad.”
He squeezed her hand. “He’ll come
around.”
“I’m not so sure.” She sighed and dropped her
gaze to her lap. “Do you realize this is the first Christmas I
won’t spend with him and my family?”
Mark’s fingers wove more firmly around hers.
“I know. It’s one reason why I wanted to bring you here. To help
take your mind off what’s happening between you and your dad.” He
paused, shooting her a quick glance before turning his eyes back to
the road. “And . . . I remembered what you said
about that picture in your bedroom. The one of the seascape. You
told me that you often lie on your bed, looking at that picture,
and imagine yourself on a tropical beach somewhere.”
She smiled at their joined hands then admired
his profile. “And, now, here I am. You’ve brought my daydreams to
life.”
“Something like that.” He darted another
sideways glance toward her and smiled reassuringly.
He took such good care of her. She had never
complained about the coming holiday. Had never mentioned her
sadness over not being able to spend Christmas with her dad. But
Mark had known. Whatever connection his mind shared with hers had
warned him she needed extra TLC right now. And like a knight in
shining armor, Mark delivered above and beyond. What better way to
take her mind off her sadness than by whisking her away to a
tropical island?
When the hustle of Castries lay fifteen
minutes behind them and they’d entered a more isolated area, Mark
slowed and turned into the driveway of a large villa. Karma nearly
choked on her saliva at the enormous size.
“What’s this?”
Mark shut off the engine. “This is our home
for the next nine days.”
Her mouth fell open as she turned her gaze
back to the impressive home. “We’re not . .
I . . . hold on a second.” She raised her hand,
feeling like a fairy princess in the middle of a fantasy. “We’re
not staying in a hotel?”
His eyebrows knotted over the bridge of his
nose as his mouth twisted in amusement. “No. Should we be staying
in a hotel?”
“I just assumed . . .” She
turned wide eyes back to the villa as words failed her.
He had rented them an entire house, complete
with an open view of the sea and a crystal blue sky dotted with
puffy
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