Page 40 of A Taste of Paradise

She could still hear Sam’s voice in her head and their conversation on the bus earlier. Was there anything that indicated Greg wanted to marry her as much as she wanted to marry him? It was times like these that she questioned what she’d been doing for the past five years.

Then she reminded herself of all the good things about Greg, how he’d been her saviour when she was all alone cooped up in London, and those times when he made her feel special and loved. How he’d been especially supportive of the social media thing, really getting behind it when it went crazy and effectively turning her silly little hobby into a proven money-maker.

But did she care about that anymore, really? Yes, it had been a bit of fun during the early days, but as time went on and, especially lately, Naomi was starting to feel like it was all more of a noose around her neck. That she was beholden to so many businesses and indeed an audience of strangers.

She tried to disregard the fact that Greg was the one who’d encouraged her to take a career break away from the teaching job she loved to ‘better focus’ on monetising her audience. Granted the money was nice, but that had never, ever been her intention and still wasn’t.

‘Daddy, I want to!’ A voice up ahead that she recognised caught Naomi’s attention, halting her troubling train of thought. ‘I want to see it at night.’

‘OK, OK, I’m coming,’ Will’s voice rang out as the pair appeared from behind a line of palm trees.

Naomi smiled instantly. There was something about that little girl that tugged on a primeval need deep within her. Maybe it was a combination of inner maternal instinct, missing her pupils, or the fact that Holly reminded her a lot of herself at that age, if her parents’ stories were to be believed.

Whatever the reason, and despite being upset about what had just happened, there was still lots of joy to be found on this trip. She watched the twosome as they approached along the shoreline, completely preoccupied and unaware of her presence until they were only a few feet away.

‘Hey there!’ she called out, giving them a wave.

‘Naomi!’ Holly cheered and grinned broadly. It was the first time Naomi noticed that she was missing one of her bottom teeth.

‘Hey there, Holly. Will,’ she said as they reached each other. ‘What brings you two out here at this time?’ She touched Holly’s head. ‘Shouldn’t you be in bed?’

‘Daddy promised that I could see the sea at nighttime. I read in one of my books that the sea looks like the sky at night, but I’ve never seen that, so I wanted to know if it was true. I told him I wasn’t going to sleep until I saw it, so he brought me. And it’s true! Look, Naomi, the sea and the sky look like one.’

She was so thrilled by her discovery, Naomi could practically feel the little girl’s unreserved excitement as she bounced up and down, pointing at the ocean and then the sky. Oh, to be that young and innocent.

‘It is beautiful,’ she commented, smiling.

‘Can I get closer to the water, Daddy? I promise I won’t go in.’ Holly looked up at Will with such large-eyed wonder that Naomi knew he would have no choice but to give in. It had been the same with her and her dad when she was that age. All she had to do was flash her big green eyes and George was lost.

‘OK, you can walk ahead on the edge of the shore, but I’ll be right behind you. Don’t go too close to the waves either. You hear me?’ he called, but Holly was already several feet closer to the beach, her skinny legs moving quickly across the sand.

‘I think we’d better follow her,’ Naomi mused.

He chuckled. ‘I think you’re right.’

They trotted side by side in silence as they caught up to Holly. As promised, she was nowhere near the waves, standing on the cusp of the shore, looking up at the sky. Will stood a little way off watching her, a contented grin on his face.

‘You’re really great with her, you know – it’s lovely to see,’ she blurted suddenly then a small blush coloured her cheek at her forthrightness.

‘Thanks, that’s nice to hear. Though we have our moments and she can be very stubborn, as I’m sure you’ve already figured out.’ He smiled. ‘I always wanted a big family,’ he added softly. ‘Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. But Holly keeps me well enough on my toes.’

Naomi laughed. ‘I bet she does.’ They looked out on the water, each finding solace in the rolling of the waves against the shore and the soft lapping as they tried to gain ground over the wet sand.

‘So what brings you out here at this time of evening?’ he asked.

Naomi considered her answer before speaking. She didn’t want to unburden her relationship problems on a stranger. And she had a tendency to keep talking once she started.

‘I needed some air,’ she replied. It was true, even if only in part. ‘I was feeling a bit stuffy in my room.’

‘Really? I find the rooms rather breezy,’ Will divulged. ‘Holly and I have one of the beachfront doubles. You’re in a suite like your parents, yes? You and your partner.’

Naomi’s head whipped around in surprise. ‘How did you know that?’

‘Yeah, sorry, that does sound a bit weird and stalkerish even.’ He chuckled. ‘Your parents mentioned it during breakfast.’

‘And what else did my parents tell you?’ she questioned, bracing herself.

Will became visibly embarrassed, averting his gaze and giving a nervous laugh. ‘A few things,’ he admitted.