Page 50 of A Taste of Paradise

It had even happened to her parents. Why couldn’t it happen for her?

As Lily considered the possibility that there may be something more between her and Shay, and the many reasons why there should never be, she found herself torn between her pragmatist side, and the pure romantic that she was.

Her rational side told her to keep her distance and leave well enough alone. Her heart told her to take a chance and see where this would take her.

Life’s too short to always play it safe.

Chapter 34

Later, back at the hotel, Erin put her next phase of winning over Mack into operation.

‘Any plans to eat this evening?’ she asked him casually, as they disembarked the bus and said goodbye to Trevor and Molly, who seemed to have enjoyed the day’s excursion, as well as their unexpected reunion. ‘Like I said, I owe you one for the other day.’

‘The other day?’ A shadow seemed to cross his face and she wondered why the sudden change in mood. This guy really did blow hot and cold.

‘The snakes, of course,’ she reminded him. ‘Good thing for us, we had a proper ecologist in the house. David Attenborough, eat your heart out.’

‘Not exactly. I just like nature.’ He held her gaze again. ‘And doing my research.’

‘Well, then, I think you’ll enjoy what I have in mind. Just have a couple of things to catch up on before I finish for the day,’ she said, heading to her office. ‘Meet you back out front in about an hour?’

‘Looking forward to it.’

‘Erin, there you are!’

She spun around in the direction of the voice to see the manager of food and beverage, Janelle, sprinting towards her in the lobby.

‘Sorry, I couldn’t find Grant. I just got this from our wine supplier. They claim they didn’t get my last purchase order, even though I have a copy of my email and a read receipt.’

Janelle thrust a printout of the order toward her, while Erin wondered what the heck the hotel manager did all day since he seemed continually unavailable.

She glanced back to check if Mack was still nearby, hoping he hadn’t witnessed yet another hotel issue. Being party to such a host of troublesome snags would surely send their chances of partnering well and truly into the wind.

‘Well, these things happen. I’m sure they’ll take care of it,’ she shrugged, scanning the message.

‘They’re saying there’s some sort of champagne supply shortage. They can’t get us any more till the end of the month. And we need fifty bottles or more for next week.’

‘I still think it’s fine actually,’ Erin reassured her, remembering. ‘I believe Lily was able to hold some over from that cancelled wedding; you should check in with her.’

‘Great.’ Janelle looked relieved, but Erin’s suspicions were once again on high alert.

Was this a genuine supply issue, or yet another attempt at sabotage?

‘So what’s the plan?’

A little later, Erin beckoned Mack to follow her out into the parking lot. ‘There’s a great restaurant a few miles west of here. If you want authentic St Lucia, then you need to eat at Tanzie’s,’ she told him, as they approached a white Suzuki Samurai jeep.

It was a rental, until she became more settled on the island and could afford to buy her own, but she couldn’t resist bringing a little bit of home with her by way of the bumper sticker that read, I Break Boulders.

‘Yours, obviously,’ he stated, reading this with some amusement.

Erin pressed the button on her keys and heard the chirp of the alarm deactivating partnered with the sound of the opening of the locks.

They both got in.

‘Tanzie’s … interesting name for a restaurant,’ Mack commented as he rested his arm on the frame of the open window. The wind whipped through the interior of the cabin, tossing his dark hair about and making it unruly.

Erin kept her eyes on the road. ‘If you can call it that.’