Page 52 of A Taste of Paradise

‘Another surprise?’ Mack asked with a raised brow and mischievous grin.

‘This place is full of them,’ she countered.

Erin needed to dampen down whatever it was she was feeling and get her head in the game and back to business pronto. After all, this wasn’t a date; it was merely another professional obligation.

Wasn’t it?

Chapter 35

It was well after sundown when Lily’s Mini parked in the large parking lot behind one of the island’s most popular hotspots, Gros Islet.

The revitalised fishing village close to Rodney Bay, once a major seaport, was always a buzzing hotspot on Friday nights, where numerous vendors offered the best they had to choose from to those seeking a change of scenery, a tasty fish dish, or a chance to peruse some local art and craft. The area had a lot more to offer besides fish, but Lily had promised Shay a taste of how the locals did it, and there was no better place in her mind.

The sound of ragga soca, a rhythmic blend of calypso and Jamaican dance music, filled the air. The party was already underway and would only increase as the night progressed.

Lily hadn’t said anything to Shay about the delivery to her mother yet. She wanted to, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure if she should in case she’d got it all wrong.

Or worse, that she’d got him all wrong.

As they walked beside each other in silence and waited for the traffic lights to change so they could cross the street, she considered what his actions may have meant in isolation, regardless of any more nefarious suspicions.

Would he truly have gone to such trouble to do a good deed for her mother?

Did it have anything to do with her? Could he be feeling the same tug she was feeling? All reasonable questions that Lily knew would never be answered unless she said something.

‘Shay,’ she asked as they continued to wait on the light. ‘Did you send my mother a herb bouquet?’

The lights changed.

He looked at her for a moment and then his hand closed around hers.

‘I did,’ he replied simply, and she felt a gentle tug at her heart as he led her across the road.

‘Why?’ she asked as they continued in the direction of the festivities, her hand still in his.

The look he gave her made her stomach flutter. His fingers loosely held hers in his hand, though he acted as if it was nothing.

‘I’m sorry, was it inappropriate? Should I not have done it?’

‘No, it’s not that. She loved it. I wondered why you did it. You don’t know her. Or me, really for that matter.’ Lily searched his face as she spoke, and she thought he looked a little stung by those last few words in particular.

‘My da died a couple of years ago. My mam was like yours after, she didn’t seem to be able to come out of that place of sadness … of darkness, even. I was living in Dublin and she was back in Galway where I’m originally from, and it was right when I’d started at a new company and I couldn’t get away much. So I sent her flowers anonymously.’ He smiled. ‘Scared the hell out of her the first time. I didn’t sign my name or anything and, at first, she worried she had some kind of stalker.’ He continued to chuckle, shaking his head. ‘Anyway, once she realised it was safe, she started looking forward to them, almost. I pretended I didn’t know anything about it, but I could tell she was starting to come back to life. It took a while, but eventually, those little tokens of encouragement gave her … hope, I suppose? She had something to look forward to now. Eventually, though, she didn’t need that anymore so I stopped, but every once in a while I’ll send her a small bouquet to cheer her up.’

‘Thank you. I think it did the same for mine, and it was very kind.’

‘Don’t mention it. When you told me about what happened to your dad I was racking my brains for a way to help. Just like you’ve gone out of your way to help me lately.’ He flashed her a crooked grin and then secured her hand more tightly in his as he resumed walking. ‘So I rang yer man Larry and asked if he wouldn’t mind helping out.’

Exactly as she’d figured. Lily nodded, satisfied and also more than a little relieved.

That’s all there was to it.

It would be so easy to fall for him. She could see it already. She could see herself spending nights like this with Shay, having fun, exploring the island, and having someone care about her, rather than about what they could get out of her.

Still, it all seemed too sudden, too soon.

And – since he’d been practically dumped at the altar, and should right at this moment be celebrating his marriage to someone else – completely crazy.

‘I really think maybe …’ she began, trying to figure out what she wanted to say.