Page 29 of A Taste of Paradise

‘Not at all, I was enjoying our chat,’ Janice offered. ‘Besides, we can’t leave until Naomi is finished and she takes forever to eat.’

‘I do not, Mum,’ she protested as she bit into a cold slice of toast. ‘And I didn’t make any plans for today actually.’

‘You’re always the first at the table and the last to leave it,’ her mother divulged. She leaned closer to Will. ‘We always had to take Naomi into account whenever we went to a restaurant. We’d let her order a few minutes before everyone because by the time she finished, everyone else would be too and we wouldn’t have to wait around.’

‘I’m not going to apologise for enjoying what I eat,’ Naomi countered. ‘You should savour your food.’

‘I completely agree,’ Will chorused. ‘I’m always telling Holly that she eats too quickly. Food is made to be enjoyed not wolfed down.’

‘Thank you! There you go, from the mouth of a proper restauranteur, too. Thank you.’

‘So what do you do, Naomi?’ Will asked, and before she could answer her mother piped up.

‘She takes pictures of herself and puts them on the internet for money.’

‘Mum!’ she admonished, mortified. Bad enough that she herself found it hard to comprehend her little side profession, much less explain it to someone else. Plus her mother made it sound so … tacky.

‘What? It’s true, isn’t it?’

‘I’m actually a teacher,’ she told Will, pink-cheeked, ‘but these days I also have a little following on social media as a bit of a clothes’ horse.’ Gosh, it was always so difficult to get it across to people who weren’t social media users and she could see the confusion on Will’s face already.

‘Oh, like a YouTuber?’ Holly gasped, her eyes wide. ‘So you’re famous? Wow!’

‘I’m definitely not famous,’ Naomi assured her quickly. ‘It’s only a hobby really, something to do in my spare time.’

‘Dad, get out your phone.’

‘Honestly, it’s nothing,’ Naomi persisted and, to his credit, Will seemed to pick up on her discomfort and didn’t seek to deepen it even further by looking her up online there and then.

‘So how long are you and Holly staying at The Palms, Will?’ Janice asked, and Naomi noticed a weird inflection in her mother’s tone as she spoke. As if she was trying to impress him by sounding posher than she was.

‘Another week – Holly was determined to be here for the big party next Saturday.’

‘Party?’ Naomi enquired.

‘Yes, The Palms’ annual beach party? They do a big bonfire on the sand, local food specialties, music and dancing – it’s a huge affair going back years apparently,’ he said, filling her in on all the details.

‘Sounds amazing and the first I’ve heard of it. And how perfect – on the night of my birthday too,’ she commented, looking delightedly at her parents.

Not only that but assuming Greg had also known about this, wouldn’t such an event make the perfect backdrop for a proposal? Maybe that was exactly what he’d been planning all along and why he was so preoccupied and disengaged on the trip thus far, and dare she say it, nervous.

‘It’ll be our first time attending, but by all accounts, it’s the highlight of the season,’ Will informed them knowledgeably. ‘Supposed to be a truly memorable occasion. I hear the hotel really goes all out, fireworks and everything.’

Chapter 21

Once Lily read the letter and agreed with Erin’s suspicions that her late father, Richard, might indeed be the supporter Eugenie Cooke referred to, she reluctantly conceded there might well be shenanigans afoot.

‘I’ll talk to my mother – see if she knows anything about who has been trying to take over the hotel in the past, though I’m not altogether sure Dad would have discussed work matters in detail with her.’

Erin was left trying to figure out the best way to get a hold of the key to her mother’s safety deposit box on Molly’s behalf, to say nothing of tackling Eugenie’s claims.

It felt good to confide in someone, though, and if nothing else, had at least got her colleague on board to assist, and help Erin get some of her more recent concerns off her mind. Especially when, according to Lily, it wasn’t the first time The Palms had come under threat from outside parties. This gave additional credence to Eugenie’s claims that someone was out to secure the place once and for all.

But who could be the culprit?

Based on what Eugenie had said in the letter, Erin still wasn’t entirely certain whether she could confide in Grant yet, since management could potentially also be involved. There was so much to consider, her head span. And that was even before anyone managed to get their hands on Eugenie’s deposit box key.

Now Erin inhaled deeply, trying to figure out the best way to approach things, as she stepped out into the morning sunshine and the hotel’s luxurious gardens. Work pressures aside, she did love it here. St Lucia was everything Nevada wasn’t. It was warm but not scorching, and instead of miles of sand were miles of opulent greens, tall palms and vibrant blossoms rocking gently in the breeze. And hummingbirds. She loved hummingbirds. Fortunately, the gardens were a haven for them.