Page 79 of A Taste of Paradise

‘I didn’t ask that. I asked whether you had feelings for him or not.’ Her mother was looking at her squarely, waiting for her reply. She couldn’t ignore her and Lily knew that if she tried, her mother would never let it go.

‘Yes,’ she barely whispered.

‘I thought so.’ Barbara stepped out from behind the sink. She pulled Lily into her arms and hugged her soundly. ‘Then talk to him before he leaves,’ she whispered into her ear. ‘Stop torturing yourself and clear the air once and for all. Good or bad, you can’t be haunted by “what if”.’

Lily’s heart ached at her mother’s words because she knew they were true.

Barbara was insistent. ‘Just talk to him.’

Chapter 54

By evening, the beach bordering The Palms was alive with people. It was as if the entire island as well as their guests had come out for the long-awaited sunset celebration.

Together, the staff had pulled out all the stops. There were fire-breathers and dancers delighting guests with their trickery and spectacular performances of the death-defying. Meanwhile, acrobats somersaulted across the makeshift stage, while the DJ played local and Caribbean music to add to the beachy atmosphere.

Later, a steel pan band would come to the forefront but, for the moment, the DJ was doing a great job at getting everyone into the party spirit.

Right in front of the resort were three barbecue stations – pork, chicken and red meat – plus three other buffet areas where guests could sample a multitude of authentic local favourites. No fettuccine alfredo to be had that night, but instead sumptuous Caribbean fare; accra – a fishcake rolled into balls and deep fried, Callaloo soup and Pouille Dudon, a rich chicken stew flavoured with treacle and coconut.

The kitchen had ensured nothing but the best in local cuisine was available and, following their previous catering hitch, Lily had magicked up a backup supplier to ensure nothing was left to chance.

Now, as Erin stood in her printed silk dress with her bare arms exposed to the warm Caribbean breeze, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Everything was going great.

‘Fantastic turnout, Miss Howard,’ a voice called from behind and she turned to see her predecessor come up alongside her. The previous Palms guest relations manager was smiling, his cherubic face lit up in the flame of the tiki torches and his twinkling eyes bright.

‘Roger!’ Erin greeted delightedly. ‘So lovely to see you back. How’s retirement going?’ she asked, grabbing a glass of red wine from a passing waiter to match the one he already held in his hand.

‘It’s not actually.’ He chuckled, taking a sip and when she looked up surprised, he shrugged. ‘I’m working at Breezy Shores these days.’

‘What? But why? I mean, I thought …’

He looked shiftily from side to side. ‘The head honchos fired me, Erin. Grant likes to tell everyone that the decision to “retire” was mine, but the truth was, I was pushed out.’

Erin couldn’t believe it. ‘But why?’ she gasped, mouth agape. ‘I mean, from what I heard you’d been with the hotel forever! Everyone here loves you and—’

He wrinkled his nose. ‘Everyone except higher management. They’ve been trying to offload this place – and me by extension – for years. I guess they truly believed that eco guy would be the final nail in The Palms’ coffin.’ Then he looked at her proudly. ‘Clearly, they hadn’t counted on you.’

Erin couldn’t concentrate, her thoughts immediately whirling back to Eugenie Cooke’s warning. ‘I don’t understand. What do you mean, the eco guy? Are you talking about Mack … I mean Daniel MacKenzie?’

‘Yes, I believe that’s his name. Sadly I never got the opportunity to meet him myself, but I believe … ’

‘Roger!’ Grant’s booming tones sounded from alongside them, immediately halting their conversation and, as the general manager went to shake the hand of The Palms’ staff stalwart he’d apparently pushed out, Erin couldn’t really concentrate on their subsequent exchange because her mind was reeling.

What did Roger mean when he said that Mack would be ‘the final nail in The Palm’s coffin’?

Surely it could only mean one thing. He had to be the saboteur Eugenie had been referring to in her letter; the faceless someone who had their sights set on ruining the resort’s reputation.

Oh god, how could she have been so dumb …

This time, Erin took a huge slug from the wine glass, feeling like the biggest idiot who ever walked the earth. Game, set and match.

She cast her mind back to recent events, how Mack had now so obviously been playing her from the start, pretending he didn’t know who she was that first day on Petit Piton, even having the cheek to flip it back on her, by saying it was she who was trying to play him?

Cringing afresh, she thought about her initial breakfast pitch in the Azure restaurant, her pitiful attempts to win Mack over, when all along he had no intention of recommending the resort for eco-certification or supposedly partnering with them. Conversely, he was actually here to secure the place in its entirety for his backers! Whoever they might be.

Now, Erin was furious. To think she’d spent all this time showing him around, trying to showcase the best of what the resort and the island had to offer, to say nothing of her own professional competence, to impress him, when all along he’d been treating her like a fool. Worse, she thought cringing afresh, he’d even gone so far as to let her think he was romantically interested in her! What kind of asshole was this guy? What kind of sick … despicable …

‘Erin, this is amazing!’ Molly gushed, coming up to her, Trevor close behind.