Page 86 of A Taste of Paradise

Her mouth dropped open. It was true then. Oh man, had she gotten things all wrong.

‘Like you said, I’m a competitor, Erin.’ Mack’s eyes were cold as he walked away. ‘But I always play fair and square.’

Still stunned by everything she’d learned, Erin left Grant and stumbled into the sand and back down the beach toward the bonfire, which by now was starting to die down.

Not entirely unlike her own anger. She grabbed a glass of rum from a nearby serving station, swallowing it in one.

Oh boy …

The realisation of what she’d actually done, and the accusations she had levelled – and at the apparent brand-new resort CEO, no less – were finally beginning to dawn.

And Erin knew for certain that whatever happened to The Palms from now on, this job – and Mack – were surely both now lost to her anyway.

Chapter 60

As Lily watched her mother on the beach, barefoot and swaying alone to the music, she tried to hold back tears. It was wonderful to see Barbara coming back to herself, but so very bittersweet not to see her dad dancing by her side this year.

She knew her mother was feeling it too, but like Richard himself used to say, it was important to overcome the past before you could move into the future.

And Lily knew she would now have to do the same.

‘Hey.’

She looked up in surprise to hear Shay’s voice and saw his face partly illuminated by a tiki torch nearby. He was smiling and seemed at ease and completely unfazed by what had happened at their last encounter.

Whereas Lily was completely baffled to see him here at all. ‘Hi.’

‘I think … I think there’s some stuff you and I need to talk about,’ he continued gently.

‘I know,’ she confirmed, bracing herself.

He nodded back toward the resort building. ‘Do you think you might be able to slip away for a bit?’

Images of Sarah stepping out of the bathroom replayed in her mind. Then the look in the other woman’s eyes as she accused her of pursuing Shay. Lily didn’t want a repeat of that. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ she protested gently. ‘Sarah’s not exactly happy with me—’

‘Sarah’s gone.’

Lily looked up at him, wide-eyed. ‘What?’

‘She’s gone. She got a flight out earlier,’ Shay divulged as he stepped closer. Lily couldn’t speak, her breath seemed trapped in her chest. ‘Hey,’ he urged gently, touching her arm. ‘Could we talk privately? I need to explain some things. It’s important.’

She nodded but, still, no words came out of her mouth. A single fact kept churning around in her mind. Sarah was gone.

But what did that mean – if anything? Lily stood up and walked beside him back to The Palms’ main building, passing Erin and Grant on the way, who looked to be in the middle of such a heated discussion, they didn’t even notice her.

Lily truly hoped that there wasn’t yet another issue to overcome, since it looked as though the party had gone off without a hitch, but the truth was she no longer had the energy for any more hotel dramas. Especially since tonight pretty much signalled the beginning of the end for her time here anyway, and she was planning on handing in her notice tomorrow.

The end of an era in more ways than one.

Shay didn’t attempt to hold her hand, not that Lily would have allowed that. Still, she was completely confused by what he wanted and also deeply intrigued.

Despite knowing that his ex was no longer around, she still faltered at the door when they arrived back at Shay’s room. It was only his insistent urging that eventually made her cross the threshold.

The balcony in this suite allowed for the most incredible starlight views, Lily knew, but she wasn’t interested in seeing those right now. Instead, she cautiously took a seat on a chaise in the living area. The accommodation was made up of a small living room with a television and mini bar on the right, and the en-suite bathroom on the left. A king-size bed lay at the centre of the room with a large flat screen on the opposite wall.

An ornate teak divider separated the living room from the bedroom, where a Jacuzzi bath was located across from the bed directly beside a window allowing glorious views of the ocean. Like Erin had noted regarding his previous room, Shay’s belongings seemed sparse, and it almost looked as though he’d just arrived. No toiletries or clothing scattered on surfaces or across furniture – it seemed he hadn’t brought a lot with him or was merely a diligent organiser.

Now, Shay stood across from her pacing lightly, and Lily could feel her anxiety building even further as she watched him. He glanced in her direction several times but neither of them uttered a word.