Chapter 18
KAT
Ileave Mr Baskin and his team and decide to take a walk along the sand.
I check on the progress at my waterlogged villa, finding the island’s maintenance team hard at work. At sea, another team is working to fix the breakwater.
I kick off my shoes and pick them up, letting my feet sink into the sand. It really is as beautiful as the photographs make it seem. Crystal blue waters and bright white sand.
I move further down towards the water, walking where the sea and shore meet, as the sand grows hot beneath my feet. The breakwaters mean the water is calm, the waves barely lapping at the sand.
I sigh and stop, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the moment. Turning towards the sun, I close my eyes and tilt my head back, letting its warmth envelop me.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
I open my eyes and turn to find an older woman walking towards me.
She smiles, and I find myself returning it.
“Make sure you stay hydrated, love,” she adds. “It’s very easy to get dehydrated this close to the equator.” She holds up a hand. “Sorry, I was a doctor, old habits die hard. I can’t help myself.”
She comes to stand next to me, staring out over the water.
“Thanks for the reminder,” I say.
“All inclusive, we enjoy a good cocktail or three,” she says, with a wink. “They serve beautiful coffees, but it’s easy to forget to drink water.”
“That’s very true,” I say, making a mental note to add it to the welcome speech. “Are you enjoying your stay?”
She turns her head and grins. “It’s been wonderful. My husband and I are celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary. Today, actually.”
“Congratulations. That’s amazing.”
Knowing it really is in today’s society, where divorce is prevalent.
She laughs, and the sound warms my heart.
“It is. We have stickability.” She chuckles.
“Poor man, would have been out by now for good behaviour.” She winks, making me laugh.
“It’s not been all plain sailing, I don’t know a marriage that is.
We argue, of course. But we love each other, and we’re always there, supporting and encouraging one another. ”
She reminds me of Mum and Dad before… they would argue, but their love for one another was evident in everything they did.
“How did you know?” I find myself asking. “He was the one?”
She smiles. “One day he laughed, and I knew from that moment, I wanted to hear that sound for the rest of my life.”
My throat constricts at her words.
“How about you?” she asks.
“I’m here on business,” I say, before I can stop myself. “I’m Kathryn Frazer.”
The woman inclines her head.
“Ah, the CEO of the Frazer Hotel Group,” she says, her eyes twinkling. “A successful businesswoman. If I have any complaints—” She trails off.
“I try,” I say, laughing. “Do you have any complaints?”
“No, it’s been absolutely fantastic,” she says. “We came a few years ago. I loved it then, but it wasn’t a patch on how it is today.”
I smile. “Thank you.”
“Are you here alone?” she asks, inclining her head.
I get the impression she’s fishing. I recognise her from the restaurant last night.
“I’m here with a family friend,” I say, with a smile. “We’re working on a project together.”
“Ah, that incredibly handsome young man I saw you with last night.”
“That would be Jaxson,” I say, harrumphing, before I realise what I’ve said.
Her eyes sparkle as they meet mine.
“Oh no,” I say quickly, when I see where her mind has gone.
“Why not? He’s very attentive. Is he single?”
She winks, and it’s my turn to chuckle.
“He is, but our relationship is most definitely not like that,” I say. “We’re strictly business.”
She turns to face me, her hand reaching out and landing on my arm. I meet her gaze.
“A piece of advice from someone who knows. Don’t be married to your job,” she says, her voice suddenly serious. “I nearly made that mistake. Philip saw what I didn’t. He made me realise that being with someone wasn’t me giving up part of myself, it was gaining something more.”
“You really have the wrong impression of Jaxson. He’s my brother’s best friend. Two of my brothers, in fact.”
“Even better. You know he’s been well vetted.”
I gasp, choking on the air I inhale.
She pats my arm. “There’s a reason there are so many romance books containing brother’s best friend,” she says, raising a knowing eyebrow.
“Reality can be very different to fiction,” I tell her truthfully, thinking about Jax and my tumultuous past.
She looks at me, her gaze speculative. She opens her mouth.
“There you are.”
An older man approaches us.
“Hello,” he says.
“Philip, this is Kathryn Frazer. The CEO of the Frazer Hotel Group.”
“Hello, Kathryn,” he says, holding out his hand. “Is my wife interrogating you?”
I shake his hand and smile.
“No, not at all. I hear congratulations are in order. Fifty years, that is quite something. Happy golden anniversary.”
“Thank you.”
His arm slides around his wife’s shoulder, pulling her into his side. She rests her head against it. The gesture makes me want to sigh.
“I better get going,” I say. “Enjoy the rest of your stay.”
“You too, and remember what I said.”
Philip pulls her away. “Please tell me you weren’t giving her the third degree,” I hear him say.
“Of course not, but we working women sometimes need a push in the right direction.”
I hear him chuckle, but I miss his reply as they walk out of hearing range.
I make my way back to the villa, passing the bar I was in the day before. Jax is set up in the corner. Glasses perched on his nose, his forehead furrowed in concentration.
I’m tempted to approach, but decide against it.
He promised professional. I need to do the same, keep to my side of the bargain.
The villa is lovely and cool when I enter. A refreshing change to the midday sun.
The maid service has been. My duvet returned to the cot bed. They must have wondered what the hell happened.
I gaze out onto the terrace at the now dry sun loungers.
I make a quick call to the guest relations team and order a bottle of champagne and a fruit platter for the couple I met. I only have his name, but that’s all I need.
Stripping out of my dress, I grab a bikini and lather on more sunscreen.
I pick up my phone and headphones and move outside. Maybe Jax is right, I do need to take it easy. Enjoy the sunshine while I can. We’re heading into winter at home and one of the busiest times of year, the Christmas holidays. Maybe some rest and relaxation is just what the doctor ordered.
Was the lady on the beach right, about the need to compartmentalise?
Who knows? It’s not something I’m going to think about now.
Instead, I’m going to focus on getting a tan and relaxing, putting my feet up, and clearing my mind.
I stretch out on the sun lounger and close my eyes, starting one of the audiobooks Pen and Harper recommended.