Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth (best ereader under 100 .TXT) 📗

“You just take care of Ms. Fulton, and we’ll get through this week.”

“I appreciate that. I’ll see you later.”

Riley shook away the heaviness that had taken up residence on her chest. It doesn’t matter if Christian is hanging out with Mia. It’s not like I’m planning on going to dinner with him. Maybe he’ll turn his attention on her, and I won’t have to continue to find excuses not to have dinner with him. She played ping-pong with her thoughts all the way over to the Water’s Edge, where Laine was meeting her for breakfast.

The incredible smell of pancakes shifted her attention toward the growling in her gut. “Oh, my word, that smells good.”

She took a seat by the door to wait for Laine and repeated to herself a hundred times, It’s going to be a great day. By one hundred and one, Laine still wasn’t there. She repeated it a hundred more times. Because she was certain the first hundred didn’t take.

* * *

“Are you sure she’s coming, ma’am?” the hostess asked Riley.

Riley looked at her watch. Laine was never this late. She had been a few minutes late that first evening, but it was already nine thirty. She had checked her phone multiple times to make sure she was at the right restaurant. At nine fifteen she had called Laine’s room and there was no answer. Then she had called Laine’s cell and got no answer there, either. “I’m not sure. I think I’ll go see if I can find her. If she should come, let her know I went to look for her and call me.”

“Sure.”

Riley was way past panicked. If she had screwed up the time or the place, she was going to fire herself. But she had put it in her phone as soon as she and Laine had decided where to meet so something like this wouldn’t happen. She stopped in the spa and checked the fitness center on her way back to The Cove, but Laine hadn’t been either place. She called Mia twice on her way there to see if she had heard from her. That was when Mia told her that Gerard had seen Laine in her bathing suit, apparently headed out to her cabana.

“Oh. Okay. I’ll go out there and see what’s going on.” Riley’s aggravation was evident in her walk. She headed straight to Cain and over to Laine’s cabana. Laine was laid out on one of the lounge chairs overlooking the ocean. Her eyes were closed when Riley arrived.

“Can I help you, Riley?”

Riley was glad Laine’s eyes were closed because then she wouldn’t see the flush of anger that had settled over Riley’s face. “I was just checking on you. I had been waiting on you at breakfast and wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Laine never opened her eyes. “I hope you’re not irritated. I changed my mind. I grabbed some breakfast and decided to come out here.”

Riley swallowed and made every effort to relax her voice. “Okay, well, that’s fine. This is why we got you the cabana, so that you could enjoy it. Anything else I can do for you this morning? Would you like me to schedule lunch for you somewhere?”

“Sure, plan on meeting me back at that restaurant for lunch. I’ll be ready to eat around noon.”

“Okay, noon it is. I will meet you there then. If you need anything else, just give me a call.” She hoped the tightness in her voice wasn’t betraying her.

“I won’t need anything else, Riley. Just lunch.” And with that she turned her black-bikini-clad body away. It was clear Riley had been dismissed.

* * *

Tamyra stared at her phone. There hadn’t been another call since the one yesterday. That had allowed her nerves to settle slightly. She had talked to her mom for a little while when she had gotten up to let her know she was okay and would be home Saturday night. Her mom’s relief was evident. She walked out onto the balcony and removed her bathing suit from the railing. She let the sun wash over her and warm her skin. Her eyes closed as she lifted her head toward it.

“I know I’ve been really mad at You.”

The warmth increased on her skin.

“But I just wanted to thank You for Winnie.”

A breeze swept over her.

She opened her eyes and blinked them at the blue sky. She was certain the sun winked.

* * *

Tamyra walked across the glass bridge as the waterfalls that flanked it welcomed her to the soothing world she was about to enter. All the elements of nature that ran throughout The Cove seemed to converge at the Mandara Spa. Winnie’s kids had given her a day of spa treatments, and she had asked Tamyra to join her. Tamyra enjoyed the company. And with the way Winnie talked so incessantly, it gave her brain little time to consume itself with her stuff.

The hostess greeted her and led her up a spiral staircase at the edge of the foyer. Winnie had already gotten to the “relaxation” part of the relaxation lounge when Tamyra arrived. She sat sprawled out on a large lounge chair, white terry cloth robe covering her body, bottled water in her right hand, head leaned back, eyes closed, and the gentle sounds of her snoring filtering through the otherwise-tranquil atmosphere.

“I think we found her,” Tamyra said to the young woman.

“Good. They’ll take you back for your massages in a few minutes. Your wraps will be after that, and then you can soak in the pool for a while, grab some lunch, and we’ll finish you off with your manicure and pedicure.”

“I can’t think of a more perfect day.”

She left Tamyra with her companion.

“Sleeping beauty,” Tamyra whispered.

Winnie snorted and rolled over, the water bottle falling from her hand and rolling underneath her chair. The commotion of it all woke her from her sleep. “Oh, my. Please tell me I wasn’t