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Hope poured herself more wine as she tried to stay calm. “Great. You accept it and move down there! I like my life in Chicago.”
“I’m perfectly happy here in Charleston, and I love my job at the salon. Also, I’m not the one who just broke up with her boyfriend, suddenly found herself unemployed, and wanted a change in her life. Hope, the timing could not be more perfect for this if you had planned it. You know you love me.”
Hope took a large gulp, then set the glass down and scrunched her hair. “My God, Sara. I know you mean well, but why can’t you ever leave well enough alone? I can’t drop everything to become a beach bum.” She was close to pulling out a tuft of hair, so she opened her hand and pressed it against the cool quartz countertop.
“You’d hardly be a beach bum. You’ve already got lots of experience with hotels. It wouldn’t be that different. I’m going to email you all the documentation as soon as we get off the phone. Please check it out. Hope, I’m not kidding when I say this is an incredible opportunity.”
“No, dammit!”
Sara’s voice turned firm. “Hope, knock it off. I’m serious now. This is exactly what you need. This isn’t just a great chance for you—it’s the chance you need to finally start living your life. You’ve always made sure I’m ok. Now I’m trying to do the same for you.”
That got to her. Tears built in Hope’s eyes. “Oh, all right. Send me the information. I’ll look it over, but I’m not making any promises.”
CHAPTER 7
Hope had been staring at Sara’s email for several minutes. She couldn’t get past the obnoxious headline or the knowledge that its contents could change her life.
Oh, Sara. What have you gotten me into?
She clicked on the headline and opened the email:
Re: URGENT! OPEN ASAP! Half Moon Bay Resort raffle entry
Dear Hope Collins,
We are thrilled to announce you are the winner of our raffle for full ownership of Half Moon Bay Resort in beautiful St. Croix, USVI! Here are the steps we need to process your winning entry:
Please email [email protected] within 48 hours to confirm your prize.
In the same email, please also confirm it is acceptable for us to use your name and likeness in promoting your win.
Legal transfer of the property is contingent upon approval from current property owner, Steven R. Jackson, and his legal counsel. Raffle winner is also encouraged to obtain legal counsel to expedite the property transfer.
Please respond ASAP. If we don’t hear from you within 48 hours, we will have to draw another winner! Click on the following link to learn more about our resort, a favorite with divers and beach lovers since 1998. We take great pride . . .
Hope’s heart pounded in her ears, and her stomach did gymnastics. She read the email four times. Finally, she clicked on the link that brought up the resort’s website, and her eyebrows flew up at the cover image. It was an aerial shot of a beautiful crescent of white sand with the turquoise-blue ocean lapping the shore.
Half Moon Bay Resort was situated on its namesake bay. It was a boutique resort with eight individual bungalows spread along the stunning beach, four on either side of the restaurant and central complex of buildings. Palm trees lined the back of the beach. She could practically hear the tropical breeze in her ears. She clicked on another page, which showed a long infinity swimming pool with an attached pool bar overlooking the ocean.
Scuba diving seemed to be the primary activity and had its own tab, discussing a daily dive trip with instruction available and equipment for rent if necessary. Hope thought back to snorkeling on a trip to Jamaica several years back. I bet the snorkeling in St. Croix is great.
Another picture showed a long wooden pier, complete with an attached dive shop and classroom halfway down. The dive boat was moored at the end of the pier, next to a thatched palapa.
The overall effect of the resort was peaceful, not to mention breathtaking.
Hope sat back on the couch, breath heaving and shoulders tense. She rolled her neck.
This is all mine for the asking.
Opening a new tab, she googled Steven Jackson, clicking a link to a local newspaper article about a large charitable donation to the humane society in St. Croix. There was a large picture of a craggy-faced man who looked to be in his sixties and a woman of similar age, both holding kittens and smiling at the camera. The following link went to a major vacation review website. Half Moon Bay Resort had a 4.5-star rating, mostly due to strong repeat business with divers.
Hope closed her laptop, tapping her fingers on the lid as she stared out her sliding door at the snow falling in the glow of a streetlight below. She smiled, no longer completely disregarding the idea anymore. After taking another drink of wine, she yawned. “You still have to work tomorrow, you know. You should go to bed now.” She plugged in her laptop and headed for her bedroom.
Hope was back up at 3 a.m. checking out the resort website again. She looked at the cover image of the beach and serene ocean for the hundredth time.
I’m surprised they don’t have staff listed on their website. I’d change that if I were in charge . . .
She clicked on the email. It sat there, daring her to reply and beat the clock—within forty-eight hours or we’ll have to choose another winner! Hope finally hit the reply button, writing that she was ecstatic to win and was accepting the entry. She noted her updated email address but left out the part about her sister entering her unknowingly.
