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As the plane descended, Hope kept her face glued to the window. The ocean was a mixture of impossible shades of blue. She didn’t know colors like that existed in water—dark indigo indicating deep water, to royal blue, cobalt, and finally turquoise before shading to the lightest aqua near the sparkling white sand beaches.
She glimpsed a town as they passed the north shore. Then they passed over jagged emerald peaks and headed back out to sea to begin their final approach. The plane descended lower and lower until they finally bumped down safely in St. Croix.
As they gathered their belongings, Barbara said, “Good luck on your new adventure.” Hope wished her well and stood to depart from the airplane.
Soon, they were walking down the staircase from the plane to the tarmac, their plane one of several lined up in front of the small airport. The warm, humid air caressed Hope, and she took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes, becoming dizzy as the impact of her decision hit her.
This is my home now. This is my life. I will make a success of this.
Hope opened her eyes, lifting her chin and marching into the terminal. Besides, it’s not like I’m totally alone. Steve will be there to help me learn the ropes, thank God. She made her way to the baggage carousel, and her two suitcases appeared within minutes, tagged as first class so they would come off the plane first.
As she made her way to the taxi line, a Black man in wrinkled trousers stepped away from his elderly sedan and bowed in front of her. “Malcolm Adams, at your service, miss. Where you headin’ today?” He seized the suitcases from her, a smile creasing his weathered face.
“Half Moon Bay Resort, please.”
Malcolm manhandled her suitcases into his trunk. “What you got in here, rocks?” He laughed, taking a handkerchief from his back pocket to wipe his face and curly gray hair.
“Just my whole life.” He opened the back door for her before climbing into the driver’s seat.
“Well, that sounds pretty serious, now. All this for a dive vacation?”
Hope settled into the back seat as Malcolm started the car. Despite looking dubious, it started right up. “No, I’m not on vacation. I’m moving here.”
“Is that a fact? Welcome to sunny St. Croix!” He pulled onto the highway and headed west.
Hope couldn’t resist his infectious attitude and smiled back. “Thanks. It’s great to be here.”
“Half Moon Bay is a very nice resort. Good people. You gettin’ a job there?”
“You could say that. I’m the new owner of the resort.”
“No! You’re the one who won that lottery?” Malcolm slapped the steering wheel, and Hope laughed.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Really? What’s your name, miss?”
“Hope Collins. I’m excited to have Steve show me the ropes before he moves to the mainland to retire.”
“Hope, you’ll be just fine. You ever been here before?”
“No. But I’m loving my first impression.” They were motoring around a bend in the road next to the ocean. The sun sparkled on the water. “It’s so beautiful.”
“It is. And St. Croix is a welcoming place. Half Moon Bay is on the western end of the island. Very green and lush. The east side is totally different. Desert-like, with cacti all over the place. We’re coming up on Frederiksted now. That’s the nearest town to where you’ll be. The other major town and capital of the island, Christiansted, is on the north coast.”
“I saw it as the plane landed.” Hope peered out the window as they drove through Frederiksted. They were driving down a main street with the ocean on one side and multicolored buildings on the other. “It’s so pretty! The town looks straight out of a postcard.”
“That’s the Danish architecture. St. Croix is famous for it. We also have forts you can tour, plantations, and lots of pirate legends.”
They left Frederiksted behind and traveled north, the road winding through the lush jungle. Shimmers of ocean appeared periodically.
“Half Moon Bay is right ahead.”
Hope’s pulse pounded in her ears as they crested a hill and a wide crescent of sandy white beach came into view—the bay was aptly named. A pier jutted out into the aquamarine water in the middle of the bay. They turned left at a sign for Half Moon Bay Resort and started down a narrow paved track. Towering jungle vegetation created a tunnel over the road.
Would she need permanent mosquito repellant and a machete? She had just formed the thought when the jungle stopped, and they pulled into a clearing with a cluster of buildings scattered about and a glimpse of the ocean behind. Malcolm stopped the car at a roundabout in front of a charming one-story cottage-style building. Light yellow with white trim, it boasted a wraparound porch and black shutters.
