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Exhaling the entire memory to the past, where it firmly belonged, Sara shook her head and screwed the reg onto its tank. “No help needed. Everything is going great. St. Croix has been good for both of us.”
The sisters jumped off the side of the pier and into the warm water. Hope led, since she had dived the house reef many times and was much more experienced. She moved gracefully and effortlessly underwater. Sara was still trying to get the hang of diving, but a couple of dives since the coral nursery disaster had gotten her back on the horse. Her confidence—and skill—had grown accordingly. With enough experience, diving was something Sara thought she could actually match Hope at.
The house reef was thriving. Hope pointed out several coral transplants, including some Alex hadn’t shown Sara on her check-out dive. Her heart stilled when a sea turtle swam by, not believing how close it approached. Or its size—its shell was three feet long. The turtle calmly glanced at her, but studied Hope closely before swimming away. Before she knew it, Sara was low on air, and they returned across the sandy shallows of the bay, climbing the ladder onto the pier.
As they walked toward the gear room, bartender Clark exited the dive shop and hurried up the pier, carrying an empty box. Hope frowned. “Poor Clark. Kamila had a rough pregnancy and delivered their son, but he’s had one stomach problem after another. I’ve been mixing drinks so Clark can have some time off. He’s been stressed.”
Sara smiled at her. “He’s lucky to work here. You’ll bend over backwards to help him out.”
Hope shrugged. “It’s the least I can do.” She craned her neck up at the spa as they passed by. “You’re doing a great job. Seems like we’re fully booked most of the time now.”
“Thanks, we are. It’s working well now that we have Evie doing nails and massages. I just wish we had more room. I wonder if we can fit another hair station and a couple of mani-pedi spots.”
“Why don’t you and Selena go visit some other spas on the island? Get an idea of how they run things? That might give you some ideas.”
Sara stopped. “That’s a great idea. Especially if I can get you to foot the bill for a massage.”
“That’s only fair.” Hope grinned. “My hair has never looked this good.”
* * *
Soft, ambient music emanated from hidden speakers as Sara stood with Selena in the large reception room of Orchid, one of the most successful spas on St. Croix. This room alone was nearly as large as all of Hibiscus. They had each received a massage, using two of the ten rooms, and the owner had just given them a tour of the facility.
The experience had left Sara more frustrated than inspired. Orchid was a beautiful, serene facility, with tropical hardwood furnishings accented with green plants. Exotic potted orchids were displayed throughout, and a living wall of exotic green plants stood behind the check-in area. But the tour only highlighted that their own Hibiscus Spa couldn’t accommodate any expansion.
Sara and Selena said goodbye to the owner and continued into the warm afternoon. They walked down a pebble path fringed with more orchids, and the soft music continued. A man walked toward them and as he got closer, Sara recognized Wayne Timmons, who owned Serenity. He probably won’t even remember me.
He wore tailored slacks and a dark-red Cuban shirt and gave them both a polite smile, then his gaze lingered on Sara. He tipped his head to one side and stopped before her. “We’ve met before. Don’t tell me! At Serenity... Sara, wasn’t it?”
She schooled her face, not wanting to show her surprise. “Yes. Nice to see you again, Wayne.”
“Likewise. I’m here to meet with the manager. I’m doing some research for my spa. Are you enjoying your new role?”
She nodded. “You have an excellent memory, and I’m very fortunate with my job. We were here doing a bit of research ourselves.”
He took a step closer, holding her with his eyes. “I’ve got quite a facility planned, and my offer still stands. I’d be happy to discuss any opportunities you might be interested in.”
He had a magnetic pull, but she resisted, no longer interested now that she was with Jack. “Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind. Have a good afternoon.” With a nod, she stepped around him.
Selena scurried around his other side, but waited until he was out of earshot before grabbing Sara’s arm. “Who was that?”
“He built Serenity, and he’s working on a new spa facility. I met him right after I moved here. He wanted to talk about a position in his spa.”
Selena snorted and took one final glance behind them. “I don’t think that was the position he’s interested in, Sara. Girl, you have all the luck.”
“My life is going just fine. But after experiencing Serenity, I’m sure his spa will be something else.”
The two women entered Sara’s car, and she couldn’t deny that if Hibiscus wasn’t owned by her sister, she’d be interested in Wayne’s business opportunity. Jack’s earnest face flashed into her mind, and she sighed.
I’m perfectly capable of keeping my business and love lives separate. Family, on the other hand...
A running film of what Wayne’s facility might look like occupied her the entire drive home.
CHAPTER 23
A week later, Sara changed into shorts and a T-shirt at the end of the day. She and Jack had fallen into a happy routine of meeting up as soon as they got home, something they both greatly looked forward to. A private smile or passing touch was all they had time for at work, and neither was interested in broadcasting their interest in each other. Which wasn’t necessary anyway, since everyone at the resort knew about them.
There was a knock on her door, and a smile rose as she hurried to answer it. Jack stood there with a crooked smile, a backpack slung casually over one shoulder. He wore cargo shorts and a Houston Astros T-shirt. “One of the benefits of living below you is I can tell when you get home. Let’s go for a walk.”
