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‘Tomorrow we’re exploring the caves.’ Jarrad diverted the conversation swiftly away from his wife’s queasiness. ‘There are some beautiful waterfalls and rock pools on the island.’
Curtis nodded agreeably. ‘The Taynee?’
‘Yes, it’s been on my bucket list for years,’ Jarrad said with a smile, fixing his tie. Katrina hated that tie. It was blood red. Jarrad’s favourite. ‘Since we’re here for a week and our meetings don’t start until Wednesday, I thought we’d take the girls out for the day.’
Katrina was looking forward to tomorrow. She knew of Jarrad’s plan because she’d heard him on the phone in his office back home arranging a helicopter to get them to the other side of the island. But she didn’t want to spoil his surprise. So she widened her eyes and feigned shock. ‘Oh my God, Jarrad! I can’t wait. What time are we heading out?’ She also knew that part after searching his desk for the itinerary.
His smile was fond and proud. ‘After breakfast.’ He motioned for their guests to help themselves to the lobster while he relaxed back in his chair. He turned his eyes onto his wife, looking down at the sleeves of her dress. She saw that flash of displeasure, but he was quick to blink it back.
‘How’s Tilly?’ Katrina asked Hayley, redirecting the attention from her husband.
‘Oh, a typical six-year-old girl. Knows it all.’ She laughed, at the same time rolling her eyes. ‘It’s nice to have a little break from being Mum, to be honest, and you two know how to show people a good time. So cheers to the Knights.’
‘Hear, hear.’ Curtis chinked glasses with his wife. ‘God, they’re hard work at that age.’
‘How would you know?’ Hayley gave her husband an expectant look. ‘You’re working sixteen-hour days with Jarrad taking over the tech world.’
‘And we’re doing a damn fine job of that, right, Jarrad?’ Curtis tucked into his lobster as Jarrad laughed softly. If Jarrad Knight was anything, it was driven, focused, and power-hungry.
‘What about you?’ Hayley asked Katrina. ‘When are you two going to take the plunge and have children?’
Katrina laughed under her breath, flicking her nervous eyes to her husband. His smile was wicked. ‘My gorgeous wife knows I’d have a baby tomorrow.’ He topped up her wine, giving her a roguish wink. ‘I don’t know why she won’t indulge me.’
‘Because I like having you to myself.’ Katrina couldn’t very well tell him that she was scared to become a mother. She didn’t want to upset him or give him reason to doubt her ability. Because to him, she was supposed to be perfect, and that would make her quite imperfect. ‘For now, anyway.’
‘Greedy girl,’ Jarrad quipped, and they all laughed.
The evening passed by quickly, the chatter and laughs constant. Jarrad and Curtis talked tactics for an upcoming merger, but the women checked out of that conversation rather speedily, leaving the men to talk business as they strolled across the deck to the bow of the yacht to watch the sun drop into the ocean. The main sail cracked in the wind, the breeze increasing, forcing Katrina to wrap an arm around herself.
‘So beautiful,’ Hayley mused as they stood with their wine in hand. ‘I don’t know how I came to be so lucky, but I’ll never take it for granted.’
Katrina hummed on a small smile, sipping some more wine. She didn’t know if her slight alcohol buzz was masking her earlier sickness, but she felt a little better. The outlandishly expensive wine was good for something, after all. ‘To be blessed with money, happiness, and good men.’
Hayley chuckled and nudged her friend in the arm lightly. ‘To good men.’
‘Cheers to that.’ Katrina raised her glass to the sunset, and as she did, her wedding rings sparkled blindingly.
‘Jesus, let me fetch my shades,’ Hayley teased, not missing the flashes of light from the diamonds decorating Katrina’s ring finger. Jarrad had bought Katrina an eternity ring for their recent six-year anniversary, and the new addition to her wedding band and engagement ring took that one single finger from insanely expensive to priceless. All three rings were commissioned, the stones rare and precious. The heart-shaped yellow diamond of Katrina’s engagement ring was complemented by two diamond-encrusted bands, made specifically to frame the huge showpiece. They never left her finger. The thought of taking them off gave her cold sweats. She never asked Jarrad their value, wouldn’t dream of it, but she had seen the insurance paperwork on his desk in his home office. The rings on her finger would buy a substantial family house on the outskirts of London. Her husband loved nothing more than lavishing her in expensive jewellery. He didn’t need excuses to buy her nice pieces, but he always seemed to have one. He took the greatest satisfaction in flaunting his wealth, to make sure everyone knew he had pots of cash, whereas Katrina was far more humble. She didn’t see their wealth as something to be proud of. In fact, she would go as far as to say she hated their money.
