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Chapter 1
Lacey gave her best smile to the flight attendant before scanning the numbers and letters below the overhead baggage compartments, looking for her seat. She trudged past the rows of passengers in first class, some already enjoying a cocktail. She felt a stab of envy, regretting that she hadn’t splurged and upgraded her ticket.
Trying not to bump into anyone already stowing their bags, she finally found her seat and let out a sigh of relief. Her seatmate hadn’t arrived yet, and Lacey hoped that no one would be her neighbor for the four-plus-hour flight.
She grabbed her phone, e-reader, and earbuds before stowing her belongings and settling in. Glancing up at the passengers still making their way down the narrow aisle, she couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy. It appeared everyone had a travel companion—everyone but Lacey.
A happy couple that she assumed were newlyweds approached. The way the man looked at his companion with such admiration as they walked toward their seats made Lacey’s gut twist. It wasn’t that she resented them, but she could think only that they could have been her and her boyfriend, Kevin—well, herex-boyfriend.
Only a few moments passed before an older couple approached. The woman sat next to Lacey, and the man took the aisle seat across from her. They exchanged a brief smile, and for a second Lacey wondered if she should give up her seat to the man, but when she glanced at his seatmate and saw a young, fidgeting boy and a woman she assumed was his mother next to him, she decided to keep her mouth shut. It was bad enough being alone on what was supposed to be a romantic getaway—sitting next to a squirming toddler would take it a step too far. She did have her limits.
The woman beside Lacey turned to her and smiled.
“Good morning.” Lacey smiled back.
“Flying alone?” the woman asked, tucking her purse under theseat in front of her.
“Yes.” The corner of the woman’s lips angled down. Lacey added, “It’s been a crazy year, so this is ametrip. A vacation for the soul, so to speak.” She repeated the line she had rehearsed all morning, just in case anyone asked her that very question.
The woman nodded and gave her a tight smile before snatching the airline’s magazine from the seat pocket and flipping it open. Lacey held back a sigh, put in her earbuds, set her phone in airplane mode, opened her favorite playlist, and stared out the window. A man with orange flashlights prepared to guide the plane down the runway amid snowflakes falling from the gray New York sky.
Was a solo vacation really the right decision? Her best friends, Grace and Janine, encouraged her to go, to the point that any argument Lacey could come up with was met with an immediate counterattack. Before she knew it, she was packed and taking an Uber to the airport.
Deep down, Lacey knew they were right. According to Grace,Just because this trip was originally planned with romance in mind, that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy yourself. The sun will be just as warm and the beach just as fabulous.Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, Lacey let out a long breath and decided to enjoy her flight, her friends’ encouragements still ringing in her ears.
After liftoff, she finally started to relax, her eyes growing heavy. She opened them hours later and stared out the window. A wide smile grew across her face. The turquoise-blue water through the small oval window was unreal in its beauty. Though she was thirty thousand feet in the air, Lacey could feel the tranquility of the sea. She could see the waves crest, and she was sure if she squinted, she’d be able to see the life that lived beneath.
A few dings, an announcement or two later, and the plane began its descent. Lacey tightened her lap belt and said a silent prayer before the tires hit the tarmac. As the plane came to a complete stop, the realization that she’darrivedfinally sank in. She joined the mass of disembarking passengers scrambling through customs to get to their destinations.
Warm island air caressed Lacey’s skin as she stepped out of the resort’s airport shuttle and onto the tropical property. The gentle breeze flirted with the fabric of her sundress, tickling her knees. Just this morning, she’d been wearing the dress as she stepped out of her front door to get into the Uber, only to be greeted by harsh winds and snow. She was glad she’d resisted the urge to run back into her apartment and change into a pair of jeans and a sweater. New York’s dreary weather was now a distant memory.
With her luggage resting beside her, she peeled off her lightweight sweater, inhaled the salty, humid air, lowered her sunglasses, and smiled at the bag porter stationed outside the resort’s main entrance.
“Good afternoon, miss. Welcome to the Spero Resort. I’m Walter. Are you checking in?”
Walter was an older man and, based on his graying hair, had to be in his sixties. But his golden sun-kissed face was devoid of any lines or wrinkles. Lacey surmised it was due to lack of stress. That even though he was at work, every day must have felt like a vacation.
“Hello, Walter. I’m Lacey.” They exchanged a handshake. “Yes, I’m checking in.”
He offered to take her bags, but Lacey politely declined and paused to revel in the atmosphere. Palm trees created a shady awning, and the welcoming music of steel drums surrounded her. There was something so soothing when the rubber-tipped mallets struck the concave metal pans, creating beautiful melodies. It was as if with every tone, another worry dissipated.
Lacey stood in place, watching the trio of men move their mallets with carefree precision. One of the men nodded at her. His smile was as warm as the Caribbean sun that soaked into her skin. It was then she knew she had made the right decision; this trip would be precisely what the doctor ordered.
Her sandal-clad foot tapped in perfect rhythm to the song, and she giggled when she realized it was “Jingle Bells.” Lacey’s hands gripped the skirt of her dress and swayed along with the familiar tune. It took everything not to start spinning aroundSound of Musicstyle. It was the first time she could remember wanting to dance to a holiday song.
After the last note was played, she applauded and was thanked with the group nodding happily in unison. She hadn’t smiled this much in weeks, and she had only just arrived. As she strolled inside, Lacey made a mental note to send thank-you cards to her friends for encouraging her to go.
After checking in, she turned from the main desk to take in the resort’s lobby, which felt as if it were still outdoors. People in shorts and bright clothing milled about smiling, no doubt thanks to where they were. Sunlight shone through the wide windows, ceiling fans circulated the island breeze, and she was confident that the scent of the tropics was piped in through the vents.
But what really stuck out was the holiday decor that graced the lobby. Lacey had never visited a tropical place so close to the holidays. The festive decorations—Christmas trees, garlands, and a menorah with several candles lit—reminded her that she’d be spending this season soaking up warmth and solitude.
When she’d found this resort online, she’d been skeptical that it would live up to the pictures, but the Spero Resort was even better in person. Kevin had wanted a sizable, trendy all-inclusive resort, but Spero had called out to Lacey.
Now, feeling like she were standing in a postcard, she was grateful she hadn’t let memories of Kevin keep her from coming. Even though Lacey hadn’t planned on enjoying the king-size bed and ocean view room on her own, at least she wouldn’t be sharing them with her cheating ex.
She shook her head, dispelling any thoughts that would weigh her down. All she wanted was to change into her bathing suit, slather on sunscreen, and soak in some much-needed vitamin D.
A pretty, golden-skinned woman in a flowered sarong held a tray of tropical drinks complete with the obligatory tiny umbrella and an orange wedge speared with a cherry resting on the rim. “Welcome to the Spero Resort.” Her lightly accented voice was as serene as thebreeze that blew outside.
