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“It’s in the states,” I assure my brother softly and he wooshes out a breath of relief. “It’s in the keys actually. Think beautiful beaches and clear water. I’ll need a shit ton of sunblock instead of Kevlar.”
“Ha-ha,” his snarky laugh doesn’t sound the least bit amused. I guess I can’t blame him. “Make sure to get a high SPF. Skin cancer kills you know.”
I roll my eyes, glad he can’t see me because he would be giving me the stink eye so bad right now. “Boone, I’ll be fine. I need to book everything and start planning, but I wanted to let you know I’ll be leaving town soon.”
“Send me your itinerary when you have it,” he pleads and my heart warms.
“Of course,” I chirp, “like I would deprive you of being an overprotective bear. Don’t you have a woman you can go all caveman on instead of me?”
“Oh, I go all caveman on her, don’t you worry,” I can hear the smirk in his voice.
“Ew,” I fake gag.
His laughter chases away my disgust because he is happy and I’m happy for him. Maybe one day I’ll find the same, but right now I need to get back to work. With a few more words and the promise that I’ll come by for dinner before I leave, we hang up.
Now it’s time to plan for Soren to descend on the unsuspecting island of Candy Cane Key. I keep my vision board open on my desktop as I work because it’s a beautiful place and I’m looking forward to going there even though I’ll be working.
Maybe I can find someone to have a little fun with while I’m there. All work and no play and all that.
CHAPTER 2
BRISTOL
As I drive over the bridge to Candy Cane Key, I’m filled with excitement. This trip isn’t exactly a vacation for me, but something about this place makes it feel that way. Maybe it’s because I haven’t stopped looking at information about the festive island and everything it has to offer. Maybe it’s for some other reason.
While I was born and raised in Denver, I’ve always been more of a beach and summer person than a mountain and winter person. I hate it when the temperature drops every year in Denver, and I have to start layering my clothes. How many layers does one have to put on to retain some damn warmth, ya know?
Putting more layers on my already fluffy body makes me feel like a damn marshmallow. I don’t like it and it’s taken me long enough to love and appreciate my curves, then winter comes and it’s like I can’t even show them off anymore.
I’m not a fan.
But this? The sun and the sand? I could get used to this. All I packed for this trip are dresses and sandals and I am pumped about it. I’ve even packed a bikini, one from Melinda’s shop, and I haven’t ever worn a bikini in my life. I think this trip will be the perfect chance for me to push the constraints of my comfort zone a little bit. Why not do start with a new bathing suit?
The sky is a bright blue and I’m in awe of how adorable the island is. It’s not huge, but it’s bigger than I imagined. I spot some of the places I researched as I’m driving through and heading toward the resort. I got lucky and they had enough rooms for us even though the festival isn’t too far away.
The more I see, the more excited I become. I want to explore everything the little island has to offer, but I know I should do work first. As soon as I’m checked in, I’ll be heading over to the marina and tracking down Hayden Owens who agreed to be my guide in finding the perfect spot for the shoot. I’m hoping for a more remote location on the island which means I’ve also hired him to take us there once Soren and the crew arrive.
I’m always the first one to a shoot’s location to make sure everything is set up the way Soren likes it and to iron out any issues before they become problems. Soren is a nice man who is pretty easy going, but he can have his moments of pure diva dramatics as well. Then there are the models who bring their own level of diva to the situation.
It’s a lot easier for me to arrive first to ensure everything goes smoothly. I could say it’s for Soren, but it’s more for me with the thought of relieving my own headaches before they even begin. I prefer to work smarter, not harder.
The Manger Resort is right on the water and is breathtaking. This would be the perfect place for the shoot if Soren didn’t want a more secluded spot. I can understand why it would be too commercial for him, though.
Soren has this wholeIsland of the Blue Lagoonmeets Island of Misfit Toys from the Christmas classicRudolf the Red Nosed Reindeermashup inspiration in his head. How he’s going to bring that to life is a mystery to me, but maybe that’s why I don’t get paid the big bucks to be behind the lens.
After I check into my room and drop off my bags, I take a quick walk on the beach. It’s peaceful here, even with people around. It’s not an easy thing to pull off. My brain won’t shut off as I look around as if looking through the lens of my camera. I wish I would have brought it down with me from my room.
I almost didn’t bring my camera on this trip at all, but something told me I should, and I found myself packing it before I realized it.
Everywhere I look is the perfect shot and it’s been so long since I’ve experienced this level of inspiration. I was sure my creativity had dried up and I resigned myself to helping Soren dance with his muse because of it. I figured mine had left me.
I had no idea a trip to this little Christmas obsessed island would change it all for me.
With a promise to myself that I’ll find time to take some photos, I head back to my rental car and direct it toward the marina. When I glance at the clock, I groan because I told Hayden I would meet up with him almost twenty minutes ago.
I did mention I was traveling; I can only hope that buys me a little goodwill. I’m not so sure though because he sounded kind of grumpy on the phone. Maybe that was because I was in full-on professional mode where I pride myself on being kind of cheery and happy.
There was something extra sexy about his voice when I spoke to him. I only called him after he didn’t respond to the message I sent him on social media through his business page and I couldn’t find an email address for him.
