AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lucy took another deep breath and calmly replied. "Yes, Nana, but there was a slight hiccup. It appears I'm rooming Mason. You know anything about that?"
There was a significant pause on the line before her grandmother covered the speaker and mumbled to someone else. It wasn't enough to muffle the words, though. The staff member sat behind the steering wheel and she showed him the number on her key before he started driving.
"Yes, she's asking about him. I told you this wouldn't work, you old coot. Now what do we do?"
Lucy rubbed her temple with her free hand then tilted her neck down and around to stretch the tension out.
"Nana? Tell me exactly what's going on here. You know I hate surprises."
Helen snorted. "That's an understatement. Ok, ok. So you know how last year, all of us older folks at the church went on that cruise?"
Lucy nodded and held on while the driver turned a corner. "Yeah, that's why I'm here. You won the free trip while on board."
"Right, well, there was a little more to it than that. It was a trip for two and technically Ray and I both won it in a strip poker match from a friend. It was the night we first started going steady, you see. And since the cruise was so life changing for us—we wouldn't have fallen in love otherwise—I wanted that opportunity for you too."
Lucy sighed, ignoring the love comment and the stinging pain it brought. "That still doesn't explain why Mason's here."
"He's had a hard time at work recently, and since the tickets and resort was a vacation for two, we decided he could use the time to get away and relax."
Lucy's lips pursed together before she huffed out, "Nana, don't play with me. You're matchmaking again."
A gruff voice came through the phone. "Mason's more law-abiding than the new sheriff and almost as strict. He won't take advantage of you if that's what you're worried about. He'll be a gentleman once he gets over the shock."
Lucy felt dread spread from her stomach through every cell of her body, leaving her cold and her feet tapping on the floor of the cart.
She licked her lips. "The shock? You mean, he's not expecting me either? Shit."
"Lucinda Gail McEntire, watch your mouth. You may be twenty-three, but you're still a lady."
She winced. "Yes, Nana."
"That's better. Now, you're going to march into your room and relax, maybe finish that book you keep nit-picking over, you hear?"
Lucy chuckled, unable to resist her grandma. "Yes, Nana."
"That's more like it. Now, once you find Mason, you call me back, ok? I want to hear all about it and make sure the dust settles."
The gruff voice of Ray came over the phone. "This is gonna be a good story, mark my words, Helen."
They hung up the phone as Lucy's cart rolled to a stop. Her expectations for this trip had just been tipped sideways, and she felt like she was on a slippery slope, about to plunge into the ocean beneath her.
She stepped out of the cart and stared. To her left was a line of bungalows, low houses with thatched roof that mimicked the main lobby. Each house had four doors and looked more like four separate units, each with a view. Each house shared a small pool and hot tub that would be perfect for lounging and staring across the ocean.
Because that's what she saw to her right. Miles and miles of endless clear blue ocean. She glanced to the edge about one hundred yards from the back of the bungalows.
The staff member pulled her bag out of the back and waved to the cliff. "Please stay away from the cliff. This is an adult only resort, so we don't have to worry about kids falling to the rocks below. We do, however, have to caution you against getting drunk and wandering too close."
She snorted and followed him to the bungalow. "Is that what the waiver was for when I got the key?"
The man grinned and nodded. "Of course. We will not be held responsible for accidents or stupidity."
Lucy chuckled as she handed him the key. He pushed the door open, and she followed him inside.
There was a small kitchenette right by the door with a small counter, a sink, and a tiny fridge. She inspected the counter and sighed, grateful to see coffee. The foyer opened on her left to a large bedroom with sliding glass doors that took up the entire wall. The view was amazing, and she looked forward to waking up to that view.
She frowned, wondering if Mason would want to sleep in the bed. She looked around. There was a couch in the left corner along one wall that faced the bed. A door beside it was open to the bathroom. A small computer desk sat in the opposite corner.
The staff member rolled her bag to the space by the computer desk and turned with a smile. "Will there be anything else, miss? The folder on the desk has good recommendations for dinner if you're hungry. Room service is open until ten as well."
