“I hope so. I want you to be. Because you seem so sad. The free-spirited daughter I know and love who could be a real pain in the ass sometimes…well, I miss her.”
Alexandra had to smile at that. “I miss her too.”
“So are you going to tell me why you’re so sad?” her father asked, his voice kind and concerned.
“Maybe I’m just bored,” she said, shrugging as she turned away to hide her fidgeting hands. “After the incident, I’ve kept to myself except for my closest friends; I hardly want to go out or even have fun…”
“It’s about him, isn’t it? Cane,” her father shocked her by saying factually.
“You called Noah asking about him,” her father said as if to remind her that he knew.
Okay, so he knew, now what? She shrugged as carelessly as she could. “I just wanted to know. I mean, this guy went through great pains to save my life. He was great to me and I missed him. Big deal.”
“If you say so,” her father said after a pause, and she had to endure a few moments’ scrutiny before he shoved something forward on the desk.
Alexandra frowned curiously as she stepped forward and then looked down at the glossy, colorful written matter. Her head shot up at him. “You bought me a vacation?”
Her father looked at her innocently.
“Like you said, it’s the boredom. Now I’ve had it all figured out. A nice trip away from all this will do you good. After what you went through with that idiot Lamar, I’m insisting you do me this favor. I picked out the perfect location, as you’ll find out in time.”
Alexandra’s head was swimming with confusion as she stared down at the brochure, tickets and other details in her hands. Her father had her in a tight spot, and she didn’t want to worry him further by saying she didn’t want to go. After all, she’d just claimed she was bored. And from the look of all the images of beaches, scenery and culture shown on the travel guides, it did look like a prime spot.
Maybe it was just what she needed. A chance to get over her heartache over Cane. Maybe, just maybe, she’d finally find a way to forget him though she doubted that was ever going to happen. But the vacation, yes; that was worth a try…
Chapter Thirteen
The island of St. Maarten was so beautiful it was almost impossible to choose where to begin her voyage of discovery. She’d come here and found the most outstanding natural environment, the atmosphere so tranquil that it seemed perfect for quiet relaxation and contemplation.
Not that she wasn’t going to have fun. She intended to. The island was small enough to thoroughly investigate in the course of one vacation, and she intended to squeeze in as much sightseeing, shopping and yes, water sports as she could.
Alexandra had taken many luxury vacations before, but there was something about this place. The white sand beaches with the turquoise waters made it feel like she was on the edge of paradise. Now she felt glad that her father had thought of making her swap her hectic urban lifestyle for a couple of weeks in a peaceful and beautiful location.
Alexandra knew Malia would have loved this place; it was just like something out of a romance novel. Alexandra had actually asked her best friend if she’d like to join her there, but Malia regretfully couldn’t take time off work and of course, there was the fact that her boyfriend had just proposed and now Malia was starting to plan her wedding!
Alexandra smiled as she thought of how happy her friend was. Being a plus-size female, Malia had once despaired, while in college, if she’d ever find a man who’d love her for herself. Turned out she’d had no problem at all about that. In her own case, Alexandra with her knockout supermodel figure couldn’t seem to get a decent man to fall in love with her. That was life for you, thought Alexandra with a rueful smirk.
Not that she hadn’t had offers since she’d arrived three days ago. In fact, she’d had to be wresting off the male admirers left and right. She came here for relaxation, not romance.
Yesterday had passed like a dream. She prepared a fabulous breakfast in the well-equipped kitchen, and then later served lunch by the pool. Just before sunset, she walked along her own beach front.
She intended to rent a jeep for transportation just to make sure she enjoyed the rich pleasures of the island. Alexandra was going to experience everything; the trendy exotic foods, the popular local crafts and the duty free shopping. There were gorgeous seaside views in almost all the restaurants, which provided amazingly diverse cuisine from Mediterranean, to Provencal or French.
She got to sail around the island on the open water, taking in the sights and visiting the local attractions. By her fourth day on the island, Alexandra could almost convince herself that she’d at last found a perfect way to completely erase the way her heart ached. But every time she saw a couple in love, or laughing and having fun, she thought of Cane. Why had he never given them a chance?