After some thought, I decided that I would, without a doubt, resolve the issue once we returned to the States, allowing our trip to be exactly what it was intended to be.
A romantic getaway.
That night, a life with Michael—free of lies and deception—was my last conscious thought.
* * *
I pulled my newly purchased straw hat down over my eyes. “I really don’t care, as long as they bring it to me, but I am not moving.”
“I’ll walk up and get it. Fish or shrimp?”
“Tacos?”
“We don’t have a lot of options if you’re not going to get up.”
I lifted my hat, tilted my head to the side and opened my eyes. Blinded by the sun, I squinted, wishing I hadn’t forgotten my sunglasses in the house. Michael stood ten feet away, dressed in knee-length swimming shorts and nothing else. The tan he’d obtained over the past twelve days made him look like one of the locals.
“Shrimp. With lime. I had fish yesterday.”
“To drink?”
I admired Michael’s muscular torso. It was difficult not to. “One of those pineapple things.”
He laughed. “The one that made you dizzy?”
“Yeah.” I scanned the beach. As far as I could see, it was completely void of people. “Maybe we can bone after.”
“We’re supposed to go snorkeling at two, remember?”
I sighed. “Fine. Get me one anyway. And don’t feed Hank any more tacos, I mean it.”
He returned a shitty glare.
Caye Caulker, Belize was an amazing place to be. Clear water, plenty of warm sunshine, and a plethora of activities to keep us busy from sunup to sundown. Our late-night partying with a few of the dive instructors and their respective wives left little time for us to sleep.
But I had no interest in sleeping.
I was truly in heaven. Being away from everyone and everything allowed me to understand just how much I wanted to make my life with Michael official. After our second night on the island, I decided as soon as I got home that I was going to tell my father about Michael, and simply deal with his reaction like a responsible and perfectly capable adult. No excuses. I’d find a way to tell him, resolve it completely and make him accept it. Then, and only then, I’d tell Michael the truth.
More than anything, I wanted my life with Michael to be free of any drama, secrets or surprises.
The intensity of the sun in Belize was much different than in the United States. The cool island breeze made sunbathing a relaxing activity, and the 80-degree weather disguised just how close to the equator the island was.
Several times since we met, Michael had mentioned retiring in Belize, and now that I had the opportunity to experience one of the islands, leaving wasn’t something I was looking forward to.
He returned with our lunch, and we ate the tacos on the beach. Later, we relaxed in the beach house we rented for the length of our vacation, and then went snorkeling in the afternoon. The various colored fish, starfish and gorgeous seashells we encountered were a far cry from the landscape of Kansas City, and as much as I wanted to miss my home, I didn’t.
After we snorkeled, we walked along the beach, hand-in-hand. I held Hank’s leash and followed Michael, not really paying attention to anything, but loving everything. The gentle waves washed away the footprints the puppy and I left behind, making me feel like everything was just a dream.
Michael stopped and turned away from the ocean and faced inland. A few hundred feet away the sand ended. Palm trees, dense foliage and thick grass filled the landscape.
It looked like what I had always called paradise. “How far did we walk?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Half a mile.”
I turned toward the ocean. Crystal-clear water did little to hide the beauty of the coral reef that was immediately offshore. I turned inland. Snow-white sand separated us from the beautiful jungle. The large leaves of the palms swayed back and forth in the breeze, and the grass rustled lightly.
I inhaled the smell of the beach and tried to memorize it.
I never wanted it to end.
“What do you think about this?”
“The beach?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “This? This exact spot.”
I glanced to my left. The beach was void of anything but sand. To my right. The same. It was as serene a place as anyone could ever find on earth.
I sighed. “I love it.”
He grinned his dimple-revealing smile. “We own it.”
I coughed. I thought he said we own it. “What?”
He grinned and nodded. “We own it.”
I looked around me. “We own what?”
He waved his arms in each direction. “This. It’s where I went yesterday while you were taking a nap. I got everything signed, and the money’s been wired. It’s final. Well, less signing a few documents.”