The drink revived my spirits and brought back my sister’s words. Living in a tent? My face broke into a wide smile. Honestly. Amy had really chosen her moment to pull such a joke. She got her audacious sense of humour from Mum who was always trying to fool us. Like when she served our favourite fried eggs with toast on April Fools’. They were actually peach halves in circles of yoghurt. The three of us cried with laughter.
I missed that.
Feeling nostalgic, I decided to go along with the charade for now.
‘What do you think?’ asked Amy, eyebrows raised. ‘It’s going to be just like when Mum took us camping to Cornwall. Remember how much fun we had? She’d tumble dry our wellies because it rained so hard on the beach, but we didn’t care. Remember those bags of doughnuts? And how she let us stay up late?’
Dad had been too tied up at work to go. It was the best holiday ever, exploring rock pools and running away half-screaming from the cold tide.
However, that was over twenty years ago. My tastes had changed.
‘This whole idea is so thoughtful,’ I said, deserving an Oscar. ‘It’s just a shame I’ve brought all my handbags and high heels.’
Amy linked arms as we headed to Rick who was beckoning us over. ‘I nearly said something, but didn’t want to give away any clues. That’s why I encouraged you to bring those walking boots. At least, underneath your fancy clothes, I’ve hidden a practical cap and…’
Oh, she was good. I swigged more water before wiping the bottle’s top with my palm and passing it back to Helga. ‘Imagine how boring it would have become, doing nothing for four weeks but sunbathing and sipping Cosmopolitans?’ I’d get Amy worried now. We’d laugh about it later. I’d tease her about not being able to get one over her older, clearly much wiser sister.
‘I’m so glad you feel the same as me. I was prepared to stay somewhere high-end for your sake, but secretly that’s my idea of hell. All that posh interior decor with its artificial smells and plants… instead, we’ll be waking up in the outdoors…’ she said, dreamily.
Mosquitoes? Spiders? Soil instead of carpet? Sticky heat instead of aircon?
No thanks.
Inwardly I chuckled at her believing I’d actually prefer a month roughing it.
The curly-haired woman stood next to Rick, her short, slight frame emphasising his height. She passed him a clipboard. He read it and nodded. I smacked my arm as a fly landed near my elbow. Once we’d checked in, I’d take a long bubble bath and apply a thick layer of insect repellent – after insisting that Amy chose her bedroom first. It’s the least she deserved. I’d carefully unpack. Knowing Amy, she’d just grab her costume and head straight for the pool. Then I’d check the location of fire exits and ring home to make sure Nelly was okay.
‘Welcome to Seagrass Island,’ Rick said. ‘It’s a pleasure to introduce you all to my family’s Caribbean home. My grandmother, Margot Crocker, bought it in the early Eighties when she was CEO and head designer of Crocker & Crowley.’
‘The shoe shop?’ I said. Mum had always taken us there as small children to get our feet measured. I hadn’t seen a high street branch for a few years.
‘Yes. She set up the company, having studied fashion design at university. Her dad soled shoes for a living and that’s where Gran got her interest from. My late granddad, Dave Crowley, took care of the business side. They started off small, selling her designs from a stall on Carnaby Street. Parents loved the friendly service their children received and she soon worked out offering a personal service for families would succeed.’ Pride shone through his voice. ‘My mum and dad run the company now with my brother, Lee, although she still attends board meetings. Gran wanted to create a getaway destination for her family – an escape from the hustle bustle of London. She did an ancestry test once. Apparently, way back, our family has Latin American blood.’
That explained his sexy dark looks.
‘She said that must be why she’d always longed for an island home. I suspect she might have bought one in say Costa Rica or Haiti if it weren’t for my dear grandfather’s belief that he should be able to sail through life only ever speaking English.’
Everyone smiled.
‘The build was complete by 1985. There have been eleven family weddings here since. A couple of big birthdays. Many Christmases. Even a divorce celebration. I’ve spent most summers here for as long as I can remember. That’s how I developed a love of the natural world and ended up studying Geology at university. As a child I’d spend long summer days studying all sorts landscapes and creatures – collecting rocks and wildlife. I’ll never forget Mum’s shriek when she discovered a garden snake in my bedside drawer.’
I wondered why he’d share such private information. Best Travel guests knew nothing personal about me.
‘Sadly the bricks and mortar were wrecked by Hurricane Irma three years ago, along with parts of the forest and the coastline. Since then we’ve been working hard to restore the island to its former glory. At this point I’d like to introduce Jackie.’ He nodded at his friend. ‘Twelve years ago, we were freshers together, at university. Jackie studied Zoology and has been working in an animal rescue centre in Colombia. I was thrilled when she jumped at the chance to help me here. It makes up for the time she couldn’t jump back quick enough when I made a freshman’s attempt to date her.’
Playfully she punched his arm.
My heartbeat skippity jumped. This was probably one of the most cutting-edge hotels in the world. I imagined trips diving for pearls and swim-up bars.
‘Hurricane Irma had a devastating effect on parts of the animal, marine and bird populations.’ He became serious for a moment and went into detail.
I loved our cat Nelly and was fond of next door’s dog, but didn’t watch David Attenborough documentaries and wished Rick would focus more on describing the spa treatments or cordon bleu food. Yet everyone else was rapt with his wildlife chat and Helga filmed him, on her phone. Apart from Jonas. He looked at me and pulled a face.
‘The days straight after the hurricane dolphins and manatees found themselves stranded on our beach. Birds were blown out of nests. Trees and foliage destroyed. One of the island’s butterfly species is now even more endangered than before and…’
I couldn’t help zoning out. Oh, I’d contribute to a conservation charity box or sign a petition. I did my best to recycle and had stopped using plastic water bottles. It’s just that I wasn’t nearly as passionate as my sister. Her vision focused on the future. Mine concentrated on the day-to-day. Amy worried about the longevity of our planet and that was good – we needed people to do that. But I was more concerned with the longevity of my pay packet and whether it would pay bills and the mortgage.
I was tired. Hot. I needed a shower. Something to drink. But then Amy’s enamoured face brought my attention back to what Rick was saying.
