He grinned back at her. “My parents named me Breck, so I empathize with growing up under the weight of expectations.”
“Oh, I’ve never heard that name. What does it mean?” Felicity asked eagerly.
“Freckled.”
Felicity laughed out loud. Breck had dark hair and perfectly clear skin, lightly tanned, and he looked like a model or a Chippendale, an image in keeping with his crisp white shirt, vest, and bowtie. Felicity guessed that he would get really great tips if the restaurant wasn’t all inclusive.
He quizzed them on drinks and tested them on place settings. Both Felicity and Theodora set a sample table and memorized a two-meal menu on the first try.
“Do you have any questions or concerns?”
Asking Felicity questions was always a hazard, but she stuffed the inconsequential ones down. She could ask her geology and history questions later and find out if there were any ghosts or sea monsters or if they could go swimming at night. “Where are the stepstools?” she asked with a grin. Her height, or lack thereof, was sometimes a disadvantage, and Felicity liked to do as much as she could herself.
Breck showed her where they were and reminded her to ask for help any time she needed it.
Theodora answered Breck’s questions quietly, with as few words as she could manage, looking uncomfortable despite his kind and funny friendliness. Felicity gave her an assessing look. Did she seem slightly…guilty? She had become more withdrawn since Chef’s introduction.
They were dismissed to find their new room assignments, and Felicity tucked her hand into Theodora’s elbow and skipped beside her. “Isn’t this amazing?” she asked eagerly. “We’re working in paradise! Smell that amazing air! Look at all the sun! I’m going to need a hat! And for once, not a warm hat. This will be my first Christmas without snow!”
“Really?” Theodora cleared her throat. “I mean, I’m from Florida. I’ve never seen snow.” Felicity was actually surprised she wasn’t a singer. She had such a melodic, husky voice, and she spoke very carefully, like a voice actor.
“Then you know all about this climate and you must promise to keep me from doing anything stupid like sunburn myself,” Felicity declared. “I’ll stick to you like a burr. And you can reach things for me!”
Theodora gave her a sideways smile that was equal parts amused and grateful.
“This will be the best job ever,” Felicity said, opening the door to her assigned room with a happy little sigh. Theodora would be right next door, and the staff house, like everything else on the island, was shiny new and high-quality.
She knew enough about construction to recognize good work. The floor was perfectly level, the door opened smoothly without squeaking, and latched with machined accuracy. Out the window, the view was only jungle, not ocean, but Felicity thought it was simply lovely, all green and riotous. The window itself opened easily and the screen was tight and free of holes. The lights were bright and didn’t look impossible to dust, the ceiling was high and a slow-moving fan kept the air fresh and cool. A broad bed was well-sprung and covered in a light quilt embroidered with turtles and fish.
Home,Felicity thought. She’d comehome.
There was only one little problem: she wasn’t sure they would let her stay if they knew the truth about her.
CHAPTER2
Robert stared at the letter.
Shifting Sands Resort.
It was printed on fine linen paper, like a wedding invitation, and both the envelope and the paper inside had foil accents.
Shifting Sands Resort.
That’s where it had all started, so long ago.
Robert put the letter down on the table by the door, proud that his hands didn’t tremble at all.
He’d already read it six times, memorizing every word.
You are invited to a grand reopening at this exclusive luxury resort. Please enjoy an all-inclusive, five-day stay at our expense.
He’d be mad to turn down an all-expenses paid escape to the completely rebuilt retreat. His therapist would certainly encourage him to go, to put his demons to rest. And his friends…well, he was pretty sure they wouldn’t miss him.
Not this time.
He’d disappeared for two years and come back as a damaged stranger. The two and a half years since then couldn’t change the secrets he’d come back hiding, or repair the ruin of his life. His job had given up on him, his house had been repossessed by the bank and sold, his mail was lost. There had even been a funeral for him, and there was nothing as surreal as seeing Facebook photos of people he barely knew gathering tocelebrate his life.
No part of it felt likehis life.
