FOURTEEN
March, Infinity Island, Greece
THINGS WOULD GET BETTER.
They had to.
Lea Romes refused to accept any other alternative.
She pushed her chair back from the desk with its insurmountable pile of paperwork. In this modern age of technology, she thought paperwork would be a thing of the past. But alas, it seemed as though dealing with written documents would be a constant while the digital correspondence and spreadsheets just added to the burden.
At least she got to work in paradise as a wedding planner. She picked up her oversized coffee mug and moved to the French doors overlooking the private cove. She stepped out onto the spacious balcony, letting the vibrant sun warm her face. Since she’d inherited the island some thirteen months ago, her life had changed dramatically.
Her move from Seattle, Washington, to Greece had happened not in a matter of months or even weeks but days. Of course, it hadn’t helped that she’d learned she had extended family in Greece from an attorney instead of her own parents—parents who had deprived her of that part of her life. It was a betrayal she’d never seen coming. She’d felt utterly blindsided and hurt beyond belief.
With nothing more than two suitcases and a disillusioned view of life, she’d set out on her journey to Greece. She hadn’t known what to expect when she arrived on this small, lush Greek island. The attorney had informed her that Infinity Island had been in the family for generations. It wasn’t until she browsed through all of the photos in the family home that she realized her own mother had been born and raised on this very island. It was like an arrow to the heart. How could her mother have kept this place and her family from her?
Lea hadn’t spoken to her parents since their heated argument right before she left Seattle. But it wasn’t like they’d reached out to her, either. Her parents were stubborn and so certain they’d done the right thing by omitting certain details of Lea’s life. But right now Lea had bigger problems, starting with the fact that this wedding/honeymoon destination spot was in deep financial trouble—
Knock. Knock.
Lea stepped back inside the office. “Come in.”
Popi Costas, her best friend and the other wedding planner on the island, stuck her head inside the office. Her dark brown ponytail swung over her shoulder. “Your guest has arrived.”
“Already?” That couldn’t be right. He wasn’t due to arrive for another hour. Her gaze sought out the little smiling emoji clock on her desk. It was in fact 10 a.m. Not 9 a.m. Time had gotten away from her.
She’d wanted to touch up her makeup and hair before greeting this man—this very important man. She’d seen his photos on the internet. He was strikingly handsome in that tall, dark and mysterious sort of way. But she assured herself that wanting to fix herself up and put on a good—no, a great—first impression had more to do with business than anything else. He might just be the person to change everything for her and this island.
“Quit frowning,” Popi said. They’d become fast friends when Lea had arrived on the island. It helped that they were of similar age and Popi was easy to be around. She could make Lea smile, even when she didn’t want to. “You look amazing. As always.” Popi gestured with her hand. “Come on. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”
She was right. The last thing Lea wanted to do was give this man a bad impression right from the start. She dashed out the door, wishing she’d taken more time that morning in front of the mirror. She sighed. There wasn’t time to do anything about it now.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky. One thing about living on a Greek island versus Seattle was there was sunshine almost every day of the year. And Lea loved it. Arriving on Infinity Island had felt, strangely enough, like coming home.
She climbed on the golf cart that she used to get around the small island. They had a whole fleet of golf carts for their guests as well as paved paths. She quickly maneuvered her way down to the marina. Most of their guests arrived from the mainland via a ferry or flew in via a chartered seaplane. In rare cases, a helicopter was used—but generally that was saved for emergencies or the occasional guest who could afford such extravagances.
When she’d first arrived on the island, she’d spent all her spare moments of that first month venturing down every meandering path littered with wild flowers and blazing some paths of her own. She’d met every human and every goat, of which there were many, that resided on the island. Most people there worked for the wedding business in one manner or another. They were like one big family and they’d welcomed her with open arms. Lea couldn’t imagine a friendlier place.
Just then she noticed a seaplane preparing to take off over the calm blue sea. But it was the man in the dark suit standing on the wooden dock, with his back to her, that caught her attention. She took in his immense height and broad, muscled shoulders accentuated by his suit jacket—a very fine set of threads. It probably cost more than she made in a month. Definitely.
His dark hair was trimmed in a short neat cut just like in his online photos. Not a strand was out of place. She wondered if he liked his life to be just as neat and orderly. As she continued to stare, she imagined what it’d be like to comb her fingertips through his hair. Her fingers tingled with temptation. She tightened her hold on the steering wheel.
Lea tramped the brakes, causing the cart to skid to a halt. She quickly alighted and moved across the dock toward the man. His attire continued to draw her curiosity. Did he not realize he was coming to an island? Around here swim trunks were more common than a suit jacket. When the man turned to her, she realized he was also wearing a tie. She inwardly groaned. If he was as uptight as his appearance, she was in big trouble.
As the departing plane flew overhead, she leveled her shoulders and stepped forward. She held out her hand. “Hello. I’m Lea Romes.”
The man’s dark brows rose in surprise. “You are in charge?”
When she nodded, he took her hand in his. His grip was firm. She could tell just from his touch that he was quite strong. So, there was more to this man than just a designer suit.
Her gaze rose to his clean-shaven jaw and his mouth that was pressed into a firm line, not giving away what he was thinking. She’d caught him off guard at first but he seemed to have regained his composure.