“I dunno,” Wrench growled, embarrassed. “Like a flower or a butterfly or something. They’re kinda orange.”
Travis did an admirable but insufficient job of hiding his amusement. “Yeah, we could do that,” he agreed.
“It’s something I could do,” Wrench said offhandedly. “Wouldn’t take more of your time.”
“You ever done anything like that before?” Travis asked candidly.
“Nah,” Wrench admitted, scowling. He was regretting voicing the idea.
“Let’s do a little piece of the courtyard behind the spa, see how it goes, before we do it anywhere lots of people will see it. Pretty much only Lydia uses that space.”
Wrench grunted, happier with Travis’ agreement than he wanted to admit. “I could do that now,” he suggested. “I ain’t got anything else going on.”
Travis’s thoughts were clearly off somewhere else. Wrench looked up along the resort above them and saw one of the twins waving from the deck above. That would be Travis’s mate Jenny, by his distracted grin and return wave. “Sure,” Travis said. “Knock yourself out. The ratio of water for the thinset is on the bag. Use one of the gray buckets.”
“Got it, boss,” Wrench said automatically.
“Not your boss, Wrench,” Travis reminded him as Jenny disappeared above them. “I’m just showing you the ropes.”
“Well, I’m real grateful for your helping me get this work,” Wrench said gruffly. “Especially after that, er, professional misunderstanding.”
He had been hired to bring Jenny’s twin sister Laura back to the cartel in Los Angeles, but had mistakenly taken Jenny instead. He still wasn’t entirely sure how he’d been convinced to turn on his employers for a plea bargain, but he felt like for the first time in a long time, his life had some sort of real potential.
The biggest problem he had working here at this tropical resort was the island time they seemed to be on, with long periods of leisure that didn’t fit with his need to be constantly busy. He didn’t want the time to think about the pending sting or court date, and he had no interest in the luxury beach entertainment th
e resort offered.
Travis punched him in the shoulder and Wrench had to hold himself back from turning and pounding him into the ground in return. “You’ve been a great help,” the lynx shifter said merrily. “And you say probably twice as much as Graham does.”
Wrench grunted.
“There’s that chatty nature,” Travis teased.
Jenny skipped down the stairs towards them. “Scarlet is thinking about having an impromptu beach bonfire tonight, if you think the storm downed wood has dried out in the sun long enough.”
“Will you dance around it nude?” Travis asked with a grin.
“Keep dreaming,” Jenny told him, but she was smirking in return.
Knowing that they were aware only of each other now, Wrench left them without further comment.
Chapter 2
Lydia Moreno looked out the small window, down at the crinkly ocean and the island growing below. She was more excited about returning to Shifting Sands Resort than she had ever been before.
“Isn’t it lovely?” the little white-haired woman sitting next to her chirped, leaning over to look out the same window. “Have you ever seen such a gorgeous little island?”
“It’s more beautiful every time,” Lydia said with a gentle smile, sitting back so the woman could get the best view.
“Oh, you’ve been before?” the woman said with an appraising glance.
Lydia knew her simple clothing didn’t make her seem like someone with the kind of cash to travel multiple times to a luxurious tropical resort. “I work there,” she said without shame.
“What a gorgeous place to work!” the woman said with an overly friendly pat to Lydia’s knee. “My goodness, you must love it! Tell me what you do!”
Lydia smiled. “I run the spa,” she said proudly. “I also teach salsa and do many of the meditation and yoga classes.”
“I simply must take your classes,” the woman said too eagerly. “What do you like most about your work?”