“I wish I could, but I can’t. The girls and I have a spa day scheduled, and then they’ll come to my place after that. We’ll get in our pajamas, watch rom-coms, drink champagne, and chat until the ball drops.”
“That sounds like fun. Can I call you at midnight or does that go against girl time?”
“No, I’d love for you to call me. It’ll only be eleven p.m. your time.”
“Right, the time difference. But it wouldn’t matter if I lived in Europe; I’d still call you at midnight your time. One hour isn’t a big deal. Maybe we can get together the weekend after that.”
He said all the right things, clearly trying to prove to Lacey that they could work it out, but the more he talked, the worse it got. It should have been so easy, and if she wasn’t focused on her job, it would’ve been a no-brainer, but that wasn’t the case.
“I really need to work.” She winced. It sounded like she was making excuses, though that couldn’t be further from the truth. “Your friend Pete isn’t an easy nut to crack. He’s known for not even letting people through his door. I need to create the pitch of a lifetime.” All of her free time was going to be devoted to work—not play. Then, if she did get the account and promotion, her time would be even more limited.
“Believe me, Pete’s not that awful,” Drew said. “Plus, how could he turn you down?”
“Easy. He can say no. And don’t forget… no interfering.”
Drew crossed his heart. “I promise.”
Smiling at Drew’s declaration, Lacey finished her breakfast, and the mood lightened. But despite her history, deep down she knew Drew wasn’t like any other man she’d ever met—and no matter what happened between them, she’d remember him for the rest of her life.
They headed out to the back of the resort. Ethan was laughing it up with a couple of bikini-clad beauties, who were each sipping a Bloody Mary. He lifted his hand and gave them a quick wave, which they reciprocated, but Drew seemed to have a destination in mind.
Their feet hit the sand, and they walked along the beach untilthey came to a roped-off area. Drew stopped and looked out to the clear turquoise water. “What are we doing today?” Lacey asked, but Drew just waggled his brows, causing hers to furrow. “Mr. Mitchell, you look like you’re up to something.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. She would have tapped her foot to emphasize her curiosity, but that didn’t work well on the plush beach.
“Well, Miss Winters, you see, there are various ways to enjoy this island, and you’ve already experienced two of them. We’ve taken walks, and you’ve been on a boat, so land and sea are covered.”
Lacey looked up to the bright-blue sky and squinted, expecting for the answer to be in the few white, puffy clouds. “I don’t understand.”
A moment later, the sound of a motor came from the opposite direction. When she pivoted, a bright-yellow water plane withADDY’S ADVENTURESwritten on the side landed near one of the docks.
Drew gripped her hand and started toward the small bright-yellow vessel. “We’re going onthat?” she asked.
“We sure are. The water is so clear today, and the weather’s perfect. We’ll be able to see sea life and coral. It’ll be gorgeous… just like you.”
The propellers slowed to a halt, and a man stepped out of the plane and tied it off. He walked up to them and shook Drew’s hand. “Good to see you, Mitchell.” He looked at Lacey and tipped his head forward. “Ma’am.”
“Hi,” Lacey said, smiling at the man, who couldn’t be much older than her.
“Lacey, this is my good friend, Captain Jonathon Addison. John, this is my girlfriend, Lacey.”
The man beamed. “It’s nice to meet you.” He turned back to Drew. “She’s all yours. I’m going to go grab a bite and say hi to Ethan. Have a great time.”
Not completely understanding, Lacey didn’t move or even take a step toward the aircraft. Drew turned back to her and chuckled. “Are you coming?” He made his way toward the plane.
Despite her pounding heart, she followed, putting her trust in a man who had shown her nothing but kindness. Before she knew it, she sat in the passenger seat while Drew buckled her in and handed her a pair of headphones. When Drew got into the driver’s seat—or, in this case, pilot’s seat—Lacey’s heart beat so hard she heard it in the soft pads of her headphones.
Drew closed the door, buckled up, put on his own set of headphones, and adjusted the small mike in front of his mouth. With a flick of a few buttons, he brought the plane to life. “Ready?”
“Do you really know how to fly this thing?”
He laughed and ignored her question as he spurted out some call letters and numbers. A man’s voice in the headphones replied, “Clear, ten-four.” Suddenly, they were moving, and a few seconds later, they were soaring above the water.
Her anxiety abating, Lacey let out a laugh as the aircraft drifted between the clouds. “I had no idea you were a pilot. You’re full of surprises, Mr. Mitchell.” She looked out the window and gasped down at the sun-soaked islands that dotted the turquoise water below.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet, beautiful.”
Drew increased their altitude, causing her stomach to flutter. But when she glanced at him, she realized it wasn’t their height in the sky that made those butterflies come to life. It was the man beside her.
Chapter 14