When Charles had pleaded with her to take him back, she’d given him the short answer. No. Unable to accept rejection, he’d persisted. She’d firmly held her ground. Eventually he’d gotten the message.
She had a voice and she wanted it to be heard. She had opinions and she wanted them to matter. She could make choices and she wanted people to respect them.
“Is this how it’s going to be between us?” Xander’s voice came from behind her.
She straightened her shoulders and turned. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m simply doing my job.”
He nodded toward the plane that was just beginning to lift into the air. “Did you have a good meeting?”
Lea hesitated, trying to decide how much to tell him. She finally sighed in resignation. “You might as well know that they didn’t make an offer for the island.”
“Really?” Genuine surprise echoed in his voice. “May I ask why?”
She turned to walk back to her office. She gave the hem of her blouse a firm tug, wishing it was a little larger. She’d placed an order from that online boutique that Popi had recommended and even with expedited shipping, it wouldn’t get to the island fast enough. Sometimes living remotely had its disadvantages—but thankfully not many.
As Xander fell in step next to her, she said, “The island needs more work than they are willing to invest at their age.”
“So they were planning to keep running the island as a wedding destination?”
Lea nodded. “That’s the only way I would even consider selling the island.”
“And so if I were to promise to keep the wedding business going just as you have it, you would sell to me?”
Lea stopped just outside her office and looked at him. “Do you even know what goes into running Infinity Island?”
“I guess not.”
“That’s what I figured.” She opened the door and stepped inside.
Xander was right behind her. She could see why he was so successful as a businessman. He never gave up when he wanted something. But this time he wasn’t going to get his way—no matter how much money he threw at her.
The breath hitched in her throat. Had she really thought that? Was she really that dedicated to her family’s tradition that she would pass up a fortune in order to keep this island?
And the answer was a resounding yes. She loved the island. She loved the people that worked here. And she loved bringing two hearts together for all of infinity. The fact that there was no record of a couple married on the island ever getting a divorce was the most amazing thing about the place.
With so much chaos and hate in this world, finding a place full of love was rare. There was something magical about this island. It was worth fighting for.
“What are you thinking?” Xander’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“I was thinking how special this island is.”
“Tell me about it.”
She turned to him. “Like you want to learn about the wedding business.”
“I do.”
She shook her head. “You just want to figure out a way to level it and build your mansions.”
“Lea—” he stepped closer until they were just inches apart “—I’m being serious. I realize that you’re never going to allow me or anyone to develop this island. I’ve made peace with that. But I can’t just walk away without understanding what goes on here—what makes it so special.”
She studied him for a moment. “You’re being on the level?”
“I am.”
“You want to learn what? How I decide who gets married here? And how we have a hundred percent success rate of picking the couples that will make it through all of infinity?”
He shrugged. “Yes. You have to realize that it sounds totally impossible. Couples just don’t stay together for long these days. Divorce, well, it’s the norm.”
“Not in my world.” If she got married, it would be forever. “If a couple is married here on the island, they stay married.”
“Show me.”
Lea moved behind her desk. “Show you what?”
“How it all works? I want to see this in action.”
“But I can’t. I don’t have anyone right now applying to marry on the island. I’ve had to cut back on how many couples we can take.”