Clean Inspirational Romance: Escape to Paradise (Inspirational Happy Sweet First Love Second Chance Romance) (Contemporary New Adult Love Inspired Holiday Short Stories) (3 page)

Chapter 5

The morning had flown by far too quickly, but at least Victoria had managed to find that she could balance herself on the board after an hour of trying and failing. Finally, she stood up and caught her first wave into shore. It was an exhilarating moment. She could hardly wait to try it again.

“Surfing can be very addictive,” Nick said later over a cool drink of pure coconut water fresh from the coconut itself. “There are also times when I catch a huge wave and ride the curl. That’s when I feel God there right with me. It’s a very spiritual connection. ”

After surfing classes had ended, Natasha had taken the girls back home. Nick had asked Victoria to join him for breakfast in the Beach Bar, and now they were enjoying a huge plate of eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon with maple syrup. Victoria felt strangely attracted to Nick, as though there was some invisible force binding them together. His smile was infectious and like a ray of sunshine that lit up the whole room. She guessed he was around her age, but he could have been a few years younger, or older. All she knew for sure was that being with him felt comfortable.

“By the way, Nick, where did you get that cross?” she asked, full of curiosity. “It looks almost the same as mine.”

“Oh, my wife gave it to me ten years ago for my twenty-eighth birthday. Sadly she passed away later that year. She had bone cancer and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. Losing her was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced, but it made me rethink my life and the value of it, and what God’s purpose and plan was for me. That’s when I started using my hobby of surfing to help street kids. I felt God calling me, asking me to help them. So I gave up my boring office job, and started managing the Surf Club, and I used the money from leaving my old job to start up the Beach Bar here. It’s a great drop-in center for kids who need somewhere to go and someone to talk to. So basically, I run a small counseling service during the day and a church service here on Sundays mornings, after surfing of course.”

“Sounds like surfing has been therapeutic for you, Nick.”

“Oh, any sport is, Victoria. It gets the happy hormones, the endorphins, going. But I love surfing because it’s a water sport and there’s something very holy and spiritual about water, especially the ocean. Anyway, back to you…where did you get your cross from?”

Victoria paused for a moment before answering. “I know this might sound weird and like some kind of tragic coincident, but my husband Tom gave it to me five years ago. Sadly, it was the last present he ever gave me. He died instantly in a car accident we were both involved in on the way home from the restaurant where we were celebrating our fifteenth wedding anniversary. If it wasn’t for Katie I wouldn’t be here. All I wanted to do was stop the pain and join Tom in heaven, or wherever he is.”

Nick was thoughtful for a minute. “That is a shocking tragedy, Vicky, absolutely shocking. Words can’t describe how sorry I am that you went through that. But God wouldn’t have wanted you to kill yourself. I know that terrible and bad things happen to good people, all the time in fact. That's not God’s doing, but the enemies. We live in a fallen world, where we are surrounded by human nature, evil doings, and sinfulness. God did not plan for us to live like this in a broken world. Human beings chose to do what they wanted to do in the Garden of Eden, and through disobedience we disconnected from the life that God had planned for us there. So the world we live in has its challenges and heartaches. But God is there to help us through those times. And He has a plan to restore us back to the life He originally wanted for us through Jesus, the Savior. And eternal life when Jesus returns for His people.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Victoria, inspired by Nick’s breadth of vision and faith in God. “I definitely did feel God at times comforting me in my darkest moments. Especially when I was praying.”

“He is there all the time for us, but especially when we pray. Well, since we’re talking about God, I was thinking…it’s Sunday tomorrow. Would you like to attend my little church after our surfing lesson in the morning?”

Victoria nodded eagerly. “I would love to come,” she said. And for the first time in a long time she began to smile.

***

The following morning showed signs of becoming a very hot day, much hotter than the previous day. Victoria woke up excited about the possibility of catching some more waves, and, of course, attending the church service. The girls had decided that they wanted to sleep in this morning so she arrived at the club alone, longing to see Nick again. He was hanging about with a group of young kids showing them how to wax their boards before they hit the surf.

“Hello, smiley,” he said, noticing Victoria as she approached him. “Well, it must be your lucky day because young Christopher has waxed the board you’ll be using today.”

“Thank you, Christopher, that is so kind of you,” she said genuinely grateful that her board was ready

“Not really kindness, ma’am,” said Christopher trying not to grin. “Mr. Boss Man here, Nick, makes us do it. Otherwise we don’t get out to ride the waves.”

Victoria and Nick laughed at Christopher’s attempt to paint Nick as some kind of tyrannical ogre. “I’m sure he means well,” said Victoria coming to Nick’s defense. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s hit the surf then. I can hardly wait to catch one of those waves!”

The surf was rougher today than yesterday, with far more power behind each wave as it broke on the shore.

“Be careful,” called Nick as she furiously paddled out to deeper water. “Looks like there could be a rip not far from there.”

“Okay,” Victoria called back, laughing. “But if I do get caught in a rip, you’ll have to rescue me.”

Luckily, although there was a mild rip, no-one got caught up in it, and after riding three waves back into shore, Victoria was delighted.

“Time to pack it up guys,” Nick yelled out at around eight-thirty. “Time for church to begin soon, but first there’s a free breakfast for everyone at the Beach Bar.”

Chapter 6

“I can’t believe I’ve been here a week. It feels more like a month,” Victoria said as she arrived at the
Surfside Seafood
Restaurant accompanied by Natasha and Dan.

Natasha had promised Victoria that she and Dan would take her out somewhere nice on her first Saturday night in Paradise. Dianne, the oldest Kingsley daughter had offered to babysit the children, so it was a wonderful opportunity for Victoria to relax amongst friends her own age. Something she had rarely done in the last five years.

“The time has just flown, hasn’t it?” agreed Natasha, as a waiter seated them by a table overlooking the vast expanse of ocean in front of them. “I really wish that you and Katie never had to leave. I have missed you so much since we arrived here. Have you considered selling your place, and moving here? It’s such an easy place to live in with fantastic weather, fresh air, and amazing beaches.”

“I must admit, Tash, it is a very tempting invitation. I promise you I will think about it. I am beginning to really love this relaxed lifestyle over here. And I know Katie would move here in a heartbeat. She’s already told me that she doesn’t want to go home, especially since Miranda is here.”

The waiter arrived with the menus and a bottle of iced water as well as a freshly baked loaf of herb bread.

Dan joined in the conversation as the girls began to dig into the bread. “Well, I can also offer you a few day’s work in the office if you’re interested, Victoria. I know you don’t need to work for financial reasons, but it helps to keep busy. So the offer’s there if you want it.”

“Thanks, Dan. I had been thinking of returning to work at some point. It would be nice just to be among people and back in the real world.”

“That’s why I do a few days a week, Vicky,” Natasha said. “It just gets me engaged with life and you know, we all need a balance. I actually enjoy working, anyway.”

“Hmm, well I have a lot to think about then,” Victoria said, perusing the menu. “But right now, I’m going to think about this tantalizing menu.”

“Yes,” said Nick as he checked the specials menu on the board. “That Lobster Mornay sounds irresistible.”

“I like the sound of the Red Emperor in a creamy garlic sauce with steamed baby potatoes and wilted greens,” Natasha said. “How about you, Victoria?”

“Well, I’m going for those Moreton Bay Bugs. We don’t get those in Georgia,” Victoria replied, keen to try something new and locally caught.

“Let’s order a bottle of champagne as well. Just to celebrate having you here and enjoying life again.”

“Sounds good,” Victoria said. “It should go well with the seafood as well.”

By the time the meals arrived, the restaurant was totally packed out. It was just after sunset and the sky was awash with the last golden rays of the setting sun. It was then as Victoria looked across the room that she saw him. It was Nick. He was seated on the opposite side of the restaurant across from a stunning lady with long blonde hair and an extremely low-cut vividly bright red dress, showing off her voluptuous curves. Victoria tried not to watch but she was mesmerized and Nick hadn’t noticed that she was there.

She felt a little shaken, or was it unsettled, or was it disappointment? Nick hadn’t mentioned another woman in his life, yet here he was gazing into the eyes of that lady in red. They appeared to be engaged in a very intimate conversation because Nick’s attention was focused only on her. He didn’t appear to notice anyone else or anything else in that room. He didn’t even look around once the entire evening.

“Is everything alright, Victoria?” Natasha asked half-way through the meal. “You look a little pale. Are the bugs okay?”

“No, no, everything’s fine. And the bugs are just fantastic. I could probably do with another glass of that champagne though,” Victoria assured her, trying not to look at Nick and that woman.

But it was impossible not to keep looking and every now and then Victoria could not resist. For a moment there it appeared as if the woman was crying, and Nick gently wiped a tear from her eye with his serviette. Then he tenderly stroked her hand as though he was trying to comfort her.

Who was this woman? They looked so close and as if they had known each other for a very long time.

“So, are you going surfing tomorrow, Victoria?” Natasha said as they finished their meals. “You seem to have really hit it off with Nick. Anything happening there that I should know about?”

“Oh, n-n-n0,” Victoria stammered. “I guess we’re just friends. And besides that he probably has a girlfriend already. And I might just check out the surf somewhere else tomorrow. I would love to explore the rest of the coast while I’m here.”

“That’s a good idea, Vicky,” said Natasha. “There is a great surfing beach twenty kilometers down the road from here. It’s called Greenmount Beach and you can rent surfboards there too.”

“You know, something, Tash. I might buy my own surfboard tomorrow. I can always leave it at your house if I go back home, and use it when I come to visit.”

“Or you could just move here and keep it at your own house,” suggested Natasha eager to convince Victoria to move to Australia.

That night after they had all arrived home, it dawned on Victoria that she had totally fallen for Nick. And that not since Tom had she ever wanted someone in her life this badly.
I need you Nick. I want you more than anything. But I guess you’re taken.

Chapter 7

For the next few weeks, Victoria avoided any more surf lessons with Nick as well as visits to the Beach Bar. Instead she spent her days surfing at different spots along the twenty kilometer stretch of sand known as the Gold Coast, as well as doing some sight-seeing with Natasha while Dan was at work.

“Nick was asking about you this morning,” Katie said, feeling curious about why her mother was no longer seeing Nick, or visiting the Beach Bar. “He wondered if you might want to come along to church this Sunday. Christopher and some of the other kids are getting baptized during the service, and then there’s a lunch banquet at the Beach Bar afterwards to celebrate. He asked if you were okay?”

Victoria felt confused and surprised.
Maybe he’s just being his usual, friendly self?
“Oh, I don’t think so, darling,” she answered. “I had planned to spend this weekend visiting Brisbane. It’s only an hour away, and Natasha wants to show me some of the tourist spots up there. It’s our last weekend here, so I don’t want to miss the opportunity.”

“Oh, okay, Mum. I’ll tell him you’re busy, but I think he’ll be disappointed. He always asks me how you are. I think he really cares about you.”

“Oh, Katie, he’s just being polite and friendly, that’s all. You are such a romantic little thing. Don’t ever mistake friendship for romance. You have such a lot to learn about men and this world.”

“But, Mum, I think he really does like you, a lot.”

“Well, I like him a lot too. But I’m sure he has his own life and his own friends. He doesn’t need me.”

Katie shrugged in frustration. “You are so stubborn Mom. And I think you are so wrong about Nick. I think he likes you more than a friend.”

Victoria remembered vividly the way she saw Nick looking at that blonde woman in the restaurant. There was a lot of obvious intimacy when they were together. “No, I’m not wrong, Katie. But somehow I wish I was.”

“So you do like him! More than a friend. I knew it!”

“So what if I do, Katie. We’re going home in a week. I’ll never see him again, so there’s no point to it.”

“But, we can always sell the house, Mom, and come back! I really want to come back. I just love it here. And Miranda and I have been best friends since we were two. I’ll never have a best friend like her again!”

Victoria saw how serious and passionate Katie was about moving to Australia. She put her arms around her, and said, “Okay, we’ll talk about it all on the trip home. We’ll have tons of time on the plane to work things out.”

***

Victoria found it difficult to get Nick out of her mind. Throughout the entire weekend, despite the fact that she tried to enjoy the many sights in Brisbane, memories of Nick kept reappearing, flooding her mind in waves.
Who is that blonde woman?
She felt haunted by the image of them sitting together in that restaurant. After five years of grieving and being single, Nick was the one she hungered for.

“Well, here we are home again,” Natasha said as they pulled into the driveway. It was late Sunday afternoon, and a cool breeze was blowing in from the ocean fanning away the humidity with welcoming fingers.

Suddenly, Victoria spotted Nick’s sport car parked in the driveway. “Looks like you have visitors,” she said, knowing that now she would have no choice other than to face Nick.

“Well, Dan did mention that Nick and his sister would be popping in for drinks and dinner tonight. Oh, I forgot. I meant to tell you earlier.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that Nick had a sister.”

“Yes, Dan was telling me that she had just broken up with her fiancé in Melbourne, and the poor thing has been so depressed that she flew up here to see Nick for some moral support. Apparently she was heartbroken about it.”

As they entered the house, Victoria could see Dan out the back with Nick. They were chatting and laughing with a cold beer in hand.

“Let’s just take these sausages and steaks out to the boys, Vicky,” Natasha said, pulling a plate of meat out of the fridge. “Dan promised he’d do a barbeque for dinner tonight.”

Just then the girls came running down the stairs excited to see both their Moms home again.

“Nick’s here, Mom,’’ Katie was saying. “He said it would be so nice to see you again.”

Victoria blushed. She felt strangely nervous about facing Nick again, knowing now that her feelings for him were much stronger than she had realized.

Trying to delay facing him, and needing time to regain her composure, she mumbled, “I’ll stay here and get some salads ready, Tash. Here, Katie help me chop some of these tomatoes and cucumbers.”

It took ten minutes to get the salads ready but to Victoria it felt like an eternity. Nervously she took a gulp of the fine wine that Natasha had opened and poured out for the girls. Three glasses.

“Okay, Katie, let’s take these salads out, and help set the outdoor table.”

As soon as Victoria laid eyes on Nick sitting relaxed by the barbeque, she went weak at the knees and melted. “Hi Nick. So nice to see you again,” she almost whispered. Sitting next to him looking a little sad was a lady hiding behind a large hat and huge sunglasses.

“Hi, Victoria. I want you to meet my sister, Julie. Julie this is Victoria. Julie’s come up to visit for a while and I know she’d love some female company so Dan invited us to dinner so that you girls could get together.”

“Hi Julie, lovely to meet you,” Victoria said as she suddenly realized who Julie was.
She’s the girl from the restaurant!