[Invitation to Eden 15.0] Return to Sender (4 page)

Chapter Five

An hour had passed and so far, Lauren hadn’t moved from the hammock strung across a corner in the more than spacious room. She was in heaven and wasn’t ready to leave, no matter what the urgent knocking from her door meant.

The breeze had picked up from the open windows and with the white curtains blowing with the wind, Lauren was in her happy place. Nothing to distract her but the peace and quiet. She loved it.

Well, nothing but the constant vibration of her phone. She’d been texting Melanie since the moment she arrived.

What are you doing now?

Lauren smiled. She’d taken numerous photos of her room, the ocean, and her hammock and shown them all to her sister.

Lying in the hammock. We need one of these at home.

Get out in the sun, woman!

“Ms. Summers?” There was a knock on the door but she couldn’t get up. Funny how lethargic her body became once she crawled into the hammock. She really needed to get one of these at home.

The door opened and one of her Greek gods entered. She waved her hand and caught the slight shake to his head.

“I’m sorry to disturb you.” Tyler came over to her and smiled down.

“I don’t think I can get up.” She laughed as she struggled to sit up.

Tyler reached out his hand. “There’s a secret to these things, trust me. You want to keep the stool close, swing your legs out and then tilt.”

Lauren reached for his hands and let him pull her out of the hammock. Out of the three brothers, Tyler was the only one who didn’t wear a wedding ring. Which was perfectly fine with her. There’d been a small card resting on her bed earlier that said The Island Knows What You Need. Well, if the island decided she needed Tyler—then she was fine with it.

“Not sure if you noticed, but there’s a storm brewing.” Tyler closed all the windows in her cabin. “I need to take you to the mainland for a bit.”

Lauren pulled a curtain aside and looked out. “How long will it last?” The sky was almost black and what she’d thought were soft waves hitting the posts of her cabin were actually large white caps that slammed into a barrier just out a ways. She’d grown up with storms coming off the ocean and knew this didn’t look good.

“It should pass us by in a few hours. Enough time for you to have a massage and then dinner.”

Her ears perked up at that. “Massage?”

“You’re booked in with one of the best.”

It had been ages since Lauren had last had a good massage.

I’m going for a massage!!

“And then dinner is in a little private area where you can stay relaxed. From what I hear, there’s even been a special chocolate dessert prepared for you.”

And there’ll be chocolate at the end!

Her sister was going to be so jealous by the time her Eden vacation was over.

“Am I alone or would you be able to join me?” She smiled up at him. “I’d be more than happy to share my chocolate with you.” Amazed at her own boldness, she couldn’t keep the blush from showing on her cheeks, so she went into her bedroom area to grab a bag she’d found packed for her on the bed earlier. Inside were flip-flops and a book she’d wanted to read. It amazed her how well her room had been prepared, especially considering she brought no luggage with her.

When she’d first arrived, she’d found a stack of clothing on the bed and then a closet full of sundresses and cocktail dresses in her size and comfy clothing she couldn’t wait to try. She wasn’t sure how long she was staying, but by the look of the outfits that filled her closet, she could stay for a few weeks and not have to do laundry.

Right now, she wore cream pants that hung perfectly over her slightly rounded hips and thighs and the softest black blouse that hugged her in all the right places.

“Should I change?” she called out.

“All women are the same, aren’t they? You look amazing and it’s a massage.” Tyler poked his head in her room and grinned. “Just bring your book and you’ll be set to go.”

“Are you married?”

“Why do you ask?” She liked the twinkle in his gaze.

“’Cause you sure know what to say and what not to say,” Lauren teased.

Tyler laughed. “I’ve watched my brothers long enough with their wives to know when to shut up.” Lauren grabbed one of the sundresses from the closet and stuffed it in her bag, just in case, and was about to join Tyler when she caught sight of a gold box that sat on the table beside her bed.

She didn’t remember seeing that before and she knew she wouldn’t have missed this box for anything.

She knew exactly what this box was. These were Paul’s signature chocolates that were no longer available. She knew they were exclusive to someone else now, but hadn’t realized it was for Eden.

She grabbed the box, smiled and then snapped a photo of it.

Sure enough, there was something written on the box. Paul used to send these to her with simple messages, like smile or laugh, one word to let her know he was thinking of her. She missed those packages from him.

But the word written on this box to her didn’t make sense. No one, other than her sister, knew she was here. Right?

Dream. What did that mean? Dream what? Sweet dreams? Dream of a future? What? And why?

“Are you ready?”

Lauren held up the box. “Did you bring this?”

“Are there any chocolates missing?”

Lauren opened the box and held it up for him to see.

“If they’re all there, then no, I didn’t bring it. You can’t trust me around chocolate, I’ll warn you now.” He winked at her while he approached, his hand out as if to grab the box.

She hid it behind her back and shook her head. “Hands off. I won’t be sharing these.”

“What? You just said you’d share your chocolate with me! You can’t take that back.” He pouted before he shook his head. “I can’t believe you got a box. Those are pretty special, from what I understand.”

Lauren nodded. Special didn’t adequately describe this box of chocolates.

“My friend is the chocolatier who makes them. They’re one-of-a-kind and exclusive. I just didn’t realize how exclusive.”

“There is a small chocolate shop in the castle where there is a box of those behind lock and key. There was no price and when I asked about buying one once, I was offered a different box, one that wasn’t behind that glass.”

Her brows rose at that. What kind of markup did they put on them?

“Oh, don’t look like that. They only meant that the Master reserves these for his special guests and makes them available to purchase extras before they leave. But...if you ever feel like sharing...”

“Hands off, buddy. I’ll be savoring these babies for a long time to come.” She longed to enjoy a small piece now, but decided to wait until later, when she could really savor the taste. Instead, she placed them in the small fridge in her room and heard Tyler’s sigh.

“I really thought you would share at least one,” he said as she turned around and then grabbed the bag off her bed.

She laughed at him.

“Not these. You’d have to be...Mr. Perfect for me to give one of these babies up.”

“Give me a chance? I’d do just about anything for one of those boxes.” Tyler held the door open and as he did so, a gust of wind blew in. “Come on, let’s get you to the mainland while we can.”

On the dock, Lauren glanced over at the other cottage that was linked to hers. There was a light on in one of the rooms and she caught the brief outline of someone as they stood at the window. She had the vague feeling that she was being watched.

“What about them?” she asked Tyler.

She caught sight of a small smile on his face. “Your neighbor? I’m sure you’ll meet up with him soon enough. Sean is there with him now.”

Him?

“He’s alone too?”

Tyler shook his head. “He came to reconnect with his soul mate. It’s a touching story, actually.”

The world soul mate hit her hard and reminded her what this weekend was really about.

“That’s nice.” She held on to the bag in her hand as she followed Tyler down the wood dock and onto the beach. The warm wind blew her hair until it was all tangled and she had to shield her eyes from the sand as it kicked up.

An enclosed white golf cart waited for them at the end of the dock. Lauren had to stifle her laughter as she watched Tyler try to climb inside. The man was a giant.

“Go ahead and laugh at my expense. Everyone else does too,” Tyler muttered.

“What is it you do here?” Lauren asked as they made their way towards a small path nestled in among the bushes. It was so well hidden that she wouldn’t have seen it if it weren’t for being in the cart.

“A bit of this and a bit of that. Whatever the Master asks, basically.”

“And how long have you and your brothers worked here?”

Tyler shrugged. “A few years now. It’s not a bad gig.”

Lauren thought about their wives and children. “Do you live here year round?”

He shook his head. “Some do, but not us. We have a complex on the mainland that we all share. We take shifts here, get weeks off at a time. It’s not bad.”

“What did you used to do before?” Lauren thought he’d probably been a bodybuilder.

“The army. All of us were. Sean just got out, a couple months ago, whereas Trev and I have been out a few years now.”

“It must be nice to have your family back together. I think I would be lost without mine so close.”

“Are you close with your sisters?”

Lauren nodded. “So close, we started our own company together. The youngest one does a lot of traveling, though, so I don’t see her as much as I would like to.”

Tyler stopped the vehicle by a set of doors and hopped out. Before Lauren could unbuckle her seatbelt, he was at her side and held his hand out for her to hold.

“You’ll have to make sure you all join us next year for our triplets get-together,” he said as they headed inside the main building.

Before Lauren could respond, she took a look around her and her jaw dropped. If she’d thought her little cottage was a dream come true, this place was a fairy tale. From the tall ceilings and chandeliers to the warm island pictures that lined the walls, everything about the entrance embraced her as warm and welcoming. She loved it.

If this was the side entrance, she couldn’t wait to see what the main entrance looked like.

Tyler led her down a hallway and stopped at a door with an ornate sign that indicated they were entering the spa area.

“This is as far as I go.” Tyler held the door open for her and waited for her to walk past him.

“Before I leave, this is for you.” Tyler grabbed a box off a side table from inside the room and handed it to her. It was a beautiful gold box wrapped with a soft chocolate brown ribbon. “Don’t open it until you are inside, though.”

She held it up and jiggled it a little, to see if she could guess what was inside.

“Do you know what it is?” she asked him.

Tyler shook his head. “Not a clue. Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! The Master does love his surprises, so be warned.” He gave her a smile and then closed the door behind him.

Surprises? She loved surprises, when she was the one doling them out. Today had been all about surprises and the feeling was a bit overwhelming. Within a space of six hours, she’d been whisked away to a private island she’d always dreamed of visiting, fell asleep in a hammock in the most amazing cottage she’d ever stayed at, found the best chocolates she’d ever tasted beside her bed waiting for her, and was now about to be spoiled for an evening with a massage and private dinner.

Could this evening get any better?

#

She smiled at him.

Well, not at him, but towards him. At least, he thought it was towards him. It could have been directed at the man who stood beside her, but he preferred to think the smile was meant for him.

Except, she didn’t know he was there.

He itched to send a text to Paul, to ask for his advice on what to do next, but every time he went to send his message, he would delete it instead. He needed to man up and just do what needed to be done, follow his plan and not freak out. But when he saw her there, steps away from him...everything fell to pieces.

His plan. His goal. His heart.

After six long years of only remembering her smile, to see it again...she took his breath away. He knew he was being sappy, but damn it, he didn’t care.

“You’re a lucky man,” Sean said.

Sean had met him at the dock earlier when he’d landed and was here to bring him inland, thanks to the storm.

“I hope so,” Marc said.

“Everything is all set for tonight. She’s on her way to a massage and then will meet you for dinner.” Sean slapped him on the back and Marc winced from the impact. Compared to Sean, Marc was a bean pole. His six-foot muscular frame had nothing on Sean, or his brothers, from what he’d seen earlier.

“Thanks for doing that,” Marc said.

“Dude, I didn’t do anything. I’m just the messenger here.” Sean stood by the front door. “And we need to leave. I really don’t want to get caught when the rain hits.”

Marc followed him out the front door and down the dock.

“Where are we headed, anyways?” he asked.

“It’s tacky games night tonight and I figured you needed something to keep your mind off the time until dinner.”

“Games night?”

Sean nodded. “It’s fun and guests usually love it. Tonight it’s staff against guests and winners get a fondue party. I’m under strict orders to make sure we win, too.”

The look on Sean’s face made him laugh. “Strict orders? From who?”

“My pregnant wife. She’s been craving chocolate fondue for the past couple days now.”

Marc climbed into the golf cart that waited at the end of the dock. He was amazed at how quickly the wind had picked up.

“I thought Joely had said the storm shouldn’t hit the island?” Marc complained. He’d hoped to have dinner outside on the dock between both his and Lauren’s cottage. There was a nice little area behind them but the storm had kiboshed that idea.

Sean shrugged. “Looks like it’s only hitting this side, which is odd since it’s not a large island. But...you never know what will happen here.”

“What does that mean?” He’d heard that saying a few times now, or something similar.