Welcome to Coco Bay

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Welcome to Coco Bay Page 18

by Kirsty McManus


  “I never met Lola, so I can’t say whether that’s normal behaviour for her or not,” Emily says apologetically. “I think we’ve dodged a bullet by not seeing them more.”

  “Fingers crossed.”

  I stand up and head for the door. “We’ll brainstorm more ideas for the resort later, but for now I have to go get the cat ready for departure.”

  I’m just about to leave when Emily’s phone beeps. She looks down at the message and frowns.

  “Is everything okay?” I ask.

  She seems dazed. “It’s my dad. I contacted him a few weeks ago when I first returned to Australia, but he hasn’t been in touch until now. Apparently, he was in Bali and extended his stay because of a woman he met over there. Now he’s brought her home, and he wants me to meet her.”

  “Oh.” Emily hasn’t yet fully explained her family dynamic other than mentioning she has an awkward relationship with her father. “Is that okay?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “Do you want me to get someone else to take the ferry back to Mackay?” I ask.

  “No, no. You go. This doesn’t really mean anything. It’s just a surprise, is all.”

  “I’ll take care of you, babe,” Sasha says, wrapping her arm around Emily’s neck. “Noah, can we raid your secret wine stash?”

  I give her a fake stern look. “No, you cannot. But one of our suppliers gave us a bottle of cheap Pinot that you’re welcome to take. I don’t think they realised I knew it only cost eight dollars from the wine warehouse in Mackay.”

  “I’m not a wine snob,” Sasha says. “What about you, Emily?”

  “I’ll drink anything as long as it’s free,” she says, winking at me.

  “Ladies, ladies, ladies. When I get back, I’m going to run a wine appreciation course, and you’ll both be my only students.”

  “Ooh, kinky,” Sasha says, giggling. “Yes, Mr. Hawkins.”

  “You better behave, or you’ll be getting detention,” I tease Sasha.

  “I think I’ll leave the teacher-student roleplay for the two of you,” she says.

  I then have a thought. “Actually, there’s a fancy bottle of 2002 Salon you’re welcome to open. Feel free to look it up, but I’m telling you now, it’s not cheap.”

  “What’s the catch?”

  “No catch. I was just saving it for an event that never happened. I’d like you both to have it now.”

  “I love you,” Emily mouths.

  “I love you too,” I mouth back.

  I am so, so lucky to have that woman in my life.

  ***

  It’s been two weeks since the reopening and reviews have been great so far. Our advance bookings are steady, and no one seems to mind that part of the resort is still under construction.

  But we still need investment, or we won’t be able to finish the repairs, or employ the staff we need to bring the place back to full capacity.

  Emily and I walk hand-in-hand over to reception. “I’ll go get us some coffees and meet you in the office,” she says.

  “Sounds good.”

  I kiss her on the top of the head, and we go our separate ways.

  Sasha is finishing the night shift and yawns when she sees me. “Morning. Nothing much to report from last night, except room 210 has a blown bulb in one of the bedside lamps.”

  “Cool, I’ll get over there to change it soon. Thanks, Sash. Go get some sleep.”

  She heads off, and I go out the back to turn on the computer.

  I flick through all the emails that have come through since yesterday afternoon and pause on a message from a lawyer.

  The subject reads Potential Investment Opportunity.

  I’m wary as I open it in case it’s spam from Nigeria, but I soon discover it’s legit.

  To Whom It May Concern,

  My client, who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being, is interested in investing in Coco Bay Island Resort. Since reopening, they have been closely following your operations and have been very impressed with the innovative marketing strategies adopted by management and the amount of positive online engagement and endorsement for the property. As a result, they see significant future earning potential and would like to discuss an arrangement that will be mutually beneficial for all parties.

  Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

  Regards,

  Rod Bingham

  Bingham & Green Lawyers

  An anonymous investor? Would that mean they’d be happy to adopt a hands-off approach? This could be the answer to all our problems!

  Emily appears with our coffees. She hands me a mug, and I point to the email. She takes a moment to read it, and then looks at me.

  “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s worth exploring.”

  “Yeah, but I guess I’d like to find out who this anonymous investor is, if possible. I mean, what if they’re an arms dealer? Or a tobacco mogul?”

  “True. And what return would they expect for their investment? Plus, we’re obviously going to have to run it by Bruce.”

  “Exactly.”

  I take a sip of coffee and stand up to embrace the woman I love. “We’ll figure this out. And whatever happens, at least we’ll be together.”

  “Yes. And if it all fails, we’ll go start our own accommodation venue. Maybe a cute little backpacker motel on the mainland.”

  “Ooh, I like the sound of that.”

  “But for now, we’ve come too far to walk away without doing everything we possibly can to save this resort. This investor might be exactly what we need.”

  “Agreed.” I kiss Emily softly on the mouth. “I can’t wait to keep living this crazy life with you.”

  “Me either. Let’s explore this investment opportunity and take over the world!”

  COMING IN 2021!

  Love at Coco Bay

  Book 2 in the Coco Bay Series

  Who is the mystery investor?

  Are Seb and Lani gone for good?

  What is happening with Sasha and Dash?

  Will the resort finally make enough money to stay open?

  Will Emily and Noah stand the test of time?

  Stay tuned for updates! (To hear the latest before anyone else, sign up for Kirsty’s newsletter at https://kirstymcmanus.com.au)

  ALSO BY KIRSTY MCMANUS

  Before Coco Bay

  http://mybook.to/BeforeCocoBay

  Mind Reader

  http://mybook.to/MindReader

  I Thought It Was You

  http://mybook.to/IThoughtItWasYou

  1997

  http://mybook.to/1997

  1996

  http://mybook.to/1996

  MultiDate

  http://mybook.to/MultiDate

  Lightweight

  http://mybook.to/Lightweight

  Perfume Therapy

  http://mybook.to/PerfumeTherapy

  Saved by the Celebutante

  http://mybook.to/SavedByTheCelebutante

  Zen Queen

  http://mybook.to/ZenQueen

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Kirsty McManus was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to Queensland when she was 14. When she was 25, she lived in Japan for a year with her partner Kesh and worked as an English teacher. This was the inspiration behind her debut novel, Zen Queen. She also spent a year in Canada and then settled back down on the Sunshine Coast in 2008. She now writes almost full time, designs the occasional website, and looks after her two little boys.

 

 

 


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