Sunlight over Crystal Sands: A gorgeous uplifting romantic comedy perfect to escape with this summer

by Holly Martin

  ‘I still think you should talk to him, ask him what happened,’ Michelle said. ‘What do you think, Ben?’

  Her husband chewed on his pie thoughtfully. ‘Lyra, I love you, I think you’re brilliant and this guy clearly had no idea what he was walking away from. But I think for your own sanity, you need to put that night behind you and move on. There’s no point in dwelling on why he ran away and I don’t think you’d like to hear the answer anyway. Finding out the truth won’t make you feel any better. So I think you go back to work tomorrow and treat him like any other colleague. You dazzle him with your lovely Lyra kindness and well… maybe he’ll come to regret walking away from you in the first place.’

  ‘Yes!’ Michelle said. ‘Show him what he’s missing out on.’

  Lyra sighed. She had no interest in playing games with Nix but Ben did have a point, she had to let it go and move on. They were colleagues, working together in the same room. They had to have a good working relationship. Starting from tomorrow she was going to start a new leaf with Nix Sanchez.

  Nix put Dexter’s food down and then went out on deck as the sun left pink candyfloss clouds across the sky and turned the sea a beautiful crimson. Little sailboats dotted the horizon as people went out on sunset boat trips. Most of the boats in the harbour were empty. Unlike him, no one else was living on their boat, which seemed a real shame as this was one of the most beautiful parts of the world in his opinion.

  He took a sip of his beer. As first days went, that certainly hadn’t gone to plan. The atmosphere between him and Lyra had been awful, so much so that he hadn’t even wanted to be in the same room as her. He had to make it right between them but he had no idea how.

  When they’d first met they’d got on so well, and conversation had been really comfortable between them. He wanted that ease back, even if a proper relationship between them was completely off the table. He wanted to be able to laugh with her, or at the very least discuss the different events together.

  He had to talk to Lyra about what happened, because the sense of angst he was getting from her was way more extreme than it should have been under the circumstances. They’d had a great night together, they didn’t need this bad feeling between them. If she didn’t want to pursue a relationship then that was fine, but surely they could be grown-ups about it.

  His phone rang in his pocket and he fished it out as Dexter wandered out on deck too, licking his lips and wagging his tail, ready for his post-dinner fuss.

  Nix sat down and Dexter nestled between his legs demanding to have his back stroked. Nix obliged, massaging the dog’s neck with one hand and answering the phone with the other.

  ‘How did your first day go?’ Lucas said. He was slightly out of breath, as if he’d been running.

  Nix sighed. ‘In terms of the job, fine. The upcoming events have been organised to the finest detail, so it’s very easy to see what is left to do. I think the job will be fun. In terms of working alongside Lyra, not great.’

  ‘That’s not good. Do you think she feels embarrassed?’

  ‘I don’t know, I think it’s way more than that.’

  ‘Maybe the sex was crap,’ Lucas said, knowing the exact thing to make his brother feel better.

  Nix rolled his eyes and shook his head. ‘That’s entirely possible – it’s been a while – but still it seems like a bit of an overreaction if that’s the case.’

  ‘Maybe it was really really bad.’

  ‘She seems angry.’

  There was a pause from Lucas. ‘Well, that’s weird.’

  ‘I know. We had this lovely night and she certainly didn’t seem angry when we were making love. In fact, she seemed pretty into it.’ Nix sighed. ‘She told me some stuff about her mum that night. She was let down by her parents very badly and it makes her hold onto the reins really tight. I wonder if she’s angry at herself for letting go. Maybe she feels like she shouldn’t have done it.’

  ‘Maybe. You need to talk to her.’

  ‘Yeah I do,’ Nix said, although he was really not looking forward to that conversation. ‘I had an idea actually. I was thinking about doing something for her that might make her… relax a little.’

  ‘Get her drunk,’ Lucas teased.

  ‘That’s more your style than mine,’ Nix said. ‘No, something fun.’

  ‘What did you have in mind?’

  He did have a plan but he had no idea whether Lyra would be up for it, especially as she was barely talking to him right now. That spirit of adventure she’d had the night they’d met had gone, but hopefully it was just hidden away rather than gone for good.

  ‘I’ll let you know once I’ve given it some thought. How are things with you?’

  ‘Good, just finishing my run before I go out on my date.’

  ‘Anna?’

  ‘No, Helene.’

  ‘What happened to Anna?’ Nix asked.

  ‘She asked me to meet her parents.’

  ‘Is that really a bad thing?’

  ‘Serious relationships are your thing, not mine. You made love to the first woman you’ve slept with since Emily, I have sex with the women I date, and there is a really big difference.’

  Nix rolled his eyes. Lucas was never going to settle down. Maybe that was a better way to be, then he’d never get hurt.

  ‘Right, I better go, I need to take Dexter for his walk. Enjoy your date.’

  ‘Always do.’

  Nix hung up. Life would be a hell of a lot simpler if he adopted Lucas’s attitude and then he wouldn’t be dwelling on this thing with Lyra. He’d just have slept with her and moved on. Instead he was worrying over how he’d upset her and how he could make this right.

  Chapter Ten

  Lyra walked into the office the next day with a smile forced on her face. ‘Good morning Nix.’

  She could hear how stiff and formal it sounded but it was the best she could do. Every time she looked at him she recalled how he’d touched her, the affection in his eyes as he’d made love to her, the way his kiss had made fireworks erupt inside her. She remembered that connection which had felt deeper than anything she’d ever experienced before, even after only a few hours together. She sat down with a sigh. To find out the next morning that he hadn’t felt any of that and it hadn’t meant anything to him hurt like hell. And although Ben’s advice had made sense and she knew she had to move on and put it behind her, it wasn’t as easy as that.

  She glanced across to see he was watching her warily like she was a deranged wild animal. He cleared his throat. ‘Morning Lyra,’ he said, softly.

  Her name on his lips was like a kick to the heart. The last time he’d spoken her name was when they’d been in bed together, her arms and legs wrapped around him as he stared at her as if she was the missing piece he’d been searching for. And it had all been a lie.

  Maybe they should have discussed the parameters before they’d jumped into bed together, laid out some ground rules so she knew what to expect. She was a big fan of rules but for some reason all of that had gone straight out the window when she met Nix. But maybe he’d thought they were on the same page. If she was the kind of woman who jumped into bed with a man she’d just met, then she was probably not the kind of woman who was looking for a serious relationship where love and trust were built up over time.

  OK, she just had to treat him like a normal colleague, and not someone who had broken her heart. She could do that.

  ‘How’s George?’ Lyra asked, as if asking after his first-born.

  Nix stared at her, visibly confused by her attempt at polite conversation. ‘He’s fine. I think, I haven’t seen him for a few days… But yes, he seems to be fine.’

  She nodded and turned her attention to the files on her desk, although she could sense he was still staring at her.

  ‘Lyra, that night…’

  Her eyes snapped up, locking with his. Were they really going to talk about it? So much for trying to go back to normal and pretending it never happened. She waited and event
ually Nix spoke.

  ‘Did I… hurt you?’

  She frowned in confusion. She hadn’t been expecting that.

  ‘When you made… during sex?’ she quickly corrected herself. She couldn’t call it making love because it clearly hadn’t been that. It had been sex, nothing more.

  ‘Yes, did I do something you didn’t like?’ Nix asked.

  Lyra’s frown deepened. How could he think that? It had been incredible. Her heart had broken the next day when she’d found him gone but she couldn’t take anything away from the night itself. And although she hated him a little bit for leaving after the wonderful night they’d spent together, she could never let him think that he’d hurt her in any way, or that she’d been anything but completely willing.

  ‘No, completely the opposite. There was quite a lot I did like.’

  He gave her a sad smile. ‘Me too.’

  This conversation was getting more and more confusing.

  ‘So you woke up the next morning and regretted it?’ Nix asked.

  Did she regret what happened between them? If she knew then what she knew now about how it would come to a crashing end, would things have been different? Would she have said goodnight after visiting the beavers and made her way to Michelle’s house? That was like asking whether she’d turn down the best chocolate cake in the world knowing she could only ever taste it once. Definitely not. Not even knowing the cake was unhealthy and bad for her would put her off. She’d devour every mouthful and then lick the plate afterwards. So, no, she couldn’t regret the night she’d spent with Nix, no matter what had happened the next day. She knew if she had the chance to make that decision again, it would be exactly the same, only this time she would agree to spend the night with her heart firmly locked away so she could enjoy the night for what it was: an incredible moment never to be repeated.

  ‘I don’t regret what we shared,’ Lyra said.

  He stared at her. ‘So why—’

  The office door opened and Clover walked in, carrying cups of what looked like two frothy cappuccinos. ‘How’s it all going?’ she asked. She placed one of the cups on Lyra’s desk and then took the other over to Nix’s desk.

  Lyra cleared her throat as she tried to get her mind back in professional mode. The conversation with Nix had completely thrown her and now she had to pretend that everything was fine and she hadn’t just been thinking about the best sex in her life while at work.

  ‘We’re getting on well,’ she said, plastering on a smile. ‘We’ve decided to split the files for efficiency. I’m currently looking after weddings and Nix is doing all the other events. That way the clients can always have the same point of contact going forward.’

  ‘Oh, good idea,’ Clover said. ‘And in that case, Nix, Elsie McLaughlin just called – she’s the hundredth birthday party in the middle of August. She’s asked if someone can go to her house to talk through menu options and a few other details for the party. She’s not as mobile as she used to be, although her mind is still as sharp as a pin.’

  ‘Not a problem,’ Nix said, easily.

  ‘Her address should be in the file, but it’s just behind the school, bright pink cottage, you can’t miss it.’

  ‘I’ll go as soon as I’ve finished my coffee,’ he said, taking a sip of his drink. ‘I need to drop some details round to Seamus for his party, so I can do that on the way back.’

  ‘That’s great, thanks. And I’ve actually got another event I wanted to talk to you two about. Last year we reopened the hotel after extensive refurbishments under the new name and the Sapphire Bay Hotel will be one year old at the end of August. We hadn’t thought about doing anything, but we had a management meeting yesterday and thought we could hold a party or some kind of event. A two-day event actually. Lyra, you can take day one, and Nix, you can take day two.’

  ‘OK,’ Lyra said, somewhat relieved that they would still be working relatively separately for their day of the party.

  ‘Sounds good,’ Nix said.

  ‘We’ll be inviting our regular guests to come and stay for the weekend. Most of the party will be done in house,’ Clover went on. ‘Especially all the catering, but there will be a reasonable budget for entertainment or decorations or other things you might want for the party. It won’t be crazy high, but I suspect Noah will be quite generous.’

  They both nodded.

  ‘Now here’s the fun bit. As you know, I’m going to be taking a step back from the conference and banqueting side of things and initially we thought we would just have two events co-ordinators. But Aria and Noah feel that we actually need an events manager who would be in charge and make final decisions about things, but who would also play a key part in the hotel managerial team, reporting back to the rest of our team about events and anything we need to be aware of. The two of you are very experienced and we couldn’t choose between the two of you. Personally, I can see both of you shining in that role, so we thought we’d have a little competition. You have a few days to prepare your ideas for your day of the party. On Monday, you can present your ideas to us and the best presentation and ideas will get the job.’

  Lyra frowned slightly. Were her new bosses really going to promote one of them based on the outcome of a competition? That didn’t sound particularly professional or efficient.

  ‘It’d mean a small pay rise,’ Clover went on. ‘The two jobs won’t be that different in the day-to-day workload, as you’ll both still be co-ordinating your own events and working together to come up with ways to encourage people to book their events with us. It’ll just be co-ordinating with management that will be the added element. The winner will also get a five-hundred-pound one-off bonus.’

  A pay rise would be very welcome, and five hundred pounds would almost pay Lyra’s rent for an entire month; Jewel Island was not a cheap place to live. But she still didn’t feel good about this. She glanced across at Nix. They were barely speaking and now they were going to be in competition against each other. This didn’t exactly bode well for a harmonious professional relationship. She’d opened her mouth to say she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea when she spotted Nix nodding.

  ‘Sounds like a great idea,’ he said.

  Lyra swallowed her objections. She was hugely competitive. Whenever she got together with her siblings and they played board games, she would do everything in her power to win. If Nix wanted to take her on, she was definitely up for it. And at least that would give her something else to focus on rather than healing her battered and bruised heart.

  She smiled sweetly at Nix. ‘Bring it on.’

  There was a knock on the door shortly after Nix had left to go and see Elsie McLaughlin. Lyra got up to answer it and found Sylvia on the other side, today wearing a glittery gold cloak embroidered with flowers. She looked spectacular. She was accompanied by the big white fluffy dog again.

  ‘I have to ask, if you wear this kind of thing on a normal day, what will you wear to your party?’ Lyra said, stepping back to let her into the office.

  ‘Oh, something fabulous, I assure you.’

  ‘I have no doubt. And who is this?’ Lyra stroked the fluffy dog’s head.

  ‘Snowflake. He’s very good at sniffing out a good romance story,’ Sylvia said.

  Lyra smiled. ‘I’m afraid Nix has popped out to see another client, but I can take a message for him.’

  ‘I came to see you actually,’ Sylvia said.

  Lyra grabbed Nix’s chair, wheeling it around his desk for Sylvia to sit down on, before returning to her own desk. ‘I’m guessing this isn’t related to your party?’

  ‘Well, strictly speaking it’s linked,’ Sylvia said, settling herself in the chair. ‘You see, how can Nix plan me an amazing party if the boy is sitting in here being miserable for the next few months? I feel the party will be tainted somehow.’

  ‘Ah, I see. I’m to blame for that, I suppose?’ Lyra said.

  ‘Well, that boy has it bad for you, I can tell. And I think you feel the same way, so
just let him apologise and take him back. Then at least he’ll stop moping about the place.’

  ‘I don’t think he’s moping,’ Lyra said, although Nix certainly wasn’t the happy, chatty man she’d met the previous week. ‘And even if he is, this is of his doing. It’s not my job to make him happier.’

  ‘But men are fools who have no idea which path to take through life. It’s our job as women to guide them.’

  Lyra smiled at this simple view from an octogenarian. ‘I’m not sure someone who has been married six times is really the kind of expert I need in matters of the heart.’

  ‘I think that’s exactly the kind of person you need to advise you,’ Sylvia said, unperturbed. ‘I have a wealth of experience. Tell me, was the sex good?’

  Lyra shook her head with a smile. Realising that Sylvia was here purely for a salacious bit of gossip, she wondered whether, if she gave her something, she might go away and leave her to do her work.

  ‘It was the most incredible night of my life,’ Lyra said.

  Sylvia clapped her hands together in triumph. ‘I knew it, I could see the connection between you. I was watching you at lunch yesterday and it just sparkled in the air. Why are you not fighting harder for this, if it was so incredible?’

  Lyra sighed; her tactic evidently hadn’t worked. ‘Have you spoken to Nix about all this, about what happened?’

  ‘No, he’s been very discreet about it all, not like you.’

  Lyra burst out laughing. ‘Oh my god, you’re terrible. I was hoping if I gave you a little nugget you’d go away.’

  ‘Perhaps the nugget should have been smaller,’ Sylvia said. ‘I’m not going anywhere after that. In my experience, you don’t walk away from that kind of sex unless he did something unforgivable.’