Chapter One

I looked up from my book and took in a big breath of fresh sea air. This was what a vacation was supposed to look like. White sand turned into pale blue water that slowly darkened as it stretched out toward the horizon. A tiny sailboat floated across the view, its yellow sails bright and cheerful against the sky. Behind me, green palms fluttered in the warm breeze.

I took a sip of the latest concoction from the bar and then set it down in the sand beside me. It was sweet with some sort of fruit juice and had a giant paper umbrella sticking out of the top. I closed my eyes, letting the warm sun shine down on me for a moment before starting the next chapter. This was so much better than my normal Novembers in Chicago. A girl could get used to tropical vacations like this.

I heard the soft sound of feet on sand and I turned to see two of my favorite people walking toward me. I grinned and sat up on the edge of my lounge chair and waved to my best friend and her son. Maddy walked slowly, trying, and from the irritated look on her face, failing to keep sand out of the walking boot wrapped around her foot. Tyler, her eleven-year-old son, grinned and hurried over, leaving his mother behind.

“Hi, Aunt Olivia,” he greeted me enthusiastically as he stopped next to my chair. I couldn't help but smile back at him. It was the first time in weeks that I had seen him legitimately happy. He was having a rough time making friends in a new school and transitioning to a single-parent household. I had hoped bringing him on vacation would help raise his spirits, and judging by the grin on his face, it was working.

“Hey, Tyler,” I replied. I loved that he called me Aunt even though we weren't really related. His mother and I worked closely together, and he had decided I deserved the aunt moniker the first day we met. I didn't have any siblings, so the possibility of me being a real aunt anytime soon was zilch. I loved Tyler like he was my own. “You having fun?”

“This resort is amazing. Did you know there's a free bowling alley? And pizza is served all day?” Tyler ran a clumsy hand through his disheveled brown hair and grinned. His arms were too long for his body since he was in the middle of yet another growth spurt. “We're still on for jet-skis in an hour, right?”

“Of course! I promised, didn't I?” I responded, scooting over on my lounge chair to make space for Maddy. She sat down gratefully, stretching the awkward black cast out in front of her.

“I really appreciate you taking him, Liv,” Maddy said once Tyler finished making an overzealous gesture of excitement. “I feel awful that I can't do it. Stupid ice.”

She glared down at the boot as if the inanimate object could feel shame. She had slipped on some ice outside our office two days before the trip and had broken her foot. The doctor had given her a walking boot, so at least she was slightly more mobile and able to enjoy our trip. She was being a good sport about it, but she was obviously not terribly comfortable.

“Maddy, you know I'm more than happy to do it. I just wish you could come with us!” I put my hand on her shoulder and she shrugged. I winked at Tyler and told his mother, “I promise to do as many dangerous things as possible. I'm expecting broken bones, but we'll have a great time.”

Maddy shot me a dirty look and Tyler laughed.

“I know where you sleep,” she threatened. “And I know all the things that scare you.”

I laughed. Maddy was only joking. Well, mostly joking. She was very protective of her son, especially since the divorce. I had no doubt that if I brought him back injured, I would have matching injuries within the hour.

“Can we go over to the jet-skis now?” Tyler asked, his eyes dancing with excitement. “I already have my swimsuit on and I'm ready.”

“I have to go check my email first. And change.” I answered. Tyler frowned and I held up my hands to block his accusing look. “Hey, someone has to work to get us these lavish vacations.”

“Fine.” Tyler crossed his arms and tried to pout, but he was still too eager about the upcoming jet-ski adventure to make it convincing.

“That reminds me, I have the waivers for you in our room. I'll go get them,” Maddy said as I rose to collect my things. I eyed her cast and raised my eyebrows at her. The doctor had said to try and stay off her foot as much as possible.

“Can Tyler get them?” I asked her.

Maddy gave a soft sigh of frustration. She'd had the cast for three days and was already tired of being babied because of her foot. “Not if you want them signed.”

“Can I wait for Aunt Liv by the dock, then?” Tyler asked, bouncing on his toes and looking past us down the beach. I could just make out the dock where we were supposed to get our jet-skis with a small storage shed next to it. Eagerness and excitement radiated off of Tyler as though he were a small sun of anticipation. His mom looked at him for a moment, considering the idea, and then nodded. The resort was small with good security. He would be safe waiting for me there.

“All right, but you stay out of the water until Olivia gets there.” She paused with a stern face until Tyler enthusiastically agreed. She smiled at his back as he took off down the beach to go look at the jet-skis. “He is so excited about this. Thank you, again. I'll go get the waivers and meet you at your room.”

I pointedly looked at her cast. “And then?”

Maddy rolled her eyes. “And then I'll stay off it. Go get a massage or something.”

I held my hand out to help her up. She was only about seven years older than I was, but I still needed to use a fair amount of strength to get her to stand. She looked tired, so I was glad I could get her energetic son out of her hair for a while. Being a single mother, even with a fairly self-sufficient kid, was not an easy thing, especially when trying to keep up with him on a broken foot.

We walked slowly through the elaborate lobby of Island Oasis Resort until we reached the elevator to our rooms. I was on the third floor while she was on the second. There were only thirty rooms in the entire resort, making it small and cozy. The goal of the resort was to not only be an exclusive luxury destination, but also to be one of the most ecologically friendly hotels in the world. It was the newest line from Diamond Hotels, and Island Oasis Resort was to be their flagship hotel.

Once inside my room, I opened up my laptop and let it power on as I stripped and changed into a full-piece swimsuit and board shorts. I logged in and started going through my daily assault of emails. Despite considering this trip to be a vacation, I was really here on business. This was a working trip.

My room was one of the premier suites, which made sense because the resort was trying to woo me. The resort officially opened in December, but they had invited several travel companies for a free weekend retreat in order to promote it. I had a large bedroom with a massive king-sized bed, as well as a reception area with a large desk where I could work. They had even provided me with everything I would need to work while on the island. A top-of-the-line printer/fax machine rested on a small, wheeled table with a full collection of office supplies next to the desk.

Island Oasis Resort was courting my travel company, Dream Vacations. My business was arranging personalized vacations and specialty travel. We offered all the convenience and discounts of the big website travel agencies, but with the personal touches only a person could give. In two years of business, I now had six consultants working from home full time, a tech guy, an accountant, two office employees and Maddy. And the best part, the part that I was most proud of, was that my business was rated by Forbes as one of the fastest-growing companies to keep an eye on. My main competition had thought we wouldn't make a dime, so I'd say we weren't doing too badly.

It hadn't been easy. I had gotten off to a very rocky start, no thanks to a certain businessman named Logan Hayes, but once Maddy had joined me, the business took off. It was a dream come true. I had put my heart and soul into the company, and my success reflected my desire to see it succeed.

A knock on the door drew my attention, and I left the last email unopened to go see who was there. I wasn't expecting anyone but Maddy. Waiting politely at the door was a man in the crisp, blue hotel uniform.

“Ms. Olivia Statler?” he asked. I nodded and he handed me a white envelope. I thanked him and he nodded respectfully before turning back down the hallway.

The envelope was made of expensive-looking white paper and felt heavy enough to hold something important. I left the door open a crack so Maddy could walk directly in, and carefully undid the seal of the envelope. My location wasn't a secret, but I certainly wasn't expecting any mail to be delivered here.

Dear Ms. Statler,

While we are not willing to negotiate control of the company, Travel, Inc. is willing to increase our original offer by 10%. Travel, Inc. would, of course, have sole ownership. Acquiring your business is something we are very interested in...

When I scanned quickly to the bottom of the letter to see the signature of Logan Hayes, my blood started to boil.

Logan Hayes.

My hand clenched around the letter, crumpling it into a ball. I hated that man. No, “hate” wasn't a strong enough word. I despised him with every fiber of my being. Not only had he led me on romantically, but he was responsible for almost destroying my company. His company, Travel, Inc., was the biggest online travel company in the world. His father was the CEO, but he and his brother were the guys who really ran it. There had been negotiations to purchase my company when I was first starting out, and Logan had seemed incredibly interested. However, he had quickly shown his true colors. Logan Hayes was the scum of the earth.

The letter was just the latest in a series of offers to acquire Dream Vacations. Now that my business was actually successful, they wanted it. Travel, Inc.'s initial rejection had nearly destroyed me when I was low on start-up capital. They had left me to dangle and struggle while making it impossible for me to find other investors. But I had survived, and now that Dream Vacations was successful, Travel, Inc. wanted it again. This latest offer was tempting, but there was no way I would ever let Logan Hayes or his family anywhere near my business.

I would rather let it burn in a fiery blaze than sell it to him.

Not that it was going to. Dream Vacations was doing better than I could have imagined. We were turning profits that made my previous salaries look like play money. Plus, I loved having the freedom of running my own company. The decisions were all mine to make. I didn't have to answer to anyone, except occasionally Maddy. If I didn't like the way things were being done, I had the power to change them. Taking the offer from Travel, Inc. would make me very, very wealthy, but I would lose the freedom that I loved. This company was my life. It wouldn’t go up for sale no matter how much they promised.

I was about to throw the crumpled offer into the trash when I decided that simply tossing it wasn't enough. I sat down at the desk and began ripping it into tiny pieces and putting them in a return envelope. I didn't stop when Maddy knocked and then let herself in.

“What's that?” she asked, coming over to the desk.

“Another offer from Travel, Inc.,” I answered and put the last piece of the offer in the envelope.

“Are you accepting it?” She sounded shocked. She had been there for the aftermath of my association with Logan Hayes and Travel, Inc. Besides that, she technically owned part of the company and would have to agree to it as well.

I blew my nose and then stuffed the used tissue in the envelope before sealing it. I held it up to hand it off to Maddy.

“You know I'm not mailing that, right? That's gross.” Maddy gave me one of those disgusted, disapproving looks that only a mother can give. She did not take the envelope.

“You're right. It's terribly unprofessional,” I conceded with a sigh, setting the letter on the desk. “And besides, it just isn't enough to convey just how certainly he is not getting my company.”

After what he had done to my company two years ago, a snot-filled envelope was more than he deserved.