“She’s a knock-out!” Said Jonah, when they reached the stable. “She looks way more beautiful in person than she does in her YouTube videos.”“Stop gushing over my woman, Jonah. You’re a married man, remember?” Derek laughed. “Any yes, you are right, she is beautiful.”“Jeez, I never thought that the day would come when you will refer to any woman as your woman. My dear friend, I think you are smitten!”Derek smiled. “Maybe I am,” he said. “To be honest, I have never felt this possessive with any woman before. Rachel is simply different.”“I can tell,” said Jonah with a grin. “And I can also tell that she’s in love with you.”Derek sighed. “Yeah, I know. She told me two days ago.”Jonah gasped dramatically. “And what did you say?”“That it was the most beautiful thing ever,” said Derek, embarrassed. “I know that’s a lame response, but I didn’t want to lie to her.”“What do you mean? It wouldn’t have been a lie if you’d told her that you loved her too, man. Look at you, you’re beaming l
One week after their arrival in Montana, Zoe’s passport was finally ready and it was time to book their flights to Bermuda. The last few days seemed to have zoomed by as Rachel and Vanessa bonded on filming fresh content for their YouTube channels. Thanks to Rachel’s insight, Vanessa has now realized that the farm and ranch and even their home were enough to create multiple contents for her channel.Derek and Jonah fostered their lifelong bromance over their shared passion for horseback riding on the ranch. They’d pretend to be cowboys and chase the cows around, while hee-hawing theatrically. In the evenings, they played chess on the patio in the back while the children played at their feet and the women sat by the pond chit-chatting.The girls have also formed a sisterly bond with Zoe who follows them around like a curious puppy. She had started taking riding lessons on Fifi who happened to be the most docile pony in the world, and she has developed a fondness for Michelle’s playful
When they landed in Bermuda nearly six hours later, Zoe was awake and in a chirpy mood. At the airport, two vehicles were waiting to take them to the villa that Derek has rented for their one-week stay. The place was so beautiful that Rachel was immediately blown away by the sights as soon as they landed. “This place is amazing!” She said as they entered the waiting car. “Wait until you get into the heart of the city, you’d think you are in paradise,” said Derek. “The place I rented for us is a bit on the outskirts of the city. It’s more serene and private.” “Sounds cozy,” she laughed. “It is, and I’ve got plans for you in there,” he said suggestively. “Not in front of the child!” Rachel said with mock surprise. “What did I say?” Derek asked with a laugh. “I want a burger!” Zoe announced. “Uh-oh, someone is hungry,” said Rachel. “You’ll have one when we get home.” True to Derek’s prediction, Rachel was in awe as they drove through the picturesque city of Hamilton. “Oh, this p
“Is the weather always perfect in Bermuda?” Rachel wondered aloud while lounging in the pool with Derek and Zoe, who was splashing around with a ducky floater. It was their second day in the beautiful country and the sun was shining from a clear sky.“Not always, but we came here at the right time,” said Derek. He took a sip of his chilled drink and sighed with satisfaction. “This is the life. I don’t know why I never liked the idea of taking vacations before. It just seemed like a waste of time to me because every minute that passed was a lost opportunity to make another kill in the business world.”“You’re the wealthiest workaholic I know,” said Rachel. “Why do you like working so much? It can’t be for the money because you’ve always had that.”“Yeah, it was never about the money for me,” he admitted. “I guess work helped me to suppress all my emotional baggage. It drowns out all the noise and keeps my mind constantly busy.”Rachel was surprised by this unexpected display of vulnera
The masseuse arrived an hour after they got home and by then, Zoe was taking a nap while the bodyguards had returned to their quarters in the other compound. The lady was biracial with her afro curls piled up in a big bun on her head. Her caramel skin glowed like polished brass and her pretty face reminded Rachel of a porcelain doll. She was dressed in a grey-colored uniform showing the name of the company she worked for above the breast pocket.“Hi, my name is Kira from Fantasy Spa. I’m here for your massage appointment,” she said.“Welcome, I’m Rachel. Please, come in. Follow me, I’ll take you to the indoor spa.”When they got to the massage room, Derek was already there with a white towel tied loosely around his waist. “Ah, there she is!” He said excitedly. “Who goes first?”“You’re already dressed for the occasion, so you might as well go first,” said Rachel. “I’ll go check on Zoe and come back to join you guys.”She knew Zoe would still be knocked out from that hyperactive beach
Two days later, Elaine Martin, joined them in Bermuda from the U.S. She was the middle-aged, highly-recommended nanny that Vanessa had chosen for Zoe. Both Derek and Rachel had interviewed Elaine over Skype the day before and they were relieved when she’d said she was ready to travel immediately to resume work.When the woman arrived, Rachel was instantly taken with the nanny’s warm nature and friendliness. It was even more satisfying to see that Zoe liked her too.She and Derek spent the first few hours of Elaine’s arrival bringing her up to speed with Zoe’s routines and their expectations going forward. Once all of that was sorted out, the nanny was shown to her room in the villa to settle in and join the family for dinner later on.Derek had hired a team of caterers led by a renowned chef in town to prepare their meal for the evening. He was in the mood for some fine dining but he didn’t feel like going out, so he decided to bring the experience to the villa instead.“I think I sho
“That’s impossible!” Derek exclaimed for the hundredth time since they’d left the resort mall where he’d come face-to-face with the woman who claimed to be his dead mother.They were back in their suite after Derek bolted away from the mall like an escaping fugitive, with Rachel and the bodyguards chasing after him. It was as if he had seen a ghost and he had been badly shaken ever since.“There has to be a logical explanation for what just happened,” said Rachel. “How is it possible that she has been alive for nearly nine years and nobody found out about it. Has she been in Bermuda the whole time or does she come here from time to time to commemorate her death?”“How would I know?” Derek snapped. “I’m just as confused as you are. This is insane! My mother is supposed to be dead, not alive, and walking around in Bermuda looking like Ariel the little mermaid!”“I agree. She does look hot for a dead woman,” Rachel joked, trying to ease the tension in the air.Derek chuckled. “Sounds lik
His vulnerability touched her and Rachel returned to sit beside him on the bed. “I know, but we have to. I know this is very difficult for you and I can’t even imagine just how distressed you are feeling inside right now,” she said softly. “What can I do to make you feel better?”He leaned forward and rested his forehead on her shoulder. “I feel as if my world has been flipped upside down. What else am I going to discover to be a lie about my life?”“I don’t know, but I do know that Zoe and I are real, and I am here for you.”He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “Thank you,” he said quietly.“For what?”“For being you. You’re amazing, Rachel.”She smiled. “So are you, Derek. Now, let’s get dressed and solve this mystery once and for all.”“I didn’t bring any change of clothes,” he said. “I didn’t envisage that we would be meeting a mystery hostess for lunch. There goes our romantic getaway!”“Stop whining,” she laughed. “We’ll have many other opportunities to have romantic get