“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t die falling down the stairs,” she muttered as she dragged one of the suitcases out the door. As she straightened, she took one last long look at the house. Olivia reached out and touched the nearest wall. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon enough.”
She wished she believed the words she uttered, but something told her this was not going to be the summer vacation she’d always dreamed of.
***
The flight had one layover in Texas before they continued to the Caribbean. The island kingdom was wedged somewhere between Bermuda and the Bahamas. On the map, it looked tiny, but it did have its own private airport so it couldn’t be that small. The closer they got, the more nervous Olivia became until she gripped the seat so hard her knuckles hurt.
She had never met a king before, and according to her mother, King Lamont would be there to greet them, and he wasn’t the only one. His son, Prince Quincy, would be attending, too. Olivia didn’t know much about him. Her mother had only met him once on her trip down there but said he’d been the perfect gentleman. He was around twenty-three years old. Olivia knew at least that and was thankful he wasn’t any younger. Or older. She wasn’t sure which would be worse.
They made their descent, and she watched her mother’s face light up with glee as the island appeared below them out of the cloud cover. “There it is!” Melinda squealed. “Welcome to the Isle of Bijoux.”
Olivia leaned over so she could see past her mother and out the window. The island was a drop of green in a vast ocean of blue and turquoise. From this height, she could see the white, sandy beaches that surrounded it and told herself she was overreacting. It wasn’t going to be that bad at all.
The small plane touched down gently and glided to a stop. “Well now, are you ready to meet your future family?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Do I have a choice?”
“Oh, come on, it’s going to be wonderful, you’ll see.”
“Only for you, Mom,” she replied with a light laugh. The few others on the plane disembarked, and Olivia followed her mother. “Just wait ‘til you see it,” she whispered over her shoulder. “You’ll understand why the island is nicknamed ‘Jewels.’”
Her mother made it to the door and down the few steps to the tarmac. Olivia took one last deep breath and descended the steps. The air definitely did not smell like home, and she felt a weight settle on her chest. It was fresh, though, and clean. The sky was a brilliantly clear, light azure and without a cloud. Everywhere she looked was lush emerald fauna. Palm trees lined the tarmac, and tall grass sprang up where the concrete ended, dotted with crimson and canary tropical flowers with petals as big as her hands.
“Olivia,” Melinda called, and she hurried to catch up, straightening her skirt. “King Lamont, Prince Quincy, this is my daughter, Olivia.”
She froze. Her face turned a bright shade of red, and Olivia raised her eyes to see two men staring kindly back at her. One was older, with white and grey hair speckling the black at the temples. The young man next to him had eyes that matched the palm trees behind him, maybe a shade or two lighter. His hair was black like his father’s and gelled into short spikes. To her surprise, she spotted several tattoos up and down his arms and one on the back of his hand. Olivia tried to tilt her head to see it until her mother cleared her throat.
“Sorry,” she said quickly and fell into a clumsy curtsy. “Pleasure to meet you, Lamont… I mean, King Lamont.” Her face burned even more until she heard the man laugh.
“It’s alright, Olivia. You can call me Lamont.” He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I am delighted that you and your mother are officially becoming a part of our family. Welcome to your new home.” He pulled her close and kissed one cheek, followed by the other.
Olivia relaxed a bit. He had a gentle smile, and when he turned to look at her mother, Olivia saw the love in his eyes for her. He took Melinda’s hands in his and pulled her close for a kiss.
“Quincy,” the prince said as he stepped forward and kissed Olivia the same way, though his kisses lingered longer than his father’s had. “At your service while you are here with us.”
“Thank you,” she said, frowning when her voice came out a bit rough. She could still feel his lips lingering on her cheek and fought the urge to reach up and touch it. When she looked up at him, the smile froze on her face. Up close, he was even more attractive than she’d originally thought. There was a dimple when he smiled, but only on the left cheek, which matched the smirk he wore on his lips. Not a mean one… no. That was just the way he smiled.
“I believe the valets are fetching your bags,” he said. “Would you like to ride with me in my Jeep? The palace is not far, and I would like you to see some of the island on the way.”
Olivia nodded slowly, realized she was staring, and hurried to look away. “Yes, you’re wonderful—I mean, that would be wonderful,” she corrected as she mentally kicked herself. “Where is your Jeep?”
Quincy smirked again and stepped aside. “Right this way.”