Chapter 10

Once they were back on the ferry and headed to the resort, Isabella looped her arm through Kelsey's. "Liz said we have to come back before we leave. I think she likes us, plus I want to dance with you again."

Kelsey looked over at Isabella. Her eyes sparkled just like the setting sun reflecting off the water. "You liked dancing with me?"

"Yeah. Uh oh, you didn't like dancing with me. Did it make you uncomfortable?"

"No, I mean, yes, I loved dancing with you. I loved the whole day," Kelsey said.

"I did, too."

They gazed out at the water as St. Thomas got closer and closer.

"Were you able to help Riley with the website?"

"Yeah, I made a few changes and I hope it helps them."

"Do you think they'll become a client?"

Kelsey nodded. "Yep, and I think they want your expertise as well."

"I'd love to help them."

Kelsey couldn't help but lean into Isabella. She liked the closeness and neither of them seemed to mind. Why was being with Bella so easy, she wondered. There wasn't the awkwardness she felt when meeting new people.

"Liz is rather direct, isn't she?" Kelsey said.

Isabella chuckled. "Yeah, she is. She definitely knows people. Maybe she's psychic."

"What did you talk about while I was working with Riley?"

"Oh, she just kept saying to come back before we leave and spend time with them," Isabella said.

"I'd like that, would you?"

"I've never felt a place feel so familiar like Peaches did. It was like we were all friends when we first stepped through the front door."

"I know. Liz said people like it there. I can understand why."

Kelsey took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She had never connected with another person the way she had with Isabella. It didn't make sense to her. While they were at Peaches, the lines between friendship and something more had begun to blur. The last thing she wanted to do was make Isabella uncomfortable. But Isabella was the one who embraced everything. When Liz thought they were together, it hadn't seemed to bother Isabella in the least, but Kelsey's heart had sped up and her mouth went dry.

She thought back to when they'd started to spread their things out on Honeymoon Beach. When Isabella took her shorts and shirt off, Kelsey had to look away in fear of being caught staring. It had been too long since she'd thought of another woman that way. She certainly didn't want to ruin things with Isabella when their friendship was just getting started. Plus, they had a job to do for Coral Bay and Kelsey wasn't about to mess that up.

"Hey, are you all right?" Isabella asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You keep sighing and taking deep breaths," Isabella said.

I've got to get a hold of myself."Have you talked to your boys?"

"Uh, yes. I talked to them last night after dinner. They're having a grand time in New York," Isabella said with a less than enthusiastic tone.

"I'm looking forward to meeting them when we do the family vacation," Kelsey said. She thought talking about their families would deter these thoughts running through her head until she could get back to her bungalow and sort them all out. She was sure it was just being at the bar with other gay women that had caused it.

"I can't wait to meet your girls. We're going to have so much fun with them and their friends," Isabella said.

"They are going to love you," Kelsey said with a smile. "Dana is spontaneous like you. Who knows what we'll get into."

Isabella laughed. "It will all be good, Kels. You know that."

Kelsey smiled. God, I hope so.

"Hey, is that Carmen?" Isabella said, looking at the shore where they were about to dock.

"It is," Kelsey replied. "I wonder why she's here."

They both waved at her and went down the steps to the lower deck to exit the ferry.

"What are you doing here?" Isabella asked as they approached her.

"I thought I'd give you a ride back to the resort," she said with a smile.

Kelsey tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Shuttle services are part of your CEO duties?"

Carmen laughed as she ushered them into the car. "Get in and I'll explain. Did you have a good time at Peaches?" she asked as she pulled into traffic.

"We love it," Isabella said excitedly.

"We hope to go back before we have to go home," Kelsey added.

"Do you realize tomorrow is Christmas?"

"Oh yeah," Kelsey said. "I thought about it this morning, but we were having so much fun all day that it hadn't crossed my mind again."

"How was your day?" Carmen asked.

"It was wonderful," Isabella gushed, turning to look at Kelsey in the back seat. "I think one of our trips needs to be a long weekend getaway. We can spend a day at Honeymoon Beach then go to Peaches. After that we need to spend a day at the resort. We haven't experienced all you offer there on site."

"Let's do it in April," Kelsey suggested. "We don't have anything special for that month, do we?"

"I have ideas for most months and wanted to go over the schedule with you," Carmen said. "I thought you could spend the morning at the resort then go to Peaches with us tomorrow afternoon."

"You're going to Peaches?" Isabella asked.

"Yes, my kids are here for Christmas, and they love going to Liz and Alex's. We've had Christmas with them for several years now," Carmen said.

"We don't want to intrude on your Christmas," Kelsey said.

"You won't. We want to include you both!"

"Are you sure?" Isabella asked.

"Absolutely. We're going to be friends, don't you think?" Carmen said, glancing at Isabella then Kelsey.

"We are," Kelsey said. This trip wasn't turning out to be anything like Kelsey had expected. She thought she'd spend most of her time alone on the beach, but this was so much better. New friends coupled with fun times were just the beginning.

"Riley called me when you left the island. She wanted to invite you both over tomorrow, but she didn't have your contact information. I hope you don't mind that I shared your numbers with her," Carmen said.

"Not at all," Isabella replied.

"She wanted to invite you for Christmas tomorrow and I told her I'd meet you at the ferry. They loved the two of you as much as you liked the bar."

"This is turning out to be a very merry Christmas," Kelsey said.

"It sure is," Isabella agreed, turning around to smile at Kelsey.

"Thank you, Carmen," Kelsey said. "I wasn't too excited about this trip since my girls didn't come with me, but it's been nothing but happiness since the plane landed."

"That goes double for me. This is the first Christmas I've spent without my boys and I didn't know what to do with myself." Isabella turned around to look at Kelsey again and added, "You've not only kept my mind off the sadness of divorce and single parenthood, but you've helped me see happy times past it."

"Oh, I'm so glad. I didn't realize both of you were without your families at Christmas. I thought you'd celebrated before or would after," Carmen said.

"You'll get to meet my girls on another trip," Kelsey said. "They won't believe me when I tell them all we've done, but they'll see firsthand in March."

"I can't wait to show them," Carmen said.

"When we do the family vacation and have them all here, we may need help." Isabella chuckled.

Carmen laughed. "Won't that be a fun time." She pulled into the resort. "Okay, I'll text you tomorrow when I know what time we're leaving. Do you need anything?"

"I think all I need is a shower and dinner," Isabella said.

"That's all I need," Kelsey said. "Thank you again, Carmen."

"I'll see you both tomorrow."

Kelsey waited for Isabella to come around the car, then they walked back to their bungalows together. "What would you think of ordering room service and having dinner on one of our decks?"

"We could shower and not have to dress for dinner," Isabella said.

"Exactly," Kelsey replied. "I know we can wear anything to dinner, but wouldn't it be nice to throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt?" She glanced at Isabella. "You do have something casual in one of your suitcases, don't you?" Kelsey couldn't resist teasing Isabella just a little.

"Ha ha," Isabella said, knocking her shoulder into Kelsey's. "You'd be surprised to see what I packed."

Kelsey chuckled. "No I wouldn't."

Isabella laughed with her as they reached their bungalows. "I'll be over in a little while."

Kelsey went inside and took her clothes off and stepped into the shower. It felt glorious to get the sand and sweat off her body. She couldn't keep from thinking about the day as she washed her hair. Her thoughts drifted to dancing with Isabella at Peaches. Kelsey remembered Isabella telling her she wanted to dance with her again and an idea of a little Christmas gift Kelsey could give her began to take shape in her head.

After she'd finished showering and got dressed, she was surprised to hear her phone ring. It was probably Isabella, she thought with a smile.

"Hi, Mom!" Emma's excited voice echoed through the room as Kelsey put her on speaker.

"Hi, Em." Kelsey chuckled. "You sound like you're having a good time."

"Oh, Mom, you wouldn't believe it, but I have a confession to make," Emma said then paused.

"Okay…" Kelsey's voice trailed off.

"I miss you," Emma admitted. "I didn't think it would be a big deal not having Christmas with you and Dana, but it is."

"Oh, well, honey, there's not much I can do about it from the Virgin Islands," Kelsey said. If she were in Denver, Kelsey could at least offer to fly her home.

"It's okay, Mom. I just wanted you to know and I'm happy to hear your voice," Emma said.

"Hey, how would you feel about coming to the Virgin Islands for spring break?"

"What! Are you kidding? With who?" Emma said excitedly.

"With me and your sister and some of your friends," Kelsey said.

"That would be amazing! You would do that?"

Kelsey quickly explained about the monthly trips she and Isabella were planning to do for the resort.

"Wow, that's incredible," Emma said.

"You and Dana will have to come back sometime during the summer for a family vacation," Kelsey said. "Can you do that?"

Emma's laughter rang around the room and Kelsey felt her heart swell with love. "Let's see, vacation in the Virgin Islands for spring break and then again this summer? Yeah, Mom. I can do that."

Kelsey heard a quiet knock on the glass of her back door and saw Isabella standing there smiling. She let her in and mouthed that she was talking to Emma.

"You sound really happy, Mom, not like when I call you at home," Emma said.

Kelsey furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know how to explain it," Emma said. "Is it because of this new friend you've made? Dana told me you were hanging out with a woman on the beach."

Kelsey's eyes widened as she stared at Isabella.

Isabella chuckled. "Uh, hi there, Emma. I'm the woman your mom is hanging out with. I'm Isabella."