Paradise Cove. Stephanie Haefner

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      The crash of ocean waves echoed in Shelby Saunders’ ears while a soft steamy breeze blew the chocolate-colored strands of hair trailing from her twisted up-do. Her body tingled and her stomach flip-flopped in a good way as she placed a cashier’s check written for the entire balance of her savings account on the table.

      Mr. and Mrs. Espinoza sat across from her with their lawyer grandson, Gabriel, who’d flown in from San Antonio to assist with the real estate sale.

      “Here is the rest,” she said as she placed another cashier’s check on the table, half of the loan she’d taken out for the purchase of the resort. The rest of the loan–the biggest in her life–would hopefully be enough to refurbish the twenty-room resort, its kitchen, dining room, lobby, and the concrete patio the four of them sat on.

      Gabriel shook his head. Every button of his crisp white dress shirt had been secured and his tie sat firmly in its place. Who would wear that suit in ninety-degree weather? The jacket looked like it weighed a hundred pounds and just the thought of it draped across her shoulders made Shelby sweat even more. Her body hadn’t acclimated itself to the Cancun heat yet and even in a spaghetti-strap sundress, perspiration dripped from her pores.

      “I don’t agree with this at all, Papi,” Gabriel said to his grandfather. “This place is your life, my life. You raised your family here–your grandchildren grew up here. How can you sell it? And so cheaply? There’s still time to back out.”

      Shelby understood Gabriel’s hesitation in letting The Paradise Cove go. The emotions she’d quickly developed for this quaint piece of Mexican heaven surprised her. When she’d first arrived more than two months earlier, its overgrown shrubbery, sun-bleached upholstery and the missing letters on the resort sign almost made her run away without looking back. Never again would she let Chloe talk her into booking a bargain trip online. But something about the place tugged at Shelby’s heart. She easily imagined the resort in its heyday: tanned bodies lounging, laughing, sipping on cocktails rimmed with pineapple slices and colorful parasols poking out of the frosty concoctions. Heaven in a tropical paradise.

      Well, except for Chloe’s incessant complaining.

      Shelby’s feelings for the Espinozas came as a surprise, too. She’d watched the sweet old couple and could see they loved their work. The Espinozas welcomed guests like old friends, even if it was their first meeting, and cared for them as if they had known them their entire lives.

      “Gabriel, she loves it just as we do.” A man who showed no fear in expressing his emotions, Mr. Espinoza put a hand to his grandson’s shoulder, eyes staring intently. “Shelby is an amazing young woman. She will do right by us.”

      Shelby’s seven days of bliss with the Espinozas had elapsed in the blink of an eye. This couple filled a spot in her soul that had been achingly empty and the thought of returning to a life of nothingness a world away felt like a stroll down death row. She had no man. No real family. A couple of friends and a depressing job were all that waited in New Jersey. While sitting outside the resort for her ride back to the airport, a crazy idea had floated into her brain. Instead of getting in the taxi, Shelby had sent Chloe on her way, alone, marched back inside, and made an offer to the Espinozas. They’d accepted without hesitation. Together they’d taken the first step in reclaiming the glory of The Paradise Cove, and Shelby began a whole new chapter in her life, something she desperately needed.

      “But Grandfather, why such a small amount of money? How can you live the rest of your lives on this?” Gabriel pointed to the checks laying in front of them.

      Mr. Espinoza stood, walked to the edge of the cracked and crumbling patio, and looked out at the beach. When he turned back, Shelby watched his eyes pan over the rotted wood of the bar and the torn awning above them. “So much work to be done. She’s probably giving us far too much.”

      “The memories, Papi. How can you sell our memories for such a small price?”

      “You can’t sell memories, Gabriel. They’re inside you. No one can buy them, even for double or triple the cost.”

      Gabriel sighed and turned his attention to Shelby. “Are you happy? You’ve swindled an old couple out of thousands of dollars!”

      “No,” Mrs. Espinoza said, adding her two cents to the conversation. “Shelby is a wonderful girl. She made our last moments in this haven pure joy. She is the right person. She will return it to what it once was.” Mrs. Espinoza smiled. Her continuous stream of faith reminded Shelby of her mother.

      “Find your dream world!” she’d always said, and encouraged Shelby to search out happiness and follow it wherever it led her. Who would have known that path to happiness would cause her to leave the safety of a one-bedroom apartment and bank teller job to buy a Cancun resort?

      With Mrs. Espinoza’s wide smile and a gentle pat of her hand, the “what have I gotten myself into?” thoughts disappeared from Shelby’s mind. She’d left everything she’d ever known, but this venture would pay off. It had to. After the sudden death of her mother and step-father, she’d battled with her only step-sibling for her share of the life insurance policy. This once-inseparable pair of stepsisters had duked it out for months and Shelby had never expected to lose someone so close to her over something as trivial as money. She cursed her parents for leaving them without a will and creating the situation. In the end, she’d gotten what she deserved and wasn’t about to waste the chance she’d been given. She would make this happen.

      Gabriel sighed. “I can’t change your minds, can I?”

      The elderly couple shook their heads.

      After shuffling some papers around and getting Shelby’s signature on about a hundred of them, Gabriel stood and hugged both his grandparents. He walked off without a single glance in her direction.

      * * * *

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