It was three hours later when the group arrived at their destination, St. Thomas Island, a forty-acre tropical retreat privately owned by the Princeton family.
As they docked, Sakura marveled at the crystal-clear water, palms, and native flora spread out across the island and the shore where a white sandy beach stretched beautifully and invitingly. Sitting on a gentle sloping hill was the great house, designed in the Balinese style with open windows, which allowed three-sixty-degree views of the specular ocean beyond. Then there were the tennis courts as well as the beach house, pool, and not to mention the outdoor bar area.
“Wow!” Sakura exclaimed as they were leaving the yacht, her eyes wide as she gazed around her with amazement. “The island is beautiful.”
Behind her, Conrad said, “It’s your first time here, isn’t it? The view is the best, and of course, we have tons of places we can explore on the island, as well as numerous water sports we can do.”
Sakura chuckled. “Water sports, eh? I’m thinking more of the relaxation thing, like chilling and swimming.”
Beside her, Michael said, “That doesn’t sound fun, Sakura. Water sports are the best, like skiing and stuff.” He laughed. “I can’t wait. I want to water ski.”
Conrad tousled his hair. “You’ll get to do it soon enough. Now, let’s just chill and enjoy the evening.”
Sakura agreed with that, and she followed Conrad and Michael up toward the awaiting staff who were standing by what looked like golf carts.
Michael asked, “Are we riding on those to get to the great house?”
Conrad nodded. “We can walk if you want. It’s not far. But riding is fun, too.”
Michael chuckled. “I’ll ride.”
Some ten minutes later, they arrived at the great house. Upon entering the main door, Sakura and her family and friends came into the foyer.
Tristan bowed low like a refined butler. “Welcome, everyone, to the Princetons’ private retreat, St. Thomas Island. Here you’ll find a beautiful house built in the Balinese style, taking advantage of the view and the cool breeze in this very tropical weather. Enjoy a few rounds on the tennis court. Relax and swim all day at the beach house and pool. Explore the tropical forest full of wildlife and booby traps—perhaps even get completely lost and seriously injured.”
Beside him, Logan shook his head as he said, “Shut up, Tristan.” He nudged the man to the side. “Yes, there is wildlife in the forest, and yes, it is a bit dense and you could get completely lost if you don’t know your way about, but no, there’s no booby traps. Tristan just made that up.
“Anyway, snacks and drinks are waiting in the living area to the left. Beth, Tristan, and I have worked very hard on it, so please enjoy, and don’t forget to praise us.” He winked at Sakura, expecting her to shower him with compliments.
Standing in front of him, Sakura said, “I’m sure the snacks will be delicious, Logan.”
Mary said, “Yay! Food. I’m starving. Good on you, guys, for thinking about the pregnant lady.”
Logan beamed with delight. “You’re always starving, Mary.”
She nodded. “I swear I wasn’t like this before I got the bump. Now I’m a balloon and seem to always be starving.”
Beside her, Peter chuckled. “I like that you eat a lot.”
Mary didn’t like the sound of that and slapped her husband on the shoulder. “Are you trying to make me fat?”
He shook his head in denial. “Nope.”
As Sakura filed into the living area along with everyone else, she glanced around, looking for Sebastian and Darcy. Of course, they were nowhere to be found.
Beside her, Logan asked, “Looking for somebody?”
Sakura shook her head. “No. Not really.”
Logan chuckled. “Darcy and Hayden are busy. There’s a bit of a bad weather tonight, and they must make sure the staff and the place are prepared for it, in case there’s a disaster. Not that we’re expecting one, of course. And Sebastian, Nicolas, and Dad, I assume, are still at the yacht.”
Sakura nodded. Of course, she expected they had to prepare for the horrible weather tonight. Though, she wasn’t sure if a tropical storm was that bad around here. Conrad did say it was going to be a mild one.
Once inside the living area, Sakura marveled at the spacious room designed in the Southeast Asian–style decor. To one side was an enormous dining table lined with snacks, and of course, beside that was the bar area where, unsurprisingly, Tristan was currently serving.
Sakura gladly asked for a glass of cold apple juice.
“Here you go, darling sis. Enjoy.”
Sakura thanked him and then drank the delicious nectar to her heart’s content, as did everyone else at the moment, enjoying the food and drinks as well as the cool breeze and picturesque view of the ocean before them. Beth made sure everyone was comfortable, hydrated, and fed, which was typical of her.
It was some half hour later when Daddy James, Nicolas, and Sebastian turned up, along with a few of the male staff members who maintained the property of the island. They were bringing in luggage and leaving it in the hallway.
While the men gathered around and started drinking and chatting, Sakura and the girls decided to take their luggage to their rooms and explore the place.
After Beth had shown the Suzuki family, Mary, and Katherine to their bedrooms along the southern wing of the house, the jolly woman then led Sakura to the west wing.
“It has the best view in the evening when the sun is setting,” the woman said.
Sakura nodded as she looked around her in wonder. The place was huge, and especially along this corridor, it was particularly cool, which was pleasant in the hot, humid weather.
“It’s very spread out, isn’t it? The great house? Tristan said it’s built in the Balinese style to take advantage of the view and ventilation.”
Beth nodded. “That’s right.”
It wasn’t long before Beth opened a door, indicating this was her room. As she walked in, Sakura looked around her with interest, obviously liking what she saw.
In the middle of the room was a bed, neatly made with white linens. To one side sat a small sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table. In front of her were large, opened windows that overlooked the wonderful view of the beach and ocean below.
“Wow!” She turned to Beth, her eyes shining. “It’s nice here.”
Beth chuckled. “It is, isn’t it?”
She was just putting her luggage near the bed when she wondered why Akira and everyone else had their rooms in the south wing instead of the west.
“Beth, I saw other doors along this corridor. Those are bedrooms, right?”
Beth nodded. “That’s right.” She came over and hugged Sakura tightly, which took the girl by surprise.
When the jolly woman moved back, Sakura asked, “What’s this all of a sudden?”
Beth said, “I feel like I haven’t seen you or talked to you for ages, what with all the hoo-ha happening in the last few weeks, and then there was your modeling work… Gosh, just look at how skinny you are. But never mind about that. Now that you’re on vacation, I’ll make sure to fatten you up, my girl. Like I said, who’s going to want to date you when you’re so skinny?”
Sakura chuckled. “Thanks, Beth, for always loving me and taking care of me and worrying about me.”
Beth cocked her head to one side. “That’s my job as the housekeeper, and I’ve known you since you were a little girl, just skin and bones. Not that you’ve changed much there. Your eating habits are disgraceful.”
That made Sakura giggle. “It can’t be helped. I was very busy with work, you know.”
Beth shook her head. “Still, there’s no excuse for that. Your health is one of the most important priorities in life.” She frowned severely. “And why are you being all mushy suddenly? Stop that.” She turned on her heel and headed to the door abruptly. “Now, I have a lot to do before dinner. Come and help if you have time, won’t you?”
Sakura nodded. “I will. I’ll just do a bit of unpacking first.”
“All right,” Beth said before she disappeared.
Once the door was closed, Sakura collapsed on the bed, a smile playing about her face. At last, she thought, she could relax and enjoy herself. For two weeks, she didn’t have to think about anything. Not work. Not modeling. And not anybody. Although, she must admit she missed Toby terribly. She wondered what her beloved dog was up to now with his mischievous behavior. She hoped the playful pup didn’t give the housekeeper too much trouble back in New York.
She turned over onto her side, loving the feel of the cool, fresh linen against her skin. It smelled nice, too, and she sighed with wonder.