tomorrow’s events. She knew there were going to be throngs of people and reporters there. She hoped her passion would carry her message, and the resort owners would reconsider.
As she passed by the room where the press conference was to be held, she couldn’t help but peek her head inside. On the wall was a huge map of the proposed resort, with a golf course, restaurants, pool and bungalows along with the main hotel. Her eyes drifted on the drawing to the water, where she saw drawings of tennis courts and a marina. The marina was massive, and her heart sank with the thought of all those boats, all that pollution, all those fishermen.
She turned on her heel and headed back toward the door, steeling herself for tomorrow’s battle. As she was about to pass through the door, she caught her leg on the corner of a display table holding pamphlets for the ceremony. Her leg crumbled and she fell backwards onto the floor with a thud, the table crashing over beside her.
She laid on the floor, seeing the familiar stars that had come with the hook in her leg, tears stinging as they rolled from the corners of her eyes. She sat up and began to gather the scattered pamphlets to stack them back on the table. They were beautiful, glossy pamphlets that no doubt were very expensive with glowing descriptions of the resort and beckoning buyers.
Flipping a brochure over to look at the back, her breath stopped and she blinked. She blinked hard again, not believing her eyes. There, at the bottom of the brochure, was the smiling face of Alejandro Vasquez, CEO of Costa Azul International.
Her heart in her throat, she struggled to her feet, gripping the brochure tightly. She’d never been as angry as now, and her blood rushed through her veins. Striding into the restaurant, she saw Taylor at a table with Alejandro and Raul. Alejandro stood as she made it to the table, his face freezing as he saw her. “What is it, Cassie? Are you all right?”
For the second time in so many days, Cassie Lewis was utterly speechless. She shoved the brochure in Alejandro’s chest, and, with a little extra shove, she turned and got to the jeep as fast as she could.
Chapter Twelve
The wind whipped through her hair as she sped toward Playa Luna. Tears and sand stinging her eyes, she drove as fast as she could, wanting to blow the memory out of her head of Alejandro pictured in the brochure for the resort. CEO! The same man she had opened her heart to, poured out her fears and passions.
She thought she had felt his heart, too, and now she realized it was all a joke. Had he known who she was when they met? Had he planned it this way, to take her off her game, make her vulnerable? She knew she could be a formidable opponent, especially when it came to her passion for the vaquita. Maybe he was afraid of her.
Her heart pounded as she pulled up to the house. Jumping out of the jeep, she grabbed her beach chair and made the short trek down to the water. As the waves lapped at her feet, she felt the sobs coming. Giving in to her senses, she sat down in the sand, her head in her hands.
“What is it, Cassie,” she heard behind her. “Is it the vaquita?”
She turned and looked up into Diego’s concerned eyes. “I don’t even know where to start, Diego.”
“At the beginning, Cassie, is the best place.”
She poured her out heart to her friend, explaining the sanctuary plans and the denial from the resort company. She told him of her injury, how she had met Alejandro, and how she found out who he really was.
“I feel like such a complete idiot,” she said, wiping hot tears from her cheeks.
Diego was silent for a long while as he picked up handfuls of sand and tossed them toward the waves.
“Not all people have the same heart as you,” he said finally, turning toward her. His eyes betrayed his emotion, and he pulled the brim of his hat further down his forehead. “Many people don’t understand money is not the most important thing in the
As she passed by the room where the press conference was to be held, she couldn’t help but peek her head inside. On the wall was a huge map of the proposed resort, with a golf course, restaurants, pool and bungalows along with the main hotel. Her eyes drifted on the drawing to the water, where she saw drawings of tennis courts and a marina. The marina was massive, and her heart sank with the thought of all those boats, all that pollution, all those fishermen.
She turned on her heel and headed back toward the door, steeling herself for tomorrow’s battle. As she was about to pass through the door, she caught her leg on the corner of a display table holding pamphlets for the ceremony. Her leg crumbled and she fell backwards onto the floor with a thud, the table crashing over beside her.
She laid on the floor, seeing the familiar stars that had come with the hook in her leg, tears stinging as they rolled from the corners of her eyes. She sat up and began to gather the scattered pamphlets to stack them back on the table. They were beautiful, glossy pamphlets that no doubt were very expensive with glowing descriptions of the resort and beckoning buyers.
Flipping a brochure over to look at the back, her breath stopped and she blinked. She blinked hard again, not believing her eyes. There, at the bottom of the brochure, was the smiling face of Alejandro Vasquez, CEO of Costa Azul International.
Her heart in her throat, she struggled to her feet, gripping the brochure tightly. She’d never been as angry as now, and her blood rushed through her veins. Striding into the restaurant, she saw Taylor at a table with Alejandro and Raul. Alejandro stood as she made it to the table, his face freezing as he saw her. “What is it, Cassie? Are you all right?”
For the second time in so many days, Cassie Lewis was utterly speechless. She shoved the brochure in Alejandro’s chest, and, with a little extra shove, she turned and got to the jeep as fast as she could.
Chapter Twelve
The wind whipped through her hair as she sped toward Playa Luna. Tears and sand stinging her eyes, she drove as fast as she could, wanting to blow the memory out of her head of Alejandro pictured in the brochure for the resort. CEO! The same man she had opened her heart to, poured out her fears and passions.
She thought she had felt his heart, too, and now she realized it was all a joke. Had he known who she was when they met? Had he planned it this way, to take her off her game, make her vulnerable? She knew she could be a formidable opponent, especially when it came to her passion for the vaquita. Maybe he was afraid of her.
Her heart pounded as she pulled up to the house. Jumping out of the jeep, she grabbed her beach chair and made the short trek down to the water. As the waves lapped at her feet, she felt the sobs coming. Giving in to her senses, she sat down in the sand, her head in her hands.
“What is it, Cassie,” she heard behind her. “Is it the vaquita?”
She turned and looked up into Diego’s concerned eyes. “I don’t even know where to start, Diego.”
“At the beginning, Cassie, is the best place.”
She poured her out heart to her friend, explaining the sanctuary plans and the denial from the resort company. She told him of her injury, how she had met Alejandro, and how she found out who he really was.
“I feel like such a complete idiot,” she said, wiping hot tears from her cheeks.
Diego was silent for a long while as he picked up handfuls of sand and tossed them toward the waves.
“Not all people have the same heart as you,” he said finally, turning toward her. His eyes betrayed his emotion, and he pulled the brim of his hat further down his forehead. “Many people don’t understand money is not the most important thing in the
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