Garret and Louise had checked into the Sparkling Sands resort with such excitement and passion that the receptionist had thought that they were newlyweds.
They spent the first half of their holiday lounging in the sun.
Trying new and delicious cocktails made by the islands most famous barman.
And relaxing in the spa for some alone time.
The Island had the friendliest people.
And the best food they had ever tasted.
Garret and Louise had never had this much fun in their lives.
On their third night the couple had even attempted to walk on the fire pit.
Garret went first and it burnt his feet that much that he turned back around and ran off.
When Louise tried she actually made it all the way across and it didn’t seem to hurt her feet as much.
Seeing this Garret felt like he needed to win his manhood back so he had another try.
This time he marched straight across, ignoring the pain of the scorching hot coals on the soul of his soft feet.
Happy in his victory the couple retired to their room.
The Island air had bought out a new man in Garret and Louise even had to admit it had. She didn’t worry as much whether Garret was going to cheat on her or if every day was the day his commitment issues would resurface and he would leave her heartbroken again. It was if they were the only ones on the island and everyday was just as romantic and breathtaking as the last.
The second half of their holiday was spent in the ocean, they went snorkeling in the mornings.
And scuba dived in the afternoons.
There was lots of underwater caves to explore at the various dive sites and they had found so many souvenirs that money couldn’t buy.
After their week was up, Garret and Louise dreaded going back home. It wasn’t that they hated Appaloosa Plains, they just felt more relaxed here and like it was a fresh start for them as a couple.
Garret knew Louise felt the same and had decided to do something about it. “I have extended our stay another week so we can find a place to live,” he announced.
Louise was ecstatic and after jumping up and down on the spot she squeezed Garret and thanked him.
“My parents are coming up to help with the preparations and moving our stuff from Appaloosa Plains.”
Louise felt so lucky to have such a wonderful man in her life, who could just know what made her happy and who would surprise her like this. “I love you with all my heart and soul Garret.”
“I love you more,” he said as he kissed her forehead.
******
Josh and Kimora arrived two days later with pictures and stories of the Ashfield clan back home.
Kaidyn was walking and talking, while Sage was just beginning to crawl. Landon’s quads had drawn lots of pictures for Louise and Garret and they missed them very much.
Josh informed Garret of some useful websites to browse for houses on the island and also where Garret could find an old resort to buy. He dreamed of turning an old run down resort into a five-star hotel now that he was to be staying on the island.
Garret wasted no time in searching and almost straight away he found the perfect resort.
Hobart’s Hideaway was a one star resort with not enough cash flow to upgrade and was located on a smaller island.
It was small and empty with only the basics to keep it running. The owner was all too happy to sell and wished Garret luck in his endeavors.
The following day Kimora and Louise had found a house for them to live. It too was small but it was the largest home on the market at the time. They didn’t mind as they were just happy to have a home. Garret and Louise took the upstairs bedroom and left the downstairs to Kimora and Josh for when they came to visit.
As a house-warming present and a way to apologize to Louise for all those years ago, Garret took Louise outside for a surprise.
“I Love him so much, he is just too cute,” Louise cooed as she picked up her new kitten.
“He was taken into the pound two weeks ago and his family abandoned him when they moved house,” Garret told her.
“Well we will show him love,” she smiled. “Little Tygah will never be abandoned again.”
After the rush and excitement had settled down, Josh and Kimora announced they were heading back to Appaloosa Plains. Garret was going to miss his parents but he knew they were more needed with his siblings and to watch their grandchildren grow.
After breakfast Louise drove them to the airport and Garret presented them with a gift for all they had done.
******
In only six months Garret had managed to build a small extension to the newly named Slice of Heaven resort.
He had the roof re-tiled and the exterior walls were freshly painted.
It was Louise’s idea to build a small swimming pool area where the guests could cool off and relax.
Life as a resort owner/manager was a lot harder than Garret had expected. It wasn’t the plans and organising or the books side of things that bothered him. It was the guests. They complained all the time about the resort and would come up to him and harass him about what the resort needed.
What he did love was watching Louise have fun. She hadn’t found any work since moving to the island and would help him with managing the resort.
Sensing Garret was stressed; Louise took him for a walk along the beach and hoped to cheer him up.
“I’m pregnant!” she blurted out, excitedly.
“That’s awesome,” he said with a wide grin pasted on his face.
Louise was shocked, it wasn’t the reaction she had expected but she was so happy he wasn’t running for the hills.
The Ashfield Legacy 