Page 19 of Tiki Hut Tragedy
A mischievous glint twinkled in Nic’s eyes. “She’s standing behind you. How long have we been married, my love?”
“Four absolutely blissful years.”
“You have my dream job,” a woman gushed. “I can’t imagine waking up to my prince charming every morning, enjoying the gorgeous ocean views from my private apartment, with all the delicious meals and endless entertainment right at my fingertips.”
“And a lot of long hours,” Millie added. “But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Nic, seizing the opportunity to slip away, excused himself. Millie chatted for a few more minutes and began making her rounds, talking to guests and inquiring about how the voyage was going.
Being cruise directorwasher dream job, her dream life. Millie had found her calling. God had put her exactly where she needed to be.
All too soon the party ended. While the guests wandered off to the show or dinner, she lingered, helping tidy up before heading to her next event.
Superhero Strong, the most annoying song she’d ever heard, played overhead. It reminded her of the Belly Buster’s tiki hut excursion scheduled for the following morning.
An inkling of uneasiness washed over Millie. Although Astrid appeared to have the group under control, her gut told her another incident could be lurking right around the corner.
Little did she know that a tragic accident would take center stage and she would find herself embroiled in a mystery that would put her sleuthing skills to the test.
Chapter 8
“Charged cell phone.Check.Sunscreen.Check.Sunglasses.Check.”
Knock. Knock.Millie ran to the apartment door and found Cat standing on the other side.
“Good morning, Cat.”
“Hey, Millie. I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Not at all.” She ushered her friend inside. “What’s up?”
“Did you get my message?”
“No.” Millie snatched her cell phone off the table. “Shoot. I forgot to take it off mute when I got up.”
“Andy has meetings scheduled all day. The ship is in port, the gift shop is closed, and I’m bored.”
“Come bum around with me,” Millie said. “I need to see our guests off and then plan to explore the port. I have a hankering for fresh coconut.”
“Fresh coconut?” Cat wrinkled her nose.
“Fresh coconut is good for you. Plus, the Grand Turk port has a new tiki hut excursion, and I want to check it out.”
“A tiki hut excursion sounds like fun.”
“Unfortunately, this one is sold out, but maybe we could go some other time.” Millie slung her backpack over her shoulder.
“Where’s Scout?” Cat craned her neck, searching for the small pup.
“On the bridge with Nic. I was going to bring him with me, but it’s so hot outside I figured he would be better off in the A/C. He hasn’t acclimated to the Caribbean climate yet.” Millie followed her friend into the hall.
With the ship maneuvering for arrival, it was all hands on deck, or in this case all hands on the bridge. Nic and his staff stood near the windows, guiding the ship alongside the dock.
She gave them a friendly wave, and they kept going. Taking the side steps, the women reached the lower deck where the crewmembers were putting the gangway in place. A crowd of passengers had already gathered, patiently waiting to get off.
Long moments ticked by. Finally, Nic called down, giving the all-clear. Millie removed the retractable belt and stood off to the side, wishing the passengers a fun day, and reminding them to have their keycards handy.
Several stopped to ask questions. A few even thanked her for the previous night’s past guest party.
