Page 61 of Natural Deception

"Just wait," I say. "You haven't seen where the passage leads."

Holly steps back. "Show us, please. I can't wait. Maybe we'll find hidden treasure."

James gives his wife a patient smile. "Let's not go overboard from the start, pet."

Craig goes into the passage first, but I'm right behind him. We hold hands, of course, and James and Holly do the same as they follow us into the unknown. Craig and I know what lies inside and beyond this passage, but our friends have no idea. I feel a shiver of excitement as we make our way toward our destination, though I've seen what lies beyond this passage before. I shouldn't experience a thrill from going there again. What if, once we reach the secret cove, James and Holly announce that they've always known about it? Oh, who cares. I'm having the best vacation of my life either way, and it's all thanks to Craig.

The man I thought I never wanted to see again has opened my eyes in so many ways.

A banded iguana scuttles out from behind a rock and watches us as we stop to watch him. I know from my reading that males have wide bands of white and green while females are generally solid green. They have crested spines and very long toes. We all stand here for a moment admiring the beauty of this lizard with its long tail and stripes, the way he seems to pose for us with his head held high and then skitters away, out of our sight.

As we emerge from the passage, James and Holly seem genuinely awed by our surroundings. We're still walking through a narrow space, but now it's open to the air rather than covered by a natural roof. A crimson shining parrot swoops down from a tree high above our heads, and we all crane our necks to get a good look. The bird stops to roost on the root of a mangrove tree.

Holly grins and holds her hands in a prayer posture, touching them to her lips. I doubt she's actually praying, but she is genuinely thrilled. "I've never seen a parrot as beautiful as that one."

James tips his head back to gaze up at a flame tree that perches near the edge of the crevice. He seems awed by the tree, or maybe by the fact that it can thrive so close to the edge of a precipice.

When we leave the crevice and step out onto the beach, James and Holly both stop to gawk at the scenery. It is stunning, so I don't blame them. The beach here is sandy, but closer to the water, it becomes rockier. Smooth pebbles line the shore, so at least it's not sharp rocks or jagged slabs beneath the water.

James halts halfway to the rocky section of the beach and turns in a circle while shielding his eyes with his hand. "We saw this beach when the surveyors were here, trying to determine the best places to construct the main building and the outlying structures. This was before you came here, Holly. Eve and Val took me up in a helicopter to get a panoramic view."

"Who are Eve and Val?" Craig asks.

"The owners of the resort, Eve and Val Silva. They run the original Au Naturel Naturist Resort in Oregon."

"Is that a clothes-free resort too?"

"No. It's the family-friendly sort."

"You saw this beach from the air," I say. "But you've really never set foot on it before today?"

James shakes his head. "It was impossible to reach until you and Craig found the secret passage. Construction equipment couldn't be brought here, and that's why all the resort buildings are on the other side of the island."

"Will you announce the discovery of the passage and let guests explore this beach?"

"Not sure. We'll need to investigate all the legal and safety implications and whether or not the passage is natural or man-made. If humans created it, then there might be archaeological implications."

"That makes sense."

We explore the beach for a while longer, then return to the resort via the hidden passage. James and Holly ask us to keep the secret while they sort out the legalities, and we're more than happy to accommodate that request. Over the following several days, we enjoy everything the resort has to offer and get regular updates from James and Holly about the hidden passage. But it might take months or even years to sort out what the passage is and whether it's legal or safe to let guests wander around in there. For now, they have put up a barrier to prevent lookie-loos from wandering in there and a sign to explain that it's potentially dangerous.

Before I know it, our last day on Heirani Motu has arrived. In three hours, we will climb onto a plane and begin our journey home. James and Holly find us out on the main patio, sipping mojitos. They sit down at the table with us.

"We have some news," James tells us. "The beach you and Craig discovered now has a name. It's called Nessa's Cove."

"Is that a place name?" I ask. "Or someplace where you used to live?"

He chuckles. "No, pet. Nessa's Cove is named after you. Craig insisted on it."

My attention swerves to my ex-husband. "You asked James to name the cove after me?"

"Yes. It seemed appropriate. We found that secret passage together, but I would never have jumped up onto the waterfall ledge in the first place without you. I was trying to impress you. So it's appropriate that the beach is named after you."

I lean over and kiss him. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever done for me. Thank you."

The world now has a cove with my name on it. How strange. But I will never forget that Craig insisted on putting my name on that beach.

We chat with James and Holly for a bit longer, but then it's time to go. They accompany us out to the larger jet, where Rene is waiting to whisk us away to the Nausori International Airport in Suva. All the other passengers are already on board, but Craig stops us halfway to the jet.

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