Poison in Paradise - Melissa Baldwin

CHAPTER ONE

Another sailing, another group of lovely passengers aboard our grand vessel, the Legend, the jewel of the Epic Cruise Line. We'd been at sea for approximately an hour, the tropical drinks were flowing, the guests were going crazy charging lavish amounts to their staterooms, and one of the pools had already been closed due to an impromptu cleaning. A few of our adorable younger guests had decided to throw their ice cream cones into the water. As a lifeguard, the all-you-can-eat cold dessert wasn't my favorite perk of our ship, but the guests loved it.

With the sun shining in the distance and sounds of reggae music played on steel drums filling the air, we were officially on our way to the first port of call in the Caribbean and ready to enjoy four fun-filled nights aboard our fantastic ship. As I sat on my lifeguard chair overlooking the large pool, I thought about how lucky I was. I, Alexa Walker, was getting paid to sail on the open ocean and soak up vitamin D. My brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, popping out of the top of my Epic Cruise Line sun visor, and my uniform was a comfortable dry-fit T-shirt and shorts.

I loved my job.

Someday I would write a book about my adventures with Epic Cruise Line, but for the moment I'd stick to planning memories for our guests that would last a lifetime. And, of course, saving lives.

I had wanted to be a lifeguard since the day I'd been saved by a blond-haired, blue-eyed surfer boy named Ian off Florida's east coast. It had been the summer I turned fifteen, and I'd spent most of it at the beach with my parents. I loved being in the ocean so much I'd even taken a few surfing lessons. I remember paddling out, full of confidence, until a strong rip current had pulled me under the water. The feeling of sheer helplessness had washed over me faster than the wave, and panic had set in. I'd been sure I was going to die until a pair of strong arms lifted my head above the water and dragged me to shore. I'd never forget how grateful I'd been in that moment, and I'd wanted to be a lifeguard ever since.

However, after being lucky enough to work as a lifeguard with the Epic Cruise Line for the last two years, I was ready to expand my résumé beyond the pool. I still loved saving lives, but part of me had started to notice that the other lifeguards were all in their early twenties. And I was in my…let's just say slightly older than that by only a few years. So, when a part-time position with Port Adventures opened, I jumped on it. And checking out the exciting points of interest in each town we docked in for myself was an added bonus. I'd been doing double duty on board for a few months now, lifeguarding and working with our Port Adventures team. The two positions kept me busy, but I loved them both.

Believe it or not there was just as much action planning adventures for our guests as there was watching over the pool waters. I was surprised to find that discussing a fun-filled excursion could cause so much strife within a family. Weren't vacations supposed to be all about togetherness? Who knew that choosing between an experience with dolphins or turtles could cause a knock-down, drag-out fight? This had actually happened on my last sailing. The argument had been between sisters-in-law who'd brought their personal issues on the ship with them. Their husbands had had to pull them apart because making the decision had led up to an actual physical altercation. Luckily, I'd saved the day by suggesting they do both excursions. It was a simple resolution, but I think they'd just wanted a reason to fight. It had been entertaining to say the least.

I did one last scan of the pool before the end of my shift—so far, so good.

As soon as Steven came to relieve me, I quickly ran to my stateroom to get changed. When I arrived, my roommate, Chloe, was there, adding soft, beachy waves to her hair.

"How was your shift, Lexi?"

"Have I told you how much I hate ice cream?" I asked as I opened my closet and grabbed my favorite pale blue shift dress. "And whose idea was it to put self-serve machines on this ship?"

"Let me guess… Children were playing in