by Mya O'Malley
“I never thought you were so afraid to love, Annie. You tell me not to be afraid all the time, you preach about true love. Why are you so afraid to go after it?”
Waiting through another moment of silence, her friend gently hung up the phone, leaving Annie with her phone in her hand, alone.
Chapter Thirty- Three
One Month Later
Annie had given a lot of thought to her conversation with Aaron. He had a point, of course he did. Aaron was wise in the ways of love. He was her friend, her comrade when it came to believing in love. After hearing him out that night, Annie put the wheels in motion and seriously starting considering putting her life on hold and throwing caution to the wind, all in the name of love. Realizing how lucky she was to have such a good friend in Aaron, she figured it was probably the second surprise visit he had arranged with her parents that finally cemented the idea of leaving. Jerry and Beth Morgan had a way of getting to her.
This was a huge step for her. Truth be told, she was scared out of her mind on so many levels. What would Shane think about her surprising him? They had spoken on the phone a few times and sent e-mails back and forth. Shane seemed happy. He was teaching at a school located in the town where he was living. He shared that his cottage was quaint, but lonely. He spoke about maybe getting a cat to keep him company. The beach was beautiful and quiet most of the time as he was far removed from the resort area of Costa Rica. Sharing that he swam each day after school, she pictured him relaxed and fulfilled in his new role. He was teaching a group of middle school students; he claimed that he felt like he was honestly making a difference there. He missed her, but he didn’t say he loved her again.
Tying up loose ends at work and finding a tenant to sublet her apartment had taken a few weeks, but now she was ready to go. Dr. Peters had been thrilled, researching veterinarians in the area where she would be staying. He had placed a few calls and arranged some interviews for Annie within days of her arrival. Dr. Peters assured Annie she would have a place at the office when she came back next year. There was just some light packing to do now; she would buy most of her toiletries when she arrived in Costa Rica. Grabbing the paperwork for Cleo, she imagined Shane’s surprise when he found out that he was getting a cat and her for company. Annie was thrilled when she discovered that with just some up to date paperwork from Dr. Peters with proof of vaccinations, Cleo could join her in Costa Rica.
There was nothing left to do; she had said all of her good-byes, packed her valuables up in storage and arranged for her mail to be sent to the post office. She was ready to embark on the greatest adventure of her life.
* * * *
The plane descended as Annie woke. She hadn’t realized how exhausted she was after packing up and tying up last minute errands. The flight attendant announced it was time to fold up trays, buckle up and remain seated to prepare for landing. Worried about how Cleo was doing after the close to six hour direct flight, Annie was glad to finally reach her destination.
After waiting for her baggage and locating a cab, Annie and Cleo settled in for an hour long car ride. The air was hot and humid; Annie was relieved to find that the cab came equipped with air-conditioning. Meowing loudly from his carrier, Annie spoke to Cleo, assuring the cat that it wouldn’t be long before they arrived. The cab driver was kind enough to suggest taking Cleo out of the carrier. That was better, Annie thought as she stroked Cleo for the remainder of the ride.
“You want you to be dropped off at school?” The driver spoke broken English, but Annie could make out what he was saying perfectly.
“Yes, please.” Being that it was midday, Annie knew that Shane would still be working at this hour, so she figured she’d try to surprise him at the school instead of going to the cottage and waiting outside in the heat. A few minutes later, the driver pulled up to a courtyard in the center of town. It appeared that the students were engaging in some type of recess activity. The culture here appeared different already. School children of all ages ran around the town courtyard, past the statues, park benches and fountain. Annie laughed out loud as she took in a group of girls jumping rope.
“You want let you out here?” The driver attempted his best English.
“Yes, I just have to grab my bags from the back. How much do I owe you?”
After grabbing her bags from the back of the cab, Annie settled up the cab fare. Taking a deep breath, she placed Cleo back in the carrier and grabbed her luggage. The school must be in the building directly behind the town square, Annie mused. Deciding to sit down for a moment and take in the sights around her, she watched in delight as the children played. The students were dressed in uniform; white tops with navy blue bottoms. A group of boys in their early teens was playing soccer in the field just beyond the courtyard. Glancing over, she laughed as one of the boys chased the ball, crashing into his classmate. Her breathing stopped as she saw a tall, brown-haired man kicking the ball and running. It was Shane. Standing in a sea of school children, he was a natural teacher, laughing as he played alongside his students. Shane seemed different; his skin was darkened from the sun and he had lighter highlights throughout his longer brown hair. His skin had a healthy glow; he was, quite simply, amazing. One of the boys jumped up on Shane’s back, trying to tackle him, while another boy came from the side. Shane’s eyes were wide, falling to the ground, holding onto the ball tightly. A whistle sounded as students scurried to get back inside of the building.
Rushing over, Annie temporarily left her luggage on the bench. She did, however, grab the carrier with Cleo inside. Shane was calling to some of the last minute stragglers, looking around the field to make sure that all students were heading back to class. Annie was close behind him, hidden only by a large tree. An idea came to mind. She knew just how she should announce her presence.
Gently, she opened the carrier and Cleo nudged his head outside to explore. Knowing that Cleo wouldn’t wander far, she encouraged him to come out onto the field. He sniffed around and explored the small, grassy area, still cautious to head out any farther. Annie watched from behind the tree as Shane took a last look around the field. Within seconds, Shane jumped at the sound of Cleo meowing.
Still out of sight, Annie listened carefully, her anticipation of seeing Shane after a month’s time driving her wild. With her heart hammering away, Annie watched in delight as Shane reached for Cleo.
“Well, what do we have here?” Shane gently picked the cat up, inspecting it with a smile growing on his face. “Amazing…you look just like a cat I know from back home.” Cleo meowed loudly as Shane continued to pet him. Within seconds, Annie saw that he had discovered Cleo’s collar with his name and phone number printed on the identification tag.
“What? But that’s crazy. It can’t be…”Annie heard Shane talking to himself out loud. “Cleo Morgan!”
Not being able to wait a second longer, Annie popped out from her hiding spot and stood before Shane. He just stood there with his eyes wide, mouth hanging open in surprise and confusion. Placing the cat down gently on the grass, he advanced.
“Annie?” He seemed afraid to reach out and touch her, like she was an apparition.
Shyly, with her feet shuffling, Annie stepped forward. “In the flesh. Hi, Shane.”
Without words, Shane opened his arms as Annie flew into his embrace. He held onto her tightly, kissing the top of her head, afraid to let go. Finally, he held Annie at arms’ length, taking her in.
“Annie, Annie. I can’t believe you’re here! How did…”
“Shane Nicholls…I decided that I can’t live without you.”
“Annie, I’ve never been happier to see anybody in my entire life. I’ve missed you. Now get back over here and kiss me.”
Playfully, Annie shook her head, a slow smile spreading. “Not yet. I wanted to tell you something first, something I’ve waited too long to say.” Reaching up on her tiptoes, Annie leaned forward to whisper in Shane’s ear.
“I love you.” She wouldn’t hold back this time
.
Shane crushed his mouth down on Annie’s; this kiss promising all of the hopes and dreams that Annie could wish for.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
It was November and the weather was delightfully warm and breezy in Costa Rica, quite different than the climate in New York. Annie and Shane had acclimated themselves to life there. Dr. Peters had been kind setting up interviews with some of the veterinarians in the area. After interviewing at three different offices, she was offered a veterinarian’s assistant position at one office about fifteen minutes away, in another small Costa Rican town that was slightly less populated than where she lived with Shane. Annie delighted in working at the small, poorly financed office. Somehow it gave her a sense of purpose; she had even brainstormed some ways to earn money for the animal clinic, such as using the Internet to receive donations for the animals. Slowly but surely, a bit of extra money had started trickling in.
****
Shane was in his element working with his students. They were eager to learn, somewhat like sponges soaking up the information being taught. There was nothing quite like that “ah ha” moment when his students grasped the concept of a lesson. Missing Tiny, he checked in with Kevin quite often to see how the big dog was handling life with Kevin and the boys. Assuring Shane that Tiny was doing great, Shane relaxed. He was glad that Annie had brought Cleo here. The cat amused him and seemed to live to entertain. There were several young American teachers who Shane and Annie had struck up friendships with. Enjoying nights out with friends from time to time while having Annie all to himself other evenings was the perfect mix for the couple. At times, Shane looked forward to returning home to New York in July, while at other times, he was saddened by the thought. He knew that as long as he had Annie by his side, he would be okay no matter where he lived.
* * * *
Lying on the beach next to Shane was pure bliss. Annie was clad in her purple bikini, basking in the warm midday sun, her arm lying across Shane’s sandy chest. The sound of the waves lapped, almost putting Annie to sleep. Not recalling a time when she felt happier, more relaxed, Shane blew her mind by surprising her once more.
“Are you awake?” Shane nudged Annie playfully. He sat up on their towel, suddenly serious. Annie sat upright, brushing sand off her stomach, shielding her eyes from the sun.
They were alone on the beach, not a person in sight. “Annie. These have been the best couple of months in my life. You can’t imagine how happy you make me. I don’t know where I’d be without you. You taught me to trust again, you taught me to believe.”
Annie hung on Shane’s every word. She reached out and held onto Shane’s hand. “Annie,” Shane continued. Delving into their beach bag, he pulled out a small black box. Annie gasped and felt the tears coming. Shane grabbed Annie by the hand, guiding her to stand. Falling to his knees, Shane swallowed and opened the box, revealing a sparkling cushion cut diamond. The ring sparkled in the sunlight.
“Annie Morgan, please make me the happiest man in the world. Will you marry me?”
Annie thought back to that memorable first day when she bumped into Shane at the mall. She thought back to her dating fiasco online, that first passionate kiss they shared in the bathroom. Even with all of the obstacles in their way, they somehow made it through. Her Shane, lucky suitor number seventy-six, just made her the happiest woman alive.
“I will, Shane. I will marry you.”
Rising to meet her, they sealed the promise with a kiss. Coming up for air, Shane peered down at her. “I knew that I loved you the first time I laid eyes on you.”
Looking up at him, she felt a warm feeling spread throughout her body. Knowing that it was more than just the hot Costa Rican sun warming her, Annie exclaimed,“I believe that’s why they call it love at first sight.”
About the Author
Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers; Destiny and Dolce and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students.
Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica. Mya is currently working on her fifth novel.
Also from Astraea Press
Chapter One
“It’ll be there, I promise you,” Molly Brandenberg, senior law clerk to Senator William Winbourne, said to the distraught bride. “Your passport will indeed arrive on time for your Caribbean wedding.”
“Thank you.” The bride sniffed. “I really want to get married on the beach!”
“It’ll be there, I promise you,” Molly assured her. “Senator Winbourne’s working with the State Department on the issue.”
“If you’re sure…”
“Now, let me take down your information, and I’ll make sure to call you when the State Department works through its logjam.”
“Okay.”
Five minutes later, Molly finished taking down all the pertinent information she needed. She thanked the bride one last time, then rang off. In the hallway outside the senator’s office, her ears pricked up at the sound of raucous laughter. Some kind of get-together. Curious, she stood up from behind her desk, smoothed down her skirt, and nodded at Sylvia, the senator’s longstanding secretary.
“Sylvia, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Sure thing, kiddo.”
Molly eased down the elegantly appointed hallway of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to the reception area. For as long as Molly could remember, this common area had always been the true hub of the Senate. Anytime a big announcement was made, be it of national import or of purely personal interest — a retirement, a promotion, or if staffers simply felt like breaking open a bottle of bubbly — it happened here, in reception. Today proved to be no exception. With a big crowd convened, Molly couldn’t see who formed the center of the party, but she sensed a happy occasion.
“Congratulations, sweetheart,” a woman called out over the hubbub.
She recognized the voice. Susan Winbourne, Senator Winbourne’s wife. Susan had once been a regular fixture at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. A regular fixture, until last year when she received her diagnosis of breast cancer. Poor Susan had just endured the worst year of her life, and Molly hoped and prayed this year would be a better one for her. At first, the doctors had planned to perform only a lumpectomy on her left breast, but once she went under the anesthesia and they found the lump, they discovered the cancer had already spread to her right breast and lymph nodes. They’d removed the lump in the left breast and told her, in post-recovery, the bad news. Two weeks later, she had undergone a double mastectomy and the removal of all her lymph nodes.
Following all this, Susan had then endured a winter of grueling chemotherapy treatments. She had taken her last treatment in January, and here she stood, two months later, looking happier and healthier than she had in a long time. Her hair, slowly growing back in, looked terribly chic, the soft, downy gray strands, shot through with streaks of blonde. If a person didn’t know she was a cancer survivor, and didn’t also happen to notice the unnatural swelling of her arms due to the loss of her lymph nodes, they’d think she’d gone all fashionable and gamine on purpose.
Her sights locked on Susan, Molly slid into the crowd and eased up to the front. She caught sight of Elizabeth Winbourne, Senator Winbourne’s eldest, and started with surprise. Little Liza?
“I can’t get over how big it is,” Liza exclaimed, tears in her eyes, holding out her left hand. There, on the fourth finger, glittered a huge diamond in a lovely baguet
te setting. A large diamond in the center, with slivers of tiny diamonds on either side. The ring sparkled like blue fire.
Susan caught Molly’s eye and waved. “Look at this ring, will you?”
“Liza,” Molly cried. “When did you get engaged?”
“This morning.” Liza’s lips trembled. She appeared to be caught between tears of sorrow and joy. “Charles called me up, said he had something important to tell me!”
“You fell for that old trick,” Susan joked, and everyone laughed.
“What girl wouldn’t want to be tricked like that,” Molly murmured, gazing at the ring.
Holy cow, how many carats is the stone? At least three.
Charles had gone to a tremendous amount of expense to surprise his fiancée. And, judging from Liza’s reaction, he’d succeeded.
“May I see your ring up close?” Molly asked.
“It’s blinding me!” Susan laughed.
“Oh, of course, Molly.” Liza stepped forward and placed her outstretched hand in Molly’s. The crowd pressed in around them to ooh and aah over the ring. Molly held Liza’s hand, tilting it this way and that, marveling at the way the diamonds sparkled under the glow of the chandeliers.
“It’s three carats,” Liza offered, abashed. “The center diamond is two carats, and the baguette-cut stones are one.”
“Goodness, gracious,” Susan said, smiling. “Bill only gave me a one-carat engagement ring.”
“Yeah, Mom,” Liza drawled, “but he more than made up for it later.”
Everyone laughed.
“What a beautiful ring,” Molly cooed, releasing Liza’s hand.