She could only nod and he added, “Happy?”
“Yes!” and she smacked him on his lips.
Terrence showed up besides her to congratulate them and said, “So you hooked him with your cooking?”
Allison threw up her hands and rolled her eyes, “Why am I punished with a brother like you?”
The banter and teasing continued and Allison started to relax. Apparently her family had accepted Russell as boyfriend of the baby in the family. Speaking of baby...
They had one more announcement to make, and she wasn’t so sure her mother would be as thrilled this time.
She and Russell waited until after dinner. He patted her arm before she stood up to say, “Uhm…before everyone takes off, Russell and I have one more piece of news to share with you all.”
All heads turned, question marks in their eyes. Only Reese gave her an encouraging smile and Russell took her hand, standing up beside her. She inhaled deeply a few times and looked at everyone present. Reese and Terrence, Grant and Sam, her father, and her mother. Sheer black fright swept through her and had her shivering. If it weren’t for Russell holding her hand, she’d have rushed off. But then, she’d have to tell them sooner or later anyways.
“Well, Mom, you know how you were complaining that you didn’t have any grandkids yet? That’s not quite true.”
Her mother paled and Allison watched the different emotions quarrel on her face. She knew her mother desperately wanted grandkids, but Mom also was a traditionalist, and would have preferred those grandkids came from someone other than her youngest unwed daughter.
Dad opened his mouth, but no words came out and he sunk back against his chair, exchanging helpless glances with his wife.
At least she had an ally in Reese, who came to her help, breaking the silence: “Oh, Allison. Congratulations! This is such wonderful news. I’m so happy for you both.” Reese rushed over and gave Allison and Russell a hug. Allison could count on her sister. No words about past troubles, just unconditional support.
Reese’s exclamation spurred everyone else into action, hugging and congratulating.
At last her mother approached her with a stern face. “Allison Paxton. I can’t say I’m not shocked. It’s a very unexpected development, and I sure would have preferred you and Russell waited until you were married.
“You’ve known each other for such a short time. But your father and I love you above all things and though I may not approve of your timing, we will nevertheless support you with everything we can.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Allison had to swallow back her tears while she hugged her mother. Russell had been right. Everything would be fine.
Her father Mitch, Terrence, and Grant all slapped Russell on the back, and Sam hugged her neck, whispering in her ear, “Thank you.”
“For what?” Allison whispered back.
“Now Bridget won’t bother Grant and me as much.”
Chapter 28
Later that night, Allison and Russell took another walk along the beach, holding hands. But something was off. Russell had grown increasingly quiet after they left her parents’ house and she didn’t know why. She chalked it up to the fact he had to leave for Chicago early tomorrow morning.
They reached her favorite spot by the lighthouse and sat down on the flat rock where she’d spent so many days and nights watching the lake. She leaned back against him to watch the full moon rising high in the sky and sensed the unfamiliar tension in his body.
“Russell, what’s wrong?”
He paused to inhale before he said, “There’s something I haven’t told you.”
“What?”
He sighed. “After you left, I was desolated. Dex and I had agreed I’d leave the clinic and I wanted to do some good with my life. I have a friend who manages the Doctors Without Borders program out of New York.”
“Doctors Without Borders? Isn’t that the organization that goes to all of those war-torn countries to offer free medical assistance?”
“Yep. Anyway, I wanted to get away. I was afraid I might run into you, and when Cole offered me a contract I signed it. I’ll be leaving for Angola next month.”
“Angola?!” she asked. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? I mean, we’ve spent the entire weekend talking about the future, but you’ve never mentioned this little detail?”
Allison moved out of his encircling arms, and walked away. She needed time to think. How could he not tell me? What else is there I don’t know about?
“Ally. Wait. Don’t run away. Please.” He came after her and reached out a hand to stop her, but she shrugged him off.
She wasn’t going to let him get away with this type of behavior. Her mom had told her numerous times that what you didn’t clear up in the beginning of your relationship would come back to haunt you later. Allison wasn’t willing to let that happen. It was time to set the ground rules.
Russell stood besides her looking crestfallen. “I need to walk,” she said. He joined her and they walked alongside each other in silence for a while.
Finally, she voiced her thoughts. “Russell, if this is going to work, we have to be honest with each other. Your going to Angola isn’t a little thing, and I’m hurt that you didn’t tell me earlier. You cannot keep important stuff like this from me. Ever.”
“Ally, I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid of your reaction. And yesterday was so perfect, I didn’t want to spoil it. It was stupid. You’re right, we have to be honest with each other if this is to work out.”
“I can’t tell you I’m happy about you going off to some foreign country for…just how long will you be gone?”
“Three months.”
Three months? “Wow! All right, well, that’s a long time.”
“It is.”
“Okay, we’ll see what we can do, but I absolutely need to know something like this won’t happen again. That you won’t hide important things from me. Ever again.”
She waited for him to remind her she’d done the same thing by not telling him about her pregnancy, but he didn’t.
“I promise.”
He kissed her deeply and when she looked up into his wonderful blue eyes, she almost lost herself in the deepness of them.
“I love you, Ally.”
They continued walking back along the beach and she asked, “Have you considered backing out of that contract?”
“I did ask, but they wouldn’t let me. Everything has already been arranged. I hate to leave you alone while you’re pregnant, even though I’m sure your family will take good care of you.”
“Maybe I could come with you,” she suggested.
Russell pulled her into his arms. “While I would love nothing better than to have you come with me, as a doctor I have to refuse.”
“Why? I’m not a doctor, but surely there’s something I could do to help.”
“Ally, you don’t understand. It’s too dangerous. For you and for the baby. You could get sick, and I can’t let that happen.”
“Sick? With what?”
“Malaria, for starters.”
Allison waved his concern away. “So I take those pills that prevent you from getting malaria. Quinine, right?”
“No, they don’t use that medication any longer. But the ones in use are not recommended for pregnant women and should only be taken if absolutely necessary. Like, if you live there and have no other choice. You don’t fall into that category. You have a choice and need to think about the well-being of the baby.”
Allison listened to him and reluctantly agreed: “Fine, but I’ll be worried to death with you being away for such a long time. Especially in such a dangerous place.”
“Three months isn’t that long. And you’ll be fine here with your family. As soon as this mission is over, I’ll come back to your side.”
They returned to her apartment, and Russell said, “We really need a bigger place. There’s barely room enough for two persons, and with the baby coming, we need more space. Perh
aps you could start asking around to see what’s available.”
Allison kissed him. So he was serious about moving in with her. With them.
Chapter 29
Monday morning Russell returned to Chicago. While taking a break between patients, he called the hospital director in Milwaukee and they instantly hit it off. They talked for a long time and Russell expressed his desire to open up a plastic surgery department at the regional hospital for accident victims.
“I think that’s a brilliant idea and much needed in this area.”
“Well, it’s what I want to do.”
“You realize the pay wouldn’t be anything like what you earn now?”
“Not a problem. I want to help people and I’m willing to compromise on the salary.”
They agreed to meet in person after his return from Angola, and make more in-depth plans.
A few days later, he celebrated his final day at the clinic, and while everyone was sorry to see him go, many of them understood his reasoning. Even Dex seemed to be in support of his newfound calling.
He was just clearing out the last of his desk when his cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Russell, Cole here. I’m afraid I have bad news. A civil war broke out in Angola and we’re pulling all of our staff and resources out of the country. It’s way too dangerous at the moment.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Russell asked, afraid to hope.
“Well, it means your mission has been cancelled. Indefinitely. Now, I can relocate you to another project if you like, but it wouldn’t be for the next few months, maybe longer.”
Russell grinned from ear to ear and struggled to sound suitably concerned when he spoke. “That’s bad news. I hope none of your staff was hurt. Let me get back to you about another assignment. I‘ve already made plans for the time after Angola, and that would make me unavailable a few months from now.”
“Sorry to hear that. But that’s how life sometimes has its twists and turns. Hopefully you can work for us at a later time. We also offer short-term assignments of two to four weeks. Many doctors do them during their annual vacation.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know.” Russell hung up and wanted to shout in glee.
He called Allison right away. “Sunshine, I have good news. A civil war broke out in Angola.”
“Russell. Since when is a war good news?” she demanded in a harsh voice.
“Uhm…well…I mean…no, of course the war itself isn’t good news. But because of it, my mission has been cancelled. I can move to Sandy Beach in a couple of weeks.”
“Oh, Russ, that is good news. I’m so happy for you. For me. For us!”
“Me too, Sunshine. Me too. I have some more good news for you.”
“Did you meet a fortune fairy?”
Russell chuckled. “The facility manager has had so many patients asking for your paintings, he’s ready to purchase ten of them with an opportunity to let you display more and sell them via the clinic for a small commission.”
“That’s amazing. To tell you the truth, with everything that’s been going on, I almost forgot about the paintings in your clinic.”
“I need to go, but I had to share my news with you. I love you, Ally.”
“I love you too, Russell. So much. Bye.”
Russell made another call to the hospital director in Milwaukee and told him his plans had changed and he was available almost immediately. The man was ecstatic; they agreed to meet next weekend in Sandy Beach.
***
A few days later, Russell met with Toni and her fiancé Douglas. Douglas had recently taken over as CEO of the family-owned business Stronger Constructions, and while his company only did huge buildings, he had plenty of friends who built small houses.
Russell had done some research about patches of land near Allison’s favorite spot on the lake. As it turned out, one of the properties was for sale. He’d discussed the idea with Douglas, and had asked him to investigate the property and see if it would be a good place to build a home.
Douglas gave him the green light and in no time at all, Russell was the proud owner of a lakeside property near Sandy Beach.
He thanked his brother-in-law to be for the help and left with Toni, who’d offered her assistance to pack up his stuff. Together they made short work of loading his belongings into boxes.
He had decided to keep his apartment in Chicago for the time being; he was in no hurry to sell it since he didn’t need the money.
“So it’s just going to sit here empty?” she asked, eyeing the place curiously.
“Well, I don’t need the furniture, and Ally never liked it to begin with. So…yeah…I’m just going to leave the furniture here for now.”
“I’m glad you finally found a woman you love. It’s good to see you so happy. And I’m excited to become an aunt.”
Russell glanced at his sister and noticed the hidden longing beneath the joy on her face. She does want to have a baby of her own. He’d never given it much thought, because Toni and Douglas both worked sixty-plus hours a week and travelled a lot.
He hugged her and then kissed her cheek. “I would never have thought it, but the idea of becoming a father evokes such strong emotions. My love for that little baby I haven’t even seen yet is already as big as or even bigger than my love for Allison.”
“I can see that,” she said.
“You’d be a great mom. And my kid’s going to need cousins to play with. You and Douglas should start practicing.”
She punched him in the biceps but smiled at him, and he could tell he’d struck a chord with her. Who knew? Maybe he wouldn’t be the only one bringing a new baby into the world.
Chapter 30
Allison was dying from curiosity. It had always been one of her weaknesses, and Russell had taken advantage of this, dropping little hints and remarks for days about the huge surprise he had for her.
She’d been so caught up in the suspense, she’d even resorted to calling her sister and all of her brothers – including Ethan, who currently lived in London – to see if they knew anything. Of course her siblings hadn’t offered anything useful; on the contrary, they’d dropped enticing remarks to heat up her curiosity even more. They were detestable.
As a last resort, she’d called Toni, but Toni only laughed and told her to wait.
When Russell finally arrived in Sandy Beach, she tackled him: “So what’s my surprise?”
“Whoa! Slow down there, Sunshine.”
“No. You’ve been teasing me for days.”
Russell captured her lips in an attempt to stop her from talking, but she broke away from him. “Spill it, mister.”
He grinned at her and pretended to be hurt. “I thought you loved me, but no, you just love the surprise.”
“You know that’s not true, but you’ve been teasing me for days and I can’t wait anymore. Tell me.”
“How about we take a walk instead?”
Allison wanted to refuse, but he had that look in his eyes that told her he wasn’t going to tell her anything until he was good and ready. “Fine.”
They walked hand-in-hand until they reached her favorite spot on the lake and he told her, “This is my surprise.”
Allison’s face fell. “What?” She looked around her, feeling deflated. This isn’t a surprise. I come here almost every day.
Russell took her shoulders and turned her away from the water. He pointed at the land and asked, “Do you like it?”
She shrugged. “Sure I like it here, but why do you have me looking at that flat land?”
“I bought it.”
“What?” she asked him.
“I bought this piece of land. We’re going to build our house here.”
“Russell, no more joking. I want to know my surprise.”
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her head. “I’m not joking. You love this spot on the lake so much, I did some checking around. The property was for sale, and Toni’s fiancé sai
d it would be a great place to build a house.”
“Douglas?” she asked him, excitement replacing her earlier disbelief. When he nodded his head, she started walking around the property. “This is really yours now?”
“Ours,” he corrected her.
He watched her, her mouth moving a mile a minute as she told him all of her plans for their future home. When she finally started to wind down, he reached into his pocket and handed her the business card of a builder Douglas had highly recommended.
She looked at the card and asked, “Who is this?”
“That is the man who is going to build our house. I guess you should get started drawing up the way you want it to look.”
“That’s an awesome idea. I need to go get my paints.” She grabbed his hand and hurried him back to the small apartment, but once there, all thoughts of returning right away disappeared.
Russell saw his portrait and his emotions welled up inside of him. He kissed her tenderly, but one kiss led to two, which led to three. Soon, they were pulling at each other’s clothes and tumbling into her bed.
She looked into his eyes as she moved her body with his, their timing perfectly in synch. “I love you, Russell.”
“I love you too, Sunshine. More than I ever dreamed was possible.”
Loving her was the best thing he’d ever done, and he never wanted to go back to that dark and lonely place where he’d been afraid of his emotions. As her body tightened around his, he felt a sense of unity and belonging. She’s mine. I won’t ever let her go again.
***The End ***
This was the first book in the Love in Sandy Beach series.
Book two features Reese Paxton and Nikos Petridis. In BILLIONAIRE KISSES they meet during vacations in Northern Australia. Their relations is off to a very bad start, worse when it turns out he’s the only person who can give her a ride across Australia to her brother Chase’s kitesurfing competition. Now she’s stuck in a camper van with the hottest, most arrogant man ever.
Coming soon….. CLICK HERE to get an email reminder as soon as it's released.
Momentous Kisses: Love in Sandy Beach Page 11