He grinned, happiness spreading throughout him. She still loved him. He hadn’t ruined it all by his hesitation in coming to her or by staying for that damn meeting.
She shook her head. “Why are you smiling?”
“Because, beautiful. Everything is different.”
Larissa’s gorgeous blue-green eyes sparkled with tears and she took another step back. “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, Quinn. I’m trying to tell you that I—”
“It’s not hard at all,” he broke in, fishing in his pocket for the small box and dropping to his knees. He opened the box, thrusting the diamond ring toward her. “You’re the only thing that matters to me in this whole world, Larissa Benner. I’m sorry it took me longer to figure that out than it should have. I’ve quit my job to become a full-time artist and your husband. That is, of course, if you agree to marry me.”
Her hand flew to her chest and her eyes darted to the easel behind him. “Full time?” She looked back at him. “How? Why? What about the resort?”
He chuckled. “It’s all the same answer. The only thing that matters is you, I just didn’t realize it until you forced me to. Shane wants the management position, I think wanted it right after I took over. He’ll do a great job for the family, and I can live the life I want.”
Carefully, Larissa lowered herself to the ground, though winced slightly with pain. She scooted forward on her knees until she was near enough to touch him. Hesitantly, she ran her finger across the ring and then looked once again to the covered painting behind them.
“You quit your job for me?” Her voice was shaky. “You love that job.”
“No.” Quinn shook his head, starting to fear she would still reject him even though he had made the changes she needed him to make. “I learned to love that job. I love painting, and I love you. I never knew what was missing in my life until you walked into it, Larissa. If it wasn’t for you, I would have continued on in that office, telling myself I was happy while the artist in me died a little more every day. You taught me about love, and you taught me about bravery.”
She stared into his eyes and a few tears broke free from the corners of her eyes. Quinn could only hope they were happy tears.
“I’m not brave,” she said. “I ran away when things got tough. I didn’t stay to work it out with you. How can you forgive me for that?”
She was worried about his forgiveness? Quinn shook his head and ran his free hand across her cheek. “There is nothing to forgive. You did me a favor. You stood up for yourself and demanded to have the life you deserve. I’ve never done that, never said no to my family when I thought they needed me. Turns out, I should have done it a long time ago. My father was happy for me to return to my art. Of course, I agreed to fill in and offer my help anytime Shane needs it.”
“So you aren’t giving it up entirely?”
It was hard to judge her tone. Did that upset her? “Larissa, I can’t turn my back on them if they need me. They’re important to me. I want to follow my dreams, but my dreams include my family being financially secure and a big part of my life.”
A large smile broke out across her face. “I’m glad to hear that. If you gave it all up for me, I wouldn’t know whether I could trust it or if you were only doing what you thought I wanted you to.”
“No, definitely not.” He stared deep into her eyes, hoping she would sense his sincerity. “I always wanted to be an artist and live my life more freely. I want to be a dad some day. Most of all, I want to have a wonderful woman to bring to family parties and to share my days with. I want you.”
Larissa nodded. “That sounds perfect. And, for the record, I don’t want you to turn your back on your family. They’re important to me too, Quinn. I love them.”
She grabbed his face in her hands and drew him toward her, kissing him with enough passion to make him wish they weren’t in the middle of her parents’ house with her just recovering from surgery.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, pressing his forehead against hers so he could look into her eyes again.
She laughed. “That’s definitely a yes.”
He kissed her again, fumbling to slip the ring on her finger while not letting his lips leave hers.
After a few minutes of passionate celebration, he reached back and snagged the corner of the sheet behind him, dropping it away from the painting.
Larissa gasped. “Oh, Quinn. Is this what you’ve been doing since I left?”
Quinn rose from the ground and carefully helped Larissa to her feet. Though he wanted to hug her tight and spin her in a circle, he was well aware that kind of display would need to wait until she healed more. Instead, he put his arm around her waist and walked with her toward the painting.
In it, Larissa’s image sat on the only good sitting rock on Quinn’s section of beach. The clear blue sky above her was cloudless and the water almost seemed to move in the picture itself. It was his best work yet, in Quinn’s opinion. Even better than the life-like background was Larissa herself.
“I worked on this for two weeks, unable to paint your face,” he said. “You always looked sad and I couldn’t do anything different.”
Larissa reached out as though to touch the canvas, but stopped just before her finger stroked the smiling image of herself. “What changed? I look as happy in the painting as I feel right now.”
Quinn nodded. “That’s because I found the answers. As soon as I told Dad I was quitting my job with him and marrying you, I went straight to the studio and finished this within the hour. That’s when I knew it was the right choice. It’s what I needed to do in order to get my happy ending.”
She giggled and turned to kiss him again. “You will certainly get a happy ending whenever you want one, my love, but this right here, this isn’t the end. This is our beginning.”
Chapter 30
Six months later
Larissa brushed the dust from Star’s coat while she waited for Quinn to put the saddle on. She never imagined she’d have her own horse, but now she was anxious to ride to the waterfall again. Quinn said he wanted pictures of her by the falls to use for inspiration in his painting this month. Larissa actually guessed he was working on a wedding present, since she overheard him talking to her father the week before, but she didn’t want to spoil his surprise. Besides, she’d go anywhere with him.
Quinn tightened the cinch on Shadow’s saddle and peeked at her over the horse’s back. “You’d better put a bandana on, beautiful. Don’t want to burn your head.”
Larissa nodded. “I will. I already covered it in sunscreen. You’re such a worrywart.”
“Well, if by the time we get there you’re burnt and in pain, how am I supposed to make love to you?”
Larissa raised an eyebrow and pointed at herself. “You think you’re getting some of this?”
“Of course I do. That’s why I’m marrying you.” He winked.
She chuckled. “What if I’ve decided to make you wait until the wedding night?”
“Then I’d wait.” Quinn circled the horses to stand in front of her. He grabbed her waist and pushed her against a wooden support beam behind them. His lips came close, but never brushed against hers. “If you really, really want to wait, I’ll be taking a lot of cold showers.”
Closing the distance to kiss him, Larissa ran her hands down his back to grab his rear. “Nah, I hate cold showers.”
“Then I guess we’d better hurry to the waterfall.”
She nodded her agreement, but then sighed. “Do you really think my parents will be okay for the day? I hate leaving them alone while they’re here, especially when they had to wait so long for this vacation. But I haven’t felt this good in weeks, and I want to get away with you.”
“Our mothers are closed up together in Mom’s kitchen, likely going over wedding plans, and our dads are out golfing.” He ran his fingers down her arm and grabbed onto her hand. “No one will miss us for the afternoon. You’re finally healthy again. I want to celebrate your
recovery.”
Cancer free and no more chemotherapy as of last week. It was a wonderful feeling. Sure, she needed to get regular checkups and there was never a guarantee it wouldn’t come back, but for now, today, she was healthy. The fatigue from her treatments had lifted and she was ready to live again.
Even better, all the things she’d once worried about—scars on her chest, losing her breasts, her hair falling out—none of that mattered now. She was confident in her beauty and comfortable with what she had to endure. Spending time with other women in her situation helped her see their strength, which fed hers.
Added to that was the fact that Quinn was as supportive as she could have wished. He said all of her differences were proof of the victory over her illness, and he admired them. She didn’t even know if she would undergo reconstructive surgery. There were risks involved, and she was tired of seeing doctors. She needed a break. For now, she had a water bra to use when she went out into public. In private, Quinn loved her body no matter what.
“Earth to Larissa.” Quinn caressed her cheek. “Are we taking the horses out or not? I promise your parents are okay for the day without you.”
“You’re right,” she said, kissing him. “Get Star saddled up so we can hit the trail.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a small salute but then winked. “Once we get there, will you saddle me up?”
“And go for a ride?” She kept her face straight, fighting against the smile that wanted to break free.
“It’ll be the best ride of your life,” he said, running his hand down the front of her body. “I know just how to rock the saddle.”
“That is entirely true,” she agreed. “Not only the saddle. You rock my world, Quinn. I’m so happy to be back on the island with you. I love you so much.”
“Good to know we’re even. You rock my world and I love you.” Quinn slung the saddle over Star’s back and tightened the straps before helping Larissa onto the horse. “Also, I now have incentive to find the quickest way to the waterfall. I’ll never get tired of the way you ride.”
She laughed, happiness flooding through her of a kind she never imagined was possible.
Every tough thing that happened in her life had been for a reason. Failed relationships, her desperate need for insurance and steady employment, even the cancer—they were blessings in disguise.
They all led her to McCallister’s Paradise...and the man of her dreams.
Author's Notes
This is my first foray into the world of contemporary romance without a suspense plot line to fall back on. While challenging, I found it fun and exciting. I’ve been holding on to the idea for this story for over a year now, but didn’t write it until my good friend, author Rachelle Ayala, put together a class to write a romance in a month. I’m happy to say, I made the goal and finished this book with a few hours to spare on the day of our deadline (of course, editing is another matter).
When I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis several years ago, I thought my world had ended. Being in my early thirties and hearing I had twenty to thirty years before my hands would be too deformed to use was a horrible blow. Once the medicine that I had to take in order to stay functional for that long began making my hair fall out, my devastation deepened. I’ve been obese for many years, and my thick hair and pretty eyes were the only things I had to feel good about myself. Now, my hair was thinning to the point I had a bald spot on top.
When I made the decision to stop my RA medication, my well-intentioned honey told me I was being vain and no one cared if I went bald except me. Maybe that was true, but I felt as if I were losing my femininity. I started searching for causes of hair loss, hoping it was something other than my medicine—something that could be fixed.
It was then that I happened upon a message board for breast cancer survivors. The women there were talking about how hard it was, and how losing their hair from the chemotherapy treatments was harder on them than losing both breasts. They could hide their lack of breasts, but having no hair made them feel as if they were no longer beautiful.
I thought about that long and hard, realizing I didn’t really have a reason to stop my medicine. My joint pain had returned ten-fold when stopping it, and reading about these courageous women who had much more to worry about than I did, but were still going along, bravely facing whatever their bodies put them through... I knew I had no reason to complain or whine about the problems in my life.
It was at that point I knew I had to write a story for them. Larissa took life in my mind—a strong, capable woman who is dealing with this unfair fact of life, but able to fight through it and come out the other side stronger. It’s my tribute to those strong women fighting this battle. I’m in awe of them.
McCallister’s Paradise is about more than the cancer, however. I’ve fallen in love with this family, and they all deserve some lovin’. Parker is going to find himself in a strange predicament in the next book... just when he finds love, his past may come back to haunt him.
Thank you for joining me for this adventure. I hope you will come back for the rest of the series. As always, I couldn’t do this without your support. Thank you for spending some time in my world and reading Quinn and Larissa’s story. If you enjoyed their tale, I’d be very grateful for a review to let others know you think it’s worth reading.
Live with happiness and be fearless, my friends!
~ Chantel
June 21, 2014
Website: http://www.chantelrhondeau.com
Facebook group/Street team (I’d love for you to join!): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1636019463291441/
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Email list: I will send emails when there is a new release available. Sign up now! http://eepurl.com/LRpdX
Chantel's Books
Romantic Suspense
Stand alone titles:
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Always & Forever
Crime & Passion
Murderous Lies
Season For Love: A Christmas Romance Novella
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Agents in Love Series:
Love & Deception – Book 1
Love & Redemption – Book 2
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Boxed sets (limited time offers):
Heroes To Swoon For
Spring Into Love
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Contemporary Romance
McCallister’s Paradise
Happy Endings –1
Diving Into Love –2
For Love or Charity –3
Love’s Ride –4 (available 5/7/15)
Cooking Up Love –5 (available (5/8/15)
Coming Next:
Lovers in Paradise (5 book series)
Workers in Paradise (5 book series)
Tasting Los Angeles
Kimmie Easley
Copyright © 2014 by:
Kimmie Easley
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Cover Model: Padme Kane
Cover Photo: MJPphotography
Cover Design: Graphic Expressions
This book was built at IndieWrites.com. Visit us on Facebook.
Dedication
Mad love for DeLaine Roberts and her cover design skills. I’m honored to be a Graphic Expressions author. As always, thank you to the gorgeous Padme Kane for gracing the cover of Tasting Los Angeles. I look forward to many more projects with both ladies.
Thank you to my family for throwing food in my general direction and maintaining the house while I became a slave to another deadline. When we dream, we dream big. All in! D+K
Chapter 1
Tori
Tori paced the length of the shoebox-sized apartment with her cell phone pressed to her ear. “Mom, we’ve been through this a hundred times. I’m not coming home. I have a job and an apartment. I know dad’s mad, but he’ll get over it.”
She listened to her mother ra
mble on about how the house is empty and things haven’t been the same since she left home. It was the same old guilt trip every time she called. Her parents thought they would wear her down, but she wasn’t giving in, not this time.
After living in Los Angeles for almost a year, Tori was slowly starting to feel at home. Even though it was in the same state, Oceanside seemed like it was on another planet.
“Yeah, Mom, I know it’s not too late to enlist. I never promised anything, he just assumed that after college I would go. Look, it’s my only day off and it’s almost over. I have things to do. Yes, I’ll talk to you later this week. Love you too.”
Being an only child was suffocating. Her parents spent their lives smothering her, chipping away at any chance of a normal life she might have on her own.
Tori slipped on her Nikes and snatched up the trash bag to toss in the dumpster on her way out for a jog. She shoved the bag into the overflowing bin and quickly backed away. The stench of rotten food made her empty stomach pitch.
She braced one palm against the stucco wall and used the other to stretch out her leg, and then switched. She had always been athletic. She spent her entire childhood training for different sports and studying; always studying. Nothing lower than an A was acceptable in the Altman household. The athletics paid off, and now it was the only way she knew to clear her head. It was her ‘normal’.
Plugging in her earbuds, she hit play on her running playlist. Tori turned the corner outside of the garden apartments just as a warm touch on her shoulder startled her, sending her to the ground.
“Oh, shit!” Her neighbor, Cole, reached out his hand and helped Tori to her feet.
She plucked out the earbuds out and dusted off her backside.
Spring Into Love Page 21