His Sister's Return

by Mary Goldberger

The man laughed although the laughter didn’t stay long as Alina nodded her head at him and then proceeded to give him her polite attitude which Trystan read accurately and he relaxed making small talk with Bea and her beau.

  Alina kept her composure through the conversation as Trystan’s fingers traced lightly over her stomach and she shivered at the feel wondering if Trystan knew the secret she hadn’t told him yet.

  Bea saw the way Alina’s eyes glazed with passion and she said sharply, “We need to get going.” She smiled and tossed her head as she said with smugness, “Trystan, you missed out because I could’ve gave you the time of your life.”

  She started fiddling with a chain around her neck and said slyly, “Remember this you gave it to me two years ago.”

  Trystan looked at the necklace and he smiled as Alina shifted slightly against him a slight frown on her face. Trystan tightened his arms around her as he said softly, “She would be happy, you know.”

  Alina nodded her head thinking about Mrs. Santos as she glanced down at the bracelet fingering the charms on it lingering on the last one that she received after they got married. The last charm was an intact heart with no lines running through it, and as Trystan observed, Alina’s heart was finally healed. When they returned from their honeymoon, they had discovered Mrs. Santos who had been sick for some time passed away a few days before their return. After the funeral and respectable time, Trystan and Alina had approached her children about buying the house in Tiers, and although they hadn’t wanted to get rid of it, they knew that their mother had rented it for the first time because she sensed something about these two individuals. They sold it to Trystan and Alina for the valued price, and the two of them paid without hassling over it.

  “Who would be pleased?” Bea asked with narrowed eyes as her fiancé winked at a passing young woman.

  “The woman who owned the shop I bought that necklace passed away a month after our wedding,” Trystan told her watching as confusion passed over Bea’s face before understanding dawned.

  Bea’s face turned white as she said, “You two were…”

  Trystan looked at her and he smiled as he put his chin on top of Alina’s head as he indicated the bracelet that Alina was studying. “I bought your necklace the same time that Alina was given this bracelet.”

  Bea scowled fiercely as she yanked the necklace off her neck and dropped it on the floor. “I wonder why you gave me a cheap piece of junk like that.”

  Her fiancé laughed hearing her words as Bea flashed her own diamond bracelet at them, but Alina didn’t see it as she bent down to pick up the necklace her engagement ring winking up at Bea mockingly.

  “You can keep that piece of junk,” Bea said in a taunting voice her eyes shifting away from the ring on her finger.

  “I will,” Alina said inspecting the chain. She looked up as she told her, “I think I will save it for our daughter so she will know the difference between junk and something given from the heart whether it is expensive or not.”

  Bea only snorted as her fiancé pulled her away, and Trystan leaned down whispering, “Daughter?”

  Alina tilted her head back and smiled softly before she yawned.

  “Come on. I will take you upstairs to rest,” Trystan said putting an arm around her waist and leading her out of the room.

  He took her to their suite where he told her to get some rest and that he would be back after he gave Trudy and Bishop their excuses, and Alina nodded her head as she kicked off her shoes.

  Trystan went back downstairs to talk with the staff before heading for Trudy and Bishop.

  “So when are you two going to get married?” Trystan asked with a smile as he reached them.

  Bishop laughed as Trudy turned red before she admitted, “We were thinking of having a quiet affair in about a month’s time only inviting family members and a few close friends.”

  Trystan nodded his head as he told them, “If you need any help just let Alina or I know, and we can help in any way we can.”

  Trudy looked at Bishop who nodded his head in encouragement before she turned back to Trystan. “Do you think Alina would cater the wedding for me?” She asked seriously.

  Trystan laughed nodding his head remarking, “I don’t think my wife ever thought about going into the catering business.”

  Trudy giggled at his words because it was the truth. Alina started work in Trystan’s restaurant not too long after they got married which she enjoyed, but a few months later Marla wanted to give a small party for her staff members at the shop and their families. She asked Alina to cater it for her, and after that, others asked Alina to do the same for them mostly because they had been at Marla’s party.

  Within three months, Alina spent more time catering for parties and get-togethers that she resigned from the restaurant at Trystan’s prompting because Alina enjoyed her catering jobs more than she did working for the restaurant.

  “Does she still want to be a master chef?” Trudy asked as they walked with Trystan to the lobby.

  Trystan thought for a moment before he shook his head. “I don’t think she has thought about it since then. Right now, she is enjoying what she is doing and it gives her more time to spend with Egan.”

  Trudy and Bishop laughed at his words before Trystan said, “Sorry to cut out early, but I am going to spend the evening with my wife without any interruptions.”

  Trudy nodded her head as Bishop asked with a knowing smile, “I was going to ask where she was, but it isn’t necessary anymore.”

  Trystan didn’t comment but the roguish smile that came across his face told them all they needed to know as they watched him walk over to the elevators with quick strides.

  “He truly loves her, doesn’t he?” Bishop asked sliding an arm around Trudy’s waist.

  “He does, and he was lucky that Alina gave him another chance,” she remarked, and getting a questioningly look from her fiancé she laughed. “I will explain it to you one day,” as they walked back into the party and Trystan entered the elevator.

  In their suite, Trystan frowned noting that the lights were off before he headed for the bedroom. As he walked in, Alina looked up from where she was relaxing on the bed in a sheer nightgown.

  “How are you feeling?” Trystan asked walking over to the bed before he sat down resting a hand on Alina’s thigh.

  Alina chuckled as she closed the book she was reading before she remarked, “It has only been twenty minutes since you left me.”

  Trystan winked at her as he took the book from her hand and placed it on her side of the bed before he leveled himself over her pulling her until she was lying down on the bed looking up at him.

  “I was thinking that we should get started on trying for that daughter you mentioned earlier,” he told her leaning down to kiss her on the neck and Alina drew in a breath as he touched a sensitive spot with his tongue.

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that,” she told him breathlessly, and he drew back with a frown.

  “Why don’t I...” he asked in confusion before his voice trailed off at the brightness in Alina’s eyes and the smile that was widening on her face.

  “You’re pregnant,” he breathed out pushing himself up so that he wasn’t resting his full weight on her.

  Alina laughed grabbing him and pulling him back down gently as she told him, “I can’t guarantee a daughter, but we will be adding to our family in about eight months according to our doctor.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” He demanded one hand going down to her belly where his second child nestled.

  Alina unraveled one hand from around his neck to smooth the frown on his face as she informed him, “I didn’t know until I went to the doctor the other day. Remember the appointment you made for me because I had been getting dizzy and lightheaded the last few weeks.”

  “You didn’t have any of those symptoms with Egan,” Trystan remarked with a frown.

  Alina giggled as she said, “Probably why the doctor made the offh
and comment that I was having a girl this time because she was already giving her mother problems.”

  Trystan looked down at the woman lying underneath him and he couldn’t help but sigh with contentment. “I love you,” he told her leaning down to kiss her softly.

  “I love you, too,” Alina told him her arm rewinding around his neck as she pulled him back down for another kiss longer this time.

  “A little girl, huh,” he remarked a few minutes later breathlessly as he kissed down her neck and began to ease off the straps of her nightgown. “I wonder if she is going to give us a hard time like her mother did.”

  “Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Alina remarked with a breathless laugh that turned into a soft moan as Trystan eased her nightgown down even further.

  “We should let the others know,” he stated as he paid attention to what he revealed already seeing a slight difference in his wife’s figure.

  “We will, but late tomorrow when we pick up Egan before going to Tiers,” Alina told him, and the only thing he could do was chuckle before he muttered against her flesh, “Yes, for tonight is about us. I want to spend it with my love to celebrate the new life we created.”

  Another moan came from Alina as she agreed silently with her husband’s words, and she cleared her mind to focus fully on her husband a smile crossing her face as she thought about how they met.

  A single glance from a crowded restaurant even though neither had been truly aware of the other’s true identity had led to this moment.

  “I was hooked the first time you looked at me in that restaurant,” she murmured a second before she arched her back.

  Trystan leaned back at her words before he told her his eyes dark with passion. “So was I, Alina although I didn’t want to admit it.”

  Alina laughed as Trystan chuckled wickedly before he leaned down and kissed her passionately, and no more talking was thought of for the rest of the night until the early morning hours as the sun streamed through the windows shining on the two of them lying in bed laughing and smiling as they talked before sleep finally claimed them both.