“What?” Quinn took a step outward so he could see past his brothers to where his wife stood opposite him. “Hey, Beautiful, what’s going on? Is the baby coming?”
Larissa waved them all away, grimacing and grabbing her stomach again. “First pregnancies always take forever before the kid gets here. Keep going.”
Chelsea looked up at Brad, her eyes sparkling with joy. “That’s going to be us next February when our baby comes.”
“And I can’t wait,” he replied, slipping the ring on her outstretched finger.
Without waiting for the approval of the man performing their ceremony, Chelsea reached across to Matt, holding her hand out. As soon as Matt gave it to her, Chelsea placed the ring on Brad’s finger. She then stared at the wedding official. “Get this show on the road, sir. Tell us to kiss. I’m finally a part of a family, and we have a baby girl who wants to share her birthday with my wedding anniversary.”
The man nodded. “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he said. “You may kiss the bride.”
Brad gathered Chelsea into his arms, holding her flouncy white dress down to her sides. “It’s a good thing our niece decided to crash the wedding,” he said before lowering his mouth to hers.
“Why’s that?” she asked.
He winked. “She hurried us along, and I’ve been waiting for this part all day.
“So have I, husband dear.” She giggled and pulled him against her lips.
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed Brad and Chelsea’s book. I have to admit to being surprised by Brad. I had expected him to be a bigger pain, but somehow Sydney befriending him seemed to have tamed his grouchiness further than I thought. Plus, well, love will do strange things to a man, and it looks like it’s all to the good for Brad.
It was fun to have the family in this book, and I hope you enjoyed them too. The McCallisters are all characters that stay with me, and having the series is a lovely way to spend time with them even once they've reached their happily ever after.
Next up is the youngest, Shane. I have big plans for him in Cooking Up Love. I’ve actually known what would happen with him since nearly the beginning when I first planned this family. I normally fly by the seat of my pants, never having a real plan about what will happen until the characters tell me what will be, but Shane’s different. He’s about to meet a young lady and her daughter who will turn his world upside down!
As always, if you enjoyed this book, I’d be grateful if you left a review at your favorite vendor and told your friends about McCallister’s Paradise. Until next time, happy reading!
Always chase those dreams and reach for happiness!
~ Chantel, November 2, 2015
* * *
Website: http://www.chantelrhondeau.com
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Also by Chantel Rhondeau
Romantic Suspense
Stand-alone titles:
Always & Forever
Crime & Passion
Murderous Lies
Agents in Love Series:
Love & Deception – Book 1
Love & Redemption – Book 2
Love Under Fire Series:
Blazing Love
Blazing Hotter
Contemporary Romance
Stand-alone titles:
Season For Love: A Christmas Romance Novella
Unexpected Gift – Cali’s Story (Christmas Fairy Tales)
Unexpected Gift 2 – Dani’s Story (Christmas Fairy Tales)
Loving Lucy (Sensual Christmas Romance Novella)
Tempting Trish (Sensual Christmas Romantic Suspense) – Christmas is for Lovers boxed set
Serving Up Love
McCallister’s Paradise
Happy Endings –1
Diving Into Love –2
For Love or Charity –3
Love’s Ride –4
Cooking Up Love –5
Join my VIP Reader’s Club and get a FREE eBook and other great freeibies!
http://chantelrhondeau.wix.com/freebook
Read on for an excerpt of Cooking Up Love (McCallister’s Paradise – 5)
Single mother Elaina Turner arrives at McCallister's Paradise with her young daughter for the ultimate vacation getaway. Her bargain store dress may as well be a burlap sack when she sees the other island guests, and Elaina fears the free vacation might end in embarrassing disaster. She never expects Shane McCallister, head chef of Paradise Point and part owner of the island, to take a keen interest in her and her daughter. His sexy smile and easy manner cause Elaina to have a hard time staying away, but she has to protect her daughter from the flirtatious player. All her daughter wants is a father—Shane is obviously looking for fun with no strings attached.
As the youngest sibling in the McCallister clan, Shane has floundered through life for several years. Bad choices and frequent mistakes with women have become his trademark. When he targets Elaina as his next love conquest, his family fears the worst—that he’ll ruin not only himself and Elaina, but possibly take down the entire business with his antics.
Things aren't entirely what they seem for either Elaina or Shane. Perhaps being together is the only way to make their lives meaningful. Despite the roadblocks in their way, they grow closer. Unfortunately, so does the chance that the past will rear its ugly head and ruin any possibility for a happy ending.
Chapter 1
Elaina Turner held tight to her daughter’s hand as they stepped off the airplane. A set of stairs led to a short tarmac with a pathway to a tiny airport. The flight attendant had assured Elaina an island employee would handle the collection of their luggage, and she should head directly to the information counter to obtain her welcome packet.
Even in December, the balmy heat of McCallister’s Paradise was a shock. Winters in North Dakota trended into the territory of below zero—often far, far below zero. The perfect eighty-two-degree afternoon with a warm wind blowing off the ocean couldn’t be more alien.
“Mama?” Kylee tugged her hand. “Are we going inside? Everyone else is leaving. I thought you said we’d see the ocean.”
Smiling at her daughter, Elaina stopped gawking and followed in the wake of the elderly couple who were disappearing into the building. “We will see the ocean, Princess. Our room is supposed to be close to it. We need to tell someone inside that we won the free trip, and they’ll help us.”
The documents mailed to her had explained she won an all-expenses paid vacation to McCallister’s Paradise, a privately owned island a short flight from the Big Island of Hawaii. Elaina had never heard of the resort before entering the vacation giveaway, but that hadn’t stopped her from screaming with excitement when she won. According to the papers and subsequent communication from someone named Sydney McCallister, she and her daughter would be in a bungalow alongside the beach.
Sydney promised fabulous five-star meals from the island’s premier chef, guided snorkeling trips to experience the ocean’s beauty, and free passes to the island’s newest attraction. The Adventure Palace would celebrate its grand opening during the week and supposedly held every delight her five-year-old daughter could wish. Elaina didn’t count on the trip being quite as pleasant as promised, but it would be fun all the same.
Chances were, they’d end up stuffed inside some tiny shack without a view of the ocean, the meals would be way out of the price range of anything Elaina could afford, and the Adventure Palace would have lines so long that Kylee wouldn’t get to appreciate anything inside it. Still, Elaina couldn’t help but feel a bump of excitement flooding her veins as she inhaled the salty scent of the ocean before stepping through the glass door to the airport. Never in a million years would she be able to bring Kylee somewhere like this again.
Besides... he couldn’t find
them here. She shook her head at herself, refusing to think about that. This was a vacation, and she would worry about what the future held for her and Kylee once it was over.
No matter how bad their accommodations ended up being, they were on an island resort near Hawaii! Elaina never expected to travel outside North Dakota. Heck, she’d never been on an airplane before today. Already she and her daughter had experienced more enjoyment from this vacation than they’d ever expected.
The inside of the airport was tiny, holding several rows of benches for the small group of people waiting to board the plane and leave the island. Elaina held tighter to Kylee’s hand, getting into line behind the elderly couple at the information counter.
Two employees clicked away at computer screens and handed out packets of papers. They both looked happy, and Elaina wondered what connections someone needed to land a job here.
This island was definitely a dream job. Work by day and walk on the beach by night. Before she got knocked up, Elaina had imagined she was destined for great things. Living on an island like this was something she’d fantasized about. They must have party planners coordinating events for guests. That was actually her life’s dream before getting pregnant at fifteen. Now, however, Kylee was her life. The only parties Elaina planned were for birthdays.
“Hello, miss. Welcome to McCallister’s Paradise.” The perky woman behind the counter smiled widely, waving her over. “May I have your name or confirmation number?”
Emboldened by the fact that their airplane tickets were valid, proving the free vacation wasn’t some sort of con, Elaina stepped forward. “I’m Elaina Turner... uh, Elaina Trundel,” she hurried to correct her slip up, eyeing the woman warily to see if she had noticed. Elaina hurried to explain further, “The reservation will be under my first name, Nancy. I’m here with my daughter. We won the family getaway vacation.”
“Ah, yes, of course.” The woman tapped on her keyboard, not seeming at all concerned about the name confusion. She looked back up. “We’ve been expecting you, Ms. Trundel. A car is out front to take you to your room. Let me grab an island map and your itinerary. You have reservations at the chef’s table tonight over at Shane’s place. You’re going to love it.”
“Shane’s Place? Is that the name of the restaurant?” Elaina looked down at Kylee uncertainly. Calling Kylee a ‘fussy eater’ might be too polite. The girl was a terror at mealtimes when served something she didn’t recognize.
“The restaurant is actually called Paradise Point. Shane McCallister is the head chef, so everyone calls it Shane’s place.”
The name still didn’t help Elaina determine what they might serve. What if they only had caviar and pâté? She had no clue what to expect from a five-star restaurant. “I don’t want to be a problem, but could you tell me what kind of food they serve?”
The woman smiled, peeking over the edge of the counter at Kylee’s pale blond hair and wide eyes. “My little sister’s tough to feed. Whenever she visits, Shane serves pizza or mac and cheese. Your little one will be fine.”
Blowing out a breath of relief, Elaina nodded at the woman in thanks. Even if the chef served gourmet versions of those foods, she should be able to coax Kylee into eating. In Kylee’s defense, it wasn’t as though they often had money to afford a lot of different foods. She was used to eating a very limited diet. However, her throwing a fit inside a restaurant was the last thing Elaina wanted.
The less attention they drew to themselves, the better. She hated to have to teach her daughter to become unmemorable at such a young age, but she’d do whatever she had to in order to protect Kylee. Making sure people never noticed them was a layer of protection Elaina had practiced ever since she decided to keep her baby, despite her then-boyfriend’s wishes.
Unfortunately, her daughter wasn’t the meek type. As Kylee aged, she became more visible and hard to forget.
“Now,” the woman continued, handing over a folder. “Inside are the vouchers you’ll need during your stay, a map of the island with your bungalow circled, and important phone numbers you might need. There’s a small grocery store down on the waterfront in the shopping district, and we also have a medical clinic if you fall ill and need a doctor.”
“Thank you.” As overwhelmed as Elaina felt, she hoped it didn’t show on her face. Until now, she and Kylee had never even stayed overnight in a hotel. The entire day had been confusing and exciting at the same time. She was grateful they had a driver to take them to their room because Elaina wasn’t sure she could handle finding her way around the island right now. Navigating the airports all day had been scary enough.
“The driver should have collected your luggage by now,” the employee said. “Look for a silver car parked to the left of the doorway. Enjoy your stay in paradise, Miss Trundel.”
Clutching the folder tightly, Elaina reclaimed her daughter’s hand and headed for the far door. Regardless of what happened three weeks from now when their trip ended, Elaina was going to make sure Kylee had the best time of her life. They would never get a chance like this again.
* * *
Shane McCallister stared at his older sister, wondering if Sydney would ever trust him to handle things on his own or if she would always feel the need to boss him around.
“She’s really young, Shane, and it’s just her and her daughter. She said she’s not married or anything. From talking to her on the phone last week, I have a feeling Miss Trundel hasn’t traveled before. She sounded nervous. Make sure you’re nice and don’t scare the poor thing. That would be just our luck.” Sydney ran her hands through her light brown hair, pulling on it slightly. “Our family package bookings tripled after the winner of the giveaway was announced, just like I said would happen, but we still need to make sure this lady and her daughter have a great time. I set up an interview slot for Miss Trundel during her last week. It’ll run on several prominent travel blogs and could really help the business. We need a good review.”
“Syd, calm down.” Shane stopped chopping the truffles on his cutting board to give her his full attention. “I understand I’m the first member of the family she’ll meet. I have her at the chef’s table, and I’ll take good care of her and her daughter.” He winked. “Really good care, considering she’s not married. I know how to treat a woman. I spent a year in France, remember?”
Sydney wrinkled her nose. “Gross. Keep it in your pants, little brother. She’s a guest.”
Shane chuckled. “I don’t go that far, but the ladies love it when I flirt. I know what I’m doing.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Why are you freaking out? We rarely get complaints. People love McCallister’s Paradise. I’ll make sure this gal gets the V.I.P. treatment tonight, but I’m certain the employees have been doing that since she arrived.”
Especially considering Sydney had been constantly prepping everyone who might contact Ms. Trundel and her daughter. She’d driven them all crazy the past week, nagging about what to do when the trip winner arrived. They all knew their jobs and didn’t need Sydney in their faces over this one guest, but that hadn’t stopped her from being overzealous.
“The trip giveaway was my idea,” Sydney said. “With Mom and Dad fully retired and only spending part of their time here, I’m afraid I’ll screw something up and they’ll be disappointed in me. I’ve always handled the charity and brought good press for the island that way. What if I made a mistake in planning this? It could backfire and hurt our business. If Miss Trundel is a difficult person, it’s possible nothing will be good enough for her and she’ll complain during her interview.”
“What does she have to complain about?” Shane shook his head and flashed his sister a sympathetic look. He knew she was under pressure to make things a success, but he really couldn’t see any problems coming from the trip winner. “It’s a free trip to a tropical island. No one’s going to bitch about that, Syd. Get out of my kitchen, take a Xanax or a shot of vodka, and calm your shit down. You’re making my staff n
ervous. They don’t need the added pressure. I’m hard enough on them already.”
“But—”
“But nothing,” Shane said firmly. “You said she’s a twenty-one-year-old from some tiny town in North Dakota, right?”
Sydney nodded.
“We cater to the rich and famous here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy we’re offering cheaper vacation packages in the winter and trying to make the resort more family friendly. I think it’ll be good to have the island accessible to all types of people,” he said. “But we exceed the expectations for the biggest snobs, the ones who come here looking for reasons to get pissed. We’ll be fine with a girl you said has never traveled.”
Sydney took in some deep breaths, visibly calming herself. “I know you’re right. But Matt trusted me with this. He made it my project, and I don’t want to do anything that lets him down.”
Sydney’s fiancé, Matt Coleson, moved to the island a little more than a year ago. He had joined the family business, co-managing the island with the McCallister brother just older than Shane. Not only did Matt manage the resort, but he had also brought several people over with him from New York. They were who made it possible to turn the island into a more family-friendly place. Matt’s friends had worked long, hard hours over the last year to build the Adventure Palace, a fun zone for children. Hopefully, it would be what drew families to the resort.
Before the Adventure Palace, the island never had many activities for kids. It was mostly couples who vacationed, leaving children home or dropping them off at the island’s daycare. However, family was important to the McCallisters, and they wanted to change the way vacationers perceived the island. Matt and his people had helped that process.
“Matt agreed to let you do the contest because he knew it was a good idea,” Shane said. “Besides, the man’s so in love with you that even if this ends up being a disaster, which it won’t, he’s never going to blame you.”
Love's Ride (McCallister's Paradise Book 4) Page 21
