Happy Endings

by Rhondeau, Chantel

  Larissa wiped the goop away and pulled her gown into place. “So now what?”

  He grimaced at Betty before his face smoothed out into his customary smile. “I need to make a phone call. I’m going to talk with a specialist I know and get his opinion. You can get dressed while I do that, and then we’ll talk.”

  Doctors! Why couldn’t he just tell her what he thought he saw without getting a second opinion? She would be a lot happier knowing she wasn’t crazy, even if she somewhat wished she was.

  Once they both left the room, Larissa put her bra and shirt back on, wondering how she would tell Quinn about this. After all, he went to a lot of trouble today. First the dress, roses in her studio midday, and the fancy dinner he planned for tonight—he really worked to make her birthday special. He deserved a sexy massage and a night in bed for his effort, not a talk about the fact that her cancer might be back.

  It felt like an eternity before the doctor came back into the room. He sat in the rolling chair and scooted it close to the chair Larissa had chosen after dressing. His face drew into a deep frown, the professional smile gone.

  Fear fluttered through her stomach. “It’s bad news, right?”

  Dr. Peterson reached across the empty air between them and held her hand. “There’s a fairly large, solid mass inside the breast tissue and another one under your axilla.”

  She shook her head, partly in denial.

  “Sorry, I mean your armpit,” Dr. Peterson clarified.

  “I know what axilla means,” she said. “But are these masses...?”

  “Cancer?” He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know yet. We need a biopsy to tell. It could be nothing, fibrous tissue or even a benign tumor. Let’s not jump to cancer, okay?”

  She nodded but fought back tears. No matter what pretty spin he wanted to put on it, Larissa feared the worst. Her oncologist had warned her she was at high risk for recurrence.

  Dr. Peterson released her hand. “My friend is a pathologist in Hawaii, Dr. Akana. He will fit you in for a core biopsy tomorrow afternoon. Clear your schedule and take the first flight to Kona in the morning. He said if you stay there overnight, he’ll inspect the results immediately and meet with you the next day.”

  “So, I’ll have my answer that quick?” She tried to hide her shock. The last time she had been diagnosed, it took a week for the results and then it was a mad rush of chemo treatments and decision making about whether to remove her breast. “That seems fast.”

  “Well...” he shrugged. “It helps to be friends with the McCallister family. You get special treatment for being Quinn’s girlfriend.”

  Quinn. Shoot. How could she ask him to go with her? She really needed his support on this, but he had that project meeting coming up on Friday.

  Larissa mumbled her thanks to Dr. Peterson and took the paperwork he gave her with the doctor’s name and address she was to go to.

  She glanced at the time and slowly walked outside, torn about what to do. The crisp ocean air hit her in the face, the scent of water soothing some of her anxiety somewhat.

  She needed to walk back to Quinn’s, get in her party dress, and have a good time tonight. Janie said the way to know if Quinn loved her was if he showed up for the big stuff. They’d find a way to work this out. It didn’t get any bigger than cancer.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Quinn straightened his tie and put on a splash of cologne. It was time to pick up the birthday girl. He slipped the necklace into his suit jacket and headed out the office door. Nice thing about owning the island was his ability to have everything he needed delivered to him without taking time away from work.

  Sydney sat in the hallway and smiled when he stepped out. “You look handsome. She won’t be able to resist you.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not as worried about that as I am about the budget. I don’t understand how it got so screwed up.”

  “I’ll have it fixed before you know it. The numbers will be ready for Dad first thing in the morning.” She pushed him toward the doorway. “Enjoy your night. Everything will be taken care of here, so stop worrying.”

  “I just hate not knowing for sure.”

  Sydney rolled her eyes. “You hate not being in absolute control is what you hate. Stop micromanaging. You aren’t the only person who knows how to work a spread sheet. The island is not going to fall apart if you don’t work every day, you know?”

  “This is important to me. It’ll mean so much, not only to our bottom line and profits, but to the world. Do you know how much energy resorts use? Going green could help save the planet.”

  “Well, I’m learning all about that fast today, aren’t I?” She smirked. “I’ve got this handled. I don’t need you.” She shoved him again. “Go.”

  Quinn forced himself to leave. Sydney was right. She only had a few more files to go over and everything would be fixed. The budget would be ready for his dad in the morning, and he would then help Quinn make any big decisions when Project Green’s representative showed up Friday morning.

  Knowing his hair would be a horrible mess if he took the four-wheeler, Quinn set off across the parking lot at a fast pace. As worried as he was about work, he was eager to get to his date. He wondered what Larissa’s dress looked like. Since the saleslady suggested Quinn wear a red tie, his only certainty was the color.

  Arriving at the hotel, he took the elevator up to his floor and knocked on the door.

  It cracked open and Larissa’s eye peeked out. “I can’t get my zipper,” she whispered.

  He laughed. “I didn’t expect to touch your zipper until later in the night.”

  “Make fun of me and you might never get your hands on it, buster.”

  With a chuckle, he pushed against the door and Larissa stepped back, turning around. Pulling the zipper up, Quinn couldn’t help but notice how the red dress hugged Larissa’s shapely hips. She had pulled her hair into a twist on the top her head, and the curve of her neck begged to be kissed.

  However, he wanted her birthday to be special, which meant making it to dinner at the chef’s table. Quinn knew once he started kissing her, he wouldn’t want to stop. Forcing himself to step back, he squeezed her shoulder instead. “Happy birthday.”

  She twirled around, showing that the front view of her short dress was just as mouthwatering as the back. The thin straps across her shoulders led down to just the right amount of cleavage from her perfect breasts and the dress finished by tailoring down her sexy stomach to the midpoint of her shapely thighs.

  Quinn swallowed a few times, hoping she didn’t notice how close he was to drooling. “You look fantastic.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled, but no warmth reached her eyes.

  That was weird. “Is something wrong?”

  She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for planning such a great birthday for me. Just let me grab my shoes and we can go.”

  Quinn watched as she disappeared into the bedroom. That wasn’t an answer, so something was definitely wrong. But the problem didn’t seem to be with him or his dinner plans, which was a small bit of solace. It bothered him, though, knowing she was upset. He wondered how much prodding he should do.

  Then again, it seemed she didn’t want to talk about it right now. Whatever was bothering her, he could make her forget. He’d make this a birthday to remember.

  ***

  Shane showed them to the chef’s table inside the kitchen. “My staff is ready to make you a birthday feast, Larissa.”

  Larissa smiled at the youngest McCallister brother and slid into the booth. “Sounds wonderful.”

  Quinn sat next to her while Shane set menus in front of them and walked away. A frown clouded Quinn’s face. He’d stayed quiet on the drive over, and Larissa wanted to kick herself. She had to pull things together just for tonight and convince him things were fine. She would tell him about the scheduled biopsy before they went to bed, but she wanted to enjoy his company for now.

  She scooted closer to him s
o that her hip touched against his. “Everything okay?”

  He circled his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side. “You tell me.”

  She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Things couldn’t be better. I’m out to dinner with the man I love on my birthday.”

  “And nothing’s bothering you?” he asked.

  Darn. He was sure persistent when he wanted answers. Why couldn’t he just let it go? She didn’t want to lie to him, since things were most definitely not okay, but she didn’t want to ruin their night.

  She took his hand in hers and lifted it to her mouth, kissing his fingers. “Quinn, I just want to be with you and enjoy tonight. Can we leave questions about my day for later?”

  “But—”

  “Please?”

  “Is this about me leaving to work this morning before you woke up?”

  She shook her head. “It’s nothing between us. Just let this go for now.”

  With a heavy sigh, Quinn opened his menu. “Do you feel like trying lobster risotto or maybe pan seared tuna? Shane’s staff is great with fish.”

  Shane came back to the table, a bottle of champagne in hand. “I didn’t ask what you wanted to drink,” he said, “but this label is excellent.”

  Larissa waited for Quinn to answer Shane, but he continued glaring at his menu. “I’m sure that will be fine,” she said.

  Shane poured the drinks while the staff behind him barked out orders to each other and prepared food in seeming harmony. It reminded Larissa of the television show where chefs competed to win a restaurant, only there was less screaming and more cooperation in Shane’s kitchen.

  After they decided what to order, Shane left them and the uncomfortable silence resumed. Obviously, her plan wasn’t working. She should have forced herself to be perkier so Quinn didn’t realize something had gone wrong today.

  “Look, Quinn, I didn’t want to tell you this until later, but I can see that it’s pointless to put it off. Our night is already ruined.”

  “I’m not trying to ruin anything, but something’s obviously wrong. You’re the one who always wants me around twenty-four, seven, and now you’re pushing me away. Why?”

  The all-too-familiar panic settled in her stomach. Jacob had tried to be supportive to her when she first told him about the diagnosis, but her being sick quickly became too much for him to manage. She’d thought about this all afternoon. Quinn already had a lot to deal with, trying to run the island. How could he deal with a sick girlfriend?

  She sighed, the romance he’d tried to make of the night fading. “My cancer might be back.”

  “W-wh-what?” he sputtered.

  “Dr. Peterson did an ultrasound this afternoon. I have to go for a biopsy.”

  Quinn’s arms circled her and he pulled her against his chest, his lips brushing against her forehead and hair. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  Trying not to be too hard on him, she forced herself to keep her tone light. “I know you have a tight deadline and wouldn’t have time to see the doctor with me today.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply, hoping this wouldn’t be one of the last times she got to do so. Quinn might not want the added responsibility being with her might include now. “Did you get your budget finished?”

  “That’s not important.” Quinn’s voice was husky with emotion, but Larissa couldn’t decide whether it was anger or sadness. “Did Carl think it could be cancer?”

  “There’s a mass, but it might be nothing. We have to wait for the biopsy.” She moved away slightly, but took his hand, not wanting to separate from him any sooner than the cancer might force her to. “But your budget is important. Did you finish?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet, but Sydney is working on it for me. She promises it’ll be ready to present to Dad tomorrow. I wish you hadn’t been on your own today. I didn’t even know there was a problem.”

  Like a dog worrying a bone. This was why she hadn’t planned to tell him until after dinner. “It’s okay. Now that you know, I know it worries you as much as it does me, but can we talk about it later? I had some specific plans about how this evening would go. Talking about how sick I might get wasn’t part of that plan.”

  He arched an eyebrow and turned on the grin that Larissa loved so much. “Really? What kind of night did you have in mind?”

  She giggled, relieved Quinn so easily switched the mood to flirting and fun. That was just what she needed from him. “If you play your cards right, it might end with us and a bed and maybe a can of whip cream.”

  “Really? So I get to eat you for dessert?”

  Larissa felt her blush coming on, but nodded. “That was the plan.”

  “Yum. Sounds like my kind of night. I just have one question.”

  She disentangled her fingers from his and rubbed his thigh beneath the table where none of the cooks could see. She could distract them both from her doctor visit. “What?”

  A shiver passed through him as she walked her fingers upward. “Do you want top or bottom?”

  ***

  In the end, they took turns on top and bottom. Larissa lay beside Quinn, absolutely drained of energy. The sparkling diamond necklace he gave her at dinner was the only thing she wore, and it was comforting to have Quinn’s body half on hers as he stroked his fingers through the hair at her temple.

  “I love you, Quinn,” she murmured, rubbing the hard muscles of his back. “Thank you for a wonderful birthday.”

  He kissed her softly. “I love you, too. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you earlier. Just the rest of this week, and then this project will be behind us and we can concentrate on your health.”

  She hated to end their afterglow so soon, but it was time to tell Quinn the details. Quickly, she explained what Dr. Peterson said about the ultrasound and how the pathologist in Kona agreed to fit her in. “He has an opening tomorrow.”

  Quinn pulled his head up from her shoulder to stare at her. “Tomorrow? No, that’s too soon. You have to reschedule.”

  She sighed and looked away. It was what she’d feared all along—she wasn’t Quinn’s priority. “Can Sydney present the budget to your dad? From what Dr. Peterson said, the mass is rather large. I’m afraid it’s growing fast, and I really don’t want to wait another few weeks until this doctor has another opening.”

  “Damn it.” Quinn rolled off her, lying flat on his back and staring at the ceiling. “You know how important this is to me. I can’t just drop everything and go to Kona the day before Project Green gets here.”

  She wanted to snap at him, ask if the project was more important than her life, but she knew that was unfair. Regardless of how horrible it made her feel that he wasn’t even trying to find a way to come with her, she did understand. She’d worried about that from the moment the doctor told her when the appointment was. “But Sydney knows everything now, right? She can present it. I’m sure John will understand if you—”

  “I’ve worked my ass off for this, Larissa. A few days really can’t make that big of a difference, can it? I’ll call that doctor’s office myself and get you in first thing Monday morning.”

  Larissa blinked several times, trying to hold back her ready tears. She knew Quinn was right, but she’d been on an emotional rollercoaster ever since feeling the lump this morning.

  “You don’t need to be here for the budget stuff,” she said, keeping her voice level even though her throat tightened with every word. “Sydney can go over it with John, John can meet the Project Green people Friday morning, and you’ll be back Friday afternoon and have the entire weekend with them. Please, Quinn, I need you with me.”

  Quinn rolled out of the bed, throwing a robe on and then pacing back and forth across the room.

  Larissa didn’t say anything, letting him think. At this point, it was up to Quinn to decide whether he was going to be there for the big stuff. Whether she meant enough to him to give up a little control and be the man she needed.

  Finally, he stopped
at the end of the bed, turning to face her. “Why can’t we wait until Monday?”

  She sat up, pulling the sheet across her betraying chest. “Let me put it to you this way. What if you found a mass on your balls? Would you want to wait an extra five days to get tested because someone didn’t want to miss a freaking budget meeting?”

  “It’s not just a budget meeting.” Red crept up his face and he put his hands on his hips. “It is the entire future of my family.”

  She wanted to punch him. What right did he have to get mad? She was the one who could die, not him. Even if he canceled instead of letting Sydney go forward with the budget meeting, what really would happen? Project Green could be pushed back a year—the McCallisters were in no danger of starving, or even going through a lean time. They had so much money that Sydney ran a large charity fund and gave tons away, for crying in a bucket. Quinn didn’t have to choose this over her.

  The tears she fought so hard against began falling, and she was helpless to stop them. She pulled the sheet over her head, knowing it was senseless to hide from Quinn, but not knowing what else to do.

  He chose money over her. It wasn’t even the cancer itself that tore them apart like she’d feared because of what happened with Jacob. She just wasn’t important enough for him to even fight for.

  “Larissa, don’t cry.” His tone didn’t sound consoling. He was pissed.

  She threw the sheet back, wiping her eyes as she stood and walked to the dresser to open her one drawer. After grabbing some clothes, she headed for the bathroom, turning to him from inside it. “I’m going to sleep at my place tonight. You need your rest for the big presentation tomorrow.”

  He crossed his arms, glaring at her. “Can’t you see this from my perspective? I’m only asking you to wait a few days. I can’t do it all. You’re asking for too much from me.”

  “I know that. I’m sorry.”

  He tilted his head to the side. “Then you’ll come to bed with me and stop this foolish talk about going to your place?”

  She shook her head, the tears falling again. “I understand about you choosing the meeting over me, but I can’t stay with you tonight.”