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 Thirty
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 Note
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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About the Author
Chantel once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Before long, the need to create her own stories took over. She spends h
er daytime in the clinical profession of medical transcriptionist, but her passion is in the blissful hours she spends with her characters in the evenings.
Chantel lives in the western United States. When she isn’t writing, she loves playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.
Read more at Chantel Rhondeau’s site.
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