Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  “Are you sleeping?”

  Quinn startled at his sister’s amused question and lifted his head to glare at her. “What are you doing here? I’m busy.”

  She walked into the room, sitting in the spare chair and flipping light brown hair over her shoulder. “I just saw Dad. He says you have a problem.”

  “He knows I’m having trouble getting the budget to add up?”

  Sydney’s mouth fell open in a ‘o’ of surprise. “Budgets aren’t adding up and you forgot your girlfriend’s birthday? Quinn, what am I going to do with you?”

  Great. Was Dad going to tell everyone in the family that he’d nearly screwed up with Larissa big time? “What are you here for?”

  “Don’t sound so ungrateful.” She crossed her legs and leaned closer to the desk. “I’m here to make your troubles go away.”

  He grimaced. “You got some magic pixy dust in your purse? What I need is more time.”

  “Or help from someone really good at balancing a budget,” she replied. “Lucky for you, I don’t go back to New York until Monday. I’ll keep working while you spend the evening with Larissa, so tell me what to do. I’m all yours.”

  Relief flooded through him. Perhaps he could do both things after all. “Thanks, Syd. You’re a life saver.”

  ***

  Larissa sat in the examination room, waiting for the doctor to show up. Betty had already taken her vital signs and handed Larissa an oh-so-stylish hospital robe, instructing her to strip down to the waist. Now, Larissa sat in the air conditioned room, freezing while she waited for yet another person to walk in and determine whether or not her world was about to fall apart.

  She didn’t have to wait long.

  Dr. Peterson came in, rolling a machine in front of him with Betty trailing behind. “You doing okay?” he asked.

  Larissa shrugged. “It’s been a rough day, worrying about this. Just tell me everything is fine so I can go to dinner with Quinn and have a good night. Then I’ll be happy.”

  “Let’s hope I can do that.” He offered a professional, everything’s good here, doctor smile—which did nothing to reassure her. “Lie back on the table, Larissa. We’ll do an exam first. If I feel there’s anything to be cautious about, we’ll do an ultrasound to make sure it’s all fine. I know the first step is normally a mammogram, but we can’t do that on the island.”

  Betty leaned toward Larissa, offering a sympathetic smile that seemed more genuine than her husband’s. “As young as you are, they’d probably send you for an ultrasound after the mammogram anyway. We’re saving a step and can get this figured out faster.”

  Larissa tried to smile back, but her heart wasn’t in it. She followed Dr. Peterson’s instructions on moving her gown and stared at the ceiling while he did the examination. She wanted to pretend she was anywhere but here, having a virtual stranger grope her breasts. However, considering the last time she went through this process the diagnosis was cancer, she had a hard time thinking of anything but that—and how scared she felt.

  Dr. Peterson pressed against the area Larissa found earlier, spending enough time in that spot that Larissa knew she hadn’t imagined the lump. There was something there.

  “I think we should do the ultrasound,” he said. “Are you okay with that?”

  It was happening all over again. She had cancer.

  Larissa nodded her head numbly in agreement, wishing she had told Quinn about the appointment. It was easier to get bad news with someone holding her hand besides a nurse she didn’t even know well. The last time her mother had been by her side. It felt weird doing it alone.

  Then again, work kept Quinn busy. He must have rearranged his schedule already to take her to dinner tonight. If she had to be alone at one of her appointments, she’d rather it be here on the island. If Dr. Peterson decided she needed to go for more testing, she wanted Quinn with her for that.

  While Betty plugged in the machine they brought with them, Dr. Peterson squirted goop on the end of the wand and brought it to her chest. Familiar with the process and knowing she wouldn’t have a clue what the black and gray patches meant on the monitor’s screen, Larissa closed her eyes and tried to ignore the discomfort when the doctor dug the wand in at various places.

  He murmured things softly to Betty about when to take pictures, but none of it meant anything to Larissa. She already knew the verdict. It would be cancer, and there was nothing she could do about it.

  After what felt like an eternity, Dr. Peterson stopped pressing against her. “Good job, Larissa. We have what we need.” He handed her a towel.

  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 23

  Quinn straightened his tie and put on a splash of cologne. It was time t
o 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 so 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 t
hink 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.”