Babies in the Bargain (26 page)

Abuelita assessed her with a critical look. “You don’t need a hairdresser. You have beautiful blond hair. Just let it drop on your shoulders tomorrow. Marquito is a real Puerto Rican man. He likes blondes, and he will give you many beautiful
niños
. Babies—”

Marc stepped back. “Let’s go to the beach. I want to show you the ocean.” He shepherded Holly out of the parlor.

“What’s Abuelita saying?”

“Hmm.” He kissed her hard and she couldn’t hear Abuelita’s next sentence about babies. “Nothing too urgent. My grandmother is describing her newest dream.”

* * *

Holly slipped off her sandals and hiked her jeans. The beach spread out before them for miles on both sides. A relaxing break from the stress and strain of everyday life at the hospital. She pointed to the fuchsia bushes, the bougainvilleas, and the blood-red hibiscus. “Tomorrow I’ll wear one of these flowers on my ear.”

Amazing, she had come to Puerto Rico for twenty-four hours to visit a dying woman, and her life was about to change forever.

“You’ll be lovely. As always. But Holly, you don’t have to agree with Abuelita’s decisions if—”

“Are you kidding? Abuelita is doing me a huge favor. I don’t have time to organize a wedding or a reception. For once I’m going to enjoy myself without any responsibility. But when we go back, I’ll invite my mother to come and meet you and Paulito.” Poor Mom, she’d been so worried about Holly repeating her mistakes. “Actually, I’ll call her as soon as we go back.”

“Great.” Marc nudged her toward the ocean. “Come, feel the water.” Holding his hand, she jogged the width of the beach, sank her toes in the wet sand, and breathed deeply, inhaling the sun-warmed sea air, a scent of salt mingled with seaweed.

“I knew it. Same color.” Marc said, his gaze flicking from her face to the gentle waves. “Your eyes are the same turquoise as the ocean. Is the setting romantic enough for you, sweetie?”

She surveyed her surroundings. The greenish-blue ocean rippled in little waves against her feet, and the golden sand sparkled in the afternoon sun. Behind them, near the hotels lining the beach, majestic palm trees waved their branches with the breeze, a serene approval of their happiness.

Could it get better?

She chuckled. “Very romantic.”

“Then let me tell you again how much I love you,
querida
.”

“I love you, Marc.” She grabbed his shoulders, unable to contain her joy. “I love you. I loved you seven years ago and I never stopped. I couldn’t stop in spite of my efforts to forget you.”

“I’ll never let you forget me. Darling, I want you with me. Forever.”

The tenderness in his voice melted her heart. Tears welled in her eyes. How long had she waited to hear his forever words?

Seven years. An eternity.

As she raised her head to meet his kiss, he slanted his mouth over hers. She laced her fingers behind his neck and responded with eagerness.

“I have something for you.” He dug into his pocket and took out a tiny velvet bag. He untied it and revealed a small oval-shaped diamond ring. “It’s my mother’s. When we go back, I’ll buy you your own.”

“Oh, my God. Marc, it’s beautiful.” She didn’t try to suppress the flood of happy tears. “I don’t want any other.”

“Not as beautiful as you,
mi amor
.” He held her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. “Holly, I promise I’m not marrying you just to give a mother to my son. A nanny will come soon. You’ll be able to leave Paulito with her and concentrate on your studies. ”

Marc wrapped his arms around her waist as if he wanted to fuse her to him forever.

“The nanny can help. But no one will take Paulito away from me. I can take care of him and manage my study time. By the way, I’m going to have to learn Spanish, now that I’m gaining a Puerto Rican son in the bargain.”

Holly leaned into Marc and let her previous doubts wash away into the clear blue ocean.

“Here’s your first lesson.
Te amo, querida
,” Marc whispered against her parted lips. “I love you, darling.”

A word about the author
...

In a past life, Mona Risk was a chemist who mixed solutions, dipped her gloved fingers in dirty waste, and ran complicated equipment in order to declare drinking water safe for consumption.

When her Ph.D. and work in chemistry landed her international contracts to refurbish laboratories, she traveled to more than sixty countries on business or vacation. To relax from her hectic schedule, she avidly read romance novels and mentally plotted her own books.

Eventually she left a scientific career to share with her readers the many stories brewing in her head. M. Risk likes to set her novels in the fascinating places she visited, from exotic Belarus, and historical France, to the beaches of Greece, the monuments of Egypt and the mysterious Islands of Seychelles.

Mona Risk can be found at: www.monarisk.com

or you can email her at [email protected]