His Paris Affair (The Albury Affairs) (32 page)

He nodded staring at his daughter. She was beautiful with
chin length curly hair held away from her face with two pink butterfly
barrettes—and still staring at him like a disapproving teacher. He bent low and
Esme’s face lit up, knowing what was coming next. He chased her around Melody’s
legs making lion noises. Esme burst into loud giggles that sounded like little
fairy bells to him. He loved chasing her, watching her run on her short legs
flapping her arms like a little penguin. He caught her, tossing her up in the
air and tickling her belly, releasing more of those fairy bells.

“You are so impatient to have cake. Give daddy a kiss
first.”

Esme pressed her lips to his cheek leaving a sticky print
behind. The whole time he thought her shiny lips were because she’d been
licking Melody’s cherry lip gloss again.

“Someone’s been in the candy already,” he said with a pointed
look at Melody.

“It’s her birthday, she’s allowed!”

Ruiz sat Esme on his arm. “Of course she is because daddy
will be the one putting her to bed tonight, like every night since you’re last
doctor’s visit.”

Melody smiled wickedly. “I can’t help it if I need my beauty
sleep.”

He took her arm and led her out to the backyard full of
screaming kids and talking adults.

“You’re not feeding her candy every night on purpose, are
you? It’s not some kind of revenge for the diet your on, is it?”

“You mean the plans you and that man have of starving me?”
she retorted.

“That man is your doctor.” He sighed, caressing her large
belly. “He said it was for the best. If he gets any bigger we’ll need a
c-section and we don’t want that. You’re only six months gone and you look
further along than that. He’ll be big enough with my genes already.”

She pouted, “Still no reason to come between a pregnant
woman and her food.”

“Okay. I’ll make you a deal. You get to eat two pieces of
cake today if you give me a big smile.”

She gave him the largest grin he’d ever seen on her and it
made him laugh. Ruiz leaned down and kissed her. “Come on. Let’s go cut the
cake before Esme starts pulling my hair. Sinclair hyphenate Albury women are so
impatient.”

Epilogue

Ruiz walked to his patio, beer in hand and dropped into the
empty lawn chair next to Riana. She had this cat that ate the canary kind of
smile on her lips. Ruiz turned to his brother, who was on the other side of
Riana with a raised brow, “What is she silently gloating about?”

Reno shook his head with a light laugh, “Beats me. She’s
been walking around with that smile all day long.”

“She’s probably itching for someone to ask her what’s up.”

“Then she’ll expect a sound tap on the back for a job well
done,” Reno drawled on with a bored sigh.

Adopting the same air of boredom, Ruiz leaned back in his
seat, “Yeah, good thing we’re not interested in finding out whatever it is.”

“Too bad she’s not the type to toot her own horn—actually
that’s a good thing. Saves us from the smug jig she’s bound to break into.”

Ruiz nodded, “Oh definitely. The poor girl can’t even two
step.”

Riana piped up then, “Hey! I’ve got moves and you should be
thanking me—both of you for the lovely wives you have.”

Reno’s thick brow went up, “Oh really, how’s that?”

She poked him in the nape of his neck and Reno flinched with
a hiss, “You married my best friend and it’s because of that friendship the two
of you met and hooked up. And now you have a beautiful little girl as a
testament of that love and a son who will never have a mother that loves him
more than Loraine.”

The edge of Reno’s lips rose into a sly smile, “I’m quite
sure you had nothing to do with little Cora’s conception.”

She huffed punching Reno’s shoulder as he laughed before she
turned to Ruiz with her finger. Before she could stab him with it he covered
his vulnerable neck, “You know you could paralyze someone with that finger.”

Ignoring him she said, “You married my sister-in-law and if
I hadn’t nagged you, you wouldn’t have gone to Paris to get her back. Now
you’re happily married with a daughter and a son on the way.”

With a teasing look on his face and a slow shake of his head
he said, “I’m pretty sure you had nothing to the conception of my children
either.”

She huffed louder, settling back against her seat pouting
with her arms crossed over her chest, “You both annoy me.”

Reno and Ruiz laughed hard at that. Ruiz decided to stop
teasing his little sister and give credit where it’s due.

“We’re sorry and you are right. If it wasn’t for you, we
would have never met our wives and we wouldn’t be so happy in our new roles as
husbands and fathers.”

Reno pinched her cheek and she slapped his hand away,
“Thanks kiddo for being the domino that began the happiest stage of our lives.”

She beamed at that, her cheeks gaining a dash of pink. With
a shy smile she shrugged, “It was nothing.”

Reno and Ruiz exchanged bewildered looks. A moment ago she’d
been fishing for a compliment and now it was nothing. For as long as he lived
Ruiz would never understand women which didn’t sit well with him. In a few
years he’ll have a teenage daughter—maybe even two—and he needed to understand
them to protect them from lecherous men like him.

“Yeah you’re right. After all, this all started when you bid
for Allan at an auction and made him your sex slave as you toured Italy.” Reno
dropped in, “You probably shouldn’t tell our daughters about that when they ask
how you and Uncle Allan first met.”

Ruiz chuckled softly, “Yeah, that’s not a very good example
you would be setting aunt Riana.”

She glared at them with a louder huff, “Oh, you are so
annoying. I’m never helping you guys again.”

She stood, probably to stomp away, but Ruiz quickly grabbed
her around the waist and brought her down to his lap. She struggled to stand,
but he easily held her down with one arm around her waist.

“We’re just joking baby sis, don’t get mad!”

Reno moved to occupy the lawn chair she’d angrily vacated, a
smile on his face, “We’re sorry, but it was too funny to pass up.”

She sat ram rod still, her chin haughtily tilted up and her
lips pressed in a thin line with her arms crossed over her chest.

Ruiz fought against the laughter bubbling up but he could do
nothing about his body bouncing from the suppressed laughs.

“Okay, how about I make it up to you?”

Reno’s inquiry was met with staunch silence.

He shook his head with a chuckle as he reached behind him.
When he sat up, he had three jewelry boxes in his hand. Riana squealed bouncing
on Ruiz’s lap as she clapped her hands excitedly. “You’re forgiven, now gimme
gimme gimme!”

Reno shook his head, “Hold you’re horses. I’ll never
understand the effect jewelry has on women.”

Ruiz nodded, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, what the
hell is that? I’ll take a burger and a beer any day.”

“We don’t expect you to understand we just expect you to buy
them now can I have them?” she spoke impatiently holding her hands out.

Reno opened the smaller of the two and pulled out a ring. It
was a wide gold band signet ring with a black engraved pattern. Ruiz chuckled
when Riana pouted.

“That’s not a woman’s ring.”

“Gee you think?” She pinched his thigh hard and Ruiz jumped
almost throwing her off, “hey that hurt.”

“Then don’t be a smart mouth,” she said sweetly.

“Children, behave,” Reno, always being the big brother. He
held the ring to them, “This one is mine.” Then he slipped it on his left hand
thumb. He opened the next box, this one was longer. He pulled out a bracelet
and held his hand out to Ruiz, “Give me your wrist.”

Puzzled, Ruiz placed his beer bottle down to free his left
hand and held it out to Reno.

Reno clasped the bracelet around his wrist. Ruiz looked at
it. It had the same intricate design as Reno’s ring.

“Now you,” Reno said, pulling out a round pendant on a long
gold chain from the last box. “Ruiz.”

“Yeah,” he took the chain and fastened it around Riana’s
neck.

She held the pendant around in the palm of her hand as she
stared at it with a soft gaze. “It’s beautiful Reno.”

“The engravings are our names and each one of our unique
qualities—so I’m told. They’ve been patterned to create a family crest. The
Albury family crest. Read the back.”

She turned the pendant and smiled. “Riana Albury, the heart
of the Albury family.” She looked up then, tears in her eyes. “Thanks big
brother.”

He nodded with a shy smile getting a little emotional too.
“Ruiz, you’re the courage of this family and it says so on your bracelet. Only
someone with you’re kind of courage would have done what you did to protect our
sister. I know I’ve said it a lot, but thank you.”

Ruiz nodded, feeling a little emotional himself. “Like you
said, she’s our heart and one can’t live without a heart.”

Riana wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed his
forehead, “And no one can live without courage. It’s been a long journey and
I’m glad you made it out of that dark place after Paris.”

He sighed, “At one point, I wasn’t sure I would make it, but
Melody never gave up on me. You never gave up on me. And Reno, the strength of
this family never gave up on me either. I hope that’s what it says on your
ring—Reno Albury, the strength of this family. You held us together, ready to
catch us when we fell, and gave us the strength to become the people we are
today. I don’t think we’ve ever thanked you for that.”

Riana took Reno’s hand in hers, “Yeah, thanks Reno. I don’t
think I would have survived losing Allan if it wasn’t for you.”

Ruiz wasn’t sure, but he could swear he saw Reno quickly
swipe away a tear even before it fell. The big guy did cry! It was so human.
Ruiz didn’t believe anyone had ever seen him so vulnerable—probably Loraine
had—but to him and Riana, he was like superman.

“Seeing you both happy with your families is all the thanks
I need,” he chuckled softly, “And these gifts aren’t actually from me. Our
spouses thought we needed something for just us. In these past few years we’ve
created our own families and now it’s one big family that’s constantly growing.
The three of us never truly got a chance to be a family, the Albury family.
Something the old man never gave us a chance at.”

“But he gave us each other and as much as it pains me to
say, I do thank him for that,” Ruiz said, meaning it.

Riana nodded, “How about we take one day out of every month
just for the three of us? We can name it the Albury day.”

“That sounds great.”

“Yes it does,” Reno echoed, “And that day will be mandatory
for all three attendees, no matter what. We may all live in the same compound
now, but who knows where we’ll all end up in a couple of years? It would be
great to have a custom set in stone.”

Riana took Ruiz’s hand and placed it over hers which was
already clasped in Reno’s. “I always felt like something was missing growing up
and at one point I believed it was our father. But right now, right here, this
feels complete.”

Ruiz’s gaze shifted between his brother and sister. He still
felt a little sad that he never got to grow up with them, but he wouldn’t let
that shadow what he had now. He was a strong believer that everything happens
for a reason. For the first time in his life, he was actually glad he listened
to his mother and sought Reno out to gain back his inheritance. He’d gotten
that and so much more. He turned to see his pregnant wife smile at him with
what looked like tears in her eyes. Melody leaned against Allan with Loraine
standing at her other side with baby Cora in her arms, watching them, watching
the three siblings they were married to finally put back together what had been
destroyed many years ago.

He clasped both hands tightly in his. “To the old man, Reno
Ruiz Albury, thank you for doing one thing right in your life—the Albury
family.”

*The End*

About the
Author

Christina OW
 
loves
reading novels that take her on a ride of wild emotions. Books have always been
an escape for her, for a few hours she gets to live the lives of characters she
grows to cherish and admire. She's always had an active imagination and because
of it has lived in her head more than she has been in the outside world. She
always imagined scenarios and wondered how they would turn out in the end,
and
 
what kind of emotions they
would invoke. Thus began her writing career.

Besides her twin sister, her pajamas
 
are
her best friend. She'd rather curl up on the couch with a good book than join
the night life. Raised by a selfless mother who put up with the twins playing
pranks all the time, Christina feels she owes her mother a lot and strives to
make her proud every day. To find out more about Christina, please visit her
website, blog, or follow the links below.

Website - http://tmdangel.wix.com/chrisitnaow

Blog-http://www.christinaow.wordpress.com/
       
Facebook page -
 
Christina OW

Twitter -
 
@Christina_OW

Other books by Christina OW

Her Venice Affair, Book #1 The Albury Affairs Series

His Bahamas Affair, Book #2 The Albury Affairs
Series

Secret Cravings Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com