First and Only: Callaghan Brothers, Book 2 (34 page)

L
exi nuzzled Patrick on his belly, making him laugh like crazy.  It was a beautiful fall day, the region in the midst of an Indian summer.  The unseasonably warm temperature and clear skies were perfect for spending an hour or two by the nearby lake. 

“So.  You doing okay?”  Ian asked, leaning back on his elbows, watching them play together. 

Lexi turned to smile at him, and felt her heart skip a beat.  Somehow, she knew it always would when he smiled at her like that.

“I have to admit, it’s going pretty well.”  And it was.  Each day was better than the last as she grew accustomed to the new routine.  She felt better than she had in a long time, and this afternoon’s check up with Michael had been encouraging.

“You say that like you’re surprised.  Does my woman doubt me?”

His woman.  Is that what she was?  Her mind answered with a resounding
Yes!
  She always had been, and she was beginning to realize that she always would be.  She laughed softly, shaking her head.  “It’s too early to tell, but... I think this could actually work.”

Ian rose a little higher.  “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Patrick crawled up his daddy’s leg and stood on his lap, gripping his shirt with two beefy little hands.  Looking at the two of them, Lexi couldn’t have been happier.  Right here, right now, was exactly where she wanted to be. 

Could it have been only a week ago her life seemed so bleak?  She had sat in Michael’s office, knowing the results of her tests before he opened his mouth.  And she hadn’t really cared.  The only thing keeping her going at all had been her son, and even that was barely enough some days.  On those days, she saw how happy Patrick was with Ian and Taryn and all of his doting uncles and grandfather, and wondered if he wouldn’t be better off without her.  More than once, she felt guilty for taking him away from all that.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

“Hey,” Ian said softly.  “Are those tears?”

She nodded, too afraid to trust her voice. 

“Are they good tears?”

She nodded again, and Ian pulled her against him.  Patrick relinquished his hold on Ian with one hand, grabbing for Lexi so that he held both of them.  In a move so tender, so sweet, Patrick studied Lexi’s face and touched his hand to her tears and then looked straight into his father’s eyes questioningly. 

“It’s okay, bud,” Ian told him.  “Mommy’s happy ‘cause she loves us so much.” 

Patrick grinned, showing all four of his teeth. 

––––––––

T
hree Months Later - January

“So?”

Ian sat hand in hand with Lexi, neither of them touching the back of their seats.  Lexi’s leg bobbed in anxious anticipation, but Ian was unnaturally still.  Michael’s face gave absolutely nothing away.  He looked down once again at the papers in his hand.

“Jesus Christ, Mick.  You must have read that thing ten times already.  What does it say?”

Michael looked at his brother, his blue eyes as intense as Lexi had ever seen them.  He put down Lexi’s latest test results and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, sighing.  Lexi felt her heart drop clear out of her chest, landing somewhere around her feet.  Her bottom lip began to tremble. 

She had done everything right.  She had kept to her diet, exercised every day, took her treatments diligently and without complaint.  She forced herself to rest, to pace herself – something that was increasingly difficult once the new restaurant got closer to opening its doors.

Of course, everything was much easier once she opened her heart and accepted the love and support of her new family.  Whenever it started getting too hard, they would keep her going.  Whenever she was tempted to overextend herself, someone was always there to rein her in.

By far the biggest motivation was the wedding, slated for the end of February.  Lexi wanted everything to be perfect when she and Ian started their life together “officially”, not the least of which was the desire to fulfill Ian’s wish for more children. 

Worst of all was the feeling that she had let everyone down, especially Ian.  He would be devastated, and no doubt find some way to blame himself.  If he pulled away again, she simply wouldn’t survive it.

Slowly she turned to face him.  She would be strong for him; she would show him that she wasn’t ready to give up.  This was a minor setback, that’s all.

But when her eyes met his, she did not see the disappointment she’d expected.  Nor was there any trace of anger, frustration, or sadness.  His clear blue eyes were dancing, one side of his mouth curving into that sexy half-smile that made her catch her breath.  What the hell?

Apparently Ian had seen something that Lexi had not in Michael’s dramatic pause, and she had the distinct impression she was missing something.  She cast a glance toward Michael, who, despite his best efforts, found his mouth curling into a smile as well.

Before she realized what was happening, Ian leaned over and captured her mouth with his.  There was no gentleness in the gesture, just a flood of emotion as he cupped the back of her neck and deepened the kiss.  Michael cleared his throat a few times before Ian released her.

Light-headed from Ian’s sudden and unexpected possession, she looked dazedly at Michael.  “Why do I feel like I am missing something?  The results were bad, weren’t they?”

“No,” Michael said, smiling.  “They are good.  Very, very good.  So good in fact that it’s going to be a nightmare.”

She blinked, more confused than ever.  “And this is bad why?”

“Because,” he said, with a long-suffering sigh.  “You’ve just made medical history, Lex.  You have just proven that this treatment can work.  They’ll be coming out of the woodwork trying to get to you.”  Lexi paled visibly at the thought.

“Did I tell you my brother was a biochemical genius or what?” Ian said proudly.  “We have to keep them at bay, though, Mick.  I don’t want Lexi showcased as a lab rat or anything.”

Michael nodded.  “Agreed.  I’ll call Dr. McKenzie this afternoon and take care of things on this end.  We’ll work something out.  The best thing would be to keep Lexi’s name out of it entirely, but it might take a little effort on your part.  There will be lots of records to be adjusted.”

“Not a problem,” Ian assured him.

Trying to follow a conversation between these two was like being carried downriver on a swift current, only catching glimpses of what was speeding by, but she was starting to get the gist.  “You mean,” she said slowly, looking at Michael, “you aren’t going to take any credit for this?  Why?” 

He smiled enigmatically, his face as calm and serene as ever.  Michael had been the one to find the right combination of organic compounds.  He’d been the one to take Dr. McKenzie’s raw ideas and turn them into something viable, practical, and apparently, effective.  Yet he was going to remain quietly in the shadows and let someone else take the credit?

“Seeing you healthy is all that matters to me, Lex.  The fact that I won’t have to watch my brother destroy himself is a bonus.”  He winked.  “Though admittedly, I do have five others, and he is arguably the most irritating.”

Lexi was speechless.  “I – I don’t know what to say.”

Ian squeezed her hand.  “Make his day and tell him he doesn’t have to wear a tux at the wedding.” 

* * *

T
he celebration that ensued was a memorable one.  Though not yet officially open to the public, with quite a few well-placed phone calls and a natural deviance Lexi had been fostering for years, she reserved a special room at the new restaurant and managed to prepare a surprise feast in appreciation of her new family. 

They all, of course, worried that she had done too much.  And as they arrived, one by one, they proceeded to gang up on her.  Lexi didn’t mind.  By that point everything had been prepared and she could allow herself to sit and enjoy it with them.

The food was excellent.  The atmosphere divine.  But as Lexi looked around, there was nothing quite as wonderful as the family and friends with which she was now surrounded.

“You have outdone yourself, Lex,” said Aidan quietly afterward, sneaking up behind Lexi as she personally thanked each of the staff for helping her with her special surprise.  Keeping the celebration from him had been one of the most difficult challenges, but she had managed.  “However, if there are any more surprises, I think I might just have to fire you.”

She laughed.  “Only one more, and I think it’s on its way out now.”

Aidan raised an eyebrow, just as he heard roaring laughter and cheers coming from the private room.  Together they peeked through the window, and Aidan couldn’t help but laugh when he spotted the biggest plate of chocolate chip cookies he had ever seen being delivered to the table.

Y
ou didn’t have to pick this book, but you did.  Thank you!

If you liked this story, then please consider posting a review online!  It’s really easy, only takes a few minutes, and makes a huge difference to independent authors who don’t have the mega-budgets of the big-time publishers behind them. 

Log on to your favorite online retailer and just tell others what you thought, even if it’s just a line or two.  That’s it!  A good review is one of the nicest things you can do for any author.

As always, I welcome feedback.  Email me at
[email protected]
.

Or sign up for my mailing list on my website at
http://abbiezandersromance.wordpress.com
  for up to date info and advance notices on new releases, Like my FB page (AbbieZandersRomance), and/or follow me on Twitter (@AbbieZanders). 

Thanks again, and may all of your ever-afters be happy ones!

Abbie

A
bbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really.  Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too.  Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true.  She promises her readers two things:  no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending.  Beyond that, you never know...

Contemporary Romance

Dangerous Secrets (Callaghan Brothers Book 1)

Five Minute Man

The Realist

Time Travel Romance

Lost in Time I

Lost in Time II

Paranormal Romance

Vampire, Unaware