Chapter 23  

Nearly three months later, Gabrielle stood in front of her bathroom mirror as she got ready for her date with K.C. The butterflies in her stomach making her hand so unsteady that if she wasn’t careful she would poke herself in the eye trying to apply her mascara.

Their relationship had flourished over the last few months and Rielle admitted to herself that she had fallen in love with K.C. the very first time she met him. She knew that he had developed feelings for her too and she saw it every time he looked at her.

K.C. had met Magdalena and Graham Hall the afternoon of the first game of the beach volleyball tournament. He had been calm in the face of a father’s pessimism about the young man who had only recently arrived on the island. K.C. could only assume that Chris had spoken to the older man about how he had found them.  

Gabrielle and her father had been pulled away to give a quick interview for one of the local television stations. He had been enjoying the dynamics of the relationship of Gabrielle and her teammates when her father came over to stand beside him.

“My daughter is a smart, beautiful young woman and there have been a lot of men interested in her. What makes you any different from them?” Graham had asked his arms crossed over his broad chest. The big man’s hazel brown eyes bored into his looking for answers and trying to intimidate him.

K.C. had to remember that he made decisions involving millions of dollars as he responded from his heart.

“It’s true I’ve only known Gabrielle for a short while but from the first time I spoke with her I realized that she was a very special young woman. I’ve been in serious relationships before but with your daughter I feel like this is the first time for me.” He answered honestly and turned around to find Magdalena standing behind him as well as her husband.

He had known what to expect with Graham Hall but Gabrielle’s mother showed him what she would look like in twenty something years. She was a beautiful woman with big brown eyes, long dark hair and a trim figure that she had passed onto her daughter.

“When my daughter was a little girl she wanted a cat badly and against our better judgment we got her one. Gabrielle ended up in the hospital with a severe allergic reaction and I promised myself I would do everything in my power to protect her whether she wanted that protection or not.” Magdalena told him emotionally.

Seeing her husband touch her shoulder in a comforting gesture made K.C realize it must have been nearly fatal and he felt his heart spasm as he thought he might have never met Gabrielle.

“I’ve seen the way she looks at you already and I may not be able to protect Rielle but if you hurt my daughter you had better never let me find out young man.” She said softly and the look in her deep brown eyes was fearsome.

The men of Gabrielle’s family were intimidating but K.C. knew who the dangerous one was and she was wearing a pretty teal top. The Halls weren’t just protective they were all really close and he watched them cheering on their daughter’s team as they played and won the first game.

His own family shared a similar closeness and even during college when his brother Marcus had been playing soccer he had tried to make the very important games. The same with his sister Danielle when she had played tennis for her culinary school as strange as that had sounded. 

K.C. had offered to treat them all to a late lunch on the beach after the competitors had taken showers. He had expected to run the gauntlet with her family while she was gone especially after what her parents had said to him earlier and he wasn’t disappointed.

He was very relieved when she came back with Cam, Andie and Georgie even though Jarrod and Michael had tried to run interference between them they were very protective of Gabrielle and rightfully so.

The affection the Halls felt for each other was evident over lunch when Michael asked the older man about reaching the pinnacle of pro basketball, the Championship and what that experience had been like. 

Graham had told the story thousands of times but they all listened as he talked with enthusiasm and when he got to the buzzer winning shot his wife and children all made the imaginary shot to raucous laughter.

Gabrielle and K.C. took a walk on the beach afterwards, walking hand in hand with Gabby wearing a short colorful romper that showed off her long tanned sexy legs and K.C. wearing a green t-shirt and khaki shorts.

She hadn’t forgotten the conversation on the phone last night but had focused on her playing her best game so as not to disappoint her teammates.  She had decided to allow him to be the one to bring up the subject and listen to what he told her after the conversation with Chris last night.

“Will you let me explain?” he asked when they were far enough away from the crowds. She had looked out at the azure water of the Caribbean Sea before turning back to K.C. and nodded her head, her slightly upturned nose wrinkling as she looked up at him.

He had confessed to being cautious about mentioning his family wealth because it tended to have an adverse affect on some of the women he dated. He told her that he had been engaged a few months ago to a woman named Tiffani who had only wanted him for his money and the prestige of his family name.

“I know you might want to reconsider starting a relationship with me because I didn’t tell you about the engagement and my family’s money but I didn’t want that to color your perception of me. I feel like there is something between us and I want to explore what’s happening but I won’t beg you Gabrielle.”K.C. told her when they stopped and faced each other on the pristine sand.

She looked down at their interlaced hands for a moment deep in thought, he had withheld a few key pieces of information from her but was giving her an out now if she wanted one.

His large calloused hands showed he was a man of action not just words and she liked that about him. She had heard him shouting words of encouragement along with her family while they were playing and she liked that he wasn’t afraid to show emotion.

Rielle had seen him playing with a group of local kids who were trying to get their kite to fly, figuring out what had caused the problem with infinite patience. K.C. was a good guy and Rielle had already decided she was going to take a chance.

She dropped his hands as she looked up into his brilliant blue eyes seeing the guarded expression on his face before she linked her arms around his neck smiling up at him.

“Your fiancée was a fool for choosing money over you, but I know a good man when I see one and I don’t need your money.” She told him and meant every word.

Her father had made very good money as a pro athlete and invested some of it into Tropical Delights but Graham had also set aside money for his children. While it wasn’t enough that they would never have to work it was a very nice chunk that allowed them a cushion so they could splurge every once in a while and they had invested a portion of it also.  

Chris had not really touched his money for college since he got a full scholarship but he had used it for his house. Gabrielle had been the opposite using some of her money to subsidize what her scholarship didn't cover for college but then she had won the medal and the rest was history. She still received a check from the calendar and she was scheduled to travel to Detroit for a commercial shoot in early August for the women’s athletic apparel company she represented.  

K.C. leaned down to kiss her in full sight of anyone who had binoculars and cared to watch his hands lacing behind her back to keep her close. He had been reluctant to break the kiss his mouth moving voraciously over hers as she responded to him like match to kindling.

The passion that had been interrupted the previous night easily flaring up again as her hands rubbed over his chest and moisture pooling between her legs. His long fingers had gotten tangled up in her thick hair as they kissed and he had forced their mouths apart before dropping his forehead to hers.

“We can’t do that again unless we’re alone.” He told hersoftly.

Gabrielle stood shivering in his arms, her eyes glowing up at him as she nodded. It would be a while before they could join the others; his body needed some time before he was presentable and her movements were jerky.

They had finally walked back towards the rest of the group and it had been obvious to one and all that something special was growing between them.

K.C. went to work on Monday and that first day set the tone for most of their days. They were both early risers and it was a lucky thing that first morning as he got an armful of warm woman. She nearly forgot to give him the fruit smoothie she had made for him because the kiss had melted almost all of her brain cells, not a good thing when she still had to get dressed, drive to work and teach teenage girls how to play soccer.

Rielle never made the mistake of opening her door to him in her tank top and yoga shorts again because she proved to be too much temptation for him to resist. Her school uniform was what she greeted him in and he was glad her students were female because the boys would have been hot for teacher she was so cute in the light blue polo shirt and navy capri pants and her long, narrow feet encased in white socks and sneakers.  

K.C. passed by Gabrielle’s house in the morning for his fix, a kiss every day. By six fifteen a.m. he was on his way to the job site while she had her own breakfast smoothie made with the fresh fruit she bought at the market on Saturdays. She would get him into the habit of going with her and they prepared lots of meals together in her kitchen as well as at his place up the hill.

Rielle left for work at seven and got off at four. When she wasn’t doing yoga or Pilates with her mother or practicing for the next game with the girls she was with K.C. School would be finished the first week in June and after she helped with the graduation ceremony and said goodbye to her students she was finished for that calendar year.

Rielle would be free to help out her parents in the store in the afternoon; the mornings were reserved for teaching at a summer school program that would last until late July. While she loved him, Rielle knew it was not good to let a man think you were dying without him even if it was true.

Her brother could see that K.C. was going to be a major part of her life and invited K.C. over to watch the NBA playoffs on his big screen TV and soon he, Jarrod, Michael, Bryan, Simon and even Graham had a pool running to see what team would win the ring.

The elder Hall came around as he spent more time with the young man who was dating his daughter, but Magdalena was still reserving judgment.

He had been invited to church with them in a move that Rielle knew was meant to scare him off but he had shown up looking very handsome in his suit and while he could never blend in she knew he wasn’t uncomfortable.

That Sunday an invitation was extended to lunch and he met Magdalena’s tiny white Chihuahua named ChaCha who had been given to her by Rielle when she had moved out of the house. The fact that the dog seemed to fall in love with K.C. was amazing because she was notoriously snappy with almost everyone. 

This had gone some ways to softening Magdalena’s attitude toward K.C. but Rielle knew her mom was still not totally convinced of K.C. sincerity. 

He had even brought his famous veggie lasagne and her meat and potato eating father and brother had praised his culinary effort while wolfing it down, which had shocked the female Halls no end.

K.C. had been gone for a few days in April on company business also and that first separation had been surprisingly hard for them both. The emails, texts and phone calls had ensured that the couple stayed in touch but it wasn't the same as actually being able to see or touch each other.

He had flown back to Denver for a few days ago to finalize plans for the hotel while the demolition on two of the gutted wings was being completed. There were some useable items which might be reused as decoration since the hotel was one of the first on the island.

K.C. had a drawing that he was pleased with, that would tie in the essence of the island while being pleasing to the discerning tastes of the upper middle and high end clientele they were aiming for.

The past few months had gone by quickly and it no longer amazed her that she could not imagine her life without K.C. in it. They managed to spend time alone but often hung out with their group of friends and Jarrod’s house was a meeting place for a lot of their gatherings.

Gabrielle was looking forward to the long holiday weekend. This would prove to be a very memorable birthday for her indeed. She was going to ensure it.