Color My World Read online

  Don tilted his head to look up and behind him at the depiction of sunrise he had painted for Missy only a few weeks ago and laughed. “I know. Levi made me almost the same offer. I told him I’d do some sunrises and sunsets from the beach here to make it up to him. I made the same offer to Clay.” Before she could say anything, he cut her off. “I know. I told them it would be after the first of the year because my lady and I are treating ourselves to a sunny vacation in The Grenadines. Clay offered me an advance on the paintings. Maybe we should let people know we have plenty of money so they’ll stop worrying about us.”

  Missy shook her head. “Let’s keep our secrets a little longer. No one has to know that I booked that vacation as your Hanukkah/Christmas present from me. They can think all I gave you was the sexy shirt and nice pants you were wearing tonight and that we’re sharing the cost for our trip to St. Vincent. We can let our friends know about our pasts—some of it, anyway—after we tell them about the baby. We’ll do that when we return. We can’t wait much longer than that because now Levi knows and he can’t keep a secret.” They’d told the good doctor the morning after Ella showed him the newest addition to his mural. He had been so excited that he’d given Missy the deed to the cottage and access to the Gulf as her Hanukkah present, with a promise to oversee any expansion of the cottage she might need in the future, with a wink to Don.

  Don reached over and patted her round tummy. “Yeah, I agree. This little guy is getting bigger every day. I’m surprised your Yoga buddies haven’t noticed. We need to let people in on our news pretty soon or they’re just going to think you’re getting fat.” He chuckled at the image.

  “I’m not getting fat. I’m the perfect weight for my stage of pregnancy. But, speaking of the little guy, I saw my OB-GYN yesterday while you were in Miami. She suggested I give you this for Christmas.” Missy reached into her nightstand drawer and pulled out a square box, wrapped in red and green. “Merry Christmas!”

  Don sent her a quizzical look as she handed him the gift. He ripped off the bow, much to Lady’s delight as she immediately began batting it around the bed. Then she was playing in the strips of wrapping paper he’d torn off, completely oblivious to the stunned look on his face as he took the lid off the box. In a small shadow box frame, lined in pink satin, Missy had mounted the pregnancy test indicator that announced “pregnant” beneath the ultrasound photograph she had received the day before. Curling across the picture was a pink ribbon, with gold writing. “It’s a Girl!”

  “I love it. I love you! I love our baby girl!” Don was grinning, tears gathered in his beautiful brown eyes. “How did you manage this?” he asked, holding the frame out to her.

  “I told you, I can Google how to do anything. Actually, I looked on Pinterest to see how people had announced the sex of their babies and I saw this so I tweaked it a little to make it ours.” Her eyes searched his face. “Do you like it? I mean, are you okay that we’re having a girl?”

  “I am so okay with a little girl. I am over the moon. I love her already—almost as much as I love you!”

  Don put his hand under her pillow to pull out a small velvet box. “This is what I was doing in Miami yesterday. Merry Christmas!” He thrust the gift into her shaking hands.

  Missy managed to unwrap the gift, with trembling fingers and her eyes blurred with tears. Inside was a stunning sapphire and diamond ring, very like Princess Diana’s, but emerald-cut. Don pulled the ring out of its satin setting and slipped it on her finger. “Melisande, this isn’t just a Christmas/Hanukkah present. This is an engagement ring. It will show the whole world how much I love you. Will you marry me?”

  She looked down at the beautiful blue ring, shimmering in the candlelight, like the ultramarine sea outside her cottage shimmered with the dancing light from the southern stars. Then, she looked into the warm caring eyes of the man she loved, without reservation, without any secrets.

  “Yes. I’ll marry you. And I’ll love you forever.”

  THE END

  Dear Readers,

  I’ve loved reading romance since I was twelve. My dream was always to write romance. I’m a lucky woman to be living my dream. Color My World is my fifth romance and my third novella set in Barefoot Bay. I was so excited to try my hand at a holiday story and I welcomed the opportunity to give Missy, Levi’s housekeeper (and so much more) from Shoulder to Lean On, her own story. As is often the case, Missy and Don took the story in a direction I did not expect! But, I loved writing about their sorrowful pasts and the miracle of the holiday season that opened their hearts to love and trust. The added bonus is that I was able to use some of my experiences as a painter as I wrote about Don’s creative process.

  I am so thrilled to be part of Rocki’s Barefoot Bay Kindle World! I’ve found the perfect home there for my seasoned heroes and heroines: men and women, 40 and older, who are looking for a second chance romance or to fall in love for the last time in their lives. My next Barefoot Bay book is coming in July 2018. The doctors of FL-Ortho are back with a Billionaire story, featuring Dr. Joel Alfonso. Too smart, too sexy and too elusive for all but one woman, lost to him for ten years, he must confront the love of his youth and risk everything to win her back.

  I live near Saratoga Springs, NY, with my chocolate Labrador retriever, Marley. My children and my amazing grandson live nearby. I’d love to hear from you. Please visit me on

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgan.malone39, on Twitter: @MMaloneAuthor or at my website: http://www.morganmaloneauthor.com.

  If you enjoyed Color My World, please consider telling others and writing a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you and I hope this story gives brings you all the joy and wonder of the holidays!

  Morgan

  ALSO AVAILALE BY MORGAN MALONE

  Cocktales: An After-50 Dating Memoir

  Out of Control: Kat’s Story

  Unanswered Prayers

  Shoulder to Lean On: A Barefoot Bay Kindle Worlds novella

  Need You Now: A Barefoot Bay Kindle Worlds novella