The Valentine's Day Surprise: Million Dollar Love Series, #2

By Beverly Kovatch

Eve has been crushed by David's betrayal. Add the sale and eminent destruction of her family home to that mix she decides to take up an offer to work for doctors wtihout borders. On a flight layover in New Orleans she meets a handsome stranger. A navy seal with all his buddies offer to buy her a drink. Eve decides that it can't hurt to enjoy herself after all she could be drowning herself in sorrow, so with a lot of alcohol consumtion, and a little enticement she has what she believes to be just a one night stand. That is until she boards her plane and finds that this handsome stranger is on her flight and headed to the same destination.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beverly Kovatch
• Release date: Oct 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393837985

Beverly Kovatch

This Author is about as unknown as one can become. She sometimes lives in the past, sometimes in the future, sometimes right in the middle of the present. Her mind wanders from what was to what is to what could be. That is the power of the written and spoken word. There are so many opportunities for so many people, and she wonders why no one seems to seek them out. She lives on a farm in what was once a vast farmland area. A few people still believe in farming, but each year, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them. This past year, it appears that the moral background of the world is rapidly disappearing. It takes hard work to be a farmer nowadays. It is a lot easier to sit back and watch others do it. People have taken this place we call home for granted. The pandemic threw us all for a loop, but it also made some realize that unless we fight for what we believe in, our country, the one we all grew up in, could be lost. It took hard work and determination for us to be where we are, and all of it started with a small dream. You see, everything in life begins with a dream. This Author once dreamt she could one day write a book that others might enjoy reading, and here she is. She has written not one book but more than twenty books. Some people dream of owning just a small piece of land, owning their own little business, raising their families in a free land, a place where we are allowed to say what we feel in our hearts, fight for what we believe in, worship at the church of our choice. These past few years have taught this Author that there is power in our words. Once our words are silenced, we have given up one of our most treasured rights. It is my hope, my dream, that the power that you, my readers, have within you will never be silenced. The dreams you hold inside will always be fulfilled, and that you will always and forever … Keep on Dreaming!

Book preview

Prelude

DAVID GRABBED HIS CARRY-on bag and looked back at Eve. He pulled her into his arms.

I promise you I will be back and all of this is going to work out perfectly. I will be back with the money to buy the farm as soon as I talk to my father and grandfather.

What if they say no? What if they don’t like your idea?

Then I will figure something else out. I promise. I just have to convince them that this is the way to go.

Good luck then. She said as he kissed her goodbye. He slowly let go of her hand and moved toward the sliding glass doors that led to the runway.

She waved goodbye from the window and turned to walk away. Shelly walked up to her.

So looks like you and David have some kind of thing going on. I should have known that once you got into the picture I would be shoved aside.

Shelly, get a life will you. There is nothing serious going on here.

Yeah right, your problem is that you are cold as ice Eve Andreson. It’s either that or you’re really stupid. Anyone with eyes can tell he is interested in you.

I don’t know what you’re talking about Shelly, I barely know the man.

If that is true then why did you let him kiss you goodbye? A man you barely know that is. She said sarcastically.

Eve turned red thinking what if Shelly knew the real truth. What would happen if Shelly found out it wasn’t just a kiss she had shared with him.

I will talk to you later Shelly, I have to get back to the hospital, I am on call this week.

It was the only way she could avoid any further questioning that might lead to disaster. If Shelly knew the truth it would be all over town before nightfall.

Eve took a deep breath and got into the car. She needed to get busy doing something to occupy her time. All she could think about was that one night that she spent with David and it was going to drive her insane. He was gone now and even though he said he would be back it was not something she could allow herself to even think about.

Chapter One

WHEN DAVID GOT OFF the plane the limo was waiting for him.

Good Morning Mr. Kelsey.

Good Morning Albert, David replied. Albert had been their chauffeur his whole life. He was a part of the family to David and his brother at least.

Albert had driven them to every event of their lives. He watched every game be it football or baseball and cheered them on. At times David felt Albert was more like a father than his own had been.

Albert rolled down the window between them.

Is there something bothering you David? You want to talk about it?

How is it that you can just look at me and know something is wrong? It is unnerving you know the fact that you know me so well Albert. He chuckled.

He confided in Albert about his initial plan, what he wanted to do, and all he had to do was convince his father and grandfather that this was the way to go for a bookstore in that small and obscure community.

You do know that what you are talking about is not the mega-store philosophy that your father and grandfather have in mind, right David?

I know that Albert, but I have to convince them of this. A megastore won’t survive in this little two-bit town. I am not sure why grandfather sent me there, to begin with.

Albert shook his head he had a feeling he knew why, but it was not something he could tell David.

Why would he send me to a place that he knew I would not succeed in? That is unless he planned for me to just fail. It seems sometimes like that is all they ever want. They want to make me a failure. What do I do Albert?

Albert responded by shaking his head. What was on the mind of the elder Kelsey’s was always a mystery.

How do I prove to them that this plan I have may not be mega big, but it is just as important?

Why are you looking for their approval on this David? Why not step out and do this project on your own? For once in your life forget about them and do it with your money.

My money David laughed.

"I have no money, Albert. None I can call my own anyway. After my fiasco with Felicia, and Jessica, and Tracey, I guess I have had a few fiascos, well after all that father locked up any money that I once had access to. I now have no access whatsoever. Everything I do now I have to have explicit permission to do.

He doesn’t even let me use the company jet. If I fly I now have to fly commercial and he provides the tickets. I have nothing, so if I can’t convince them that this project is worthy then it will never happen. The worst part is that I will lose Eve."

So, is this Eve another fiasco, or is she someone special. Tell me about her?

"Oh Albert, I don’t know where to begin. She is beautiful, bright, full of life, and intelligent. She is a doctor and she works hard. She is not like the other women I have been with. She is nothing like them at all.

Albert looked questioningly back at David. This was not the type of woman that David usually hooked up with.

He let him ramble on about Eve and his trip. David told him about the house, the barn, and the acreage, and everything he wanted to do for the community.

Albert started chuckling as he listened to David tell him about Pine Grove and Eve.

"You know your father was once just like this. He would travel to that little town and stay for weeks on end. When your Uncle died everything stopped, everything changed. Your father started doing nothing but what your grandfather wanted after that. I watched as the life just got sucked out of him. Don’t get me wrong your father has done quite well for himself, but the corporate life, well that changed him.

I just don’t want the same thing to happen to you. Don’t let your father or your grandfather suck the life out of you too David. Your brother has it right. Stay away and stay alert."

Suddenly David realized what Albert had said to him. Now he had questions about what happened.

No one had mentioned his father’s identical twin Fox in years. William Foxworth Kelsey was a taboo subject as was his mother. For a moment he thought just maybe Albert had some answers that he was never able to get from anyone else.

What do you mean my father used to travel to this little town? He asked.

Pine Grove, yeah I am pretty sure that was the name of the town it was a long time ago though. He traveled to that place a lot in the old days. He used to tell me what a wonderful little town it was a getaway for him he would say. I would take him to the airport and he would fly off secretly for a few days at a time. He had a smile on his face all the time back then. That was until the big holiday party in New York. That is when everything changed.

Changed what do you mean?

"Your father and his twin brother Fox got into it with your grandfather that night. No one was sure what the argument was about.

It was quite an argument though as I recall. There was a lot of yelling and then a lot of drinking afterward. Your Uncle Fox drove off in a huge huff. Your father tried to stop him, but he almost ran him over with the car.  That was when everything seemed to change. Your Uncle Fox died that night in a fiery car crash, and well your father was never the same after that."

David looked at Albert in shock. No one had ever mentioned these details. The only thing he and his brother had ever been told was that their uncle died in some freak accident. All of that happened before they were born.

"It was at your uncle’s funeral that your mother Elly admitted that she was pregnant with you and Matthew. Once that news was made known, well your grandfather demanded that your father marry her. There could be no scandals in the Kelsey family I recall him yelling at the top of his lungs that night. Your father had no choice but to do what your Grandfather was asking. What a surprise that was to everyone. No one ever saw that coming.

Your Uncle Fox had always been the wild and crazy one. Something like that would have been expected by him, but your dad? For Elly to be pregnant by your father was a shock to all. Your dad was always the stable one, and I am not sure, but I think your father never went back to Pine Grove after that.

Don’t get me wrong David your mother was a beautiful woman, but she and her family were very conniving.  Although no one ever said anything outright, it was suspected that her pregnancy had been a plan to infiltrate the Kelsey family. She flirted with your father and your Uncle both all the time. Sometimes we wondered if she could even tell them apart. She loved to tease them and pit them against each other. As I recall most of the fights that your dad and Uncle had been about her. The house staff knew it was a trap, but no one else seemed to see it. Having money does strange things to people."

Why weren’t Matt and I told all of this?

They all thought it best, I guess. I mean what difference would it have made? It just saved the family from a lot of gossip to have the marriage take place as quickly as possible.  

So my mother was pregnant with my brother and me when she and my father got married?

Yes, but the two families rushed the wedding up so that no one would know. They were married within a couple of weeks, in fact, all so that no one would suspect anything. Her pregnancy was to be a secret. They were even able to trick people about the early birth, being as she had some pregnancy difficulties and was bedridden until the two of you were born. Then there was the fact that twins are generally born early going on their side.

David sat in the back of the car not knowing what to say next. His life was all a lie. No one had ever told him about this. He wondered why Albert was telling him all of this now. He wondered if Matthew knew about this.

Had this all just been kept from him? No one ever talked about his Uncle Fox. It was almost as if he never existed. David remembered seeing pictures in the old family albums. He could never tell his father and uncle apart. When he was about ten his grandfather caught him in the library with the photo album in his hand. He asked him who was who and his grandfather pointed out each one of his sons.

This is your father and this was your uncle.

Then he promptly took the book from him, abruptly close it, and place it high on the bookshelf where neither David nor Matthew could reach it.

EVE LEFT THE AIRPORT and headed home to shower and get dressed. She was supposed to relieve Doc Johnson from night duty and she was running a tad bit late. He would understand she was sure, taking David to the airport and all, but still, she had a responsibility to the hospital. She walked in the door to find massive chaos going on in the Emergency Room lobby.

Doc was hovering over a small child that had been in a car accident. She was not in good shape from the looks of things. This was not something that Doc needed especially during this time of year. Now that she knew the whole story behind Doc and his family, well this was too much of a reminder of Lily.

Eve jumped right in and helped Doc to get the child stabilized as they rushed her from the lobby to the OR.  Call for Dr. Rodriguez, Doc said as they passed by the nursing station.

Tell him that we need him in the OR stat, Eve yelled as they pushed the child down the hallway into the first surgical unit.

Dr. Andreson and I have this he hollered to the nurse.  Go check on the status of her parents. Come back and let me know what’s happening there.

The nurse headed out of the room and went to assist the residents with the child’s parents. They were not doing as well. The two residents on call were doing everything they could to stabilize them for the helicopter ride to Denver. Their injuries were too extensive for their small hospital.

She has some internal bleeding for sure. Doc said to Eve. Type and cross her blood and let’s get this moving."

Eve was very clear-headed. She always had been but this was a small child. Somehow it was different than most of her cases. She followed the directions of Doc and before she knew it the surgery was in session with Dr. Rodriguez at the helm.

Several hours later the surgery was over and the child had somehow managed to survive at least for the moment. It was touch and go for a while as Eve watched the senior physicians work together to save a life. Eve took a deep breath as she and Doc came out of the OR.

She will make it. He assured her patting her on