Conception (The Wellingtons, #4)

by Tessa Teevan

  After our engagement, Knox and I had a conversation about the future. He is grounded, has roots in Nashville. Yet he offered to give it up all up so I could pursue my dreams.

  “You’d do that for me?” I asked, my head resting on his chest.

  We were lounging my bed after a quickie before Branson woke up for his next nightly feeding. Our boy was growing like a weed, and just like his dad, he has a thing for the boob. Albeit in a vastly different way.

  Knox’s fingers trailed across my collarbone, eliciting tiny shivers of delight throughout my entire body. “Haven’t you learned by now I’d do anything for you?”

  I pushed off Knox’s chest. “Yeah, I think I’ve figured that out.” After tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I reach for his hand, entwining our fingers. “When I came to Crystal Cove last summer, I was looking for something. I’m not even sure I knew that I was. Until I found you, and suddenly I didn’t feel like I was missing anything anymore.” I paused. “I love photography. It’s the last string I have holding me close to my mom. I never want to lose that.”

  “You won’t,” he replied, sounding unsure, and I realize this is coming off all wrong.

  “But that was before I became a mom. And I’m about to become a wife. I do want to explore the world and pursue that passion. What I want more than anything in the world, though, is to be with you. Be a family. Knox, if that means settling in Nashville, I’m happy with that.”

  “Amelia—”

  “No, listen. Let me finish. I’m not giving up on my dream. I’m just putting it on hold for a little bit. I couldn’t jet across the ocean and leave Branson any more than I could leave you. There’s plenty of beauty in Tennessee and the surrounding states to refine my skills. Plus, I have a beautiful baby boy and gorgeous soon-to-be husband that’ll be taking up a lot of my film. We’ll have plenty of time to travel. Together.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. And hell, it’ll be nice raising Branson with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins close by.”

  “Baby,” Knox growled, his darkened eyes watching me through hooded lids.

  “What?”

  “You just said hell.”

  I giggled as Knox rolled me to my back and loomed over me, his biceps flexing as he braces his fists on either side of me. “Guess you’re gonna have to punish me.”

  Oh, and punish me he did.

  “Earth to Melia.” The amusement in Knox’s voice breaks me from my reverie.

  “Sorry, I was just…” I trail off, heat rising on my cheeks.

  “God, I love that I can still make you blush.”

  “Pretty sure, fifty years from now, you’ll still be making me blush.”

  His cocky grin only deepens the pink on my cheeks.

  “Ready?” he asks, and my nerves take over. He chuckles. “Don’t think of it as meeting the parents. Think of it as showing off our awesome, freaking son.”

  “Well, when you put it that way, let’s do this.”

  We exit the car and I take Branson from his car seat, thankful for an armful of distraction.

  Knox’s hand hits the doorknob, and I stop him.

  “Are you sure we should just walk in?” I ask.

  He furrows his brow. “Babe. I live here.” He pauses. “Or, well, I did. Oh, screw it.”

  My shoulders shake with laughter at his censorship. He’s come a long way and done just as he promised. He’s reined it in for Branson, but he still unleashes in the bedroom for me.

  We’re barely through the double wooden doors when a woman greets us, focusing nearly all her attention on Branson. Knox introduces Jaclyn, whom he’s affectionately spoken of many times before. It’s the only reason I so willingly allow her to take Branson when she insists on freshening him up from our journey.

  I’ve barely caught my breath as Knox takes my hand and leads me through the foyer and into a spacious kitchen, where he pours us each a glass of water.

  “Ah, there she is,” he says, and I follow his gaze to the back door, where a woman is just entering, a straw hat on her head and a basket full of wildflowers in the crook of her arm.

  I’m not sure what I was expecting when it came to Knox’s mother, but the tall, elegant woman wearing dusty jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up isn’t it.

  She stands on her tiptoes to give Knox a kiss on the cheek. Then she turns to me with a warm smile. “Amelia, it’s so lovely to finally meet you. And though it pains me to be rude, where’s that grandson of mine? I’ve waited three months to meet him and I don’t want to waste a second more.”

  “I understand. And I just want to extend my gratitude that you allowed Knox and me to have time to adjust to becoming parents. It’s been a whirlwind. I know it couldn’t have been easy, with wanting to meet your first grandchild and all.”

  “He wouldn’t have had it any other way,” she responds, giving Knox a pointed look.

  He rolls his eyes. “Jaclyn took the baby as soon as we got in the door. He needed to be changed after the car ride.”

  Oof. Good first impression to my future mother-in-law. Pass the baby off to the housekeeper as soon as you step foot in the door. “She insisted,” I clarify. “Wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  A perceptive grin crosses Mrs. Wellington’s face. “Knowing Jaclyn, I’m sure she did. Ah well, let’s get settled into the library and wait for your father and Clay to get back from their golfing trip. Jaclyn knows where to find us.”

  She ushers us into a beautiful library I long to explore, but instead, I take a seat beside Knox on a sofa, gratefully accepting sweet tea when she hands it to me. Mrs. Wellington takes a place across from us and gets right down to it.

  “Amelia, I have a question for you. I’d be remiss if I allowed this wedding to proceed if I didn’t make the inquiry.”

  “Mom…” Knox’s tone is full of warning.

  She shoots a glare at him. “I would be remiss,” she repeats, emphasizing each word.

  Knox is about to respond, but I place my hand on his arm.

  “It’s fine, Knox. Allow your mother to speak.”

  I thought she’d be appreciative. The tight-lipped smile tells me otherwise.

  “What, exactly, are your intentions with my son?”

  The laugh escapes me before I can hold it in. Really?

  “Mom…” Once again, Knox’s warning is unmistakable.

  My fingers tighten on his forearm, my nails digging into his flesh. I don’t take my eyes off his mother. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t answer the question.”

  It’s fleeting, but there’s a flash of approval in her expression.

  “This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. My intentions are to marry your son. Spend the rest of my life with him. Raise our family together, however big it grows.”

  “With my son’s money?” Kate asks, a perfectly manicured eyebrow rising.

  I’m not taken aback by her question or her tone. It’s perfectly reasonable for her to ask, considering she’s never met me, knows nothing about me, my family, or my background. I just showed up with her grandson one day. Okay, more like Knox showed up after I’d had her grandson, which could be even more reason for her not to trust me.

  Having just become a mother myself, how can I deny one her inquest?

  Hell, I imagine I may be the same way when Branson grows up and leaves me. I don’t even want to think about it though. He’s only three months old.

  “Mrs. Wellington,” I start, but Knox wrenches his arm out of my grasp, rising from the couch, pointing a finger, and shooting daggers at his mother.

  “You are way out of line. You may not know Amelia, but I do. I trust her. More than that, I fucking—” He pauses, turning to me. “Think this calls for the emphasis, babe.”

  I shrug. He’s already got one mother in the room.

  His gaze goes back to his mother. “I fucking love her. If you love me, you’ll love her, too. You’ll r
espect her as my wife, as the mother of my child, or we’ll walk out the door right now. Your call.”

  I gasp. Not only because our wedding is being held here in two days, but this is his family. He can’t just walk away from them. Not for me.

  Just as I’m about to put my two cents in, Kate’s laughter bubbles up and echoes throughout the room. And then Knox’s father, Mr. Wellington takes this moment to enter the room.

  He darts his gaze around the room, from his wife to Knox to me, then back to Knox again. Noting his stance, Knox’s dad lifts his eyes to the heavens, then sets them on his wife. “Katherine. What did you do?”

  Knox beats her to answering. “She insulted the mother of my child. My wife. For the first and last time.”

  Even though I’m not really happy to be the source of this family conflict, it’s pretty hot that he’s defending my honor against his mother. Because, again, she doesn’t know me, so I don’t hold it against her for questioning my intentions. But Knox with his hard, muscly chest all puffed up, his arms crossed so his biceps bulge just a little more than usual underneath his t-shirt, and his jaw rigid? It’s incredibly sexy.

  Mr. Wellington rolls his eyes. “Darling, we discussed this.”

  “You talked. I pretended to listen,” she replies, eyeing her nails and not her husband.

  Okay, she may be wary of me, but I like this woman.

  Kate crosses the room, and Knox goes rigid beside me when she takes my hands into hers. “Darling, I know who you are. I’m his mother. As if I wouldn’t have you checked out.” She winks. “I know you don’t need his money. And even if you did, I wouldn’t assume that’s why you’re with him. I can see it in both your faces that this is a love match. It’s just a lot of fun watching him get all riled up. I’ve never seen him so protective of someone before.”

  Okay, I don’t just like her—I love her.

  “What do you mean you know who she is? How do you know she doesn’t need my money?” Knox asks, his arms folding in irritation.

  Kate’s eyes flash with amusement. “You mean he doesn’t know?”

  “Doesn’t know what?” Knox demands.

  I wince at Kate and then say to Knox, “I’m kind of an heiress.”

  Knox’s mouth drops open in surprise.

  “Um… Did I forget to mention that?”

  “Kind of?” he asks.

  “Okay, I am. My great-great-grandfather was British aristocracy. He was a second son, so once his older brother had an heir, he moved to America where he met and fell in love. She was the daughter of a shipping and railroad tycoon. He went to work for her father, eventually taking over the business, as there were no sons. Long story short, the family amassed more wealth than they knew what to do with. When my parents died, my father’s inheritance went to me. And when Grams passes, well, the same will happen. Not for a long time, of course. But that money is so far removed from me I barely give it a passing thought.”

  His lips twitch. “You could’ve told me this sooner. What do I need Wellington Enterprises for when I have you?”

  His father chokes.

  “Kidding, Dad. Promise. I’m not going anywhere,” I insist before turning to Amelia.

  “That’s cool, babe. It changes nothing.”

  “I wouldn’t expect it to.”

  He leans down, about to press a kiss to my lips, but then Kate takes my arm and plucks me out of his. The incensed expression on Knox’s face is worth missing the kiss.

  “Did Knox ever tell you about his ancestor who came over from England?” she asks. “He wasn’t aristocracy, of course. Quite the opposite actually. He’s how the family got the Wellington name.” She sighs. “It’s such a dreamy story.”

  “I’d love to hear it.”

  We spend the next two hours on the back patio, enjoying wine spritzers, the fresh air, and the occasional baby cooing while Branson rests in a portable crib. Kate’s a fabulous storyteller and I can’t wait to hear all the tales she’ll one day make up for Branson.

  “I’m so glad he found you, Amelia. I’ve never seen him this happy. Knox has always had his life figured out. So rigid, so stubborn. Nothing could change his path. What he needed the most was a wrench thrown into that.”

  “I’ve never been likened to a tool, but I’ll take it,” I tell her, unsure if it’s the wine or her easy acceptance that makes me say what’s on my mind.

  “The Knox I knew a year ago would’ve had a conniption if he found out he had a son he didn’t know about. With Branson? Not a single hesitation. And that’s because of you. Any other woman, I honestly believe he’d be there, providing for his child, but I don’t think he’d be so quick to offer marriage. He only did it with you because he loves you.”

  “I love him, too. I never thought I’d be here. I wanted Knox to know. I truly did. But after the letter went unanswered, I lost hope. When he showed up in the hospital, I thought I was having a dream.”

  She smiles. “That letter. His father and I should’ve asked him. We just naturally assumed the letter was written to my Knox. What woman would write my son at the company when she could’ve easily found him on campus? Oh well. It all ended just as it should. And here we are. A new daughter-in-law and grandbaby. I’m so happy our family’s expanding.”

  “As am I.”

  Kate leans forward and pats my hand. “I would never presume to take the place of your parents, but I hope you know I’ll always be here for you. Whatever you need. Even if you need to vent about my son being an ass. Knowing how he takes after his father, I’m sure that’ll happen quite often.”

  I laugh and wipe away hot tears at the same time. “It already does. And I love him for it.”

  “It’s Wellington magic. They can piss you off until you’re seething and then fix it all in the next breath. It’s rather annoying, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

  I have a feeling, twenty years from now, my sentiments will be the same. I just hope Knox and I are blessed enough to give Branson siblings to grow up with. The thought of more babies twists my stomach into knots. I’m still in awe at how much my life has changed in the last year.

  I’m getting married.

  Branson grasps my hair and tugs as if he’s emphasizing my thoughts. I gaze down at my son in disbelief that this is my life.

  This is our life.

  How the hell did I get so lucky?

  I fixate my gaze on Amelia as she walks down the makeshift aisle in my parents’ backyard. She’s a vision in white lace, her long, blond hair flowing down her back in curls I can’t wait to wrap my hands in.

  The ceremony’s a blur. I can’t take my eyes off her, my wife, as we promise to love and honor each other forever.

  After hours of food, drink, and dancing at our reception, I whisk Amelia away from the estate. I’m eager to be alone with my wife.

  “Knox, where are we going? Did you get a hotel suite for the night? What about Branson?”

  “You already put him to bed, wife. He’s staying with my parents.” I glance over at her, not missing the worried expression in her eyes. “If that’s okay with you?”

  “It’s okay with me. There’s plenty of milk for him. Your mom will call if she needs anything?”

  “Of course.”

  “So where are we going?”

  “Home.”

  She furrows her brow. “Without the baby?”

  I laugh and reassuringly squeeze her hand. “No, babe. Not Crystal Cove.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  I glance over and hope like hell I didn’t make another wrong move. “I hope you don’t mind. As soon as I found out about Branson, I asked Mom to start looking at real estate for me. We couldn’t stay at their place, even though she insisted they had plenty of room. No way in hell am I starting my marriage living with my parents. As soon as you said you were content to live in Nashville, I settled on this place.”

  Her silence in the car is deafening.

  “Fuck, I screwed this up again, didn�
��t I? I should’ve asked you. Let you go house hunting with me.” I slam the heel of my hand against the steering wheel. “Babe, we can put—”

  Amelia launches herself across the bucket seat and peppers kisses along my neck. I’m already too damn turned on to scold her for distracting a guy driving a classic car.

  “It’s perfect, Knox. Simply perfect.”

  “You haven’t even seen it yet.”

  “It doesn’t matter. The fact that you thought of Branson and me needing a house where we can grow as a family? I love it. I love you. And to be honest? The last thing I want to do is house hunt with an infant. I’d grow old anywhere with you, Mr. Wellington.”

  I alternate between keeping my eyes on the driveway and on Amelia as I go up the long country lane that loops around near the front of the house. Her eyes widen as she looks from the house and then back to me.

  I park the car and jump out, running around and opening the door for her. She offers her hand, and I hoist her up.

  “Welcome to Belle Meade, baby.”

  “Umm, Knox, when you said house, I was thinking a ranch with three, maybe four bedrooms. Not a freaking mansion to rival your parents’. This is too much.”

  I hook Amelia by the waist, pulling her in close. “You love me?”

  “You know I do.”

  “You want more kids?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You want to settle in one place, here, and start raising our family?”

  Her eyes close briefly then flutter back open. “More than anything.”

  “Then this is home. I figured we could get a starter home. Or one we could spend the rest of our lives in. If you love it.”

  “Will you be there?” she asks.

  “Always.”

  “And Branson?”

  “For as long as he wants.”

  “Then I love it already. Now, I’d love a tour…”

  “But?”

  “But your wife wants to make love to her husband.”

  Who can argue with that?

  Hours later, Amelia and I emerge from the master bedroom having thoroughly consummated our marriage. And our new shower, which is big enough for five people. From what I can tell, she’s quite pleased with the little bit she’s seen—and definitely happy with the sprawling king-sized bed I had delivered.