Conception (The Wellingtons, #4)

by Tessa Teevan

  Amelia’s put on a silk, paisley nightie that highlights her perfect tits and skims the bottom of her ass in a way that makes me want to forego the tour and toss her back on the bed. My wife, ever the mind reader, shakes her head at me.

  “My legs are already quivering, Knox, and even though we’ve more than made up for our time apart in the last month, I’m going to be sore tomorrow. Plus, I want to see the house.”

  “If you insist, wife.”

  “I do, husband.” She loops her arm through mine, pulling me out of the bedroom.

  One by one, we explore the other five bedrooms and Amelia chooses the one closest to ours for the nursery. We spend time going over every nook and cranny of the seven-thousand-square-foot home. Okay, perhaps I was a bit extravagant with my purchase, but my parents’ wedding present was a down payment taken from my inheritance. They tried to simply give me the money, but I insisted that this would come from my own trust fund. And like I told Amelia, I wanted us to settle.

  She oohs and awws over the enormous kitchen, her hands running along the granite countertops and the brand-new appliances. When she places her palms on the island in the middle of the room, she gives me a wink. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  I waggle my eyebrows in her direction. “That we should christen the island?”

  She giggles. “We’ll christen every room in this house, Mr. Wellington. Including this island.”

  “Baby, you can’t say things like that or we’ll never finish this damn tour.”

  “Would that bother you?”

  Hell no.

  I fight the urge to bend her over. “We have plenty of time for that later. All our lives, in fact.”

  Her dazzling smile does little to extinguish my temptation. “I like the sound of that.”

  I take her hand before changing my mind and taking her right here. “Come on. I want you to see the backyard. It was one of the selling points for me.”

  Amelia gasps when we walk through the double doors off the dining room. The massive backyard isn’t nearly as impressive as it is in the daylight, but the moonlight adequately illuminates the vast green space that’s a blank canvas for her to do with as she pleases. The estate sits on twenty acres, more than enough room to expand our brood and then some. I can already envision the birthday parties, summer bashes, and holidays we’ll spend celebrating here.

  “Knox, I can imagine raising our family here. I never want to leave this place.”

  “Then we never will.”

  She smiles and then yawns, declaring her exhaustion from the day.

  Just as Amelia’s ready to climb the stairs back to our bedroom, I remove the sash I placed in my back pocket. I catch her hand when she reaches the third step.

  “One more thing?” she asks, her eyes drooping, her voice laced with exhaustion. She stifles another yawn. “Today has been so overwhelming. In the best way possible. I’m not sure I can take any more.”

  “Trust me. You can take this,” I promise, wiggling my eyebrows at her.

  She laughs, playing swatting my arm. “It is our wedding night.”

  Even though that’s not what I mean, I chuckle anyway. She holds still while I tie the sash around her eyes and lead her a room at the back of the house. I open the door and guide her in, turning on the dim light so she’ll be able to see clearly.

  When I remove the sash, I take a step back, letting Amelia take it all in.

  Her sharp intake of breath has pride swelling in me.

  Amelia bursts into tears. Pretty much the reaction I was expecting. She walks into the dark room, examining the photos of our summer together. She turns to me, her eyes rounded and in awe.

  “You built me a darkroom?” she whispers, her fingers coming to her lips.

  “This house wouldn’t be your home without it.”

  “And who developed the pictures…” Her voice trails off when she sees I’m beaming with pride. “You?”

  “Since I graduated early, I decided to take a course on developing film. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again…and it made me feel closer to you.”

  “Oh, Knox.” She throws her arms around my shoulders and peppers kisses all over my face. “You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever known. God, I love you so much my heart could burst.”

  Before I can respond, she goes back to the photos, eyeing each and every one.

  “I got the camera and the film from Sunny. She told me you never developed it after I left,” I explain. “Gotta say, babe, I’m a little disappointed you never developed my photos. I, for one, used yours every single night.”

  She blushes at the memory of the dirty photos she snuck into my bag. “Glad to hear it. I had the polaroid. That one memento hurt to look at. A whole slew of them? I wasn’t strong enough… But looking at them now, I sure was missing out.”

  I wrap my arms around her waist, nuzzling the nape of her neck. “We both were, baby. But the good news is, Mrs. Wellington, we’ll never have to miss out again.”

  Amelia tilts her neck, giving me better access. She places her hands over mine and squeezes. “Take me to bed, Mr. Wellington.”

  She doesn’t have to ask me twice. We close up the darkroom and make our way through our new home.

  That sounds so damn good.

  Amelia pauses as the bottom of the staircase. Her expression is wistful.

  “What’s wrong, babe?”

  She shrugs. “It’s silly. This night… This day. It’s been perfect. More than I could have ever imagined. It’s just… I wish Branson were here. It feels wrong spending the night in our new home without him.” She waves the thought off. “I’m probably just out of sorts since it’s the first night I’ve spent away from him. That we’ve spent away from him. Do you think we could call your mom just to check in?”

  Just as I’m about to agree, the doorbell chimes.

  Right. On. Cue.

  “Who could that be this late?” she wonders. Then her eyes widen. “I’m barely dressed! We can’t have visitors!”

  Having prepared for this, I go to the coat closet, grab a robe, and toss it to her with a wink. “Go get the door, Melia.”

  Her eyebrows furrow, a cute frown forming on her lips. She ties the robe tight around her waist, and even with as much as I want to, I don’t tell her that it makes her breasts look even more magnificent. I follow as she crosses the room and opens the door to see who’s standing on the other side.

  Once again, Amelia bursts into tears. Mom looks beyond my wife, her amused expression meeting my own.

  “It’s a running theme today,” I tell Mom.

  “Oh, Kate. I can’t believe this. How’d you know I’d be missing my boy?”

  Mom chuckles then steps inside as Amelia offers her in. “I have two boys of my own, sweetheart. But it wasn’t me who planned this. Your husband knew you’d be feeling a bit melancholy without him and asked me to bring him by. With strict rules not to interrupt for a couple of hours. From the looks of it, I think my timing is impeccable.”

  That masculine swell of pride bursts in my chest, beating like a rhythmic drum. “Your timing couldn’t be better, Mom. I just finished giving Amelia the tour.”

  “How do you like the darkroom?” she asks, turning her attention back to Amelia.

  “Oh my gosh. It’s just wonderful. I can’t believe I have my very own darkroom. Poor Knox. I can already foresee he’s going to spend many hours waiting for that red light to go off.”

  “If it makes you happy, then I’ll live,” I tell her.

  “And the rest of the house?” Mom asks. “Is it to your liking?”

  “I love it,” Amelia gushes. “I can’t thank you enough for helping Knox find this place. And I love that we’re so close to you! Branson will be so lucky to grow up with grandparents nearby.”

  Mom affectionally pats Amelia on the shoulder. “We’re equally lucky to have a grandson and new daughter-in-law within a stone’s throw. Truth be told, I always dreaded the boys leaving the nest
. Now, they’ve both left within the same year.” She peers down at a sleeping Branson in her arms. “But having this little guy around will soften the blow a bit. I’m quite adept at raising Wellington boys, you know.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” Amelia murmurs.

  Mom shifts and then places Branson in Amelia’s arms. She gives Amelia a pointed look. “I also want you to know I won’t be an overbearing mother-in-law.”

  I choke back the laughter that rises, though not quickly enough.

  Mom’s glare silences me. She softens when she turns back to my wife. “Okay, I’ll try not to be. If I ever get out of line, don’t hesitate to let me know. It’s just been so long since I’ve had a baby around. I might try to hog him.”

  “I think he’d enjoy that, Kate.” Amelia finishes with a yawn. She tries to suppress it, but she’s not convincing.

  I clear my throat.

  Mom glances over at me, her eyes filled with amusement. “I think that’s my cue to get out of your hair. The wedding was beautiful, you two. Amelia, welcome to the family. I’ve never had a daughter, and now, I have two. I know I can never replace your mother. I wouldn’t even begin to try. But I hope that, as we get to know each other, you’ll find you can lean on me no matter what.”

  I fucking love my mom.

  After we say our goodbyes to Mom, Amelia turns to me, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I’ve only known her for three days and I already love that woman. It’s no wonder you know how to treat a woman so well. Your parents must’ve been the best role models.”

  “They’re pretty great. Now, you’re about to fall asleep on your feet, so let’s go upstairs.”

  “Oh crap. Where’s the baby going to sleep? There’s no furniture in this house except for our bed!”

  I grin. “Melia, do you really think I’d plan on Mom bringing him here without somewhere for him to sleep?”

  “Well, no. But I didn’t see a crib.”

  “You know how I wouldn’t let you look in the master closet?”

  She wrinkles her nose. “You said you had a surprise in there that had to wait for later.” Then it dawns on her. “What’s in there? A crib?”

  “Not a crib. A bassinet. I thought about going furniture shopping. Since I bought the house, though, I figured I’d let you have some fun furnishing and decorating the place.”

  “Knox Wellington, you are the kindest, most thoughtful, sexiest man on this planet. I’m looking forward to married life with you.”

  I cross the room and pull her into my arms, the baby nestled gently between us. We stand there in an embrace, taking in the moment, just the three of us.

  My wife.

  My son.

  My family.

  “I’m looking forward to spending every single day, and every single night, with my beautiful wife. I love you, Amelia. Until the day I die. No, that’s not right. Beyond that. For always. Forever. You and me.”

  “I’ll never stop loving you,” she whispers.

  “I know, baby. Now, let’s get upstairs and spend the first night of the rest of our lives in the best way possible.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Together.”

  As I lie awake that night with my wife asleep, tucked safely into my arms, and our son dozing next to the bed, I reflect on the past year and what’s brought me to this moment. When I set off for Crystal Cove a year ago, I had no idea how immensely my life would change. Part of me wonders if Mom had some sort of premonition. Somehow she knew I needed to be there that summer. I wasn’t supposed to be there. Amelia wasn’t supposed to be there. Yet we both ended up in the same place at the same time, needing each other in ways we hadn’t foreseen. Ways we both fought until it was almost too late.

  A tiny cry breaks the silence in the room. When Amelia stirs, I brush her hair back, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ve got him, Melia. You keep sleeping.”

  Trying to be as quiet as can be, I rise and round the bed, smiling when I see Branson’s arms stretched up in the air. The moonlight streaming in through the window allows me to see his face scrunched up. I scoop him up, investigating what’s bothering my boy.

  Turns out he’s hungry. In my pajama pants, with my three-month-old tucked into the crook of my arm, I make my way down the stairs of our new home. I fix his bottle, and as soon as the nipple slips between his lips, he’s one contented baby.

  As he suckles the bottle, I walk to the giant bay window that looks out over the backyard. My future flashes before my eyes. I missed this pregnancy with Amelia, and it’s my mission to experience it time and time again. I never thought I wanted a big family, but the minute I found out I had a son, that all changed. I plan to give him siblings—as soon as damn possible.

  I think back to what Mom said earlier about not being ready for us to leave. She’s always lamented that time goes by too quickly, that kids grow at the speed of light. I don’t know if that’s true, but no matter what, I’m going to spend my life making memories in this place. With Amelia. With Branson. And with whatever other children we’re blessed with.

  Amelia’s taken everything from me. My hopes, my dreams, my future. Every single thing I had planned for my life was lost the moment I laid eyes on her. If I’d had any idea just how life-altering meeting her would be, I don’t know if I’d have taken that step towards her that night at Mickey’s. If I hadn’t, I don’t know how I could possibly live a fulfilling life.

  Because, yeah, Amelia took it all. But she’s also given me everything. Herself, my son, my hopes, my dreams, my future. A future I couldn’t have ever imagined wanting. A future I can’t ever imagine now losing. Before her, I thought I knew the man I was. The man I wanted to become. With her, I’m the man I’m meant to be.

  Falling in love with Amelia wasn’t easy.

  It wasn’t hard.

  It just…was.

  She’s the renewal I didn’t know I desperately needed. Loving her is like waking up for the first time. Taking my very first breath. Seeing the very first sunrise and wishing to go to bed just to do it all over again. To do her all over again.

  And what do you know? I’ll spend the rest of my life doing just that.

  And her.

  Present Day

  DEATH AND I HAVE BECOME intimately acquainted during my time in the Army. I’ve lost countless brothers in the field and far too many to tragedy when we’ve returned home from the war.

  Nothing, not a mortar attack, an improvised explosive device blowing up our vehicle, or watching a man step on a landmine, has anything on watching my father clutch his chest and sink to the ground.

  It’s all a blur. Mom rushing to his side. Andi scrambling to get Cohen. My baby bro rushing in and taking action when all I can do is watch on the sidelines. It doesn’t make sense. I’m trained to run in, provide aid no matter the injury, no matter the problem. But I can’t. I am rooted in my spot, a helpless spectator. McAllister and Montgomery would give me so much shit if they could see me now.

  My only saving grace is my wife’s arms sliding around me and holding me tight.

  Charlie anchors me. Keeps me afloat. Just like she always has. Just like she always will.

  We haven’t had enough time, me and Dad.

  I can’t lose my old man. Not like this.

  When I decided to go into medicine, it was because I wanted to help people. Save lives. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to call family members into a secluded room to give them the news that their loved one hadn’t made it. No matter how often it happens, it never gets easier.

  But I never thought it’d be my family that would be sitting in that intensive care unit waiting room, desperate for news. I never thought it’d be my father on that table, and as much as it’s killing me that I’m not performing the operation, I understand it. I am too close.

  With my family in the waiting room, and watching my dad’s surgery from the gallery, I’ve never felt so damn helpless. I’m being pulled in two different directions. I want to be w
ith my family, to comfort Mom, and find my own solace with those I love the most.

  But it something happens to Dad on that operating table, I want to be the one to break the news.

  I just pray to God it doesn’t come to that. We’ve only just become a family again. We can’t fall apart now.

  My arm instinctively wraps around Mom’s shoulders as she lowers herself into the uncomfortable seat beside me. She spent the first few hours pacing up and down the halls, waiting for any news about Dad. Eventually, Ariana brought her a cup of coffee and persuaded her to take a seat.

  “I’m so glad you boys are all here. That Cohen’s back there with his dad. I couldn’t do this without you.” She glances at her daughters-in-law, from Andi to Charlie, then to my wife, Ari. “Any of you.”

  “Mom, there’s no place we’d rather be,” I tell her.

  She uses a tissue to wipe the corners of her red-rimmed, exhaustion-filled eyes. “I know. What about the children? If any of you need to get back, I understand.”

  Charlie gives Mom’s hand a squeeze. “Dad and Olivia are watching the whole brood at our place. Trust me, they’re enjoying their time with the little ones.”

  Mom laughs at the idea of Charlie’s boisterous father and strong-willed stepmother watching their twins as well as my own three little hellions.

  “For the longest time, this is how I imagined my life turning out. My three boys growing up to raise families of their own. And then everything got ripped apart. I wasn’t sure we’d ever get back to this place. Yet here we are.”

  “Ma, it’s in the past. Let it stay there,” Knox says from where he’s holding up the wall across from us.

  The faintest smile crosses Mom’s lips. “You’re right, honey. But the past wasn’t all bad, you know. If there wasn’t a past, none of you would be here.” She rests her back against the wall, letting out a sigh. “Your dad and I never told you the story of how we met.”