A Better Man: A Small Town Surprise Pregnancy Romance (The Heartbreak Brothers Book 3)

by Carrie Elks

  Just the way she liked it.

  “Open your legs,” he said, and she did exactly as she was told. He stepped out of his pants, wearing only his shorts now, and climbed in between, running his hands along her calves, her thighs, then up to her swollen stomach.

  “I love this,” he said pressing his lips against her belly. “You’re gonna have to eat a lot when the baby comes so I can keep this belly.”

  Amusement mingled with her desire. “You can’t keep this belly. I’m not walking around looking like I’m five months pregnant just for your… oh.” He closed his mouth around a nipple, making her back arch with pleasure. “What was I saying?”

  He smiled against her breast. “I think you were saying you’d do whatever I wanted,” he said softly, sucking at her again.

  “Did I?”

  He stroked her stomach softly, moving his palm down until he was right where she needed him, the heel of his hand pressing against her. “I guess the other option is to keep knocking you up.” He lifted his head, his eyes teasing. “It’ll be a tough job…”

  “Birth control.” She gasped as he dragged a finger against her. “We need to take all the birth control after this baby is born. You’re too potent for your own good.”

  He brushed his lips against hers, his finger circling her in a rhythm that stole her breath away. “Yeah, but we don’t need to use it right now.”

  No, they didn’t. And she was really glad about that, because he was driving her crazy with only his touch. She reached her hand down, her palm brushing against him in a way that made him hiss loudly. “Yeah,” he murmured against her mouth. “That’s good.”

  She couldn’t get enough of him. That’s what four days of not talking did to her. She wasn’t sure she’d survive that again. She pulled his shorts down, smiling, because she knew she didn’t have to.

  Yeah, he still had Boston to sort out, and that would take time. Plus they were going to have a baby, and everybody knew how much strain that could put on people. But he was hers, the same way she was his. She had been since the moment their eyes connected on the road, right as Hester flew toward him, feathers everywhere.

  He slid against her, large and thick and oh so hard, making her hips roll until he was almost inside her. He kissed her throat, her chest, then brushed his lips against her nipple. “You ready, baby?” he asked, glancing up at her through his lashes.

  Yeah, she was ready. For him, for their life, for everything they were going to face. Together.

  And as he slid inside her, she knew it was the start of something wonderful.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  FOUR MONTHS LATER

  May had always been one of Courtney’s favorite months. The weather was warm, the crops were growing, and the fields were full of baby animals following their mothers around like, well, sheep. It was hard work – farming always was – but it was rewarding to see all their plans coming to fruition.

  Her work this year had been different than normal. For a start, they had an extra pair of hands in Ben, the local college student who came to work every other day, taking over the hard labor tasks that Courtney could no longer manage at thirty-four weeks pregnant. Technically, they had two extra pair of hands, if you counted Logan, who’d taken to helping Ellis out on the land whenever he had a chance.

  She glanced across the lawn at where he was standing with his brothers, the four of them laughing and raising bottles to each other. She’d gotten close to them all. Gray and his soft strumming of the guitar whenever they all got together. Tanner and his grin and penchant for practical jokes. And especially Cam, who looked so much like Logan, yet was completely different in temperament. Though they both had a competitive streak that made her secretly smile.

  “This place is beautiful,” Becca said as she walked over, holding a glass of champagne in her hand.

  They’d decided to hold the baby shower in the gardens of The Secret Gourmet. It was the perfect location. The cherry trees were blossoming, and birds were chirping in the branches. It felt like the beginning of something new.

  “Here,” Becca said, passing Courtney an orange juice as she kept hold of her champagne flute. “I thought you could do with a drink.”

  Courtney smiled at Logan’s sister. She was growing fond of her, too. Becca was younger than the brothers, but somehow balanced them out. And she loved the way they all protected her like mother hens. She took the orange juice from Becca’s outstretched hand. “Thanks, I was about to grab one. The way the baby keeps kicking I’m going to need all the energy I can get.”

  “He’s kicking again?” Becca asked, her eyes lit up. They’d found out the sex at her twenty-week appointment. Logan had been proud as hell, and his brothers had made jokes about more heartbreakers in the family. Becca had shaken her head, and pointed out that whenever one of them actually had a girl, she was going to make sure she gave them hell.

  “Want to feel?” Courtney asked. Becca nodded eagerly, and Courtney took her hand, placing it against the side of her stomach where the baby loved to push his feet.

  Becca’s eyes widened as she felt the movement. “Oh no, he’s gonna be another football player, isn’t he?”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Logan asked, walking over to them and kissing Becca’s cheek. “It’s in the genes.” He slid his hand around Courtney’s ever-expanding stomach and brushed his lips against hers. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m good.”

  “Shall we open some gifts?” He nodded at the table in the center of the lawn, overflowing with beautifully wrapped presents. She’d asked people not to spend too much, but of course all of their friends and family had gone overboard. And yeah, she secretly loved them for it.

  It had been her idea to have a baby shower where all the men in their lives as well as the women were invited. She hated the idea of games and measuring her stomach and all the other horror stories she’d read about on pregnancy forums. So much nicer to be here on the lawn of Ellie and Dan’s home-based restaurant, with the food and drink they’d sat down and ordered a few weeks ago. Since Logan had moved back to Hartson’s Creek for good last month, they’d spent a lot of time with his friends. He’d helped out with their menus, and talked business plans with Dan. Their exclusive dining experience was in demand, and they were booked out every weekend for months to come. But neither Dan or Ellie wanted to expand – they liked their life and home exactly the way it was.

  Which had, of course, set Logan’s mind thinking. And Courtney knew that was a beautiful and dangerous thing.

  Within a week, he’d laid out a plan to her. If Ellis and Mary were still planning to sell the farm in the next couple of years, he wanted to buy it.

  “Think about it,” he’d whispered, stroking her stomach as he sat next to her on their porch. “You could run the farm and we could redevelop the cottage into a restaurant. We’d have the food production covered from field to plate. We can grow the produce we’ll need for the restaurant, and buy what we can’t grow. Maybe we’d even have tours, educate people on where the food they’re eating actually comes from.”

  And just like that, his enthusiasm had lit a spark inside of her. They both knew they’d need a lot of help, something Logan had already factored into the figures he’d calculated. But knowing how popular Ellie and Dan’s restaurant was, it was obvious it could work.

  They’d talked to Mary and Ellis the next day. They’d been bowled over by the idea of Logan and Courtney buying the farm. “I always hoped we could pass it on to family,” Mary had confessed, her eyes watering. “And now we will.”

  They’d all agreed to wait until the baby arrived before taking the next step. It was only a few weeks away, after all. And in the meantime, Ellis was happily accepting Logan’s help on the farm, while educating him on all aspects of crop and animal management.

  Logan took Courtney’s hand, leading her over to the center table. “Everybody!” he called out. “We’re going to open some gifts. But first, I want to sa
y a few words.”

  Tanner groaned. “We don’t have a spare three hours.”

  “Shut up.” Logan mock-glared at him. “I’m talking.”

  “As usual,” Cam muttered with a grin.

  Courtney shook her head at their banter, and looked at the crowd gathering around them. Mary and Ellis were next to Logan’s Aunt Gina and his father, the four of them chatting like old friends. Lainey and a few of the girls from the salon were laughing and drinking from champagne glasses, along with Maddie and Van. Carl hadn’t made it – though they’d invited him. And Courtney’s dad and stepmom had sent a beautiful bunch of flowers and a note asking to visit once the baby arrived.

  “Okay,” Logan called out, sliding his arm around Courtney’s waist. He was such a natural at public speaking. “First of all, we’d like to give you all a big thanks for joining us today, and celebrating the impending arrival of our baby.” He looked at the table overflowing with gifts. “And thank you all for bringing these, even though we told you not to.”

  Their friends laughed. Courtney smiled, because he was so warm, so engaging. Everybody looked at him whenever he spoke.

  “As you all know, this place belongs to my friends, Dan and Ellie.” He gave them a nod as they walked around with canapés. “They’re amazing chefs and hosts, and we couldn’t have done this without them.”

  “Cheers,” Courtney said, holding her orange juice up to them.

  “Finally, I want to say thank you to this beautiful, amazing woman standing next to me.” Logan turned his gaze onto her, and she felt it again. That longing, that need. Courtney swallowed hard, trying to chase it away.

  Now wasn’t the time or the place.

  “I can’t tell you how much I love her,” he said, a grin pulling at his lips. “But I’m going to try. She’s the most amazing farmer, business owner, and friend you’ll ever want to meet.”

  “Hell yeah!” Lainey shouted out.

  “But she’s also the best partner. She doesn’t take my crap unless I ask her really nicely.” He winked and Courtney blushed, knowing exactly what he was referring to. “And every day I wake up wondering what the hell I did right to find her. Because she’s everything to me, and I can’t wait for our baby to arrive so the world has another piece of Courtney in it.” He reached out to caress her stomach. “Though I’m gonna miss this belly.”

  “Shut up.” She shook her head at him, biting down a grin.

  “Anyway. Please raise your glass to my beautiful girlfriend, and our baby to be.” He lifted his own glass – orange juice, just like Courtney’s. “Cheers.”

  “Cheers!” the crowd repeated.

  “Okay. Let’s open some gifts.” He smiled at Courtney. “You wanna open the first one?”

  She shrugged. “Okay.”

  He lifted a small box from the top of the pile, passing it to her. Courtney unfastened the blue ribbon, then pulled at the silver paper. There was a cardboard box inside, and she pulled it open, expecting to see a pacifier in there.

  But instead there was a pale blue jewelery box. Maybe it was a little silver fairy box – she’d seen those online. Something to store the baby’s first tooth in.

  But instead, when she opened it, there was a ring nestled into the velvet cushion, square-cut diamonds sparkling as she pulled it out. She turned to look at Logan, confusion pulling at her brow.

  “That one’s from me,” he told her, his expression serious. “If you’ll have it.”

  “Is it a…”

  “I want us to get married,” he told her, lifting the ring from the box. “Whenever you’re ready. But if you don’t want to, the ring is still yours. It’s a sign of how much I love you. How much I want you to be mine. How I’ll take you any way I can get you, because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Her eyes stung as she looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat. “I want to get married,” she said, her voice sure. “So much.”

  His smile was dazzling as he slid the ring onto her finger. “Thank you,” he told her, leaning his head down to kiss her again, murmuring against her lips. “I can’t wait for you to be my wife.”

  She kissed him back, her arms looping around his neck, the diamonds glinting in the sunlight.

  “Let’s do it soon,” she whispered. “Once the baby’s here.”

  “Deal.” He slid his hand down her side, pulling her against him, her stomach pressed against his. “Thank you for making me so happy.”

  The baby kicked against the center of her stomach, as if in protest at being squashed. Logan’s eyes widened with surprise as he looked down. “Damn. Strong right kick, just like his dad.”

  She had a feeling the little guy inside of her was going to be just like his dad in every way. The thought made her heart so full it could burst.

  “I’ll kiss it better later,” she whispered, not wanting anybody else to hear.

  He laughed this time, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling up. Taking her hand, he lifted it to his lips, kissing her palm, her fingers, the ring he’d just slid onto her.

  “Sounds good,” he whispered back, his eyes full of humor. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Epilogue

  Pouring a glass of cool lemonade, Courtney cradled her son against her chest with her right arm, picking the full glass up with her left and carrying them both out to the porch. The evening air always smelled sweet at this time of year. Corn dust wafted in from the fields, heralding the start of harvest time.

  Not that she needed reminding. Her whole body ached from working eight hours on the farm today. Mary had watched George for them, her smile wide when Courtney had walked through the door that morning, gently taking him from her arms as Courtney and Ellis made their way out to the fields.

  It was still hard to be away from her child, no matter how many times she went back to hug him or feed him during the day. But now it was the two of them, sitting on the porch of their new home, overlooking the full waters of Hartson’s Creek as they made their way toward the river.

  They’d moved in here right before George was born, and had spent those final few weeks of her pregnancy decorating his nursery. All of Logan’s family had come to help – Becca turned out to be a maestro with the paintbrush, Gray and Tanner were pretty nifty with a screwdriver when it came to building all the nursery furniture, and Logan would tidy up everything each evening, making sure that Courtney didn’t lift a finger.

  “You’ve got enough to do,” he’d murmured when she protested that she wanted to help. “You’re growing our baby.”

  And now that baby was in her arms, staring up at her with wide blue eyes. George Cameron Robert Hartson had been almost two weeks late. Born on July 4th of all days. According to Logan, the waiting room had been like a party full of their families, the Hartsons and the Roberts, as well as Lainey who’d turned out to be a rock when Courtney needed her.

  But the only two people who’d mattered to her that day were Logan and George. Though the birth had been hard, she’d expected that. What she hadn’t expected was the rush of bliss that came over her as soon as George was delivered. And the expression of sheer wonder on Logan’s face. As the two of them had sat and cradled their son, counting his fingers and toes, while remarking on who he looked like most, she’d felt this overwhelming sense of completion. As though that was where she was supposed to be.

  That all the twists and turns in her life had led up to this.

  In the two months since they’d brought George home from the hospital, those emotions hadn’t left her. Not through the pain of breastfeeding and mastitis, and not even when Logan had to fly back to Boston to complete the sale of his company to the new investor, and she had to face a sleepless night with George alone.

  But Logan always made it up to her. The last time he’d insisted she have an evening out with Lainey, followed by a bubble bath when she returned home, then he handled baby duty for the whole night. When he wasn’t working – either overseeing th
e construction of their new restaurant on the site where Courtney’s cottage used to be, or helping her and Ellis in the fields as they worked from early morning until dusk bringing in the harvest – he was constantly with George, his eyes soft, his strong arms cradling their son as though protecting him from all the world.

  It made her heart ache to see him whisper to their son. Tell him about all the hopes and dreams he had for him. If Logan as a restaurateur was sexy, Logan as a father made her want to explode. It was a good thing her ovaries were taking a rest right now while she breastfed.

  George let out a cry, his lips smacking as he looked up at her with his big blue eyes.

  “You hungry again?” she asked him, as he wrigged in her hold. She unclipped her nursing bra and lifted him to her breast, holding his head gently as he easily latched on. His eyes closed, as his lips moved rhythmically.

  The rumbling growl of an engine cut through the quiet of the September evening. She looked over, seeing dust kick up from the road as a black SUV turned into their driveway. She bit down a grin at the sight of Logan’s car. It was the safest vehicle he could find, according to the salesman, who’d raved about the roll cage and bullet proof windows.

  She’d laughed, asking him who the hell needed bullet proof windows in Hartson’s Creek.

  “They’ll protect me from Hester,” Logan had told her when he took her on a tour of the car. “I figure bullet proof means beak proof, too.”

  George’s eyes fluttered open as the door of the SUV opened, and Logan climbed out. She stroked his soft head.

  Damn, Logan could still take her breath away. He was wearing one of his suits – a rare occurance nowadays, when his uniform was usually jeans and a t-shirt. His tie was gone – no doubt rolled up in his pocket – and his white shirt unbuttoned at his throat. His pants were perfectly tailored, smooth against his taut stomach, and over his slim hips.

  He took his sunglasses off, his gaze soft as he smiled at her and George. That sense of completeness washed over her again. He was home.