by Mj Fields
“Is it—”
“Come feel, Brand,” she whispers.
She lifts her shirt as I walk to her and takes my hand, placing it on her belly. She turns and looks at me, smiling. “Come on, baby; give Daddy a kick.”
A couple seconds later, I get exactly that.
“Did you feel?”
“Yeah.” I smile and nod. “Yeah, I did.”
“That’s a first.” She grins then holds my hand against her belly with both of hers.
“You’re not just telling me that because you think I can’t handle—”
She lets go of my hand and shakes her head.
“Katy—”
“Just don’t, okay? Just … leave me alone.”
“Excuse me?”
She turns and looks at me. “I really don’t want to cry and have them walk in here and see me a mess. So, yes, Brand Falcon, leave me alone.”
I feel the baby kick again. “Your momma’s pissed at me.”
“Brand,” she snarls.
I turn my body slightly so she’s getting my back and continue, “She is, but you and I are gonna come to an understanding before you come out of her. In this family, we hide nothing. And it was my understanding that I was part of this, and now—”
“You most certainly are. Don’t be like that.”
I lean down and whisper, “Your daddy is a strong man and—”
She grabs my head and pushes my lips against her little bump, and I feel another kick.
I can’t help smiling, nor can I help pressing kisses to that very spot, no more than she can help the moan that escapes her when I do, which causes things to stir in my Lucky’s.
She threads her fingers in my hair, and I turn to face her, laying my cheek against her skin.
“I just didn’t want you to worry,” she whispers.
“Boot on the other foot, how would that make you feel?” I whisper back as I rub my cheek softly against her skin.
She doesn’t say anything.
“Don’t want you to feel like you have to protect my heart when yours is the one I’m concerned with, okay?”
She nods. “I promise.”
“Also really don’t want to be pissed at anyone who told you that was a good idea.”
She looks at me curiously.
“Gonna assume your family knows.”
“Brand—”
“Gonna assume my producer knows.”
“He’s my uncle first,” she whispers a weak defense.
“And you and little bump here are my everything. If I feel like I’m being shut out—”
“That was never my intention, and you know that.”
“And now you know how I feel about it.” I want to say so don’t fucking do it again, but as hot as she is when she argues with me, in a case like this … “I’m not playing.”
As she starts to smirk, I turn my head and put my lips on the little bump. “I ever get down on one knee, your momma better not say yes unless she one hundred percent gets that I’m serious. If she doesn’t, I’m gonna be square up her ass until she does. Your mommy may look cute in that blazer; I’m not thinking I would.” I kiss her belly at least a dozen more times before she takes a fist full of my hair and pulls me up to her lips.
She whispers, “Never again. I promise.”
She opens her mouth to mine, and I take my first taste of my greatest addiction. Her tongue quivering against mine, I grab the sides of her face, stilling her, deepening our kiss.
A voice clearing makes me jump back and Katy smiles.
I turn and look at the woman. “My apologies. Been out of town for a month, and I was missing my girl.”
She nods. “Understood.” She looks at Katy, who tries to hide her smile. “So, this must be the baby’s father.”
“Brand, meet Ida. Ida, Brand—”
“Falcon.” Ida winks at her. “The office buzz was correct, then.”
“Yep.”
“You two gonna try to find out the sex today?” Ida asks, rolling a cart with a monitor on it to the other side of the exam table.
Katy looks at me. “Are we?”
“Think we could do a reveal party?”
She smiles. “I think that would be fun.”
“We have a couple event planners who could set that up for you. We can send them the results, and they could make it as simple or as lavish as you two want.” She grabs a squeeze bottle of gel.
“Yeah?” Katy asks.
“Definitely.” I lean down and kiss her quickly.
“You two love birds ready to do this?” Ida asks.
“We are,” I say, linking my fingers with Katy’s.
“This is going to be cold.” Ida squirts the gel on Katy’s belly then rubs it around with the handheld probe. “The sound you hear is your baby’s heartbeat.”
“Does it sound all right?” I ask.
“We’ll get a printout for the doctor—”
“Katy has an irregular heartbeat.”
Ida looks at me, and Katy squeezes my hand.
“It’s a concern.”
“We’ll make sure we monitor it closely in the months to come.” Ida smiles kindly. “It sounds very steady to me. Your child’s heart rate is”—she pauses, looks closer at the screen, and laughs—“very strong. One sixty-five.” She hits a button. “And now”—she smiles again—“do you see a blob or—”
“No, I see our baby,” I manage to answer. I look at Katy. “Looks a bit different than the first, huh?”
Her eyes glisten with tears as she nods. “Hey, Brand?”
“Hey, Katy?”
“We’re having a baby.”
“Yes, we are.”
She lets me drive the thirty minutes to the house, thank God, but her car is much smaller than I’m used to.
“We need to get you a bigger vehicle before little Conway comes.”
“We’re not naming our baby after a country singer … unless it’s you. And there’s nothing wrong with my car.”
“It’s too small.”
“Is not.” She laughs.
“We’ll research what’s best. We also need to research car seats and all the baby gear we’re gonna need.”
“Mom says I need diapers, wipes, and boobs. The rest is overkill.”
I chuckle. “You’ve definitely got the tits.”
“Wouldn’t have guessed you noticed.”
I pull her hand to my lips. “Trust me, I noticed.”
“Are we gonna argue about—”
“No.”
“But you—”
“No.”
“No?” she huffs.
“Never missed something as much as I missed you over these past few weeks, so no.”
“You realize the word no incites an argument, correct?”
“No.”
Katy’s phone rings, and I hit accept on her steering wheel.
“Hello?”
“Well, the Seashore daily rag just posted pics of their newest target coming out of a doctor’s office.”
“Newest?” she huffs.
“Yeah, well, you may get the shit at school from the wretched twat, but I get it for two straight hours after school, as well,” Truth sighs. “Not the point, though. Did you see the picture?”
“I told you I don’t have the app, and honestly, you should delete it, too, Truth.”
“I have another year here,” she huffs. “Again, not the point. I’ll send the picture. It’s you, baby bump showing, and you’re holding Brand’s hand. Can’t really tell it’s him, but still. Cat’s gonna be out of the bag soon enough. Might as well own it.”
“We’ll deal with it when we go back. The next ten days, they can assume whatever they want to. I love you, Truth. Would never steer you wrong. I really wish you would just adopt the fuck-it attitude. They’ll leave you alone.”
“They aren’t leaving you alone,” she snips at Katy.
“We’ll be home in a few minutes. We’ll chat then, okay?”
�
�Yeah, whatever,” Truth sighs then hangs up.
“Katy,” I say, trying to keep my voice even.
“Brandon?” she says, slightly mocking me.
“You having a hard time at Seashore?”
“No.” She shrugs.
“Then what is Truth talking about?”
“Truth is adjusting to a whole new world and trying to find her place in the process.”
“You are, too,” I point out.
“Not true. I’ve never really cared to be part of something, because I already was. Never looked for a boyfriend, unless it was to go to a formal with, and never was bored. I’m done with school officially in a few months and have the most ridiculous slack-ass schedule because I took so many online courses over the past three school years and summer that I only have one class that I actually need to graduate.”
“Katy, who’s giving you shit?”
She tells me about Harrison Reeves and some Gabrielle, a typical mean girl. Says she has it under control.
“I don’t like the fact that he thinks he can talk to you like that. Might need to have a word with—”
She laughs. “Like that will help.”
“How will it hurt?”
She turns fully toward me. “Harrison is harmless. He just gets some sick satisfaction fueling her hate. The only real option is to go into that school and kick Gabby’s ass. Obviously, I can’t do that at present time, and Truth isn’t built that way. The smart thing to do is give it less gas.”
“This is shit you’re dealing with every day?” Again, I try to hide my anger.
“No.” She looks out the window. “They keep things from me now.”
“Because of …?” Better not be me, I think.
“My dysfunctional heart.” She laughs.
Me? I don’t think it’s all that fucking funny.
Here and Now
Katherine
Brand got his first Christmas slash birthday surprise from me when we walked into the house.
“Come over here, my boy.” Mags stretched her arms open, and he hurried to her and hugged her. When he finally stepped back, she held his cheeks. “Happy Birthday and Christmas Eve, my boy.”
He was so excited that she was here, and that made my heart so very happy.
Dinner with our families was just his family and those of us who still live under this roof. It was nice. He was exhausted but took a bit extra joy in telling them that we are having a gender reveal. He did so at the same time he told them and me that he was going to plan it all.
I’m not sure if it was a slap on the hand for keeping my heart condition from him until I could see him or because he wants to do this for me. I’m not going to broach the subject for a while, and I’ll bask in the thought of the latter for now.
When the song, “Happy Birthday,” comes from down the hall, he looks at me with question in his beautiful hazel eyes. I smile as I nod for him to look back.
We all join in as Momma Joe and Thomas walk out carrying a huge black velvet cake with butter cream frosting, decorated with his band’s logo and sparklers on top.
Why black velvet?
Julianna told me it was his favorite.
Why sparklers?
Fourth of Julys spent at the lake with his family; that’s why.
Brand was fighting to keep his eyes open but also insisted on helping clean up.
“Brandon,” Momma Joe tsks as she takes dirty plates from his hand. “I spent two days in bed after my flight from Italy; I know you’re a young, virile man, but even the most—”
“Momma Joe, you wanna help me out over here?”
“One moment, Jase, I’m talking with Brandon.”
“Exactly,” Dad sputters.
Momma Joe shakes her head at Dad and looks back at Brand. “Go next door. Our Katy has more birthday surprises for you.” She winks at him then looks at me. “You know Santa isn’t real, so, Katherine, stay in bed with your man—”
“Momma Joe!” Dad’s voice shakes. “I could really use your help.”
Laughing, she kisses Brand on each cheek, and then does the same to me.
“Love you, Momma Joe. Thanks for all your help.”
I look at Mom, and she smirks while shaking her head back and forth just slightly. She gives me a hug and whispers, “She’s a big believer in the physical parts being just as important as the emotional in a relationship.”
“Can’t say as I disagree,” I whisper back, and she laughs.
Dad pops a kiss to my head. “See you in the morning, Katy girl.”
“Love you, Dad.”
I stand back and watch Brand have a moment with his family, saying goodnight with a bro hug to his brothers, hugs with his father and mother, and hugs, kisses, and all sorts of sweetness in his eyes for Mags. They’re staying here and waiting on Brand to wake up so they can spend some time with him before they head back to Lake Hopatcong.
I have nine days before going back to school, and I’m planning on spending each of them with him.
Holding Brand’s hand, I feel like I’m basically dragging him behind me. “Do I need to slow down, old man?”
“Just taking my time,” he says.
“Take your time tomorrow, cowboy; it’s freezing out here.” I turn, smiling at him, and catch him staring at my ass, so I shake it just a little more than normal as I take the steps up to his place.
I open the door wide enough for him to see that I decorated the front entry with a birthday banner, balloons, and a welcome home sign.
He smiles as he takes it all in. “Birthday and welcome home, huh?”
“Had to cover all my bases.”
“You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever walked in the front door of our house.”
Our house.
I bend down and pull off one of my boots, as he shrugs off his jacket. I look up as I pull off the other and see him looking up as he shoves his hand in his pocket.
“Need help with your boots or maybe …” I flatten my hand against his jeans and feel him harden against my touch. His breath hitches, and his eyes roll ever so slightly at the contact.
“Not now, babe,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me up.
“So that’s a hard no to a birthday blowjob?”
“What?” he asks.
“I have a list of birthday slash Christmas surprises for you. Blowjob was on the list, so …”
He holds my face gently in his hands. “Love that you’re surprising me with all these birthday slash Christmas surprises. It’s absolutely the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Mags, my family, black velvet, Momma Joe—she’s always a treat—the signs, the balloons, and I am by no means trying to mess this up or declining a birthday blowjob, but I had a little something planned, too. Was hoping to make it the day before Christmas or my birthday; wanted my surprise to have its own moment, own day. So, if we could push pause for just a minute.”
He bends down, on one knee, and holds up the most sparkly thing I’ve ever seen. “I don’t wanna hide our love inside these walls or worry about who sees us. I don’t want some punk from school thinking they can tell the world I love you before I can shout it myself. I don’t want to wait until you graduate, or you’re done with college, or you’ve had our baby. I want to love you out loud every day for the rest of our lives, without a care in the world. I want you to be mine and me to be yours, legally, as well as—”
“Yes.” I bat a tear from my face. “Yes, yes, yes.”
He pushes the ring onto my finger.
“It fits perfectly.”
“Of course, it does. When I asked your dad for your heart, not your hand, he not only said yes but told me your ring size.”
“My God, you are a gentleman to the core, aren’t you?” I ask as I press my lips against his.
He slides his hands from my face, down my shoulders, around my back, and reaches down to grab my ass hard. “Not always.”
“Love where this is going, Brand, but your grip is too damn tight.”
He lets go immediately. “Did I hurt you?”
Inside, I’m smiling like a fool. “Could you maybe check to see if you bruised it?”
His brows shoot up. “Bruised it?”
I turn around and look over my shoulder. He looks shook.
I walk a couple steps, unzip my skirt, and let it fall. Then I start to shimmy out of my tights. Looking over my shoulder, I watch his nostrils flare. “Do you see a bruise?”
He shakes his head and reaches for me.
I take the stairs two at a time and hear him laugh deeply, maniacally, behind me as I stand at the top of the stairs, looking down at him. I pull my sweater over my head and toss it at him. Unsnapping my bra, I smirk and toss that at him, too. Then I cup my breasts and squeeze them together. “Hey, cowboy, how about you get into your birthday suit and join the party?”
He reaches over his shoulder to pull his shirt over his head as he toes off his boots. Then he unbuttons his jeans and drops them. The first few inches of his dick are poking out of his boxers.
“Playing peek-a-boo with me, big daddy? Hard to get, maybe?”
He shakes his head, looking down as he bites back a smile, then he looks up. “Turn around and let me see my name”—he sucks a quick breath in between his teeth—“on your sexy ass.”
“Since it’s your birthday present.” I turn and shimmy my thong down. Then I stand up straight when I hear him walking up the stairs.
I step back, eyes widening when I see his are damn near black.
“Love you, Brand.” My voice mirrors the need inside me.
He squats slightly so we’re eye-to-eye. “Love you, Katherine Ann. Love you so much.”
With one arm wrapped around me, just under my ass, he lifts me up until my tits are eye level. He presses his lips against my nips, causing them to pucker into tight balls of aching nerves. The cold marble of the countertop against my tender ass feels good in the strangest way.
He grabs my hips and whispers, “If it gets to be too much, you gotta tell me, Katy.”
He’s worried about my heart. I’m not. He’s the one who makes it race to a steady beat, makes it calm when he smiles at me, and has finally made me feel like I wasn’t crazy my whole life, lusting after something that would never be mine, because he always has been mine.