Reaching For You: A New Adult Contemporary Romance (Anything For You Book 2)

by Hopkins, Faleena

  “Having you move in was the second best decision I’ve ever made,” he mumbles, barely able to talk.

  On a catching breath, I say, “What was the first?”

  He doesn’t answer, just reaches around and holds both of my breasts through my red bra. “I like this getup you’ve got going on here.”

  “I couldn’t tell,” I smile.

  He laughs and climbs off me. “Let me get you a towel. Hang on.” I watch him walk to the bathroom, thinking I have to tell him tonight.

  I was late, took the test and it came out positive. I am pretty sure he’s going to be happy about it, but it’s a bit sooner than we planned on, that’s for sure. When we talked about children, it seemed like a far away concept. Well, it just got in-your-face close.

  Brendan walks out of the bathroom with his pants zipped back up, carrying a towel in his hand. His eyes are shining and he’s looking at me like he’s a happy man. My heart skips as he rakes a hand through his hair and hands me the towel. There will never come a day when I don’t find him stunning in every way.

  “Let’s go out tonight.”

  “That’d be great,” I smile, thinking, This is perfect. I can tell him over dinner. “Let me just get dressed.”

  He smirks. “What? You’re not wearing that?”

  “Oh, I’ll wear this… under a dress.”

  He whistles between his teeth. “I’ll be the only one who knows what you’re wearing under it.”

  “That’s right. You’re that lucky.”

  His eyes go thoughtful. “You might want to wear different shoes.”

  “Oh?”

  He nods.

  “Okay then. You’re probably right. It’s hard to walk up the hills in these puppies.”

  I come out in a black 1940’s style dress which works well with the fishnets, only now I’ve got on a very low pump with a round toe. “What do you think?”

  He grins and kisses me as I walk to the door to meet him. “You might want to grab a thicker coat.”

  I glance to him, my hands on a light jacket. Shrugging, I shift and pick up a heavier one. “This better?”

  “Yeah, I don’t want you to get cold.”

  “Thank you, handsome.” I rise on my toes and kiss him again. He touches his tongue gently to mine.

  “You’re welcome, Freckles.”

  After awhile in the car, I notice we’re driving pretty far. I’ve been planning how I’m going to break the news to him so I wasn’t paying attention to where we were going. My hand is subconsciously on my womb as I sit looking out the passenger seat window at San Francisco passing by. Seeing a sign for the walking path to The Golden Gate Bridge, I’m a little surprised, and I glance over to him, but he’s navigating the car, his posture comfortable and focused. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, men’s minds focus on one thing at a time. Let them finish that thing, and they’re all ears. Plus, I like that he’s taking us somewhere unusual. This will be perfect for the baby news. Now if only my nerves will let me stop tapping my feet so I don’t give away I’ve got something on my mind.

  I’ve never been pregnant before. This is a conversation I’ve never had to have. But having Brendan’s child will make me the happiest, proudest woman I’d ever imagined I could be. I just hope he wants to be a dad. Oh, please don’t freak out, Brendan! My heart beats faster, anxious about what he’ll say when he hears.

  He parks the car and holds his hand up for me to stay put. I watch him get out, cross around the front of the car, and open my door. He holds out his hand and I take it, rising up and smiling at him, the father of my child. “Hi.”

  “Hi, Beautiful. We haven’t taken a walk on the bridge yet. I thought we’d do something new. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  His eyes narrow. “Have you ever done this with anyone?”

  I shake my head, smiling. “Never.”

  “Good. Come on.” With a chirp, he locks the car and we walk easily and naturally together in silence for awhile. “See why I had you bring your thicker coat?”

  “Mmmhmm. That was very thoughtful of you,” I reply, smiling up at his proud face as he glances down to me.

  “You make me feel like a man, Annie. You really do.” He looks away, those brows of his pushing up on his forehead the way I love so much. The breeze over the bay picks up to a steady wind as we get closer to the center of the bridge. There’s a light fog out tonight and only a few people. There could be a million and I wouldn’t see them anyway.

  Beside the base of an enormous red-painted beam, Brendan stops and brings my hand to his lips and kisses it, his eyes bright. He kneels down and pulls a ring out of his pocket.

  “Oh my God!” I yelp, my hands flying up to my face.

  He holds up a graceful, yet simple, diamond ring. It’s perfect. It’s absolutely perfect. “This belonged to my grandmother,” he tells me, his eyes filled with love. “Annabelle O’Brien, I can’t imagine a day on this Earth where I don’t call you mine forever. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He pauses, a smile tugging at his lips. “Will you marry me, Freckles?”

  “I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.

  His eyebrows fall and his eyes numb with surprise. “What?”

  My heart is pounding, hurting with suspense. “I’m pregnant, and I was going to tell you tonight, but I can’t say yes without telling you, because I don’t want you to ever think I’m hiding something again! I was just going to tell you! I’ve been planning it! I promise!”

  He’s incredulous and he says on surprised grin, “Well, are you going to say yes, or are you just going to leave me hanging!?”

  I burst into happy laughter. “Yes!! Yes, of course I will!” I kneel on the ground in front of him and take his face in my hands. “Brendan Michael Clark, I want nothing more in the whole world than to be with you until the day I die. I could live with you in sin, or I could marry you, or…”

  He rises up, bringing me with him as he puts his finger to my mouth to quiet my blabbering. “Let’s get married and live in sin.”

  “Can I wear a black wedding gown?!”

  He laughs, “If you want to.”

  I look to the side, thinking about it. “No, I’ll wear white. It’ll be hilarious with my belly all huge.”

  He pulls me to him and crushes his lips to mine. We lose ourselves in the kiss, holding each other tightly. “We’re going to have a baby!” he says against my lips.

  “Yeah, we are,” I smile, kissing him again.

  “Remember when I said having you move in with me was the second best decision?”

  I nod. He puts the engagement ring on my finger as my heart floats.

  “This was my first.” He crushes me to him. “I love you, Annie.”

  I whisper against his chest, “Finally!”

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Brendan

  Four Months Later. St. Dominic’s Church

  “I’ve never done this before, but it can’t be too hard,” Mark mumbles, fastening on my boutonniere. “It’s crooked. Hang on.” He messes with it some more and steps back. “Looking good, B-man. Lookin’ good! I almost swore, but it feels like you can’t in this place.”

  I laugh and turn to face the mirror, the sunlight bright thanks to the skylight. My tux is cut in the style of the 1920’s, with tails and a white bow tie. It looks like I’ve stepped off the set of Downton Abbey. I turn my chin to the left and right, checking if my bow tie is straight and centered, fiddling with it until I’m satisfied.

  “Nicole looks happy,” I say to Mark. “You guys are doing well. Thank you for coming back for the wedding, buddy.”

  Mark smiles, standing beside me and fixing a closed white rose to his lapel. “Yeah, when I mentioned we were next she nearly fainted,” he laughs. “But I’ll get her.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’ve already got her,” I smirk.

  Nicole and Mark have been staying with us for their visit, in his old room, which we’ve kept as a guest room. We’re not g
oing to be living in the penthouse much longer though. Annie and I don’t want the baby’s room upstairs. It’d be too far away from us to monitor. I’m the one who brought it up after I had a nightmare that I couldn’t get to the little one in time. God, that was the worst dream I’ve ever had. I think the shooting and Tommy’s betrayal have left residual effects.

  “How’s it comin’ along there?” I call over to Bobby, who’s struggling with his pants.

  “I think I’ve been hitting the beer too hard. These fit last month.”

  Mark and I chuckle. But then he looks at me, and his eyes go a little dark. “It’s still weird about Tommy. He could have been here.”

  Bobby mutters, “I can’t believe all the stuff that’s coming out about his family.”

  Mark’s lips tighten and he shakes his head slightly. “It’s unreal. Really hard to get your head around, you know?”

  I nod and step away from the mirror to check my phone for the time. “Yeah. Crazy stuff.”

  “You think you know someone,” Bobby adds, jumping in place until he succeeds in zipping his slacks. “I got it!”

  “Well done,” I smile, wanting to move away from the subject. “Alright, let’s not talk about him anymore. He’s done enough damage. It’ll be weird testifying against him, but truth? I hope he rots in there, and I will do what I have to, to make sure that happens.”

  Mark nods, his face serious. “Yeah, I told Nicole the dates. I’ll be there with you, no matter how fucking strange it’s going to be. You guys going to move before that or can I stay with you?”

  “We’ll still be there. We’ll have the baby in our room for the first year. Give us some time to find the right place and not rush things. I want to ease into this whole parenthood thing.” A smile sneaks up and Mark smirks to see it.

  He walks to a bottle of champagne and pours three glasses. “Here’s to a miracle I never thought I’d see. B-man married with a baby on the way!!” He hands me a glass, and Bobby walks over to take his, too. We hold them up.

  In a booming voice, Bobby says, “To miracles!”

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Annie

  Stomach: sticking out all the way to Maine.

  I turn from side to side looking at my reflection with my eyebrows twisted. “Do I look like a whale?” Taryn’s poking flowers into my hair, worn long with loose wavy curls. Laura’s examining me with a glass of Chardonnay in her hand. “No. You look stunning. Like a fertility goddess or something.”

  I laugh and throw her a look. Taryn smiles and my mother rushes around the photographer who’s snapping pictures like crazy. She pulls my train out and claps her hands together, “Oh Annie, why’d you have to pick a dress with a train this long? What if you trip and fall in your condition?”

  I shake my head, fingering a small white, baby rosebud tucked in my hair. “Well, you’ll have to make sure it stays free and clear of my feet then, Mom. Hey… come here.” She looks up and rises to walk the couple steps to be at my side. “Thank you for everything. It’s a beautiful wedding and I’ve had the best time.”

  She’s sheepish, unsure how to handle such an earnest compliment from sarcastic me. She’s still not used to the woman I’ve grown into. “How can you have had the best time? It hasn’t happened yet.”

  “Well, it has for me. And I just wanted to thank you. You and Dad have been incredible.”

  She throws up her hands in an embarrassed frenzy. “Well, who knew he had a savings account set aside for this! The man never ceases to surprise me!”

  “We could have handled it,” I tell her, for the millionth time.

  “Tish tish. Stop already.”

  Taryn stands back to check out her masterpiece. “Does Brendan surprise you, Annie?”

  “Every single day.” I turn to look at myself in the mirror. The white silk shines in the sunlit room, and my pregnancy-breasts are overflowing the dress’s low bodice. I touch the pillowy tops of them. “Can my boobs stay like this all the time, please?”

  Everyone laughs and we all look toward the door as it opens. My dad walks in and freezes at the sight of me. He shakes his head. “You look like a whale.”

  “Dad!” I crack up laughing, knowing he’s joking, but my mom nearly loses her lunch and my girlfriends don’t know him well enough to laugh, until they see his eyes glitter. He walks over to me. “You look beautiful, Annie.”

  “Thank you, Daddy.” I give him a big hug.

  “Don’t crush your dress!!!!” My mom nearly yells.

  Dad and I separate and Laura puts her glass down to come fiddle with my dress, but it’s fine. They’re just excited. “Mom, it’s good you’re here so you can do all the freaking out. Someone’s got to!”

  Nicole pokes her head in the door and calls to us, “It’s time!”

  Laura cocks her chin to the side and asks dryly, “You ready for this?”

  Nodding, I follow them to the door. My mom follows me, fastidiously fixing my gown with every step. “Mom, don’t go overboard.”

  She stands up indignantly. “I’m the Matron of Honor–I’m allowed to go overboard.” Then she mumbles as we all wait by the door for the music to start. “Since you don’t, someone’s got to.”

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Brendan

  Me: not religious, but a place like this sure does calm the spirit.

  I take my place by the priest, and we nod hello to one another. “It’s going to be fine,” he tells me.

  “I’m not worried. But thank you,” I smile.

  I was raised catholic and my mom insisted we get married at St. Dominic’s since I’d been baptized here, and my dad would have wanted it. Annie’s not religious, neither am I, really, but it didn’t take much persuading when I drove her to look at the church and told her it was done in English Gothic style. It’s one of, if not the most, majestic in the city.

  “How does this size up to the churches in Italy?” I’d asked her as we walked around inside, our footsteps echoing.

  “It’s just as amazing as any I’ve ever seen,” she’d beamed, admiring the stained glass windows and all the details of the columned arches that ran the length of the long hall. “It’s perfect.”

  “You think so? Good. My mother will be very happy you said that.”

  And now on the big day, I take my place in front of the high alter. Mark’s beside me as my best man and Bobby is on the other side of him. We all exchange a look and turn to the face one hundred and eleven guests who are hushing each other now that we’ve appeared. Nicole, sitting in the second pew, smiles at Mark and makes a face like she’s nervous for Annie. He whispers to me through a smile, not moving his lips, “She’s terrified. Look at her.”

  I chuckle and glance through the room at all the familiar faces, nodding to a few I know more than others, like Margaret, who’s seated a few rows back next to her husband. She’s been slowly coming around after the shock of hearing about Tommy. I’ve never told her I know about their affair, and I never will. I feel for her. She must feel the betrayal I feel, learning how crooked he really was.

  Everyone from my agency is here, spread around on both sides. Annie and I didn’t want the formality of splitting up the room in terms of her guests and mine, since we’re blending our lives together for good anyway. I was surprised when the list kept growing, but there’s always a nearby cousin you forget about. And the people who showed up to support Le Barré’s reopening have become regular fixtures there and we’ve gotten to know quite a few of them. Some of those include people from Mark’s old job. Also some of the staff from Knockout.

  And of course there’s Barb. She’s sitting with a young stud, her hand on his thigh. I give her a wink of being impressed. She smirks my way as he leans to whisper something in her ear. Something that makes her giggle, which is a sight to see.

  My mom is in the front row, beaming at me, next to her boyfriend. It’s still a shock to see someone beside her who isn’t Dad, but I’m getting used to it. She told me she felt him here
in the church, watching over us, last night during the rehearsal. I hope she’s right, but I don’t really go for that sort of thing. If there is a life after this one, I hope he’s moved on to a happier place where he won’t miss us as much as I miss him.

  Manny is in the pew ahead of her and he’s got his new girlfriend, Mercedes, on his arm. This is the first time he’s brought her out to meet everyone and she looks like she can’t be older than twenty. She’s tucked into him and he’s got his arm around her like he just won the Lottery and she was the prize.

  The organ starts. Mark nudges me. My spine straightens. I’m ready to lock this down. They don’t teach us men, when we’re boys, to look forward to marriage. We’re taught we shouldn’t want it, to run as fast as we can. But marrying Annie is the thing I’ve most looked forward to ever since we kicked Tommy’s ass. She’s added something to my life that I didn’t know I lacked. She’s on my team, and at the same time, wants my help. She lets me know I’m needed. Frankly, she makes me feel like I’m a king, and what man doesn’t want that for the rest of his life?

  Taryn comes down the aisle first, wearing a long, silk, black gown from the same era as our tuxes. Both she and Laura have their hair up and I watch Laura walking up behind her, looking great in that dress. I glance over to Dan and see him stunned by her appearance. She winks at him as she passes. He turns, glued to her as she walks by.