by Eden Summers
“OK. I’ll come find you soon.”
She sucked in a deep breath at the loss of his warmth and strolled for the glass doors leading into the open kitchen area. The end of the tour was always an emotional crossroad. After weeks under the feet of five brilliant men, she then had to go home to an empty apartment. But not this time.
Ryan’s toothbrush would live beside hers. The scent of his aftershave would fill her home. His arms would hold her during the night. Every aspect of her future was an exciting prospect. Even the parts she hadn’t anticipated.
After using the bathroom, she made her way through to the living room and glared at the man standing before the floor to ceiling windows.
“Why are you here?”
Scott turned toward her, a beer bottle in his hand. “I thought the invitation might have been a Reckless olive branch.”
“I’m sure it’s more a case of Mason keeping his friends close and enemies closer.”
“I’m not your enemy, Leah.” He pivoted back to the window and sipped from his beer. “Never have been.”
“That’s news to me.”
“It was business. You can’t blame us for trying to hold on to our most successful band.”
“I can.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And I will.”
He shrugged. “Well, that’s all over now. Grander has come to terms with losing you guys. We’re not going to fight it any longer.”
“Good.” She began striding for the door, only to stop when he began talking again.
“Ryan seems crazy about you.” There was no hint of a threat, just an undeniable poke at her protective nature. “If you’re unconvinced I’m not out to get you, at least believe me when I say I could’ve demanded anything when he came to my home asking for a favor. He was desperate. Yet, I let him off easily.”
“Do you expect a thank you?”
“No. But a lesser dose of animosity would be nice.”
“I bet Felicity and Hannah feel the same way.”
He took another gulp from the bottle. “Gay artists don’t sell.”
“They do if you back them. You need to start a trend instead of following archaic opinions. Maybe then you won’t have every artist hating the sight of you.” She continued for the door, this time not stopping until she was in the back yard and at Ryan’s side.
“What did Scott have to say?” he asked in greeting.
She wove her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. “Have you been watching me?”
“Like a hawk.”
Her cell vibrated in her front pocket and she pulled it out to see an incoming video call.
“Shit. It’s Blake.” She shot Ryan a glance. “Where is everyone?”
“You looking for us?” Mason asked from behind her, his arm around Sidney.
“Yes.” She turned in Ryan’s embrace, finding Mitch and Alana approaching hand in hand as Mason waved over Sean and Melody.
“Hurry.” Her Reckless family rushed to nestle close, all of them staring at the picture that came on screen. Blake had his arm outstretched, holding up his cell as he lounged beside Gabi on a hospital bed.
“Oh, my, god.” Leah’s free hand came to her mouth at the sight of the baby cradled in Gabi’s arms, it’s tiny body swaddled in a pink blanket.
“It’s a girl.” Blake kissed the side of his wife’s head. “Sophie Marie Kennedy.”
A chorus of congratulations were offered, some more drunkenly ecstatic than others while Leah blinked through a sheen of tears. “Are you both healthy and happy?”
“Terribly happy.” Gabi smiled through obvious exhaustion. “I’m just glad Blake made it here in time. I wasn’t sure if he would.”
“We’re all so proud of you both.”
“And we can’t wait to get home to see you all,” Alana added.
“Thank you.” Gabi leaned into Blake. “I’m looking forward to introducing Sophie to her gorgeous aunts and uncles.”
“What happens from here?” Sidney asked. “How long will you stay in the hospital?”
“We’re not sure.” Blake touched a gentle finger to the baby’s nose. “But my first job is to buy a shotgun and let all those little fuckers know my girl is off limits.”
“Blake.” Gabi swatted her husband with her free hand.
“I’m not joking.” Blake remained unapologetic as he spoke to his wife. “The most beautiful girl in the world is going to have thousands of admirers, so I’m starting my stockpile of bullets early.”
Sophie let out a squawk and Gabi turned to face the camera. “We better go. I’ve still gotta work out this breastfeeding thing.”
Another chorus of well wishes came forth as Gabi blew kisses at the camera. Then they were gone, leaving euphoria in their wake.
“The first Reckless progeny has arrived.” Sean shouted with an empty glass raised in his hand. “This calls for tequila shots.”
Ryan groaned from behind her and everyone else dispersed, following the drummer with heavy intoxication in mind.
“You’re quiet,” she whispered to Ryan, already sensing his unease. “Want to talk about it?”
“No. I’m happy for them.”
“I know you are. But I also know you’re upset.”
His scotch glass rose, and she heard him drink heavily from behind her. She didn’t react. She had a sense any sudden movement might spook him.
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” he murmured. “Julie thinks I can’t have kids. She said she’d tried for years with no success. Then bam, she starts fucking around with some other guy and instantly she’s impregnated. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out I’m the problem.”
“You’re not the problem, Ryan.” She trailed her fingers over the hand at her stomach, knowing without doubt he was wrong.
“You don’t know that.”
She shrugged. “Call it intuition.”
He sighed, his disbelief heavy between them. She hadn’t wanted to have this conversation yet. The whole kids thing was scary. She’d planned on waiting until they were back in New York, with the stress of the tour behind them.
“Ryan, there’s something I haven’t told you, too.”
“I’m listening.”
She gripped his hand and turned to him. “I’ve already been to the doctor. I went when we were back in Memphis.”
His lips parted, his eyes widened. But it was fear morphing his features, not intrigue.
“I didn’t want to talk to you about it until we were home. With the tour and media issues… I just… I didn’t want this to be mixed in with all that.”
“Is it bad?”
“It’s something that’s going to affect me for the rest of my life.” She was struggling to keep a straight face. “It’ll affect both of us.”
“Fuck. Is it can—”
She placed a finger over his lips. “Don’t swear.”
“Then tell me.”
She leaned in and whispered the news softly in his ear.
He pulled back in an instant, his hands cupping her face, his gaze scrutinizing. “Shut the front door.”
“Shh.” She grinned. “It’s too early to let anyone know.”
“But…” His mouth worked around silent words. “Julie said…”
“I don’t care what Julie said. She was wrong. And from the doctor’s estimation, I probably fell pregnant the first time we were together.”
“I told you that condom was old… But I still don’t believe it.”
She chuckled. “My constant tears and inability to cope hasn’t been a blindingly obvious clue?”
The corner of his lips lifted, his love hitting her with the simplest expression. “I thought that was because of me.”
“No.” She placed her mouth to his. “It’s the hormones.”
He nodded and bit his lip, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Oh, god, if he started tearing up she was destined to sob like a baby.
“Don’t cry, Ryan.” Her vision blurred. “I couldn’t
stand to see that right now. I’d break.”
He placed his forehead against hers, continuing to hold her cheeks as he closed his eyes. “I love you, Leah. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
“Then marry me,” he whispered. “I’ll give you a proper proposal soon. I’ll send flowers and have a ring…” His palms trailed down her arms to eventually cradle her hands as he lowered to one knee. “Please, Leah. I adore you. You’re everything to me. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
A gasp escaped her lips, the attention of an entire drunken after party turning to face them. “I’d love to marry you.”
He beamed at her, making her stomach flip-flop and her heart clench the longer his undiluted happiness radiated back at her.
“You better get back up here before we cause too much of a scene.” She yanked him to his feet.
“Too late.” Mason approached, a bottle of tequila in his hand. “What the fuck just happened?”
“We’re getting married,” Ryan announced, pulling her in for a kiss that curled her toes and probably those of innumerable people in the vicinity.
She sank against him, tangling her fingers in his hair as she wordlessly reciprocated his love.
“Fucking hell.” Mason sighed and raised his voice to shout, “We’re going to need another bottle of tequila.”
Epilogue
Leah continued to stare at the marriage officiant as he rambled on about vows and commitment. Why had she needed so many words? Why couldn’t it have been a case of “Do you take him? Do you take her? Congratulations, you’re married. Now go and sit down.”
Her lower back was pounding, her swollen cankles aching, her stomach tight and uncomfortable. She didn’t care who proclaimed otherwise, the last month of pregnancy truly did suck a bag of dicks. She was always tired and horny. Why the hell was she so horny?
She just wanted her baby in her arms, the soft cries of life tickling her ears.
“Ryan Bennett, do you take Leah Gorman to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse—”
The words kept going. On and on, each one adding to her unease.
“I do.”
She closed her eyes at the sound of that voice. Ryan would get her through this. It was only a few more minutes before she could sit and relax. It wasn’t like they had a guest list to entertain. They’d only invited eight people. Nine if you included Blake and Gabi’s daughter.
“Leah?”
“Hmm?”
“You need to say, ‘I do.’”
“Oh.” She opened her eyes and grimaced. “I do.” Her voice broke as searing pain descended on her lower back.
“Hey.” Ryan grabbed her arm. “What happened?”
“Nothing, just a twinge.” She squeezed his hand. “Keep going.”
More words were spoken. A ring slid onto her finger and she fumbled to do the same for Ryan through narrowed vision.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Ryan leaned in, his lips stopping an inch away. “Leah?”
A rush of warmth gushed between her thighs, the sensation trickling down her legs. Holy shit. She peered at the floor, unable to see her feet over the mountain of stomach, and had to step back to observe the puddle of liquid pooled on the floorboards.
“Umm…”
There was a mutter behind her, then another and another.
She raised her gaze to the officiant, then to Ryan.
“Clean up, aisle five,” Mason called from the front row.
Asshole. She was going to kill him. Not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day soon Mason would taste her revenge from the years of brotherly bullshit.
“I think we need to get you to the hospital.” Ryan wrapped his arm around her, supporting her weight.
“Would you like me to call an ambulance?” the officiant asked.
Ryan stole her attention, his panicked eyes repeating the question.
“No.” She straightened and placed a fortifying hand on her lower back. “We can make it on our own.”
“Are you sure?” Ryan swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to remember how to drive.”
She began to smile, the humor fading as pain crept into her abdomen, subtle at first, then building higher and tighter in intensity. She reached for his shoulders and bent over to fight the building agony.
Everything dimmed. It was only her and the pain. Only agony and the need to fight through it. Then slowly, the destruction ebbed and she blinked back to reality to find all their friends by her side—Mason and Sidney, Sean and Melody, Mitch and Alana, and Blake, Gabi, and baby Sophie.
“I’ve got you.” Ryan held her forearms, his grip unyielding.
“Me, too.” Alana rubbed Leah’s back. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“I think something might be wrong,” she whispered. The pain was too rich. She hadn’t expected the potency. Surely, giving birth couldn’t last for hours if this was the torture involved. “Am I going to make it through this?” She looked at Gabi, then to the little baby now wriggling in her father’s arms.
“You’re going to do great.” Gabi’s fake smile faded as she glanced to Ryan. “Those contractions are fast. We need to hurry.”
“One more push.”
Leah wailed, unleashing every ounce of empathy in Ryan’s body and tying it up in knots. He was completely helpless, useless, while this unfathomably brilliant woman brought life into the world right before his eyes. Well… Not right before his eyes. He had no intention of moving his line of sight anywhere past her abdomen.
He was learning from Blake’s mistake—Buddy, I beg you. Do not go down there. You’ll never recover. Ryan didn’t need to be told twice.
“You’re doing a great job.” He held her hand, wishing the painful squeeze of her grip was doing something to alleviate her torture.
“I can’t do it.” She slumped forward, panting. “I can’t.”
“One more push, Leah.” The doctor poked his head up from between her legs. “I can already see the baby’s head.”
Ryan couldn’t fault the hospital’s support. They’d pulled out all the stops, ensuring Leah had additional staff to assist through the delivery of their child. Not that it seemed to be helping. She was in too much pain. Her agony killing him.
“No,” she cried.
“Don’t give up.” He moved into her line of vision, demanding the attention of her unfocused eyes. “You’re almost there.” He guided the hair back from her face, wishing she knew how gorgeous she was in this moment. In every moment.
“One more push,” the doctor repeated. “You’ve got this.”
Ryan nodded, trying not to be daunted by the man staring between his wife’s legs. His wife. Holy shit. What a day.
She wailed, bearing down on his hand like a warrior.
There was a mass of movement in his periphery, the doctor doing things Ryan didn’t want to witness. The midwife assisted while another hovered close. Within seconds, another wail sounded. This one smaller. Meek and so undeniably heart-wrenching.
Everything after that sound was smothered by his harsh breathing and the rapid flow of blood through his ears. He clung to Leah’s hand as the doctor murmured praise about the birth, then the placenta, and finally the announcement they were parents to a beautiful baby boy.
He didn’t have time to take it all in—he was now a husband, a parent, the father to a son—before surgical scissors were placed in his hand and he was hacking at an incredibly tough umbilical cord.
Everyone moved in a rush, while he swayed on his feet. The doctor checked Leah for injury, the midwife took his child to the far corner for observations. And he merely blinked in a daze, unable to compute what had just happened until someone called out, “Ryan, would you like to hand your son over to Leah?”
A lady came toward him with a swaddled b
lue bundle while another went to his wife, removing her legs from the clinical stirrups, placing a blanket over them, and helping her to sit.
“I don’t know how.” He reached out, his limbs shaking, his heart thunderous.
“It’s a great time to learn.”
The nurse smiled and placed the tiny human in his arms. His son stole his breath, depriving him of thought. That tiny nose. Those cute lips. The bright blue, unfocused eyes blinking up at him.
“How is he?” Leah asked, her voice hoarse.
“Beyond words.” He came to her side, each step cautious. “I’m so proud of you.” He placed their child into her waiting arms and leaned against the bed. He couldn’t move. Didn’t want to. The caustic fluorescent light from the ceiling didn’t dull the heavenly image.
He’d never been happier. More whole. Entirely content. His throat was clogged. And his eyes, fuck, they were burning.
“I love you more than life.”
She grinned, the curve of lips lessening her look of exhaustion. “I love you, too.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Invincible. You?”
“Complete. I never thought my heart could make more room after you took it over.”
“I know what you mean.” She ran her finger over the baby’s forehead, trailing an intricate pattern over the flawless skin. “What should we call him?”
“How about Mace?” a familiar voice asked from the door.
Ryan turned and grinned at Mason and Sidney. “Not going to happen.”
“Really? I think it has a nice ring to it.” Mason came forward and placed a kiss in Leah’s hair. “For once, you look like you’ve done some work.”
Leah released a breathy laugh and accepted a hug from Sidney. “Please get revenge for me later.”
“I promise.” Sidney smiled, her focus on the already sleeping baby. “He’s so cute. Have you thought of a name yet?”
“We have.” Leah met Ryan’s gaze as she announced. “Tyler Mace Bennett.”
He nodded. Tyler Bennett. The name already suited the little guy.
“Are you shitting me?” Mason glanced between them. “You’re shitting me, aren’t you?”
“Mason,” Sidney growled. “Watch your language in front of the baby.”