The O'Conners: A Made for Love Novella

by Martin, R. C.

  “Sonny…” I start to speak but then I look up at him and see that his eyes are glossy with tears, too. That is my undoing. I cry and laugh, my sudden onrush of joy forcing my mind into a blissful state of confusion. “We made a baby!” I mutter like a blubbering idiot. I don’t care how I sound, though. Apparently, neither does anyone else. Grayson chuckles as he brings my hand to his lips.

  “Can we get a picture?” he asks the doctor, my hand still at his mouth.

  “Oh, absolutely!” she answers, swiping away her own tears. “Damn. This never gets old.”

  It’s another half an hour before Grayson and I are headed to our car. Based on the measurements taken during the ultrasound, I was right about how far along I am—around eight weeks—and we’ve got a due date of anywhere around March sixth. I’m positive our visit would have been longer had we been able to think of anymore questions. Dr. Robins assured the both of us that we could call with more inquiries as they arose, but that she thought we’d be just fine.

  “I want to tell Addie,” I announce as Sonny leads me out of the building. I can barely take my eyes off of our first sonogram.

  “Okay,” he agrees without question.

  “I mean, right now. Can we do it right now? It’s not completely real until my other half knows and, Hottie—”

  He cuts me off with a kiss. “We’ll do it now.” He pulls out his phone and FaceTimes Addie. It rings and rings and, just as we reach the Mustang, she answers.

  “Hey, Gray. Happy anniversary! Where’s my sister? Shouldn’t you two be ensconced in some romantic moment right now?”

  “I’m right here!” I shuffle my way in front of Grayson and he wraps his arm around me, holding me against him. He positions the phone so that Addie can see the both of us.

  “Hey, AJ. Happy anniversary. Again. I thought you told me this morning that you two hand plans this evening.”

  “We do.” I tilt my head back and smile up at Sonny. He winks at me and my smile turns into a grin. “I still don’t know what they are yet, but I’ll find out soon enough. Anyway, we called to tell you something else. Is Hammy there?”

  “No. He—” She stops and smiles, her attention called away from her phone. “You’re in luck! He’s just walking through the door now. Hold on a second.” When she gets up, she brings her phone to her side and we watch her leg as she makes her way to Beckham. We hear it when he greets her with a kiss and I grow impatient with excitement.

  “Hammy! Hey—finish your hello later! We have to tell you guys something.”

  “Oh, hi guys,” says Beckham in greeting as Addie lifts her phone. He rests his chin on my sisters shoulder and for a fraction of a second, I’m simply happy to see their smiling faces. “Happy anniversary, by the way.”

  “Thanks,” says Sonny. “We’ve actually got something we want to show you. Or, someone, I guess.”

  I watch as confusion clouds both of their faces and then I lift the sonogram so that they can see it. The news hits Beckham first. “No way!” His eyes grow wide as he looks to Sonny. He opens his mouth to say more but whatever words are on the tip of his tongue are forgotten when Addison starts to scream.

  I’m talking full on, ear-piercing scream.

  “You’re having a baby?!?” I start to respond but then she starts crying and suddenly there’s a knot in my throat I can’t swallow. “Oh, my gosh! You're pregnant.” She laughs as she attempts to dry her cheeks. More tears are quick to replace the ones she sweeps away. “I sort of hate you right now. You’re supposed to be standing in front of me when you tell me I’m going to be an aunt so I can give you the biggest hug ever.”

  “I’m with her,” says Hammy, giving Addie a squeeze. “We’ll let it slide this once. Have you told anyone else?”

  “Yeah, do mom and dad know?”

  “Not yet,” Sonny answers. “My little mama wanted you to know first.”

  I take a deep breath, willing myself not to cry. Grayson calls me by a lot of names. Sweetheart. Shorty. Gorgeous. Ave. His Bashful Bride. Mrs. O'Conner used to be my favorite, but this is the second time he's called me his Little Mama and the pride in his voice when he says it makes me want to pool into a puddle at his feet.

  “We, um, we're just now leaving the doctor's office,” I manage.

  “I feel so honored and spoiled right now. Babe,” Addie pauses and looks up at Hammy. “You're going to be an uncle.”

  “Lucky kid,” he teases with a wink.

  “We probably won't call mom and dad tonight, so don't say anything in the meantime, okay?”

  “Oh, goodness! You know I'm going to have to avoid mom's calls now, right? No way do I trust myself with this huge little secret. Tell them soon; then call me right after so you can tell me how they react to the news that they'll be grandparents.” She gasps and her eyes well up again. “Aww! Mom and dad are going to be grandparents!”

  “Okay. I need my wife to stop crying for the rest of the night. That can't happen if you keep bursting into tears, Addie. We're going to say goodbye for now.”

  “Sounds good,” Beckham replies with a chuckle, taking the phone from Addie. “Y'all have a good night. And congratulations!”

  “Thanks, man. We'll talk about when you started saying y'all next time.”

  “Shut up,” he laughs.

  “We love you!” Addie cries.

  “We love you, too,” I insist, blowing them a kiss. Then, they're gone. In spite of our goodbye and my regret that we couldn't tell them in person, it feels incredible having shared the news with them. I turn around and prop myself against Sonny's chest as I gaze up at him. “Thank you.”

  “No thanks required,” he tells me, leaning down to grace me with a kiss.

  “I feel excited. Do you?” My cheeks grow rosy with guilt. “I mean, it's just that I've been so consumed with worry that any excitement that I’ve harbored was completely overshadowed by how scared I've been. But now—” I shake my head, my eyes drifting back to the sonogram in my hands. “Our little peanut has a heartbeat. I…I…”

  Grayson gently lifts my chin until my eyes are locked with his. “I know. I feel it, too.”

  I reach up to wrap my arms around his neck, needing him to be closer. He responds in kind and my chest grows tight with emotions I’m having the hardest time combating. “I love you,” I whisper.

  “I love you, too.”

  I breathe in deeply and blow out a sigh before offering him a smile. “Okay. I'm done crying for the night. I promise. Now, will you tell me what we're doing for our anniversary?” I watch as a smirk tugs at his mouth. He pulls away from me before his hand disappears into his pocket. I scowl at him when he pulls out a blindfold. “You're kidding me.”

  “Nope.” He covers my eyes and ties a knot behind my head. “Deep down, you know you love it when I surprise you.”

  I bite the inside of my cheek, fighting a smile. He’s not wrong. His surprises are usually incredibly sweet and romantic. But the loss of vision part? “You know what? I'm going to blindfold you later. We'll see how much you like it.”

  I gasp when I feel his tongue trace between my lips, effectively demolishing my pout. “Do you promise?” he murmurs, barley grazing his mouth against mine.

  I squeeze my legs together in an attempt to get myself under control. It doesn't work. Just the feel of his breath against my lips makes my nipples harden in anticipation of his touch. Suddenly, I don't care if I'm without sight for the rest of the night, so long as he'll stimulate all my other senses.

  “Avery?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you promise?”

  “Promise what?”

  He chuckles and then kisses me hard. “Come on, little mama. Let's get out of here.”

  We have to make a couple stops on our way home in order for me to make this surprise just right. With my schedule, the budget we agreed to spend on the occasion—which was quite meager, after our trip back home last month—and the lack of appropriate venue, compromises had to be made. I’m h
oping she’ll get the idea and love it anyway. She’s the grand gift giver in our marriage, having had years of practice with every birthday celebrated for the ones nearest and dearest to her heart.

  My woman loves birthdays, something fierce.

  I, on the other hand, grew up hating the unavoidable annual occasion. That said, I’ve come to appreciate what they mean to my wife. While I might not have as much practice in the gift department as she, and while I’m not always the most romantic guy in the world, I try; and if ever there was a reason to pull out all the stops, the anniversary of the best day of my life is one of them.

  “Are we here? And where is here?” she asks as I park the car.

  “Yes, we’re here.”

  “Can I take the blindfold off?” She reaches for it and I catch her hand, bringing it back to her lap.

  “Come now. You know that’s my job. You wait here,” I instruct before pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

  “Grayson,” she whines impatiently.

  I stifle my chuckle. Some things never change. “Hey,” I say, seeking her attention. She turns in the direction of my voice and I bring my lips to hers. “Wait here.”

  “Okay, fine.”

  I climb out of the car, reaching into the backseat for the sandwiches and the vase of flowers we just picked up. I hurry into our apartment to finish my preparations. I know she’s going crazy not knowing what I’m up to and I don’t want her to have to wait much longer. Once inside, I set aside my recent purchases and move our coffee table to the far corner of the room. Then, I grab the quilt draped over the back of the couch and spread it open on the area rug in front of the television. I place the flowers in the center and set our sandwiches across from each other. I head to the kitchen and grab a couple napkins and the card I bought her over the weekend. When I’ve finished my picnic set up, I shift my focus to the TV. I turn it on, tune in to Netflix, and cue the movie we’ll be watching. When I’m satisfied with my spread, I hurry back down to the car.

  She gasps in surprise when I open up her door and I grin at her, even though she can’t see me. “Come ‘ere, Mrs. O’Conner,” I say, scooping her into my arms and out of the car. She clings to me and I can feel her excitement. She can deny it all she wants—but she loves my surprises. Hopefully this evening will affirm that truth.

  “Are you going to tell me where we are?”

  “Oh, someplace familiar,” I tease as I carry her up the flight of stairs that lead to our door. Once I have her across the threshold, I set her on her feet then close and lock us in. “Are you ready?” I ask, placing my hands on her shoulders, encouraging her farther into the room.

  “Are you joking? I’ve been without sight for an hour, Hottie. Show me, show me!”

  I kiss the top of her head and then wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her back to my front. “Do you remember the first time I told you I loved you?”

  She turns her face toward the sound of my voice and I watch as a smile plays at her lips. “Of course I do. How could I forget? It was my birthday date.” She sucks in a sharp breath. “That was the first time you ever blindfolded me!”

  “Mmhmm,” I hum, reaching up to untie the cloth from around her eyes. “Now, I know our living room isn’t exactly the back of Beck’s SUV and our TV isn’t as big as a drive-in movie screen, but I’m working with what I’ve got. Plus,” I tighten my grip around her. “If I remember correctly, we only made it through one movie that night before we got lost in each other. Back then, I could stop myself before we reached the point of indecent exposure. Now, that’s not a promise I can make.”

  She sighs, her shoulders slumping with her exhalation, and I find myself holding my breath. When she doesn’t speak after a few seconds, I’m afraid I’ve disappointed her. My heart sinks as my thoughts begin to race, trying to think of how I might salvage the evening. Then she turns around, lifting herself up onto her tiptoes as she wraps her arms around my neck. The sound of her sniffle does nothing to calm my nerves.

  “Shorty?” I hesitantly ask.

  “I’m sorry,” she whimpers. “I know I promised I wouldn’t cry anymore!”

  “Hey,” I pull away from her, just enough to be able to look into her eyes. “I know this isn’t much, but—”

  “No! No, Sonny,” she reaches up and cups her hands around my face as she shakes her head at me. “I love it. You’ve recreated one of the best nights of my life. Of course I love it.”

  “Then what’s wrong, sweetheart? Why are you crying?” Part of me wants to feel relieved, but how can I feel relieved looking at her tear streaked face?

  “I was just thinking…all of my sweetest memories are with you. I cherish every last one of them and I can’t wait to make so many more. Soon, you’ll be making daddy memories and I just—I love you so much. Our baby is so lucky to have you. I can hardly wait—well, I mean, I can, we need to, I just—what? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  The grin on my face grows wider as I lean down to rest my forehead against hers. “You’re adorable, did you know that?”

  “Adorable?” she mutters teasingly. “I like sexy, little, mama better.”

  “Oh, you mean sexy, little, waddling, mama,” I correct her with a chuckle. Before she can protest, I close my mouth around hers. She sighs wistfully and opens up for me without delay. My tongue dances with hers for only a moment, then I pull away abruptly. Her mouth hangs open in surprise and the smirk I offer her in response can’t be helped. “If we don’t stop now, you’ll be naked in two seconds. Let’s eat first.”

  “Okay,” she says with a laugh. “Oh! And exchange presents.”

  “Your favorite part,” I reply with a wink.

  “You know it!”

  When we sit down to eat, it isn’t long before we’ve completely forgotten about the movie. We recollect all that happened when we told Beck and Addie our news and we make plans to call mom and dad tomorrow after I get home from work. As soon as we finish with our sandwiches, Avery all but demands that we exchange gifts. Ever the traditionalist, she insisted that whatever we gave each other had to be paper—as that’s what you’re supposed to exchange with your spouse on your first anniversary.

  She makes me go first and I’m surprised to find tickets to the Bears vs. Bronco game this winter. Before I can protest that this wasn’t in the budget we agreed upon, she informs me that she practically stole them from Paul—one of the guys in her string quintet—who has season tickets. She’s also sure to mention that this time, since Beck isn’t around, I’m required to take her to the game. I know she’s not a huge fan, having only ever really enjoyed the sport when I was on the field; but she’s definitely a fan of napping in my arms while I watch on Sunday afternoons, or the loads of hot chocolate she consumes whenever we manage to make it to an outdoor game. I agree to her company with no argument.

  Inside of her card, she finds a gift receipt. She looks at me quizzically, unsure what it is she holds. “It’s a spa day,” I explain. “I know you don’t like to get your nails done, but there were a bunch of other girly things the lady helped me pick out for you to do instead.” I shrug and she grins before crawling towards me to deliver a kiss.

  “Thank you, Hottie.” She gives me another kiss and when she pulls away, I spot the mischievous look in her eyes. “I have one more gift for you. I cheated, though. It’s not paper.”

  “Oh?” She smirks at me as she finds the blindfold and moves to cover my eyes. “How am I supposed to know what it is if I can’t see?”

  “Hmm. Good question. How does it feel to be on the other side, my love?”

  “I haven’t decided yet,” I inform her, reaching out to grab hold of her waist. “It depends on what the gift is. Are you wearing it?” I ask suggestively.

  “Nope,” she giggles, batting my hands away. “I’ll be right back. Sit tight.”

  I listen to the sound of her bare feet against the floor as she walks away from me. I have no idea what she’s up to, but I’m excited to find out. I lo
ve it when my bashful bride feels playful. I lean back against the couch and relax, patiently waiting for her return. I hear her as she draws near and my dick twitches when she decides to use my lap as her seat, her legs straddling my hips. My hands immediately seek out the bare skin underneath her dress, the warmth of her thighs beneath my fingers distracting me from what I’m waiting for.

  When she leans forward, pressing her chest against mine, I breathe in deeply. She smells amazing, her perfume, her shampoo, and the natural scent of her skin mingle together in such a way that makes my mouth water. I lick my lips, appreciating the heightened awareness of my other senses as I’m currently being robbed of my sight.

  “Open up, my love,” she murmurs, her breath tickling my lips. I do as I’m told and she traces something cool around the entrance of my mouth before sliding it past my teeth. I bite down and hum my satisfaction when the chocolate covered strawberry bursts in my mouth.

  On the first night of our honeymoon, the hotel provided complimentary chocolate covered strawberries as part of our suite package. Best damn strawberries I’ve ever had in my life.

  As I savor my bite now, she runs her fingers through my hair and I’m sure I’m in heaven. My hands travel farther up her legs, silently persuading her closer. I feel it when she reaches behind me and the promise of another strawberry has me opening up for more. She dips the treat into my mouth before pulling it out abruptly, the taste of chocolate disappearing as if it never existed. Before I have a chance to grumble, her tongue sweeps through my mouth. I’m hard in an instant. I know she feels it when she kisses me deeper, rocking her hips against mine. I’m just about ready to rip off the blindfold when she tears her mouth from mine, feeding me the strawberry as if to placate me.