by Mia Carson
“Here he is,” Dr. Higgins said. “All eight pounds, four ounces of him. Perfectly healthy.”
Belle held out her arms, and the nurse laid him gently on her chest so she could hold him. His crying stilled almost instantly as his dark brown eyes looked up at her. Tears spilled over as she watched him squirm in her arms, their little baby boy.
“We made this,” she whispered.
Greyson nodded, his mouth open in awe as he reached out a hand. Their son held his fingertip, and all Greyson could do was stare.
“What should we name him?” she asked.
“How about James Richard?” he suggested.
Belle smiled. “James Richard… big names to live up to.”
“I think he’ll be just fine.” Greyson leaned down and kissed his forehead then wrapped his arm around Belle’s shoulders. “Ready for the next adventure?”
“With you, always,” she said and held her boys close.
While Belle was moved to another room to rest and recover, Greyson was told he could take little James Richard out to meet the rest of the family. He carried the bundle and walked slowly, so scared and thrilled at the tiny human in his arms.
“You look just like me,” he mused. James yawned in his arms, and his lips curled up at the side. “But damn, if you don’t have your mom’s smile.”
Swelling with pride, he walked into the waiting room to find that Sally, the twins, and Carrie had joined Brent and Ben. They jumped up at the sight of him and moved in closer.
“I’d like you all to meet James Richard,” Greyson said. “And Belle is resting comfortably.”
Sally hugged him close. “Congratulations, son, truly. He’s beautiful.”
Greyson shifted James so everyone could see when a man towards the other end of the waiting room, walking with a weathered, wooden cane, moved forward, a hesitant look in his eyes.
“Did someone say… his name was James?” the man asked.
Everyone turned to look at the man. Ben was the first to move, wrapping the man up in a bear hug. “James, where the hell have you been, brother?” James hugged him back, but his eyes never left the baby cradled in Greyson’s arms. “You got the message from Belle?”
James wiped a tear from his eye as he stepped closer. “I did. I went to her place of work, and someone told me she left the launch to go have a baby.” His gaze shifted to Brent, and his eyes glazed over with even more tears. “Son?”
Brent nodded and rushed to hug his dad. Greyson’s eyes filled with tears, and he cleared his throat to stop himself from crying like a baby, but Sally nudged him with a knowing smile on her face. As Brent and James parted, Greyson stepped closer.
“I’d shake your hand, sir, but I’m afraid your new grandson is occupying them.”
James patted Greyson on the arm. “You must be the fiancé,” he said. “Fine looking man, if I say so myself, and this… this is your son. My… my Belle’s son.”
“You’re a grandfather now,” Greyson said happily. “Welcome to the family, Mr. Hall.”
“No… no Mr. Hall,” James corrected. “You call me Dad. You took care of my little girl, gave her so much that I never could… that I never…” Overwhelmed with emotions, he swallowed the rest of his words, and Brent gave his dad another hug. “You did all this for me, for us. I can’t ever thank you enough.”
“Yes, you can,” Greyson said gently. “You can go meet your daughter.”
James sucked in a breath, and Brent urged him on as Greyson moved towards the doors again. The walk together down the hall was quiet, but it was far from awkward. Just being near this man told Greyson he was Belle’s dad. The way he moved, the fire blazing in his eyes, the love for the child Greyson carried in his arms. Little James fell asleep on the way, and the two grown men stared down at the little bundle, full of awe and hope for his future.
“Here we are,” Greyson said, stopping outside Belle’s room. He walked in, and Belle sat up, grinning sleepily at the sight of them.
“There’s my two guys,” she mused sweetly.
“Actually,” Greyson said and stepped to the side, “three of us.”
Belle frowned until James stepped through the doorway, his cane tapping nervously on the floor as he waited. “Hello, Belle,” he said roughly, struggling to hold back his tears.
For a long minute, Belle just stared at him from across the room. Her face cracked, and she held out her hands for him. James hurried over to her and pulled her close as she latched her arms around his neck.
“Oh, my sweet girl,” James whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”
Belle could only cry on his shoulder, father and daughter reunited at last. Greyson watched, rocking little James in his arms, and whispered, “Looks like it’s going to be a great wedding after all. What do you think, little bear?”
Little James shifted in his blanket, but his eyes stayed shut as he slept on, content with the love surrounding him.
Chapter 43
One Month Later
The music changed, and Belle fiddled with her veil a final time. “If you keep touching it, you’ll mess it up,” a deep voice told her. Gentle hands pulled hers away from the veil and turned her around. “You look beautiful. Just like your mother.”
Belle smiled at her dad in his black tuxedo with a black and white cane to match. “You think she’s here with us?”
“She’s always here,” he told her. “She never really left any of us, and I… I’m still so sorry I did.”
She cupped his cheek in her hand. “You found us again, Dad. You’re here now. That’s what matters, and that’s all I care about. It’s all I ever wanted.”
“I’ll always be here,” James promised her. “Well, unless I’m in California with your brother.”
Belle laughed with him, and he hugged her close. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of being held by her dad. He told her the only time he had gotten to hold her was a month after she was born. Then he was gone again. Something wet hit her bare shoulder, and she knew he was crying tears of joy, just as she was.
“We can’t have that now, can we?” he said in his gruff voice. “You’ll smear your makeup.”
“I don’t care,” she assured him as the doors to the garden were pulled open by two men. She stared down the aisle at the man waiting at the other end, and as their eyes met, she saw Greyson’s shoulders tense as he struggled not to cry. “I’m going to blubber through this whole damn wedding anyway.”
James tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow and walked her slowly down the aisle. Her ivory, strapless dress fit her body perfectly, even after being pregnant. The train spread out behind her, sparkling with crystals that trailed up the fabric in a pattern of vines and leaves. Her hair hung freely down her back in waves of red, catching the sun setting behind Greyson, the rest of the wedding party, and Ben, the man who would officiate their wedding.
When they reached the end of the aisle, they paused, and Greyson stepped forward to take Belle’s hand from James.
“You take care of my little girl,” James whispered with a wink.
Greyson smirked beneath his beard. “I always do, whether she wants me to or not.”
A happy baby’s cooing drew their attention. Sally laughed as James wriggled in her arms.
“Ready?” Greyson asked as they stepped up to Ben.
She couldn’t resist and stood on her toes to kiss him. His arms wound around her waist, pressing her against his hard body until someone cleared his throat. Belle and Greyson chuckled as they broke apart, the rest of the guests laughing as well at Ben’s stern look.
“Might we actually get through the ceremony first?” he asked with a raised brow.
Greyson and Belle stepped apart, their hands clasped together. “Sorry, Ben,” she said. “Please continue.”
He shook his head, laughing, and held up his hands to begin the ceremony that would bind them together for the rest of their days. A family… a family Belle had only dreamed of.
> BONUS #2
JILTED GROOM
Chapter 1
String music filled the old church. Edmund Eastwood tugged at his bowtie as he prepared to start the rest of his miserable life with a woman he didn’t want to marry. The soft music drowned out his pounding heart but did nothing to dry his sweaty palms. His best bud since they were kids, standing next to him in dress greens as the best man, nudged him with an elbow.
“What?” Edmund hissed out of the side of his mouth to Tommy.
“You look ready to keel over,” Tommy observed with a grin. “I have the keys to the car. You want them?”
“Not funny, man,” Edmund replied as a nervous laugh escaped him. The priest shot them both a frown, and he mouthed an apology. “We’re supposed to be serious right now.”
“Hey, you’re lucky I even made it.”
Edmund turned and held out his hand. “I know, and I don’t think I had a chance to thank you this morning, for everything.” They shook hands like brothers, and Edmund pulled him into a quick one-armed hug.
“Thanks, Ed, really,” Tommy said then choked on a laugh. “Your mom’s glaring at me.”
“Good,” he muttered. “Let her glare. This is all her fault anyway.”
“You could’ve joined up when I did,” Tommy reminded him.
“If I could’ve, I would’ve,” he agreed. At the time of Tommy’s enlistment, though, Edward, Edmund’s dad, was sick—too sick to work, and his mom, Sarah, was beside herself. Edmund ran the family businesses until his dad was back on his feet, almost six months later, and by that time, Tommy was gone. Now, he was trapped in a life his parents had planned for him since the second he popped out and said hello to the world.
The music changed tune, and the doors at the rear of the church creaked open. Edmund refused to force anyone else he knew to be in his wedding, so the seven bridesmaids walked down the aisle single file, alone. Jenny, his wife-to-be, had argued until she was blue in the face, but Edmund stood his ground. He didn’t like any of her friends, and the glares they shot him led him to believe the feeling was mutual. They reached the steps to the altar and walked to the left side, lining up as they were instructed. Jenny’s niece stepped through the door next in a frilly white dress, carrying a small basket of red rose petals. She ran more than walked down the aisle and reached her parents as she upended her basket at the end of the aisle. Edmund laughed with everyone else then straightened as the music changed again.
“This is it, man, last chance,” Tommy urged, but Edmund couldn’t back out.
The music played on, but Jenny didn’t appear at the rear of the church. He shifted on his feet and tugged at his bowtie as the seconds ticked by, then minutes. Sarah stood and, giving the church apologetic smiles, rushed towards the back with Jenny’s mom. The people murmured to each other in the pews, shooting Edmund pitying glances, and he plastered a confident smile on his face. With everyone staring at him, he fought the desire to haul ass out of the church and take off. Being the center of attention might be something his parents enjoyed, but he despised it. His goal was to not be suckered into the gossip of their white-collar world. Today, however, he was the main topic.
“I sense trouble,” Tommy said and stepped down from the altar as Sarah marched towards them. She held a piece of paper in her hand, and if looks could kill, half the church would be on the floor. Tommy stepped out of her path as she reached Edmund and thrust the paper at him.
“Here,” she snapped. “It appears we were wrong about your sweet Jenny.”
Edmund read the words on the note, and his heart lifted in relief as he sat down hard on the steps. “‘I’m saving us both. Go live. Jenny,’” he read aloud for Tommy. “She’s gone, then?”
“Took off ten minutes ago in her daddy’s Porsche,” Sarah huffed. “That insolent little girl! She thinks she can just take off and ruin our big day!”
“Maybe she wasn’t ready,” Edmund suggested as he folded the note and tucked it away.
Sarah’s eyes narrowed, and suddenly, she burst into tears, lunging forward to hug her son as if he was a toddler who had scraped his knee. “My poor baby boy! She broke your heart, didn’t she? I’m so sorry she ran off. I know how much you cared about her.”
Tommy smirked behind her shoulder, and Edmund patted his mom on the back, pursing his lips at Tommy to make him stop before he lost it and laughed. “It’s fine, Mom. I’ll be fine, given time,” he told her, hoping his sadness sounded sincere. “Life will go on, really.”
Life would go on, and a new life awaited him, unexplored. Getting out of this church and away from the prying eyes of his parents was the first order of business. Most of the guests lingered, waiting to see if any more drama developed, but he did not want to be here if Jenny decided to come back. This was his out, and he was going to take it. Quickly. He widened his eyes at Tommy, making a leaving motion with his hand behind Sarah’s back. Tommy winked, straightened his jacket, and cleared his throat.
“Mrs. Eastwood, why don’t I take Edmund out for a drink, to help sooth his sadness over this horrible tragedy?”
Edmund rolled his eyes, but Sarah leaned back and rested her hand against his cheek. “I need to get out of here,” he told her quietly. “Please? Give me some time to collect myself?”
She sucked in a shuddering breath as Edward strolled over and laid a heavy hand on his son’s shoulder. “Let him go with Tommy, Sarah. He doesn’t need to be hounded by everyone right now.”
“Alright.” Sarah sighed. “But don’t get drunk. She’s not worth it, and the last thing I want to hear about is my son wasted at some bar and having sex with some piece of no-good, white trash.” She stood and smoothed her hands down her skirt and jacket. “We’ll deal with the guests. Go with Tommy.”
He kissed her cheek, thanked his dad, and followed Tommy down the aisle and out of the church. “You're a lifesaver, as always,” Edmund said as they slipped into Tommy’s truck. His old Mustang was parked behind the church, but he’d fetch it later. “Where to, Lieutenant?”
Tommy floored it out of the lot and took off towards the interstate. “Somewhere no one knows you, that’s where.”
“Great,” Edmund agreed and undid his bowtie. He rolled down the window and the rush of air ripped it from his fingers. “Freedom, man, complete freedom.”
“Until your parents find another woman,” Tommy grunted.
“Are you trying to kill my mood?”
“Trying to be realistic,” he said. “Maybe you need to do something drastic.”
“Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?”
Tommy tapped his fingers on the steering wheel until his eyes lit up and he laughed. “You know, you could just run away.”
Edmund’s eyes slid to his friend. “Run away? I’m not a kid.”
“Exactly, you’re an adult, and you, my friend, can do whatever the fuck you want,” Tommy informed him. “That’s what being an adult means. Get away from your crazy, controlling parents for a few days—hell, a few weeks! Go see what’s out there in that big old world.”
“What, just hop on a plane?”
Tommy shook his head. “No, you gotta do this right. Get in your car and just drive.”
Edmund stared out the window. “And where would I go?”
“That’s the point. You don’t pick a place, you just go and see where the wind takes you. Think about it, that’s all I’m saying.”
They drove for another twenty minutes before Tommy exited the interstate and parked the truck in the lot of a bar lit up with neon signs advertising pool tables, beer, and on occasion, hot chicks. Edmund ditched his tux jacket in the truck and followed his friend inside. Country music played overhead, and because it was early evening, the bar wasn’t too busy yet. Tommy grabbed them beers as Edmund set up a table for a game of pool. His cell vibrated in his pocket, but he ignored it as he racked the balls and held a pool cue out while Tommy set their beers on a nearby high top.
Edmund shot first, scattering balls acros
s the table and landing a solid in the corner pocket. “You really think it’d be that easy to disappear?” he mused as he lined up his second shot.
Tommy nodded as he sipped his bottle of Bud. “You just have to do it.”
Edmund bit his lip as he took the shot and cursed when he missed. “Mom would kill me.”
“When you got back, probably, but you don’t have to tell anyone you’re leaving. Wait ‘til you’re already gone,” he said as he leaned over the pool table. “Then, bam! Call them and give them the news.” The balls cracked together, and two stripes managed to glide easily into their holes. “What are they going to do? Send the cops after you?”
“You’ve met the Eastwoods, right? The crazy parents who planned my life from birth.”
Tommy planted his cue stick on the floor. “Listen, I know you’re loyal to your family. I get it, but there comes a time when you have to figure out who you are without them guiding your every move.”
“I’ve made some decisions for myself,” he argued.
Tommy raised a single eyebrow over his beer. “Oh really? Do tell.”
Edmund thought back over the years and opened his mouth to tell Tommy exactly what he did for himself but clamped his lips shut again. “Damn,” he muttered, resting a hip against the table a he ran a hand over his face.
“Told you,” Tommy said and took another shot. “When we were all being wild and rebelling, you were being the good son, obeying your parents and not partying. You never drank with us, never dated anyone but Jenny. Is she the only woman you’ve ever slept with?”
Edmund gulped his beer in response. Jenny and he had been together since they were eighteen, and they were a perfect match for each other, according to everyone else. Since it was already set in stone, of course they’d fooled around. In the beginning, their sweaty exertions together were exciting and new, but after a few years, they fell into a routine and sex lost its meaning for him. He remained faithful, but he wasn’t an idiot. Rumors abounded of Jenny sleeping around with almost everyone in their circle of high society young men. Edmund never confronted her about it, not wanting to start a fight with the woman he was meant to marry.