#5--The Commitment--O’Connells

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  “I don’t know what to say, Marcus, except she’s made up her mind, maybe out of fear, maybe out of a whole lot of something else. She hasn’t had a lot of say in so much in her life, having everything taken from her, but with Eva, with this, she does. All we can do is let her know how Eva’s doing, keep in touch with her. From what she said to me when I talked to her, I know this isn’t a decision she came to lightly. Then there’s Charlotte. You figure out what you want there?”

  He looked out into the darkness, hearing the squeak of the door, seeing Charlotte poke her head out, taking in him and Karen.

  “We should get going, Marcus,” she said. “Eva’s tired. This has been a long day for her. I want to get her to bed. Alison asked if she can tag along and stay over.”

  Karen touched his hand, reached for her glass, and stood up. “And that’s my cue,” she said. “I’ll leave you two and grab my husband. Seems like a good time for all of us to head home.”

  He took in Charlotte as Karen walked around her and rested a hand on her arm before stepping inside the house. When Charlotte walked over to him, he reached out his hand, and she rested hers in his. He pulled her onto his lap, and she settled in, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Yeah, probably a good idea,” Marcus said. “How’s she doing in there?”

  Charlotte rested her hand on his, linking their fingers together, and she seemed to really settle in. “She’s good, laughing. Seems your family really knows how to chase away the shadows that linger after she sees her mom. So what do you want to do?”

  He knew what she was asking. Of course, she’d been as thrown as he was when he told her what Reine had said. “I guess I want to face some things I’ve been putting off.”

  She pushed away from him and sat up, sitting on his lap still. He could see she was waiting for him to finish, her hands pressed against his chest. “And that means what, exactly? Just so you know, that little girl means everything to me. I want to adopt her. Just the thought of losing her when Reine is released… I wouldn’t even admit it to myself, but I didn’t want to give her up. I never told you, but I’m telling you now. I want to adopt her, Marcus. I know you don’t want the forever thing with me…”

  “Whoa, wait! I never said that,” he said, running his hand up her arm. “Just so you know, I don’t have commitment issues. I just needed to figure some stuff out. And you’re not alone on the Eva front. I feel the same way. But first, I want to ask you something.”

  The way she was looking at him, he could see she was both suspicious and curious. “Okay, what?”

  “Well, we’ll adopt Eva and make that official, but first, we should make us official.”

  This time, she frowned, and he could feel her stiffen. “Are you saying…?”

  “Yeah, I’m saying I think we should get married.”

  Her expression was priceless. “What changed?” she asked.

  He had somehow moved her off his lap so he could stand, and he looked down at her as he rested his hands on her face. Then he pressed a kiss to her lips and got down on one knee.

  “Charlotte, I love you. I love our family. Marry me. You’re right. Let’s make everything official, get it in writing, on paper.”

  She seemed to consider something for a second, but when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out. It was as if she didn’t believe him or something.

  “Charlotte, would you hurry up? The wood of this porch is digging into my knee, and it’s damn uncomfortable.”

  “Of course I’ll marry you,” she said, and she helped him up.

  He realized then, as he stood, that his family had been watching from the window. He just shook his head, pulled Charlotte into his arms, and kissed her.

  Chapter Six

  He took in the simple gold band on his ring finger. His tie was now long gone, along with his black suit jacket. His white shirtsleeves were rolled up, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone as he leaned against the oak tree in the backyard of the house he’d grown up in.

  “So you’re pretty quiet over here, off by yourself,” Owen said. “Is this regret at jumping into marriage too fast, and now you’re asking yourself what you were thinking?”

  His brother wore a suit, which was something he never did. It seemed no one was wearing a tie anymore, opting for comfort even though the ladies all still looked classy. Even Marcus’s dark hair had been freshly cut. He took in his brothers, his family, the friends they’d invited to this backyard wedding. Even the justice of the peace, who had gone to school with Karen, was now deep in discussion with her.

  “Yeah, just taking everything in, taking a minute, figuring things out. I noticed you came alone and didn’t bring a plus-one.”

  Owen gave nothing away. His face was poker straight, and Marcus wondered now if what Alison had said about him having girl trouble with some waitress was even true.

  “Why would I?” he said. “Besides, this is you and Charlotte’s day. It has nothing to do with me. A small backyard family wedding… I never expected you to be the one jumping the broom, so to speak, throwing together this shindig in a week. Like, what’s the rush? I know you were on the fence about this whole marriage commitment thing to begin with—or is there something else going on?” Owen gestured with his beer over to Charlotte, who looked gorgeous in a sleeveless chiffon wedding dress as she stood laughing with Jenny and Suzanne. The wedding was for her. Then there was Eva, who was sitting with Alison on the patio swing, both in dresses, one blue, one peach. He’d even seen her laugh and smile a few times that day.

  He just shook his head, lifted his own beer, and took a swallow.

  Owen continued. “I hear them talking. They don’t think I’m listening when I’m at the grill, and they do seem to share everything. Charlotte wanted to be married, but Jenny likes the status quo, just living under the same roof. She’s carrying a lot of baggage, she’ll be the first to admit to everyone, from her marriage with Wren. The control, the power… She knows Ryan isn’t like that, but still. Then there’s Suzanne and Harold, playing house at his place—and Karen? Well, she’s as closed as you.”

  He wasn’t sure what to make of Owen. He was shocked at how he knew all this and had never let on.

  “So how’d Charlotte convince you, and so quickly?” Owen said.

  What was he supposed to say to his brother? It had been about his family, Charlotte and Eva, even though having that piece of paper, that kind of formality, still didn’t sit right in ways he couldn’t have explained.

  “Who says she did?” he said. “You think anyone can convince me to do something if I don’t want to do it?”

  He shook his head as he took in Ryan and Luke both coming their way. Luke had arrived home just the day before from someplace overseas. His suit pulled at his buff frame, and his long dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. The beard he’d sported was now gone.

  “So this is what you want, then?” Owen added.

  “Who wants what?” Ryan said. “What are we talking about here?”

  Luke was still looking over his shoulder, checking everything and everyone out as if waiting for the unexpected to happen.

  “Owen is just sticking his nose in my business, questioning my choices, asking if I’m really committed and why I suddenly gave in and got married—instead of focusing on himself,” Marcus said. “But I’ll tell you all the way of it: I love her, and she wants this. Makes no difference to me, but it’s important to Charlotte. This was the forever thing for me, anyway, married or not. Then there’s Eva, adopting her. It just seemed the right thing after what happened with Reine. I have no regrets, if that’s what you’re getting at, but at the same time, marriage is kind of about saying you’re going to stick around and look after your family…”

  His brothers exchanged a look. Of course, they had to have an idea of what he was getting at.

  “So you’re saying this thing about wanting to get married was about Dad?” Ryan said.

  Meanwhile, Luke didn’t pull
his gaze from him. Marcus wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but with Luke, it could’ve been anything.

  He took in his family, the woman he loved and the little girl who was quietly sitting with Alison, who he knew was doing her best to cheer her up. His teenage niece had her own baggage that had tested all of them.

  “Well, we never knew there was trouble with Mom and Dad,” Marcus said. “One day, he was just gone without a word. We never heard from him again. It kind of says, why bother having a family if you’re going to just walk? So, evidently, the marriage thing didn’t stop Dad from walking out the door and never coming back. You’re right that to me it’s just a piece of paper. It doesn’t mean anything, considering the example he left…”

  As Marcus trailed off, Owen seemed to hesitate and looked away. He couldn’t read anything from him. Then there was Luke, who had written the book on holding his cards close to his chest. Ryan was shaking his head. Bringing up their dad was something they rarely did.

  “Look, forget Dad,” Ryan said. “He forgot us. I can’t believe you’ve let anything of what he did affect what goes on between you and Charlotte. Yeah, he left.” Ryan shrugged. “His loss.”

  “So what about Eva?” Owen said. “She knows you’re adopting her? How is she doing?”

  At the way his brother had shut down the topic, Marcus realized Owen never really did talk about their dad. Not that any of them did, but Owen never went there. At the same time, what could he tell his family about Eva? He didn’t have a clue how to explain to her that life could be damn cruel sometimes.

  “She’s devastated,” he said. “What do you want me to say? We should’ve been on the road to see her mom this morning, but Reine was serious. She won’t see her, won’t see us. Does Eva understand?” He just shook his head. “No. How could she when I don’t understand it myself?”

  “So you told that little girl her mama doesn’t want to see her again?” Luke said. “You didn’t try to be gentle or maybe tell her something that wasn’t so cruel?”

  Marcus knew his brother was rough around the edges, and he wasn’t sure what to make of something that sounded like an accusation. “No, I told her the truth. She may be six, but I’m not going to start lying to her. What would I say, anyway, about why she can’t see her mother? If I told her that Charlotte and I decided she couldn’t see her, she’d never forgive us. She’d be angry, and who could blame her?”

  “So now she’s angry at her mother,” Luke said, and he wasn’t sure why he was sounding so pissed off.

  “No, she isn’t,” Marcus snapped. “Charlotte and I sat her down and told her the truth, that her mom loves her so much that she doesn’t want her to see her in jail, that it hurts her to have Eva come in and see her in a place like that, a bad, horrible place. We told her it’s going to be a long time before she’s out, and she wants us to adopt her so she can always be with us. We made sure she understood that in no way are we cutting her mother out of her life. We’ll keep trying to reach out, and Reine wants to know how she’s doing. I promised her I would keep in touch with her and let her know, but for now, she wouldn’t see us or her. It may hurt, but lying to her or not telling her the whole truth would’ve been worse.”

  He wasn’t sure his brothers agreed. He glanced over to Charlotte, who was walking their way. “Truth be told, Charlotte and I hadn’t considered the end game, what would happen when Reine got out. It was haunting both of us. We’d never have been able to give her up. Is this good that this happened?” He just shook his head.

  Charlotte stepped around Luke, who smiled and said, “Hey there, the new Mrs. O’Connell.” He kissed her cheek, and she laughed.

  “Thanks, Luke,” she said, then slid her arm around Marcus. “Hey, your mom wants us. She’s ordered a big cake and wants us to cut it for everyone.”

  His brothers had already walked away. He took in Suzanne in a purple dress and Karen in a red one with heels. Eva and Alison were setting the cake on the table, and his mom was directing Jack to shove more beers into a bucket of ice.

  “How’s Eva doing?” he asked. She’d been with Charlotte and his sisters all day, ever since they’d gotten dressed at home and driven over to his mom’s for the wedding. She’d asked only once that morning whether they could see her mom. It still killed him to say they couldn’t.

  “Oh, she’ll be okay. She’s got your family and us. She’ll likely keep asking about Reine, though. She was crying earlier inside, talking to Alison. By the way, Jenny has already insisted that Eva stay over with them tonight, considering it’s our wedding night. Then Monday, we’re back to work.”

  What could he say? He was the sheriff, and now wasn’t the time to take off someplace for a honeymoon.

  “You okay not going anywhere?” he asked.

  She made a face and rested her palm on his chest, rubbing. She pressed her curves into him as she shook her head. “No, I’d rather be here. Besides, it wouldn’t be good for Eva. She needs stability, and we need to have your sister get the papers started for the adoption. Then there’s the other news I wanted to share with you.”

  He made a face, considering he didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. “And that would be?”

  “Oh, the fact that I’m pregnant, six weeks, so…”

  For second, he didn’t know what to say. “So we’re having a baby?”

  She allowed a smile to touch her lips. “We’re having a baby,” she said.

  He held her in front of him and slid his arms over her shoulders, then lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her lips. He let it linger. “Marriage, adoption, and now a baby on the way… Wow, you’re full of surprises, Charlotte Roy.”

  She cleared her throat and tapped his wrist. “O’Connell, in case you forgot. Charlotte O’Connell.” She didn’t try to hide the love she had for him.

  He heard his family calling them.

  “Well, we’d better go over there. So who do we tell first, everyone now, or…?”

  “Eva,” Charlotte said. “We’ll tell her first, and then we’ll tell your family.”

  And they started across the yard, his arm in hers.

  What’s coming next in The O’Connells? The Missing Father click here to order your copy available from all retailers!

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  I hope you enjoyed reading this novella that reunites the entire O’Connell family.

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  Now on another note if you spot something that doesn’t look right send me an email. My books have all been edited and proofed, but we are all human and sometimes something is missed. If you spot a typo, please email me at Lorhainne Eckhart and let me know. Also, I would like to thank everyone who has emailed and told all their family and friends about my books, shared on social media and supported me as an author. If you’d like to know more about my other books, please scroll to the next section or visit my website at www.LorhainneEckhart.com.

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  All the best,

  Lorhainne Eckhart

  Next in The O’Connells

  The O’Connell family collides with danger in this shocking new story from NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lorhainne Eckhart.

  Eighteen years ago, Luke O’Connell’s father was there one day, gone the next. His mother sat him and his siblings down and told them their father was gone, it was just them now, and they wouldn’t be seeing him again. B
ut Luke never believed his father could just walk away from a family he’d said he loved. Now, from his role within a secretive military organization, he uses the intelligence he can access to follow leads on his father, but each is a dead end.

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  Luke finds himself endlessly embroiled in deadly missions from secret bases, posing as a civilian for front companies, and tracking national enemies to capture or kill. But now, his questions have brought trouble back with him onto US soil, all the way to his hometown—and ultimately, his quest might put his family in the line of fire.

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  Click here to order The Missing Father. Scroll to the next section to read a sample.

  The Missing Father, Chapter 1

  “So what you’re saying is our target is a whistleblower?” said Master Sergeant Rex Barnes. “The man grew a pair and exposed a corrupt billion-dollar lab linked to our government, and our target isn’t the company itself but the employee, who has now been named an enemy of the state? Just want to be sure I’m one hundred percent clear, here. This lab has been committing crimes against the public, fabricating crime scenes using DNA of their choosing, all with the blessing of the CIA, and we’re saying this is okay? The operation was privately funded, yet now the technology is being sold to every rogue government and criminal, and we’re meant to target the whistleblower who exposed the scheme? A man we once would’ve called a hero is now our enemy? Like, good God, what the hell has become of this country? Have we really been reduced to this?”