I looked up to see Shelby was waking. “Let’s go and introduce you to your mummy now, baby girl. She’s been anxious to meet you.”
Gently, I placed her in Shelby’s waiting arms, sighing at the sight.
My girls.A few hours later, I was smiling so wide, my face hurt. Mum and Dad were in the room, along with Douglas, who was chatting with Everett and Cassidy. On the bed, nestled together, was my family. Adam was snuggled into Shelby’s side, staring away at Olivia, his blue eyes round with excitement. Caroline was in the corner, the quiet click of her shutter letting me know she was capturing this sweet moment for us. Shelby looked up, her eyes meeting mine. Peace and contentment radiated from her warm gaze, and I knew she saw the same in mine.
We were surrounded by family, friends, and so much love.
In the middle of it all—the nucleus of my entire universe.
My Shelby.
I was the luckiest bastard in the world.
I could see the years ahead of us. Birthdays, holidays, watching our kids grow. Love, laughter, tears, joy. All of it with Shelby beside me.
Before Shelby, I was just Liam—an actor.
Now, I was so much more.
A son, friend, husband, lover, and father.
All in one.
My greatest role ever.You really didn’t think the story was over…Several Weeks LaterI wiped my hands on my pants, looking around the waiting room, feeling nervous and jittery. The room seemed excessively warm to me.
I leaned over to Shelby. “Is it hot in here?” I asked, feeling the sweat trickle down the back of my neck.
“No, Liam. The room is quite cool.” She studied my face. “You are a little flushed. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I responded, shifting in my seat. “These chairs are uncomfortable.”
“Actually, they are really nice for a waiting room.”
“Huh. Bloody hot, though.”
“Nerves, I think,” she murmured.
“I’m not nervous,” I lied. “It’s a simple procedure, with few, if any, side effects,” I quoted. “Except OJ will be shooting blanks. Big, copious amounts of blanks. Nonthreatening, nonimpregnating blanks.”
She patted my hand. “You’re rambling.”
I nodded. “Right.”
She was correct. I always rambled when I was nervous, and fuck, I was nervous. I was sure I would breeze through today, but the closer the time came, the tenser I got. The thought of all those sharp instruments doing things that close to my cock… One wrong move…
I swallowed heavily, wondering if anyone would notice if I ran from the room—aside from Shelby. Somehow, I doubted it would shock her.
I glanced around, noting we were one of only two couples in the room. There were a few guys on their own as well, but it was early, and the office wasn’t busy. I bet I could be back in the car before anyone really figured it out.
“Mr. Florida?” the receptionist called out.
For a moment, the room was still, then she called out the name again. “Mr. Florida?”
Dammit.
Right.
That was me.
I stood, taking Shelby’s elbow and dragging her up with me. She frowned and pulled back. “Liam, that’s not—”
I shook my head. “Incognito, Shelby,” I hissed and headed to the door leading into the clinic area. I hadn’t been recognized yet, and I hoped it would stay that way. The damn doctor had come highly recommended, but he’d refused to allow me to come in after hours or to clear his schedule. He was a grumpy bugger.
“Other men need me as well, Mr. Wright. I’ll put you in first thing in the morning, and we’ll use a different name. Wear a hat. Trust me, not many paparazzi hang outside my office.”
I almost refused, but then remembered how important the anatomy that he would be working on was to me. I didn’t want some run-of-the-mill doctor, and I certainly didn’t want to piss off this one. He would be handling my junk, and OJ was far too fond of Shelby for me to risk any malfunctions caused by an angry physician. So, here I was, answering to a fake name.
We followed the nurse to Dr. Buckley’s office and sat down.
“He’ll be in soon, and then I will come and take you back to the procedure area,” she informed us.
I nodded as Shelby murmured her thanks. She looked at me after the nurse had left.
“Mr. Florida?” she asked, her eyebrows lifting in question.
“In homage to OJ,” I explained with a straight face, waiting for her reaction. I didn’t wait long.
She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, Liam, only you. Most men would go with Mr. Jones or Mr. Smith. Something forgettable. But you go with Mr. Florida.” She shook her head. “Good job.”
I grinned. “I thought you would like it.”
She leaned forward and kissed me. “I like you.”
I pulled back, wagging my finger. “None of that, Shelby. I am about to undergo delicate surgery. I can’t have OJ springing into action because you got handsy. God only knows what complications that would cause.”