Tap (Men of Lovibond 1)
She squeezes her lids tightly. “Get the nurse. I . . . gotta . . . push.”
“Don’t push yet, Wren.”
“I . . . can’t . . . stop.” What the fuck is happening?
I release her hand and dash for the door. It’ll be faster than hitting the nurse call button and waiting. “My wife says she has to push.”
Wren’s nurse comes in and repeats her same hourly procedure. “She’s right. It’s baby time.”
The moment has arrived. Almost four years of wishing, longing, praying, and wanting this child. We finally get to meet our son or daughter.
Wren reaches for my hand and squeezes, her teeth clenched. “Ohh . . . this one hurts really bad, Brou! It’s all the way down . . . in my butt!”
The nurse stops what she’s doing and pats Wren on the leg. “It’s okay. Means the baby is moving down. You’re getting closer.” Oh fuck. The heaviness of the reality hits me—I’m about to become a father.
I bring her hand to my lips for a kiss. “Almost time to hold our snuggle bug.”
Wren’s nurse coaches her through a series of contractions. I didn’t know it would take this long. I thought you had a baby once you made it to ten centimeters. Shows what I know.
She’s in so much pain. Suffering. “How much longer?”
“Close. We’re almost ready for the doctor.” Not close enough.
I’m supposed to take care of Wren and this baby. And I can’t do a fucking thing to help her. I push her sweat-soaked hair away from her forehead. “Not much longer, baby. Don’t stop. You’re almost done.”
“Pressure’s building. Oh God. Gotta . . . push.”
The nurse motions for me to look between Wren’s legs. “Want to see the top of your baby’s head?”
I’m scared to look but I’m afraid not to as well. This may be the only child we ever have and I’d hate to miss this opportunity.
“Yeah.” Wren pushes and I watch our baby’s head come down until I can see the entire crown. I’ve never seen anything so amazing in all my life. So surreal. “There’s a ton of dark hair.”
Wren pushes three times and then falls back, breathing heavily. Having a baby is hard work. “I’m glad he’s taking after you because I didn’t have hair until I was almost two.”
“I think we’re ready for a doctor.”
“Hear that, babe? She’s calling the doctor to come.” I lean down and kiss Wren’s forehead. “I love you so much.”
She strokes my face with her hand. “I love you, too.”
Dr. Nichols arrives and the medical staff takes their places. “You’re starting a contraction so push hard and we’ll meet this little bundle of joy.”
Wren takes a deep breath and blows it out before taking another and holding it. I help her pull her legs back and her face turns beet red as she pushes with every bit of her remaining strength. She stops midpush and releases her legs as her back bows from the bed. “Omigod, get it out. Get it out.”
“Push, Lawrence. Push.”
Her legs are shaking and she reaches up to grab me. She pulls me down and squeezes me around the back of my neck. “Brou. I can’t do it.”
“Come on, Wren. Do it for our baby. Push him out.”
Wren releases her iron-fisted hold on me. “Okay. I’m doing it.” Wren rears up and pulls her legs back. Her eyes are squeezed tight, her brow wrinkled. Tears escape her eyes and it breaks my heart she’s suffering in silence. It’s worse than if she were screaming.
“Look down here and watch your baby come into the world.”
I lean over Wren’s leg and watch a perfect little head emerge from my wife’s body. That face. It’s the one we saw months ago. I’ve never seen anything more amazing in my life.
“Head’s out, Lawrence. Let’s see the rest of this baby and find out what you’ve been cooking in there all these months.”
“Push, baby. You can do it.”
I hear a gush of fluid and then a piercing cry—our baby’s first sound.
“Looks like we have a boy.”
I kiss the top of her head, and attempt to tell this woman what I’m feeling, but I can’t find my voice. I love you so much, Wren. Thank you for giving me a son.
Our crying son is placed on Wren’s chest where the nurses wipe him clean, cover his head with a blue beanie, and stuff him inside his mother’s gown. “Hello, my sweet Emeric.”
“He’s okay?”
“Looks healthy as can be.” Thank God.
I look at my son and know I owe every bit of this to Wren. Our happy life together. This healthy child we wished, hoped, and longed to hold in our arms. Without her, I would have been content to sail through my stagnant life and never know this kind of joy.
“Lucas Emeric Broussard II.” I lower my face so I can get a better look at him. I can’t believe how chubby he is, considering he has a vegan momma. “It’s crazy how much I already love him.”
“I know. Me too.”
When I met this beautiful woman, all I wanted from her was a dirty weekend . . . until that wasn’t enough and I wanted so much more. I had no idea more would eventually translate into making her my wife and mother of our child. Or maybe even children. Who knows what the future holds? But I’m sure of two things: I’m no longer scared of what life with Wren has to offer. And of all the futures I could have had, every option needed to have her in it.
THE END
More coming soon from
the sexy men of Lovibond Brewery.
* * *
Stout: A Lovibond Novel–May 2016
Porter: A Lovibond Novel–Fall 2016
Excerpt: Beauty from Pain
The Beauty Series: Book I
They agreed on three months... but their love knew no boundaries.
* * *
Jack McLachlan is a winemaking magnate and easily one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors. His success and wealth makes him no stranger to the complications of romantic relationships and that’s why he goes to extreme measures to avoid the hassle. He prefers simplicity in the form of a beautiful female companion with no strings attached. He arranges relationships like business deals and they’re always the same. No long term relationships. No real names.
* * *
It’s his game and his rules. He’s content to play as usual, but when Laurelyn Prescott enters his life, his strategy must change because this player is like none he's ever encountered. His world is turned on its head after he begins a three month affair with the beautiful American musician. Nothing goes according to plan and as he breaks more and more of his own rules for her, she’s exceptionally close to becoming something he never thought possible. His ultimate game changer.
Chapter One
Laurelyn Prescott
I am sick of being on this plane. The four-and-a-half-hour flight from Nashville to Los Angeles was fine. The layover was tolerable, thanks to the airport bar. But the last leg of our flight to Australia is becoming more and more unbearable with each passing minute.
I try to calculate how much longer it is until we land in Sydney. My exhaustion makes it difficult for me to do the simple equation in my head, but it looks like it’s still almost two hours until I will feel solid ground beneath my feet again. I sigh and tell myself to be patient. I’ve made it this far. I can take another two hours. I mean, I don’t really have a choice at this point, right?
I look at my best friend sleeping in the seat next to me and I’m irritated. Addison has slept most of the flight, leaving me to entertain myself. She offered to share her Valium, but I declined, certain I wouldn’t need it. Wrong.
I climb over Addison and take a walk up and down the aisle to stretch my legs, which helps me feel better. Upon returning to my seat, I decide reading will help pass the time, so I grab my e-reader and pick up where I stopped on the slutmance I’d started earlier. Only at chapter six and of course, the woman is in love with the hot new guy but is in denial. How typical.
Chapter twelve is winding down when the pilot ann