Full Circle (Rockin' Country #3) (11 page)

“I am sorry,” he told her, reaching out to grab her hand.

She shook him off. “Bryson, you don’t know how much I wish I could believe you, but I can’t. You’ve already proven to me that this town has changed you, and once it changes you, you can’t go back. The best thing you can do for yourself is to understand why you want this. Why do you want to be in this business? If it’s to make money, then you’re in it for the wrong reasons. If it’s to have a number one record, then you’re in it for the wrong reasons. If it’s because you’re doing something you love, then focus on that, and don’t let anyone take away your joy.”

She didn’t wait for him to answer her as she turned on her heel and went towards her gate. He was one person who was not going to get any more of her time. As she got on the plane, she quickly fired off a text to Garrett to let him know she’d seen Bryson and what had transpired before putting the phone into airplane mode as they taxied.

Once they were able to turn electronics back on, she saw a text from him that simply read:

Proud of you, put that dipshit in his place. Love you and see you soon, babe.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she settled back into her seat and enjoyed a few hours of peace of quiet.

*  *  *

April

H
annah was beyond excited. After keeping track of everything the doctor had told her to be on the lookout for, she realized this was it. This morning all signs pointed to ovulation, so she’d quietly slipped out of bed and slid past the bunks that housed the other members of the band. Her hands shook as she took the test. This wasn’t a test she could pass or fail, like in school, but it was one that would tell her if today was possibly going to start a new era of life. When it came back saying she was ovulating, she knew it was time put her plan into motion.

She tried to be silent as she made her way back to their room. It was early, very early, and she knew no one would be up for hours. Sneaking in, she shooed Havock out before she shut the door, making sure that it didn’t click loudly against the quietness on the bus. Lifting the covers back from Garrett’s sleeping form, she snuggled in next to him, running her feet along his legs.

“Garrett,” she whispered in his ear, lightly stroking the edge of it with her tongue.

He sleepily pushed her away. “Go away.” His large hand covered her face.

She giggled under her breath before sitting up and getting rid of the shirt she wore. Determined, she threw her arm around his waist and reached her hand under the waistband of his boxers.

“Jesus, woman, your hand is freezing,” he grumbled as he rolled over onto his back and then his side to face her. “I’m up, now in more ways than one, thank you very much.” He scowled at her.

Hannah couldn’t help the smile that lit across her face as she glanced at him. The darkness of the stubble on his face made his green eyes pop brighter, and she took a minute to memorize every line, every freckle. This man was going to be the father of her child, and she knew that without a shadow of a doubt.

“What?” he questioned her as he took his hand and pushed it around her neck, lifting up the hair there, pulling her closer to him. “Obviously you wanted somethin’, babe.” He nuzzled her jawline. “Come and get it.”

Smirking at him, she straddled his hips and leaned so they were almost face to face. “Guess what?”

Settling his hands along her waist, he did his best not to yawn. “What?”

“I took that little test that the doctor gave me. It’s time.”

The words she spoke were slow in registering with his sleep addled brain, but they finally connected. “For real?” His smile was genuine, as was the bright light in his eyes.

“Yeah.” She nodded, biting her bottom lip before looking around. “And the bus is asleep, and we’re alone. No time like the present, right?”

He looked a little sheepish. “You really wanna do this on the bus? Shouldn’t we wait until tonight when we can get to a hotel room? I mean, shouldn’t this be romantic?”

She grabbed his hand, pulling it to her lips to kiss his knuckles. “To me this
is
romantic. We’re alone, we’re together, we’re about to try to do something that could affect the rest of our lives. What else could be more romantic than that?”

“I feel like you should have roses, silk sheets, and chocolate covered strawberries,” he whispered as he pulled his hand from her lips and cupped her cheek.

“I don’t need any of that.” She lay down so she was even with him, layered over his body. “All I need is you. You’re all I’ve ever needed.”

His inhale was deep and harsh. She never failed to gut him when she shared her feelings. She made him feel like the manliest, strongest person in the world. There was no fire he wouldn’t walk through, no asshole he wouldn’t stand against, no blow he wouldn’t take for her. Flipping her over onto her back, he buried his mouth in her neck, suctioning the spot he knew drove her crazy. He didn’t want this to be out-of-control like a lot of their time together was; he wanted to remember this for the rest of his life, even if they didn’t conceive this time.

With deliberate motions, he slowed her down and pulled her more fully against him. “Let me take care of you,” he whispered in her ear, smoothing her hair along her neck. “Let me do this for us.”

The bass of his voice, deeper because he had been asleep, lulled her as she moved so her neck was more fully exposed. The pace was lazy as he dragged his lips down her neck to where her chest was exposed to him. Glancing up into her eyes, his lips closed over her nipple, hollowing out his cheeks as he sucked her there.

“Garrett,” she gasped, burrowing her hands in his hair, trying to pull him away.

He shook his head, pinning both of her hands to her sides with his. Without meaning for it to, the motion bowed her body, feeding more of her into him. He bit lightly, soothing the ache with his tongue as she writhed against his lower body, trying desperately to get closer.

In what seemed like a choreographed movement, he let go of her hands, and she pushed his boxers down and guided him inside her body. He hitched himself up so that they were face-to-face again and put his forehead against hers. With gentle motions, he rocked back and forth against her body, groaning when she tightened her legs against him. Having her so soft underneath him was one of his favorite things in the world. There was not one thing he would do to change their lives at this point. “I love you so much,” he told her. “I don’t remember what my life was like before you were in it.”

Hannah remembered what her life was like. It was lonely and sad, even though she had to pretend at being happy all the time. The colors weren’t bright the way they were when the two of them were together, and her heart didn’t feel as full as it did right in this moment. She would never forget the way her life was before Garrett, because she knew she never wanted to go back to that place. This was how life was supposed to be lived, and it took a tattooed, pierced bad boy with an amazing heart to show her who she truly was. There wasn’t one part of her that would ever forget that.

*  *  *

May

“I
have never known you to be car sick ever in your life,” Shell told Hannah as she rubbed her friend’s back. She had been throwing up off and on for a day and had been nauseous for three, blaming the rolling of the bus.

“It’s got to be the changing elevations and stuff.” Hannah panted, trying to keep herself from throwing up again. Black Friday was on stage, and Shell had been dispatched to take care of her friend.

“It’s never bothered you before.”

Hannah felt her stomach roll again and heaved in a deep breath. “You know when you get older things start affecting you differently.”

Shaking her head, Shell got up from where she’d been keeping her friend company on the floor of the bathroom in the venue and walked to her purse. Rifling around, she found what she was looking for. “Here,” she shoved it in Hannah’s face, “take this.”

“Is that a pregnancy test?” Hannah asked, doubling over again.

“Yes, it’s a pregnancy test. Did you or did you not spend a full three days fucking your husband for the express purpose of procreating?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I did, but do you have to put it so bluntly like that? It wasn’t ugly, it was beautiful.”

Shell laughed. “Everything the two of you do is beautiful, girlfriend, but you’re looking rough right now, and we need to figure out if this is pregnancy or if you have a gnarly case of food poisoning.”

“It’s only been a few weeks,” Hannah argued.

“Five. It’s been five. Have you or have you not had a period yet?”

Hannah sat up, bracing herself against the wall. “No, but the doctor said it could take a few months for the period situation to get straightened out, even if I ovulated.”

Sitting down next to her friend, Shell took her clammy hand in her own. “Don’t be scared that you aren’t. Either way, you can always try next month.”

“I’m going to be so disappointed if I’m not,” she admitted.

“It’s understandable, but we need to figure out what’s going on with you if you’re not, because you don’t look so hot.”

“It’s a bad time to take it. Aren’t you supposed to do it in the morning?” Hannah argued. She wanted Garrett here with her, but he was on stage and couldn’t be with her every second of every day.

“You can take it whenever.”

Hannah squared her shoulders and stood up. “Okay, leave me alone to pee on this stick. We’ll see what it says.”

She waited until Shell left and then collapsed into a heap on the floor, pressing her cheek against the coolness of the wall. She wanted this so badly. What if it wasn’t a baby? What if she was only sick because of food poisoning or a stomach bug? She wasn’t sure how she would take that news, but Shell was right—they did need to know what was going on in case she needed to find a hospital.

Quickly reading the directions on the box Shell had given her, she set the alarm on her phone and did the test. A part of her wanted to share this with Shell, but a bigger part of her wanted her husband, just in case it wasn’t what she wanted. It felt weird doing this without him around.

Three minutes went quickly, and she grabbed the test, hands shaking.

“Fuck.”

Shell beat on the door. “Oh my God, did you just say the f word?”

“Yes.” She threw the door open, tears in her eyes. “I can’t tell what this damn thing says.”

Shell grabbed the stick from her and looked at the indicator, squinting and turning it this way and that. “I can’t either.”

“Just my luck.” She breathed deeply, through her nose and out her mouth as more rolling waves assaulted her stomach. “Let’s keep this between us and just get one tomorrow morning. Sound good?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want.”

“It is.” Hannah nodded. “And a bed, I want to lie down in the worst way.”

*     *     *

Garrett came off the stage, not seeing Hannah hanging around the side like she normally was. He’d known she hadn’t felt well, hadn’t felt well for a few days, but she hardly ever missed a show.

“Where’s Han?” he asked Rick as he took off his sunglasses and took out his in-ear monitors.