Conviction (Consolation Duet #2)

by Corinne Michaels

  I giggle and sink into the seat. I’m happy. Deliriously happy. I have the most amazing man, a beautiful little girl, and another baby on the way. Aaron is alive, and we both have a way to find peace. He and Liam have been speaking in very small doses, but it feels like things are how they were meant to be.

  “You look beautiful,” Jackson says as he kisses my cheek.

  “Thanks, I’m getting huge.” I feel like I keep saying the same thing. I swear, I’m going to wind up giving birth to a damn toddler.

  It’s finally gender reveal day. I’ve had to fight the urge to call the bakery pretending I’m Reanell and need the color of the cake. It’s been killing me not knowing. I’ve debated killing her for talking me into this. She claims I owe her since Mason is deployed and she has no other means of fun.

  “Nonsense.” Jackson steps inside before I see Catherine behind him.

  “Cat!” I scream and embrace her. “You didn’t say you were coming.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. I had to come to New York for a meeting, so I planned it so I could be here.”

  “How’s wedding planning?”

  “Going . . . we’re not in a rush. What about you? Jackson said you and Liam . . .”

  I show her the ring and she gasps. “Wow, that’s breathtaking.”

  “It was his mother’s ring.”

  “It’s beautiful. Any guesses on the baby?” She smiles as her shoulders scrunch up.

  “I think it’s a girl. Liam swears it’s a girl too.”

  We’ve argued for two weeks about the sex. Before I can explain, I feel a hand on my lower back.

  “It’s a girl,” Liam’s husky voice says from behind me.

  “I really think you should change to thinking it’s a boy,” I say for the tenth time today.

  “Not a chance, sweetheart. If you want someone to be wrong, it’s going to be you.” Liam’s hand snakes down and squeezes my butt.

  I slap him and scoff, “He’s impossible.”

  “Wait,” Catherine says confused. “You want him to think opposite?”

  “Yes, that way he’s wrong, and I can gloat.” Makes perfect sense to me.

  “I thought Jackson and I were competitive.” Catherine laughs as someone else knocks on the door.

  “Excuse me,” I say and walk to see who’s is here.

  “Now,” Reanell says as soon as the door opens. She has the cake in her hand, and I have to remember I need to keep it together. “Before you do something stupid like tackle me . . .” She waits until I look at her eyes. “You will behave, or I’ll never watch your kids, and when Liam pisses you off, I’ll tell him things to fuel his argument.”

  “Some friend you are.”

  “God, you’re a peach when you’re pregnant,” she laughs and eyes me as she moves past me.

  “Good enough to eat,” Liam says hushed against my ear.

  “Change your choice!” I yell and rush after him. I wrap my arms around his back and he sighs.

  When we’re like this, nothing can hurt me. He blankets the fears that threaten to smother me. With him there is peace.

  Liam turns then his arms cross against my back. He holds me as his blue eyes prick with wonder. “You are trouble.” He slants down and kisses me. “Good thing I like trouble.” Another kiss to my lips.

  “Let’s go cut our cake . . .” I try to lure him.

  “Have you been cramping at all?” Liam asks seriously.

  I’ve had a few sparingly, but nothing like the last time. I’ve been taking it easy and trying to stay off my feet. Of course, Aarabelle doesn’t fully get that, so Paige has been brought on as a full-time nanny for a work-from-home mom. She helps with so much more than I could expect, and she’s very attached to Aara.

  “No, Dad. I’ve been good. I promise I’ll be careful.”

  “There’s my wife!” Mark comes in with his booming voice. “How’s our sparkly baby coming along?”

  “You’re so dumb.” I laugh and hit his arm.

  “Hands off my woman, Twilight,” Liam warns with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

  “Or what?”

  “I’ll kick your ass.”

  “Bring it. I’m twice your age and twice your size.” He winks at me and taunts Liam. “When the doctors told us the great news, we were thrilled . . . then we realized we’d have to tell you.”

  “Oh, for the love of God.” I push Mark, and they both burst out laughing.

  “Did you see her face?” Mark says between guffaws.

  “Dude, we had her good.”

  “Assholes,” I mutter and walk away.

  Quinn arrives late as usual, and we all grab seats and catch up. This is more like a barbeque than anything else. Aarabelle is, of course, on Liam’s lap most of the day and occasionally she and Jackson play a little. Knowing how Jackson also lost a child breaks my heart. His daughter or son would’ve been almost four I think. He will really be such an amazing dad one day.

  Aidan and I spend a good amount of time talking. He’s already head over heels in love with Aarabelle. She delivers him toys as she shares her half-eaten cookies. He never blinks an eye, just takes a bite and asks if he can have her call him Seanathair, which means “grandfather” in Gaelic.

  Of course, this will take a long time to teach her, but it means a lot to him. It also will help cause less confusion for the new baby as well. It gives the men the same name for both children.

  “Okay, I’m going to eat the damn cake myself if we don’t get to it now,” Liam says and claps his hands.

  Everyone laughs as Reanell glares at him. “One call and I’ll have your ass back on a plane,” she toys with him.

  “That is, of course, if Commander’s wife says it’s okay to cut the cake.”

  We all laugh at Liam’s quick rephrasing, and Rea smiles.

  “Let’s go find out what the bun in the oven is.”

  We head over to the table where there are two small egg shaped cakes. Both white, and once we cut them open, we’ll know.

  “Okay, the way this works is only one of you cuts the cake and the other announces the sex,” Rea explains.

  “Why are there two?” I ask.

  “Maybe there are two babies,” she jokes. Or at least she better be joking.

  “Not even funny.”

  Rea smiles, “I got two because the one wouldn’t feed this herd. Let’s be real here, Mark could eat that cake on his own.”

  Mark scoffs, “I’m not the one named Muffin Top. Let us not forget who’s the fat kid with the cake here.”

  “Funny,” Jackson replies, and we all bust out laughing.

  “Liam, why don’t you cut the egg, and Lee can let us know what it is!” She bounces with excitement.

  Liam’s eyes focus on the cake as he grabs the knife. He places it down, my eyes look to him in confusion before hands grip my face, and he presses his lips to mine. You can hear the group laugh and make teasing noises, but all I focus on is him.

  He pulls back and stares for a beat. “I love you and right now . . . I’m just happy.”

  “Me too. You make me this way.”

  We both smile at each other and Liam starts to look around the room. “Aara?” he calls out.

  Within seconds, she’s running across the room toward us.

  “There you are. Wanna see if you’re going to have a sister or brother?” She starts to reach for the cake. “Or better let’s have some cake.”

  Liam inclines, and I think he’s going for the knife instead he sticks Aarabelle’s hand in the cake.

  “Liam!” I start to complain, but then when her hand comes out, we both just look at each other and smile.

  “A boy?” Liam and I both start laughing. Which only increases as Aarabelle presses her now blue hand on Liam’s face.

  “Well,” his eyes shine bright. “We were both wrong.”

  “It’s going to be a boy!” I yell out as everyone claps.

  Aarabelle goes back for more of the cake, which is now everyw
here. Liam’s face is covered in frosting and cake. He dips his finger down while I warn him with my eyes.

  “Don’t do it.”

  “But we should match.”

  “Liam Dempsey, you do it, and so help you God . . .”

  “You wouldn’t want to make me blue.”

  “Something else is going to be blue.”

  Liam leans forward and lifts Aara between us and she gets me straight on the nose. Her hands glide down my face as she smears it everywhere. We all laugh, and I can’t help but feel as if the sun is shining down upon us.

  We clean up and everyone comes over to talk to us. Liam reaches around and grabs my hand. Sometimes out of nowhere he’ll do this. It’s as if he needs to ground himself and I’m that for him. I love that through our touch he can feel like home.

  I head into the kitchen and start to put away some of the dirty dishes. I look out the window at the ocean and smile. Arms come around my stomach, and I settle back against him. He holds me against his chest, and I rest my head on his shoulder.

  “I just talked to Quinn,” Liam grumbles softly.

  “I’m sorry,” I joke.

  “He gave me the keys to the house in Corolla. I can call a priest and we can go next weekend. What do you say?”

  I put the plate down and shut the water off. Liam moves back so I can turn and face him. Immediately his arms find their way around me again. I wrap mine around his neck and look into the eyes of the man I love. “This weekend?”

  “I don’t need anything but you and Aarabelle. Quinn said he’d stand in for me and I’m sure Reanell will. Jackson and Catherine are here . . . it’s your call, sweetheart.”

  If it were any other man, I don’t know that I could so soon. If it were any other SEAL, I wouldn’t be able to. But this is Liam. While we didn’t find each other in the most conventional way, we found each other when we needed to. He’s truly my other half.

  “Looks like you’re about to get hitched, Dreamboat.”

  “I’m going to make you the happiest woman in the world.”

  My fingers glide across to the scruff that’s trimmed again. His strong jawline and dark brown hair scratch against my skin. “You made me fall in love with you and then you gave me a child. You loved me even when I was a mess. I think you’ve fulfilled that promise.”

  Liam’s lifts me gently and lowers himself. Our lips meet and I sigh. His tongue enters my mouth and pushes against mine slowly. Each slide against each other makes my body warm. I feel his fingers glide down my back as he cups my ass. Using the counter behind me he raises me up so I’m sitting. My legs naturally wrap around his waist and he continues to plunge into my mouth.

  My fingers grip his hair, holding him against me, but he’s just as urgent. Even though there’s a house full of people, I can’t push him away. I hold him close and I mold to him.

  “Seriously, get a room,” Reanell enters the kitchen.

  I wipe my mouth and the tingle and swelling of my lips is torture. I want more.

  “So,” I say nonchalantly. “I’m getting married next weekend. Would you like to be my matron of honor?”

  “Only if you don’t call it matron. Makes me feel old.”

  “You are old.”

  “Whatever. You’re pregnant.”

  “You’re quick. So . . . will you?” I ask trying not to laugh.

  Reanell rushes over and pushes Liam out of the way. She wraps her arms around me and rocks back and forth. “I would love to. You know I can’t say no to you.”

  Mark walks in carrying a bunch of trash. “So the party is in here?”

  Liam looks over with the biggest smile and I give him one right back. “Next weekend,” Liam says. “We’re getting married.”

  “You can’t,” Mark says deadpan.

  “Why the hell not?” I ask.

  “Because you’re my wife and that’s my baby. This is some Jerry Springer shit up in here.”

  Liam pushes his chest. “The wedding will be in Corolla, fuckstick.” He laughs and walks out of the kitchen.

  Mark heads over. “I’m happy for you, Lee. I don’t know if I’ll make it and I hope you understand. It’s not choosing . . . it’s just that if it were me . . .” he trails off and it clicks that he’s talking about Aaron. “I wouldn’t want to be alone.”

  “I don’t want him to be either.”

  I’ve made peace with Aaron. Healing came despite great despair. Life may have thrown me around, but it’s shown me that sometimes love can come in places we never thought to look.

  “I’ll let you know, but even if I’m not there, I want you to know I’m happy. I think you and Aaron made the right choice.” Mark sits at the table and I join him.

  “You know, all those years we were trying to make things work, there were times I wished he would leave. He was unhappy. I was unhappy, but I thought if we could just have a baby, it would make things okay. I really believed it would heal us.”

  Mark grabs my hand. “I think the mission we lost Brian, Devon, and Fernando altered all of our lives. Jackson was never the same, and I think Aaron carried more shit than we knew. All of us lost our friends that day and we lived. There’s a level of guilt you carry through that. I dealt with mine and made peace with it. But I don’t know that those two did. Aaron had you to focus on, and when a man can’t do something he was made to do . . .” he trails off.

  “Aaron didn’t fail me, Mark. He wasn’t the issue with getting pregnant, but he used that to be selfish. That’s why I couldn’t go backward.”

  “Just know that you’re my friend too, and I’m not choosing sides. I didn’t want you to be upset.”

  I stand and place my hand on Mark’s. “I understand. Thank you for being a good friend. Aarabelle is lucky to have you and Jackson too.”

  “Well, I’m a fantastic godfather.”

  “The best.”

  We laugh and hug before he walks out. I stand here for a second and take in the fact that in a week, I’ll be Mrs. Dempsey.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not going to tell you again,” Liam warns as he waits downstairs.

  We came to Corolla the day after the party. It’s been great being away just us and his father before everyone else arrives. Aidan has been enjoying the time with Liam and he’s officially smitten with Aara. He offered to watch her so we could go to dinner just us tonight.

  Jackson, Catherine, Reanell, Mark, and Quinn are coming tomorrow morning. Rea is bringing the cake and the reason Mark is now attending is Aaron went home to visit his mother. So instead of just attending, he got ordained. He decided that he couldn’t miss it and he only felt it was fair to be the one to marry us. Liam thought it was brilliant—me, not so much.

  “You know, it’s not so easy when your stomach doesn’t agree with zippers!” I yell down the stairs. One week and I can’t zipper this damn dress. “Liam,” I whine a little. “Please come zip me.”

  I hear him talking to himself about girls and how it’s going to be great to have a little man to round out this group. “Sure, darling.” The sarcasm drips from his tongue.

  “You did this to me.”

  “Last I checked, you had to be present in order for me to have done this.”

  “Whatever. It’s your fault.”

  “I have a feeling I’ll be hearing that a lot.”

  I snort, “Yup.”

  “I didn’t piss in your Cheerios, so be nice. And don’t forget, tomorrow you’ll legally be mine to do what I want with.”

  “Happy wife, happy life, buddy. Don’t fuck it up,” I joke and he laughs.

  He zips the dress and his hands slide down my arms. His fingers touch the ring and he rubs the diamond. “She’ll be here in a way tomorrow. My mom . . . she’ll see us.”

  “She’s always here with you.” I turn in his arms and place my hand on his heart. “No matter how much you miss her, she lives here. Her memories can’t ever be taken, and tomorrow you’ll feel her presence.”

  “Yeah,” he pauses and rubs h
is hands up and down my bare arms. It’s laughable the dress I have on. Thanks to whoever made Lycra, because without the give there would be no way of squeezing in. “Do I seriously have to sleep in the other room?” Liam groans again.

  His biggest issue is that he doesn’t want to sleep apart. Let alone sleep in the same room as his father who snores so loud he’s woken us twice.

  “Yes.”

  “How about you sleep with Aarabelle, and I’ll sleep in her room?”

  “In the crib?”

  He’s out of his mind.

  “I don’t think we have bad luck coming our way. I’m pretty sure we’ve already surpassed it.” Liam gives me his sly smile. His blue eyes gleam as he tries all of his moves.

  “It’s tradition.”

  “There’s nothing traditional about us.”

  I laugh and lean in to kiss him. Our lips touch and his hands thread in my long hair. He tangles his fingers around my curls and holds my head to his. His tongue glides across the seam of my lips and I grant him access. The second our tongues touch, passion erupts between us. The slow, dull flame becomes an inferno and all I want to do is strip him down and let him take me.

  My hands slide across his taut chest and I groan into his mouth as I feel each ripple of his skin. The heat burns through his shirt as he licks the inside of my mouth. I need to breathe, but I would sacrifice oxygen to keep kissing him. Liam reminds me of the good in the world just by being near me.

  He pushes me against the bed and lays me down. “Liam,” I say his name as a request. I’m not sure whether it’s to keep going or to stop. I want him, but his father and Aarabelle are downstairs.

  “I’ll be quick,” he whispers before his mouth meets mine again. He’s careful with his weight not to push against my swollen belly.

  Our tongues clash and his hands make their way up my dress. With one hand, he removes my underwear. I reach for the button of his pants and we hurriedly undress each other. There’s no elegance or grace. Once I slide his pants off, I wrap my fingers around his dick. His head falls against my shoulder as I pump him slowly.

  I push his shoulder and he falls onto his back. I smile as my hair creates a veil not allowing him to see my intention. Moving down his hard body with my tongue, he lets out a low groan.