Full Circle (Rockin' Country Book 3)

by Laramie Briscoe

  Shell tried not to let panic set in, but usually when Hannah started a conversation with those words, said conversation could go either way. “I’m listening.”

  “Next week, I have to fly back to Nashville for my annual. I’m thinking about not putting my IUD back in. Garrett and I want to try to have a baby.” She tried to keep the excitement out of her voice in case Shell wasn’t thrilled about this.

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Really, but we want everyone’s blessing. We don’t want to make it difficult on any of the people sharing our lives, so I need to know…what do you think?”

  Hannah held her breath, waiting to hear what her best friend in the whole world had to say about her possibly becoming a mother.

  “I’m so excited for you! I think the two of you will make great parents, and this is the perfect time for you to do this.”

  “Oh, I’m glad you think so.” Hannah laughed. “I was sweatin’ bullets wondering what you would say. I know it feels like Garrett and I have moved fast, but I know that everything is right with him. I feel more like myself with him than I ever have with anyone else.”

  Shell knew that feeling all too well. “I know you do, and I will support you in any way I can. You know the record company won’t be pleased, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. There’s no sense in telling them you’re planning on getting pregnant. Let’s just wait until you are.”

  “Right. I mean, it could take months. I’ve been reading up on it on the internet, and it seems it can either take months, or you get pregnant right away. Either way, Garrett and I are ready for it. He’s going to talk to the guys about it this afternoon too. He’s taking them to a really nice steakhouse. I’m kind of worried about it,” she confessed.

  “Why?”

  “Well, I mean this is their life and I just invaded it. Now a baby might invade it too. It seems like I’m taking over.” She shrugged.

  “No, I don’t think they will feel that way at all. Garrett’s the happiest he’s ever been, and that’s thanks to you and the life that the two of you have made together. They aren’t going to begrudge him that. I can promise you they would never be that petty. His friends aren’t like Ashton’s. I know that’s your point of reference for everything, but I’m pretty sure you’ve got a good group of guys here who would walk through fire for you.”

  Hannah breathed a little easier. “I hope you’re right. We’re not telling our parents yet, just in case. You know Marie can smell a conspiracy a mile away.”

  “I’m telling you, you have nothing to worry about.”

  * * *

  “It’s been forever since we’ve been out,” Chris commented as the group was seated in the back, away from other customers just like they had requested.

  “Yeah, I realized how long it had been,” Garrett mentioned as he leaned back, letting the waitress place a menu in front of him.

  “Our priorities kinda shift sometimes.” Jared shrugged. “But it’s okay, that means we’re growing up. We all have different things going on in our lives. Now we’re old enough that we don’t have to be stuck up each other’s asses every single minute of every single day.”

  Garrett was glad the conversation had taken this turn, but he was still worried. Worried that his friends wouldn’t understand that he wanted to grow up even more. That his life would take on an even bigger role outside of the group if he and Hannah were so blessed. His hand actually shook as he took a drink from the beer that had been placed in front of him. He couldn’t remember ever being this nervous.

  The waitress came back around and they quickly ordered, knowing that it would be a while before they would get their food. A great steak took time to prepare.

  “You’re quiet.” Jared pointed at his friend. “Is everything going okay with you?”

  He cleared his throat. “I have something I want to talk to you guys about. It’s serious.”

  They were immediately all ears. “Nothing’s wrong with Hannah is it?” Brad asked, concern evident in his voice.

  “It does concern her, but it really concerns all of us, which is why I’m talking to you about it.”

  He took a deep breath to steady himself.

  “Next week, Hannah makes the decision if she wants to go off birth control or not. She and I have talked about it, and we think it’s time for us to think about starting our family. We’d like to try and get pregnant.”

  The three sets of eyes looking back at him were surprised, but then huge grins spread across all their faces. “For real?” Jared asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “For real, but we both want to make sure you three are okay with that. It won’t only affect me and her, but it will affect the three of you as well. We don’t want there to be any hard feelings, or thoughts that we’re pushing our lifestyle on you three.”

  “I think I speak for all of us,” Brad motioned to himself, Chris and Jared, “when I say that we love Hannah, and there is no reason in the world the two of you shoudn’t be parents. Like we said. We’re growing up. If it’s time, brother, then it’s time.”

  Garrett knew it most certainly was time.

  Chapter Twelve

  * * *

  “Hannah Thompson,” the nurse called, smiling when she caught sight of her. “C’mon back, Doctor Simpson is ready for you.”

  Hannah took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous about this, but she was. Before every appointment she had with the doctor, he always wanted to discuss what was going on in her life. Instead of being lead to an examination room, she was lead to his office.

  “Hannah, great to see you again.” He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

  He was older, and she figured this was how doctors had been when he’d started practicing. “Good to see you again too.” She smiled at him as she had a seat.

  “How are you doing? Any problems with anything?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m doing great actually.”

  He pulled out her chart and went over a few things. “I saw in the papers were you got married. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you so much.” She beamed at him.

  He read through her chart a little closer. “So what are we doing today besides your annual? I see that it’s time for you to take your IUD out.”

  “That’s right.” She nodded.

  “Are you wanting to replace it?”

  This was it, the moment she’d been waiting for. She shook her head. “No, Garrett and I have decided we want to try for a baby.”

  The doctor wasn’t surprised as he glanced over at her. “That’s great news. Have you been doing your research? You do know you could conceive the first time you try, or it could take a few months after we take this out?”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that. We aren’t in a huge hurry.”

  “Okay then.” He stood up. “Let’s go give you a thorough check up and take that out.”

  An hour later, she was leaving the doctor’s office with pre-natal vitamins he encouraged her to go ahead and start taking, along with folic acid. He’d given her an ovulation kit to make sure that things were normal after the birth control had been taken out and assured her she was in perfect shape to have a child. He had even looked at her, a stern expression on his face, and told her it would be fine for her to gain the healthy amount of weight while pregnant. She appreciated that, more than he knew.

  She texted Garrett to let him know her appointment had gone well and she would be catching her plane back to him, hoping he would have time to meet her at the airport after the show. If not, she knew there would be a car waiting for her so that they could catch up with the tour bus.

  They had decided not to tell any of their family that they were going to try and conceive. If there was an issue and it took them longer than they imagined, she didn’t want to face questions from anxious family members, or have it get leaked to the press. This secret was for the two of them and the two of them alone. She alre
ady had notifications on her social media accounts that said the paparazzi knew she was back in Nashville, and they knew she was without Garrett. He had posted a cute picture of the two of them, hoping to dissuade anyone from trying to follow her.

  As she made her way towards her gate, her phone rang, and she looked down, seeing Garrett’s smiling face. “Hello?” she answered.

  “Hey, I was checking to make sure everything went okay. He gave us the go ahead to start trying?”

  “He did. He said I’m perfectly healthy, and he gave me some things to go ahead and start taking. I think we’re gonna be fine.”

  He knew they would be, but he still had to call and check on her. “Okay, I’ll see you tonight, I gotta go and do sound check. If I can, I’ll come pick you up,” he promised.

  “Sounds good, love you,” she told him, before they ended the conversation.

  Hannah walked to her gate and realized she still had twenty minutes before they would start boarding. Looking around, she had a seat and stowed her purse and carry on beside her before pulling her iPad out to play some game that Brad had gotten her addicted to. She was so involved, she didn’t see the person approach her.

  “Do you mind if I have a seat?”

  She glanced up, seeing Bryson Grant for the first time since he’d been such a jerk to her. Trying to sabotage her song and relationship with her husband had not made her a happy camper and she’d probably never forgive him. “I’d really rather you not, because if my husband sees pictures of us again, he might not stop at just punching you in the nose.”

  He laughed, but it was forced. “I deserve that. I wasn’t nice to you.”

  “No you weren’t.” She shook her head. “And I thought we were friends. I thought you cared more about our friendship than a number one song. I’m so disappointed in you. We went to high school together, we grew up together. What in the world turned you into that selfish of a human being?” she asked, letting all the questions to which she’d wanted to know the answers fly.

  “They were threatening my deal, Hannah. Not everyone is as blessed as you.” He had the seat she hadn’t offered him before. “Not everyone gets a number one hit their first time out. Every song I write doesn’t turn to gold.”

  “Every song I write does not turn to gold either, Bryson. But I’ll tell you this, I would never, in a million years, treat a friend the way you treated me.”

  “I know.” He shifted, uncomfortable under her gaze.

  “That’s the difference here. It’s not that everything I touch turns to gold, it’s not that I got the good record deal and you got the bad one. It’s the fact that I am a good, genuine person who, when she makes mistakes, owns up to them. You aren’t a good person, and I think maybe I was blinded by the fact we’d known each other for so long. You also can’t seem to apologize when you do something wrong. You need to own the fact that you were a bad friend to me and that you were going to use me. That’s on you, that’s not on me, and it’s not on my husband.” She stood as her gate was called.

  “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.

  Chapter Thirteen

  * * *

  April

  Hannah 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.