Page 32 of Notorious (Hollywood Heartthrobs #2)

OLLIE

Three Years Later

I t was annoying, but my right leg refused to stop jumping up and down as my eyes darted back and forth in the deserted halls of the hospital waiting room.

Connor had gone downstairs to grab a coffee, and I teetered on the edge between calling him back or leaving him to his mission. We’d been there since close to midnight and now, at close to three in the morning, he’d been flagging.

In order to calm my mind, I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, getting nerves under control. But on such a momentous day for both of us, I couldn’t help but remember back to the day Connor and I married.

A few days after Connor’s directorial debut, he woke up and rushed me to get dressed in clothing he’d already laid out.

Once I inhaled a cup of coffee, he put me in the car.

Still a little too tired to ask what our destination would be, I leaned my head against the window and fell into a little nap.

I woke as he parked the car and blinked up to see the same courthouse where the paternity hearing took place. Confused, I got out and followed a beaming Connor through the parking lot and through the hallways, this time without cameras following our every move.

Upon entering a second-floor room next to another courtroom, surprise turned to happiness as I spotted our family and friends assembled. But my heart leapt in my throat when among them stood a smiling judge in a black robe.

“Ready?” He asked.

Connor turned to me and took both of my hands in his. “Ollie, carino mío , will you marry me today?”

My heart leapt in my throat, and my entire body buzzed with a fuzzy, disconnected sensation. But knowing my answer, I leaned close to him and said, “Yes, beautiful. I would love to marry you.”

In less than ten minutes, we exchanged vows, and the judge signed off on the marriage certificate. He explained how we would receive our marriage license in the mail, which had been hanging in the hallway near our bedroom since it arrived.

It wasn’t a hard decision to take his last name, but I kept my pen name.

I still write, but more often than not, I love working with Connor as a script supervisor.

He’s directed three more movies; a romantic comedy, a period gay love story, which was my favorite, and the one set to release next year, a comedy action movie where Connor directs Kaid, Spencer, and himself.

Linus apprenticed under a costume designer as he worked on his degree in fashion design, and Connor has hired him for every one of our productions, and he’s thrived in the role.

Landon enrolled in law school after finishing his B.A. in under three years, as he fast-tracked his education by also taking classes in the summer. Maisie mentored him whenever he struggled with a point of law he didn’t understand, and he plans to be a defense attorney after school.

Lyric became a graphic designer and social media consultant.

He creates all my book and audiobook covers, website, promo, and social media.

To immerse him in the book world, he accompanied me to several romance conventions and networked with several other romance authors.

Of course, they loved him and he had plenty of work in the publishing world.

The best part, all three of them still lived at home.

The rest of the siblings all thrived in their lives.

Sam stuck with emergency medicine, but Thomas helped him achieve a better work/life balance so he’s not exhausted all the time.

They married within a month of Connor and I exchanging our vows by the same judge in the same courtroom, with the same guests in attendance.

Omi choreographs several award shows and has contracted with studios for her services.

And despite Emilia’s law practice thriving, it hasn’t soured her on love. Addie moved in with her and while they haven’t spoken about marriage, I think it’s a matter of time.

We are all still close, having family dinners most nights of the week. But rather than limit them to family, they include Spencer, Lee, Kaid, and Lewis, usually followed by movie marathons or game nights. It’s nice to have siblings and close friends I love so integral to our happiness.

Valentina and Lewis, although they started as competitors, have become the best of friends. They have combined their efforts and researched new recipes, which we all benefitted from.

My phone buzzed, so I shook myself out of my thoughts, and paused in shaking my leg enough to get the cell out of my pocket. I let out a laugh when I noticed it was Connor.

Connor: Anything?

Ollie: No. Beautiful, don’t you think I would have called you if I had any news?

Connor: Yeah, but… it doesn’t take this long, does it?

Ollie: No clue. Did you find coffee?

Connor: Should we ask the nurse?

Ollie: They’re a little busy. Where are you?

The phone went silent, and after a few minutes, the elevator dinged on the quiet floor. Not expecting anyone but my husband, I giggled when our entire group of friends and family piled out of the elevators, followed by Connor, looking triumphant with a large cup of coffee in his hand.

I stood and walked into mama’s arms.

“How are you holding up?” Mama asked.

Connor moved behind me and wrapped an arm around my chest and pulling me closer to him when mama let me go. I let out every thought in my head.

“I’m nervous… but excited. Then terrified, and wondering why it’s taking so long. I want to pace, but forced myself to sit down because I don’t want to drive people crazy. But, yeah, excited. And nervous, anxious. Jeez, why can’t I catch my breath? Is it hot in here?”

Soon, I was sitting with my head between my knees as Connor directed my breaths in and out.

“Are you okay, honey?” Emilia asked.

“Pretty sure. I might be. What’s with all the questions?”

Addie laughed and rubbed my back.

Landon said, “I think she asked because you are hyperventilating, brother of mine.”

“The glare won’t help you get more oxygen,” Lyric added.

“When did you become such a smart ass?” I asked.

“Yesterday,” he replied, blinking.

Spencer, Lee, Kaid, and Lewis laughed, and I glared at them, pointing. “Don’t encourage him.” Of course, I’m about as intimidating as a fluffy bunny.

Gracie pushed people out of the way and sat next to me. “It’ll be okay, honey. Look how many babysitters you have on hand.”

“And I’m a doctor,” Sam added, leaning against his husband.

Before I could concentrate on all the support we had, I heard someone clear their throat. When I glanced up, a doctor in scrubs stood there with an amused expression.

“Mr. and Mr. Blake?”

I shot up to my feet, catching my husband as he flailed backwards from my sudden movement since he was still kneeling in front of me. I took his arm and jerked him up to his feet and turned us toward the doctor.

“Yes?” Connor asked after I tried to croak out an answer.

Linus chuckled beside me, and I elbowed him in the stomach.

“You two have a baby girl. She was born at one ten this morning. She weighs seven pounds, eight ounces. Would you like to see her?”

“Yes, please,” I whispered.

With a nod, he led the way toward the well-baby nursery and Connor linked his fingers through mine.

I leaned in and asked, “Are you shaking or is it me?”

He huffed out a laugh and said, “Pretty sure it’s both of us.”

Once the doctor ushered us into the room, my gaze zeroed in on the baby in the nurse’s arms being rocked back and forth as she cried. There wasn’t any hesitation on my part, so when I stepped up to the nurse, she gave me a smile and slid the tiny human into my arms.

“Shhhh, little one. We’re here now. You are safe and loved.”

When the baby stopped crying at my voice, my heart seized at the curious look on her face and the fact I was holding our baby for the first time. This time, I blinked tears from my eyes as I glanced up at Connor.

“I’m so glad your mom taught us how to hold a baby with that sack of flour before she came into the world.”

Connor smiled as the doctor and nurse both laughed.

Glancing down at our newborn daughter, I said, “Hi, little one. We’re your daddies…”

With the words out of my mouth, my head shot up, and I whisper-shouted at my husband, “We can’t call ourselves that!”

With an ease and calmness I had yet to experience, he wrapped an arm around my back as he cocooned our daughter between us.

“Ah, carino mío , it’ll be okay. How about… you be dad and me, papa?”

I blinked up at him. “I’m… I would love to hear her call you papa.”

In the next few minutes, we filled out the information for the birth certificate, listing both of us as parents to our daughter.

They verified the legal paperwork where the mother had relinquished custody.

The doctor performed a series of screenings along with a physical examination, declaring the baby healthy.

As I carried our little one toward the waiting room to meet her family, I glanced at my husband and asked, “Are you happy?”

“For the next step in our life? Yeah, I couldn’t have predicted how much I wanted to add to our family, but watching you hold our daughter fills me with so much joy, I don’t know how I’m containing it.”

“You’ll be a brilliant father. Because you have so much love to give.”

My husband beamed at me. “I do, but that’s because of you.”

He paused us before we opened the door to the waiting room. “I love you so much.”

I leaned my forehead against his, taking a deep breath. “Connor, you are the love of my life who gave me a loving family, friends, and now, our baby girl. I not only know it, but feel it, every day. And I love you just as much.”

With my hands full, I couldn’t reach up and wipe the happy tears away. But I pressed my lips to his and said, “Let’s start our next adventure.”

Connor nodded and pushed open the door. The hushed talking stopped.

“Who do you have you there?” Thomas asked.

With a smirk at me, Connor said, “Meet our daughter, Freya Valentina Amelie Natalie Blake.”

THE END