Line of Scrimmage (27 page)

His eyes softened as he brought her hand to his lips.

“You really have no idea what you have over me, do you?”

He was right, she had no idea.

“Everything, Susie.
You.
That’s what you could threaten to take away from me.”

“So if I tell you I’m going to leave that’ll scare you into getting over what I did to you?”

“Maybe.”

She stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“To pack.”

He tossed his head back and laughed as he reached out to bring her onto his lap. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Her eyes filled. “I want you back, Ry.”

“I’m right here, baby.”

“But you’re
not.
”

“Yes, I am.”

“I wanted to call you. When you were late, I
was
worried. I was worried sick, actually, but I was afraid to call you.”

“
Why?
That’s crazy. You can call me any time you want to. You know that.”

“I didn’t want you to think I was checking up on you.”

“Susie.” He gave her a playful little shake. “I
want
you checking up on me. It shows me you love me.”

“I was afraid it would also show you . . . ”

“What?”

“That I don’t trust you.” She took a deep breath.

“I guess it doesn’t matter because your phone was dead anyway.”

The lights flickered again, but this time the power went out, leaving them with only the candlelight.

“Susannah, baby, listen to me.” He turned her chin so she was looking at him. “If you’re worried, or scared, or nauseous,
or lonely,
call
me. I don’t care where I am or what I’m doing, I’ll always want to talk to you. And I promise I won’t ever think you’re checking
up on me. Deal?”

Touched, she shook the hand he held out to her. “Deal.”

“Feel better?”

She nodded and tipped her head to touch her lips to his. What she had meant to be a quick kiss took a passionate turn when
he wove his fingers into her hair and dragged his tongue over her bottom lip.

After several long, hot kisses, he stood up to carry her into the den where he settled her on the sofa and stretched out next
to her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to resume the kiss.

“Susie,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you so much. Don’t go to the trouble of blackmailing me, okay?

You can have whatever you want.”

“The only thing I want is you—all of you.”

“You have me.”

“Good, because I’m having a craving.”

He raised an amused eyebrow. “Anything I can help with?”

She nodded. “In fact, you’re the only one who
can
help.”

“This sounds serious.”

“It’s a matter of life and death,” she said, unbuttoning his shirt. “Are you up to the task?”

He flexed his hips, pushing his erection into the V of her legs. “What do you think?”

She giggled. “It seems you’re well prepared for this mission.”

He was still laughing when he captured her mouth in a kiss that was both passionate and reassuring.

In that moment, she finally began to believe they were going to be okay.

Chapter 28

SUSANNAH STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EMPTY YELLOW room and opened her heart to the storm of emotions that came with venturing
in there for the first time since they lost Justin. If she closed her eyes, she could still picture the nursery she had so
lovingly put together for him with yellow ducks and gingham curtains. Tears spilled down her cheeks, but she did nothing to
stop them, knowing they were a necessary part of this final act of saying goodbye to the son she had lost.

For two long years, his place had remained sealed off from her home and her heart, but someday soon another baby would come
home to this room. That baby
would
come home. She felt it with a certainty she couldn’t explain and didn’t question.

Fear had blossomed into hope over the last two weeks. And tonight, on the eve of what would have been her wedding to Henry,
she was filled with the peace she had craved and finally found with Ryan. She was right where she belonged with his child
thriving inside of her, waiting to be born to two parents who wanted him—or her—more than they wanted anything else.

Clutched in her hand was the tiny Mavericks jersey she had bought for the baby. She had come in here tonight to find a place
to put it until it was needed. Squatting down in front of the window, she raised the lid on the built-in seat and tucked the
jersey away inside. She closed the seat and rested her cheek against it, as if to seal the deal she had made with fate. If
she bought only that one thing, maybe, just maybe . . .

“Susie? What are you doing, baby?” Ryan asked from the doorway.

She wiped her face and turned to him with a smile.

“Just putting something away. Did you get all your football stuff unpacked?”

He came in to help her up. “Right back where it belongs.”

“There’s no escaping now,” she joked. “Your bachelor pad is history.”

Leaning in to kiss her, he said, “Good riddance. Are you sure you’re okay?”

She nodded. “I haven’t been in here since . . . ”

“Never?”

“No.”

He held her for a long, quiet moment. “I have a present for you.”

“You do?” She frisked him. “Where?”

He laughed and led her from the room. “Downstairs.”

“I heard you playing earlier,” she said as she closed the door behind her. “Was that Enrique Iglesias?” She made a face. “Not
your usual thing.”

“There’s a funny story behind that,” he said with a grin as they went down the stairs. “After we beat Atlanta, we were partying
in the hotel bar and this lounge lizard type was performing. He did
Hero,
and the whole team sang along at the top of their lungs like idiots. The guy was thrilled. I really think he had no idea we
were making fun of him. So over the next week, I learned the song and played it for the guys on the plane after the Houston
game. They went nuts, and it sort of became our anthem this season.”

“That’s hilarious.”

“There’s another reason why I learned it.”

“What’s that?”

He led her into the den. “If I tell you, you can’t tell the guys,” he said in all seriousness.

“I won’t,” she said, mimicking his grave expression.

“I promise.”

“You know how he says she takes his breath away?”

Susannah nodded.

“Well, that reminded me of you,” he said with a shy smile. “Because you take my breath away.”

“Ry . . . That’s so sweet. Will you play it for me?”

“After you open your present,” he said, gesturing to a small, flat package on the coffee table.

She picked it up and shook it. “What is it?”

“Open it,” he said with exasperation.

“Remind you of anyone you know?”

“Susannah . . . ”

She tore off the paper and found plane tickets and a brochure for a resort in Barbados. “Oh, Ry, this is fabulous! It’s just
what we need.”

“There’s more. Flip it open.”

Inside was an engraved card that said, “A Renewal:

Ryan & Susannah Sanderson, Sunset on March 21.”

“I thought it would be cool to renew our vows on the beach, just the two of us, before your summer semester starts and before
the baby comes.”

“You set this all up?” she asked, astounded.

He nodded. “I think it’s important we do it, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she said, reaching for him. “It’s really important. Thank you for arranging it.”

“Is it okay that it’ll just be us? I mean, if you want to invite your family—”

“No. It should be just us.” She rested against his chest.

“Thank you, Ry.”

He brushed his lips over her hair. “You’re welcome.”

Shifting so she could see him, she added, “Not just for this. For coming back, for taking a stand, for fighting for us, for
being the guy I need you to be. For all of it.”

“If you’d told me the night I first came home that one day you’d be thanking me for it . . . ”

She chuckled softly. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but . . . ”

“What?”

“I can’t.”

He tickled her, making her squeal with laughter. “Tell me,” he said, threatening to tickle her some more.

“Okay, okay.” She took a deep breath. “I was secretly thrilled to see you.”

He laughed. “Must have been
very
secretly, because you could’ve fooled me.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I was mad at you, too. It was just like you to pull something like that.”

“I believe you just thanked me for pulling ‘something like that.’”

“Shut up.”

He grinned. “Make me.”

“I thought you were going to play for me.”

“You really want to hear that song?”

She nodded.

“You seriously can’t
ever
tell the guys. They’ll abuse the shit out of me if they think I used it to score with you.”

“Are you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He reached for his guitar. “What?”

“Using it to score with me?”

“Well,
yeah.
Why else would I sing such a fruity song?”

She laughed until there were tears in her eyes. “Don’t worry. Your secret will be safe with me.”

“Don’t look at me, or I’ll laugh,” he said as he played the first few notes.

Susannah was surprised when her eyes filled as she listened to him. Both his guitar playing and his singing were amazing.

The doorbell rang.

“Hold that thought,” Ryan said, leaning over to kiss her before he got up.

He swung open the door to find two men in suits on the front porch.

“Good evening, Mr. Sanderson,” the older of the two said as they flashed their badges. “I’m Detective Cooper, and this is
my partner, Detective Ortiz. May we come in for a minute?”

Startled, Ryan stepped aside to admit them. “What can I do for you?”

Susannah came out of the den and stopped short when she saw the two men. “What’s going on?”

“This is my wife, Susannah.”

“Ma’am,” Cooper said before he turned back to Ryan.

“Is there somewhere we could speak privately?”

Ryan put his arm around Susannah. “Right here is fine.”

The cops exchanged glances.

“Do you know a Misty Carmichael?” Ortiz asked.

“No, should I?” Ryan asked.

“She claims to know you.”

“I’ve never heard that name before in my life. Have you, Susie?”

“No,” Susannah said. “What’s this all about?”

“We were contacted earlier today by Ms. Carmichael’s father. His daughter, who’s six months pregnant, has named you as the
baby’s father.”

Ryan gasped. “
What?
”

Susannah recoiled in shock.

Ryan tightened his grip on her.

“We’d like you to come downtown with us to sort this out,” Cooper said.

“There’s nothing to sort out!” Ryan cried. “I don’t know her! And if there’s a woman claiming I fathered her child, why are
you guys involved?”

“She’s sixteen years old,” Ortiz said.

“Oh my God,” Susannah whispered. “Oh, God.”

“Am I being charged with something?” Ryan asked as his cheeks flushed with distress.

“Not at this time,” Cooper said. “Right now, we’re asking you to cooperate with our investigation by coming with us.”

“I don’t see why we can’t sort it out right here.”

“Normally, we’d do our best to accommodate you, Mr. Sanderson. We’re well aware of your standing in this community. However,
Mr. Carmichael is a good friend of the mayor’s, and we’ve been instructed to handle this by the book.”

“Great,” Ryan said, his jaw clenched with tension. He turned to Susannah. “Call Chuck, and tell him to meet me at the station.”

She snapped out of her daze and nodded. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Stay here, Susie. I’ll be right back when they find out I had nothing to do with this.”

“I can’t just sit here! You can’t ask me to do that.”

“I don’t want you anywhere near this.”

Something about his expression filled her with fear, which must have shown on her face, because he looked away from her.

“Mr. Sanderson?” Cooper said. “Grab a coat.”

They escorted him—thankfully without handcuffs—from the house a minute later. Susannah was paralyzed as she watched them go.
The car pulled out of the driveway and was out of sight before she forced herself to move, feeling like she was wading through
quicksand. Her hands shook as she rifled through the papers on Ryan’s desk and finally found the home phone number for the
attorney he had told her to call.

“Are you
kidding
me?” Chuck exclaimed when Susannah explained what had happened.

“I wish I was.”

“And he’s never met this girl?”

“He said he’s never even heard of her.”

“Do you believe him?”

“Yes, but the cops—they seemed pretty sure they had the right guy. I can’t imagine they’d go so far as to come here and pick
him up, especially in light of who he is, if they didn’t have some kind of evidence against him, right?”

“Susannah, listen to me. This is a girl in crisis.

Everything she says and does will be suspect at this point. Don’t panic, and don’t think the worst until we know more.”

Susannah took a deep breath. “Okay. Can you get over there right away?”

“Absolutely. I’m also going to call one of my partners who specializes in criminal law, just in case we need him.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary?”

“It will be if they charge him with statutory rape.”

She gasped. “
They can’t do that!
”

“Let’s just wait and see what happens. I’m leaving right now.”

“I’m leaving, too. I’ll see you there.”

Susannah’s mind raced as she drove to the police station, which teemed with people that Friday night. After fifteen minutes
in line, she was told to have a seat and someone would be with her as soon as possible. A tense thirty minutes passed before
an officer came to find her.

“Mrs. Sanderson?”

Susannah leaped to her feet.

“Right this way.”

She followed him through a winding maze of hallways to a room where Ryan conferred with his attorney.

Ryan stood up when she came in. “Susie! I told you not to come.”

His distress was so palpable that anxiety rippled through her.

“What’s going on?” Susannah asked as she took the seat next to Ryan and reached for his hand. “What are they saying?”

“Apparently,” Chuck said, “this girl, Misty, had refused to name the baby’s father until yesterday.”

“But how could she name
you?
” Susannah asked Ryan. “You said you’ve never met her, right?”

“Yes,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Are you sure, Ry? You meet so many people . . . ”

His eyes were cold as he took back his hand. “I’m positive. I’ve never met her, and I’ve
certainly
never
slept
with a sixteen-year-old!”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Ryan turned back to Chuck. “What are we waiting for?”

“They’re talking to her again. They should be back soon.”

They waited in silence for twenty long minutes until the door opened and the detectives came in.

“Mrs. Sanderson, we’re going to need you to wait outside.”

“Why?” Ryan asked. “If I’m not under arrest and not being charged with anything, why can’t she stay?”

The detectives exchanged glances.

“All right,” Cooper said. “She can stay. For now.”

“Ms. Carmichael said she met you on the evening of September twenty-ninth after one of your games,” Ortiz said. “There was
a party somewhere downtown. She couldn’t recall the exact location, just that there were a lot of people, including other
members of your team. She said you bought her several drinks, you danced with her, and then invited her back to your place
at . . . ” He consulted his notebook and rattled off the address of Ryan’s apartment in the city. “Where you had sexual relations.”

Susannah stiffened as she listened to the detective’s monotone account.

“She’s lying,” Ryan said first to the cops and then again to Susannah.

“You’re going to have to do a little better than that, Mr. Sanderson,” Ortiz said.

“No problem.” Ryan’s eyes flashed with anger. “On September twenty-ninth we played the New England Patriots. We lost twenty-four
to twenty-one. I remember that date because after the game I had dinner with my father for the first time in thirty years.”

The detectives were clearly taken aback by this news.

“Do you have a phone number where we can reach him to confirm this?”

“I don’t know it by heart. We aren’t exactly in touch.

His name is David Sanderson, and he lives in the San Francisco area. I’m not sure where.”

“What restaurant did you go to?”

“Sullivan’s,” Ryan said, referring to the downtown steakhouse.

“Who paid?”

“I did.”

“Cash?”

Ryan thought for a second and then shook his head. “AmEx.”

“Where did you go after dinner?” Ortiz asked.

“I was upset.”

Susannah reached for his hand and was startled when he shook her off.

“Why were you upset?” Cooper asked.

“Because all he wanted was money—a half million dollars, to be precise.”

“Did you give it to him?”