ROMANCE: BAD BOY ROMANCE: M.V.B. - Most Valuable Baby (Sports Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Interracial Pregnancy Romance) (5 page)

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”

I bent to pick up the Tasmanian devil. “Hey, my love. Where’s the fire?”

She giggled and buried her small head into my neck. “There’s no fire. Allie would have put it out. I missed you, Mommy. What you do today?” She eyed me with innocence and chubby cheeks, and I couldn’t help kissing her.

“What do you think I did today?”

“I think you fed all the hungry people,” she said, and I grinned.

“That’s right.”

Allie, my babysitter, came around to lock the door behind me. “How are you doing Ms. Williams?” Allie wore her hair in a short stylish black bob. For someone so young, she radiated beauty. She was poised and articulate….the epitome of a proper Texas lady.

“Just fine Allie. Thanks for asking.”

I collapsed on the couch. “How was she today?” I asked her, taking in her poreless face. Even without makeup she had no dark circles under her eyes. I didn’t have to look in the mirror to know I would scare myself.

“She was great,” Allie said, bending down to braid Emmy’s dirty brown hair.

“Just great,” I said before grabbing my purse to pay her.

“See you tomorrow Emmy,” she said, closing the door behind her.

I only had a few minutes of free time off my feet before I had to get up and cook dinner. It was a simple one – spaghetti…or as Flo would call it, foreign entanglements and chicken nuggets for the little one. I couldn’t help thinking about what Cara said as I stirred the sauce. If she were coming, and no doubt marrying that famous movie producer, the entire town would come out. Everyone I wanted to see, and wanted to avoid would be there.

The nostalgic feeling made me dig out my old photo album. Only time and memories kept the pictures to the page. Emmy trudged in just as I put the food on the plates.

“What is this Mommy?”

“It’s a photo album.”

“Are you in it?” she asked, attempting to dump all the ketchup in the bottle on her plate.

“Yes,” I said, grabbing the bottle. “Right here.”

“Oh,” she crooned, her big blue eyes wide at my youth.

“You were so pretty.”

Were. Such an ugly word. It held so much potential to cut, referring to the past version of you and, in this sense, a better version.

“Aren’t I pretty now?” I asked, grappling for my shattered pride.

“Yes.” She nodded, stuffing more chicken in her mouth. “But you were the prettiest,” she said pointing to the faded picture of me senior year of college.

Not much has changed over the years. My blue eyes had darkened over the years. My blond hair still hung long, bright and shiny down my back, though with more split ends than I care to admit. My face has gotten harder from struggle, though I still tried to smile as much and I had definitely gained some weight.

That book held so many broken dreams, unfulfilled promises and faces I didn’t want to see. Most of all, I didn’t want to see
his
face. I closed it with finality, determined not to think about him. When the table was cleaned, we sat on the couch to watch Monday Night Football. After an entire day on my feet, I wanted nothing more than to relax with my favorite girl and watch hot men throw some skin. Emmy obediently went to the bedroom to lie down, leaving the door open. She knew Mommy would be busy.

I sighed, pulling the computer out to start my second job. From 8:00 pm to midnight, I worked as an article writer for a news site from my house. It was hard being a single parent with two jobs but what choice did I have? A lot of people liked to criticize me and tell me that I should relax and “be around more” because I have a child…this was my compromise. I worked two jobs because I had a child. After $500 a month for a one bedroom apartment, $300 for childcare, $85 for electric utilities, $60 for a cellphone, $300 for health insurance, $200 for basic groceries and $60 for internet, two jobs were necessary. Thankfully, Emmy had stopped needing formula and diapers.

I watched the game come to an end. The sound helped Emmy sleep and kept me entertained in between writing articles. Thankfully, I could make as much money as possible writing as many 600-word articles as possible. The TV screen in my peripheral caught my attention.

There he was. The man I let get away. The face I didn’t want to see…my beautiful nightmare and my sweetest dream. Liam Shields, Cara’s older brother and the only man I ever loved. He was the NFL’s MVP of the year and Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, but the last time I saw him was at high school graduation. He tried to say something, to hold onto us but I ran away, and that was the last time I ever saw him face-to-face. The screen zoomed in on his face.

A blonde woman stuck the mic in his face as soon as he pulled his helmet off his head. His curly black hair fell over his eyes, and he smiled while pushing it back.

“Liam, how do you feel about your performance today? You were killing it out there.”

His black paint framed his sweaty hard brown, and his teeth gleamed white into the camera.

“I felt really good throwing the ball today. I was able to see the field really well. I have to give credit to the offensive line they were the ones really making things happen for me, keeping the pass rush off of me to make some plays out there. If it wasn't for the blocks they produced, I probably wouldn't have had the game I did.”

Good looking and humble too, what kind of man was this? I sighed and continued writing as the night crept in.

CHAPTER TWO

Houston Texas – 9:32 a.m.

It is very disorienting waking up in a hotel room. As many as I’d been in over the years, I should know their interior more than I knew my own home, but that wasn’t the case. I had to blink the sleet from my eyes and look around.

Where the hell was I?

Then it all came rushing back. Houston. I looked around, and my eyes landed on the logo on the free notepad they leave in hotel’s room. Holiday Inn. I wasn’t alone. I shut my eyes attempting to remember the night before but it was just a blur of colors and good times.

Ok, what about the brown haired girl on top of me.

She was pretending to be sleep. I could tell, her breathing wasn’t deep enough. I understood the logic. The longer she slept, the longer she could lay on me. At least, that’s what she thought, but alas, this party had to come to an end.

I moved to get up, intentional shaking her from being on top of my chest. Her name was something like Bonnie. My brain was still trying to piece together where I picked her up from.

“Morning,” she said seductively, trying to attach herself to me again. Not today. I just woke up, and I was already tired. Jesus, is this what it feels like to be old?

“You have to go,” I said planting my feet on the floor.

She was as enthusiastic to stay as the women before her were.

“But I was thinking we could have a morning recap of last night.”

Don’t they all? Every single one of them, in more ways than one, try to stay but few have succeeded and they all end up leaving…even Maddie.

“No can do Bonnie.” I shrugged her off to brush my teeth. What was it with women wanting sex before they brushed their teeth anyway? I don’t know where your mouth has been. Aside from being on my cock last night, it was suspect.

“It’s Shawnee!” She actually had the nerve to sound angry. Tomato, tamato girl. She knew what it was when she offered herself up in front of the locker room.

I wasn’t going to apologize. She couldn’t make me feel bad. I already accepted what I was. She couldn’t change my colors any more than I could attempt to turn her into a housewife. I love women and women love me. I lost count of how many I had slept with a long time ago. It’s a win-win sleeping with me as far as I’m concerned. They can say they slept with an NFL player, even if no one believes them, and I can get a night of satisfaction. Most women like the fact there are no strings attached. It wasn’t hidden knowledge that I slept with different women. They knew I was a traveling athlete, what about that screamed husband material? When I was out, I kept a different one on my arm almost every day of the week. I was careful and, most importantly, I never lied to a girl. I'd always tell them straight: I don't want a relationship, and all I'm interested in is having fun. No relationship, no stress. Don’t get me wrong - I love women, and I try my best to respect them, but as far as was concerned, I had already met and lost “the one.” No need in repeating that painful experience.

I started throwing the little bit of clothes I brought with me into my suitcase. Suddenly I had the urge to get out of here. Despite the benefits of endless companionship as an athlete it was getting old.

“Where are you going?” she asked alarmed.

“Small Town.”

“Where the hell is that?”

I smiled, happy that she didn’t know where it was. I was going home, back to my shitty little town where nothing ever happens. This fast lane life was slowly killing me…not that Small Town didn’t have its own share of choking memories.

I froze, holding my bag and thought about her.

Blond hair, big smile, infectious laugh and bangs that hid bright blue eyes. Her eyes were my favorite feature about her. She could play any instrument her fingers touched. I remember she was going to the most prestigious music conservatory in the country. Some place I had never heard of. I tried to find her, I tried to keep in touch through my little sister Cara, but she slipped away. Like sand running through my fingers, she was gone, but my heart still bore remnants that she was there. I could still imagine her smell and the soft skin under my hands the one time we made love.

Every man has the “one that got away.” Maddie Lattimore was mine. For some reason, she pushed me away, and I didn’t realize that I loved her until it was too late. Maybe I was too young, maybe I just had no idea what love really is…but now, four years later, I knew that I loved her. I probably always will, too. I didn’t realize what I had until it was gone.

She told me she was betraying her friendship to Cara by being with me. That our relationship wasn’t worth risking their friendship. How could I argue with that? I never even thought to ask Cara. I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary arguments. Cara had been known to act like the older sibling and if she knew that Maddie broke my heart, she would have tried to break that girl’s nose. It didn’t matter now though, that was the past and I had to put it all behind me. Even if she was the only girl to make me feel something, the past was about to meet the present for this wedding.

CHAPTER THREE

Small Town, Texas – 8:12 a.m.

Today’s the day. I get to see my old best friend and meet her fiancée. My hands are shaking so bad that I can’t even pretend I’m not nervous after I nearly gouged my eye out with eyeliner and dropped my foundation twice. I had my best black dress on and more makeup than I wear to church, what was I doing?

Cara cajoled me into having lunch at her parents’ house, so here I was, in front of one of the only mansions in Small Town.

She screamed when she saw me and jumped into my arms.

“Maddie!!!”

Well when you’re greeted like that, it’s hard not to feel guilty.

“Hey, Car.”

“Oh my God, let me look at you,” she says, stepping back. “Turn around!”

“No! I am not a car at an auction.”

“You’re so silly girl. It’s been four years, and it’ll probably be four more after this wedding situation, so I need to lay my eyes on you. Make sure I have a good memory to hold on to.”

She walked around me, circling me and eyeing every part of my body. I felt like I was under a microscope and not only could she see all my flaws but my fears.

“Girl you finally put on some pounds,” she exclaims slapping my behind. It actually jiggled. “You used to cry bloody Mary at the cheerleaders who had curves in all the right places. I see someone finally filled out.”

If only she knew, this was baby weight.

“Well look at you,” I said trying to remove the attention from myself. “Marrying a Hollywood man.”

Cara blushed. She actually blushed!

“Wow. This must be serious. Where is the mystery, man?”

She blushed again and ran around the corner. Pulling a tall, thin man by the hand, we were formally introduced. “Maddie, I’d like you to meet Blake Witherspoon.”