Right now, a size-2 brunette was making her way over to him. He was surprised to find himself eyeing that postage-stamped sized skirt and white halter top with concern rather than lust. How the hell old was she?
“So,” she slurred, sitting on the arm of his chair, one hand holding a Heineken. “You’re the big shot home run hitter, huh?”
He gave a perfunctory smile. What little there was of the skirt slid high enough up her thigh to give Carter a tiny peek of the hot-pink, lacy thing standing between her and the big bad wolves of the world.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “How old are you?”
In the past, such a question would have been nothing more than a precaution. No sense in getting into trouble when you didn’t need to. Now, he was honestly curious. He looked at the barely-there clothing, the facial features that still harkened back to teenaged innocence—and it bothered him. A lot.
“Twenty-one,” she said with a smile and a wink, “Just turned legal one month ago!” She held her bottle of beer up in the air in salute.
It did nothing to quell the instinctive, paternal reaction that ran through him.
She leaned in and gave him a wicked grin that could only be read one way. “Wanna go back to the bedroom?” she purred. “I give the abso-fuckin-loutely best head ever.”
Carter flinched at the boldness of it, still feeling rather fatherly—and just where the hell had that come from? The entire declaration had made his dick practically shrink back into his groin.
This was someone’s daughter and here she was offering head to a man simply because he had the ability to hit a few home runs.
“I have a better idea,” he suggested. “Why don’t we take this to the balcony?”
Her smile indicated that she had a totally different interpretation of that suggestion than he had intended. All the same, if it kept her occupied until she could dry up—in every sense of the word—he figured it was worthwhile.
He took her elbow and led her out onto the narrow ledge, closing the sliding glass door behind them. His plan had been to enjoy the view, maybe talk for a bit as she sobered up and re-evaluated her life choices.
“So, what are you majoring in?” he asked, attempting to start off on an innocuous topic.
“You don’t have to small talk me to get me on my knees,” she purred with a smile. She came up close to him. “I’ve heard all about you, Carter Fox.”
Before he realized what was going on she reached out and grabbed the crotch of his jeans. “Ohh!” she exclaimed, her eyes getting brighter. “Hellooo, daddy. It looks like the rumors are true.”
Daddy?
Was he really that old? Looking at the fresh—if slightly sluggish with beer—face below him, he certainly felt old.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, there darlin’,” he said, quickly grabbing her hand and removing it. He used the other to gently push her away.
The beer delayed the reaction, but it came soon enough. Confusion. Hurt. Anger.
“You don’t think I’m pretty?”
That look on her face almost killed him. An icy hot dagger of guilt went through his heart as he remembered all the women in his past who had probably also based their self-worth on whether or not their lips were wrapped around his cock.
“No,” he began. Her face crumpled. “I mean of course you’re pretty—”
“Then what?” she said, getting angry. “What’s the matter with you? Do you know how many guys would jump at this opportunity?”
This was getting out of hand. “Listen, why don’t we just sit and talk.”
“Talk?” she spat back at him. “I didn’t come to this party to talk.”
She headed back toward the sliding glass door. With one last look over her shoulder, she sneered, “seriously, what the hell is the matter with you?”
He sat down on one of the chairs and looked out at the water. He didn’t have to ask himself the same question. He knew what was the matter with him. The only problem was, he hadn’t called her in a long time.
He should probably do something about that.
27
“So this is the big reveal, huh?”
“Maybe we can use something other than ‘big’,” Jordan grumbled, “or reveal.”
She looked down at her belly. According to her extremely accurate calculations, she was now a little over 10 weeks along. There was no actual bump, but boy was her body letting her know something was up. The sensitive breasts, the constant feeling of being bloated. She was also starting to get this weird thing for strawberry milk.
She’d had no morning sickness other than some mild nausea in the morning. She wasn’t sure if she could handle throwing up her breakfast every morning and then heading off to class.
She mentally thanked her/him for that one. Small blessings.
“How do you think they’ll take to being surprise grandparents?”
Jordan sighed. “Only one way to find out!”
She had decided to keep the baby. Once the initial panic of finding out had died down, she actually had time to think it over and discovered there was no reason not to…with or without Carter.
She would be out of law school by the time the baby was born and even past taking the Texas Bar. She had a well-paying, if extremely demanding job already lined up for her. She had always planned on having kids anyway. She even had grandparents living in the same city to maybe help her out every once in a while.
But first, she had to tell them.
She’d waited until Spring Break because she wanted to tell them in person. They deserved that much.
Frankly, she would be relieved to finally have it out there. April had been great, but she was just as clueless as Jordan when it came to what was coming down the line. Pregnancy? Birth? Afterwards?
April looked at her with wide-eyed empathy. Then she surprised Jordan by running over and hugging her. “Good luck, chica,” she said. “Call if you need to.”
It was a move that almost brought Jordan to tears, or maybe it was just the crazy hormones. They had been friendly roommates these past two years, in an Odd Couple sort of way. But April had completely stepped up to the plate since being the accidental witness to Jordan finding out about the baby.
“Thanks, April,” she said, hugging her right back.
In her car, the first song that popped up on her playlist was Me, Myself, and I by Beyoncé. It seemed oddly fitting, despite the fact that she was about to bring two more people into the loop. However, it was true, ultimately it was all on her...and the little one growing inside of her.
But she totally had this.
Me, myself and I, that’s all I got in the end. That’s what I found out, and there ain’t no need to cry....
She had them at the kitchen table. The ride in had steeled her nerves and seeing them in front of her had reminded her that, no matter what their thoughts on the matter, these two people more than almost anyone in the world would have her back.
“Well,” she began, “Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you.”
They stared at her expectantly and she could see the growing concern in their faces. Nothing good ever followed that sentence. Best to just get it out.
“I’m pregnant and I’m keeping the baby.” She could hear the hint of pride in her voice, as if telling them that yes, something had gone awry in all their hopes and plans for her, but she still had things firmly handled.
As the statement hung in the air, she realized she did.
Carter…or no Carter.
But that was a confrontation for another time.
Her mother closed her eyes and held it in. Well, that was to be expected.
Ralph stared at her for a beat, then a small smile that was a mixture of sadness and pride came to his face, as though he was watching her grow up before his eyes, but way too fast for him to keep up.
Deborah, her eyes still closed, brought a hand up to her head, as though struck with a sudden migraine. Jordan heard a gasp that sounded like a sob escape her lips as she sl
id her chair back from the table.
“I’m sorry—I…I just…I need a moment.”
Jordan’s eyes blinked rapidly as she watched her mother head out of the kitchen.
Her father grimaced and looked her directly in the eye. “Don’t you let that affect you, Jordan. She just needs a chance to adjust. You let me handle her.”
“I can handle her, Dad,” Jordan said, with a wry smile. “But right now, I need to know how you feel about this. I know this isn’t what you expected from me but--”
He slid his chair around the table until he was right next to her before she could continue. He took her chin and lifted it up to face him. “Look at my face, Jordan,” he said. “Do you see disappointment or judgement here? No, you don’t, because you, sweetheart, will never, ever, disappoint me, you hear?” he insisted. “You are a smart, considerate, beautiful young lady. I couldn’t be prouder of you if I tried. Whatever you decide to do, that baby is damn lucky to have you carrying it and bringing it into the world.”
That was when the dam broke. She had built a barrier around herself on the drive into Houston, to counter any siege that might make her doubt herself, or shoot arrows at her own lofty ideas of going through with being a parent.
This was the one that caused her to crumble. He wrapped his arms around her, letting her release it all. Up until that point, she hadn’t realized how heavy the load she’d been carrying was.
When the worst had subsided, he asked, “So, I’m assuming it’s Carter Fox’s.”
She laughed. “Of course.”
“Well hey, we might end up with a future athlete in the family.”
That made her laugh even more, slightly rebuilding that wall of strength to hold her up.
“Does he know?”
“No,” she stopped him when she saw his look. “I know he has a right to know, but this isn’t something I can just text him or call him about. Especially since we haven’t exactly been…well, since I haven’t been talking to him.”
“You’re going to have to tell him, and the sooner, the better,” he said.
“I know,” she sighed, falling back into her chair. “He’s at spring training, four states away. Then there’s the start of the season. I don’t want to mess up his—”
“Jordan,” her dad interrupted gently. “There is no right time, as I’m sure you’ve figured out. The sooner you tell him the better.”
Jordan nodded. Her dad was right. The sooner, the better.
He had a right to know he was going to be a father.
And she had a right to know if she was going to be on her own in this.
Her mother entered the kitchen ten minutes later, back to her usual calm, stoic self.
“I’ll give you two a moment,” her dad said, making his way out.
“I’m sorry for walking out like that,” Deborah sighed. “It was inexcusable.”
She reached out to take Jordan’s hand. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through these past months and here I am walking out after only a minute. I’m so sorry sweetheart.”
She was going to make Jordan cry all over again.
“It’s okay Mom,” she said, giving a wan smile. There was no use holding the guilt over her head. Games like that were something she couldn’t afford to indulge in these days. “You should have seen me. I think there’s still a vomit stain in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on the way to Austin.”
They both laughed a little at that. The tension in the air eased.
“Best laid plans,” Deborah said, and gave a brief smile.
“Yeah,” Jordan said, giving her a soft smile.
“Have you told him yet?” Her mother certainly didn’t need to ask whose it was.
“I will. Soon.”
“Well, no matter what he says, you know your father and I are here for you.” She reached out a hand to push a strand of hair from Jordan’s forehead. “Being a mother? It’s the most wonderful, and at the same time, the most heart-wrenching experience you can have.” She gave a small, nostalgic smile. “It will emotionally drain you and make your chest explode with love.”
Jordan felt herself softening, the tears starting to come back.
“I can already tell how much stronger this has made you. I am proud of you Jordan, and I love you something fierce, even if I sometimes have trouble showing it, this doesn’t change a damn thing.”
Jordan leaned over and hugged her something fierce.
Yeah, she had this.
28
Carter Fox…Doping?
With his mastery at hitting home runs, rumors of steroid use have followed Carter Fox, the Houston Sluggers’ star batter, for most of his major league career. Until now, those rumors have remained just that—rumors.
In an exclusive, Lone Star State Baseball has obtained evidence that may lend credibility to those rumors. The evidence, which Lone Star State Baseball has strong reason to believe is credible, was obtained from an unnamed witness close to Carter. The witness has come forward with a syringe that contains traces of, what that our own experts have determined is a performance enhancing drug that is prohibited in major league baseball.
The most damning potential proof is the blood on the syringe that contains DNA evidence, which points the finger in the direction of Carter Fox. According to the unnamed witness, he has personally watched Carter Fox “use performance enhancement drugs since his first season with the Houston Sluggers.” The combination of this eye-witness testimony and the blood on the syringe that is very likely a strong match to Carter Fox’s DNA, doesn’t look good for the Sluggers player.
Major league baseball players are tested every season during spring training, then again randomly during the season. Considering the fact that certain drugs can become undetectable in as little as three weeks, it’s not unlikely that Carter may have, thus far, been lucky enough to avoid having his use discovered.
With so much damning evidence, it seems that Carter Fox may join the ranks of other beloved major league baseball players who have disappointed fans, such as….
Carter stopped reading when the punch in the gut hit him yet again. Doping? Performance-enhancing drugs? DNA proof? The whole thing was so absurd he couldn’t even wrap his head around it. Carter would normally be inclined to dismiss any of Lucas Grabow’s articles as nothing more than trash, but these were serious allegations. Even Grabow wouldn’t dare print such a damning piece without at least some proof.
And apparently, he had proof.
How? Just, how the hell…how?
He hadn’t been given a moment’s peace since the article went live. Phone calls. Texts. Knocks on the door of his hotel room. Teammates. Miles Derrick. His mother. He had ignored them all while he sat in his hotel room, looking at his phone, re-reading the article.
Then came the call he couldn’t ignore.
“We need to address this right, fucking, now!” Michael Snyder had literally screamed into the phone.
For once, Carter couldn’t argue with the man.
Once again, Carter found himself sitting in Michael Snyder’s office. They had immediately pulled him out of spring training and flown him right back to Houston. This time it wasn’t just Snyder, it was the entire Sluggers’ legal team.
Today, there would be no smart-assed comebacks. Today Carter was out for blood. This mess had to be cleared up, and cleared up soon.
Fortunately, Snyder was letting the lawyers take the lead. Carter was so wound up, he wasn’t sure he could keep himself from leaping over the desk and breaking Snyder’s goddamn neck if he heard one pretentious peep out of the man’s mouth.
“Obviously, our first concern was libel,” began Marc Scher, who seemed to be heading the group of business-suited clones sitting around the table next to Snyder’s desk.
“Your damn right, libel!” Carter roared, standing up in anger. He pulled himself back down into his seat as the man flinched in response.
Keep it together.
“Well, it’s only libel
if it’s untrue,” Scher gave him an uncertain look as he said that, then continued when he saw Carter’s expression. “Although Lone Star State Baseball refuses to reveal the source of their…evidence. They did realize that it would be in their best interest to allow an impartial party to have access to it,” Scher gave Carter another slightly apprehensive look, “if only to test and see if the DNA actually matches yours.”
Carter’s green eyes turned to steel as he gave the man a measured look. “It won’t.”
“You’d better hope it doesn’t” Snyder chimed in, shutting up when Carter turned the hard stare in his direction.
“Of course it won’t,” Scher said, flustered. “We already have the press release ready to go out to every news agency in the country,” his look of apprehension deepened, “once we’ve actually performed the test.”
Carter began rolling up the sleeves to his shirt. “Well let’s go. Do it right now. I want this shit nipped in the bud—today!”
The table of lawyers blinked rapidly and looked at one another.
“We can’t test you for drugs now, not when there is a chance you’ve had time to clean out your system. No one would trust it. We just have to make sure the blood on that syringe isn’t a match.”
“Then test my damn blood. I can guarantee you that won’t point the finger at me either.”
“The test won’t be done here, Carter.”
“Then why am I sitting here with my dick in my hands talking to you?” Carter got up out of his seat, causing the entire table of gray suits to collectively shrink back. “Let’s get this rodeo going,” he continued.
Scher looked around at the table. “We, ah…we just need to make sure—”
“They need to make sure the match to the blood will be negative, Carter,” Snyder said, giving the table of attorneys a withering look of annoyance. “You know, before we all end up standing around with our dicks in our hands looking like a bunch of assholes.”
“Don’t worry, you can keep your zippers closed,” he growled. “It won’t match.”
Home Run: A Texas Heat Romance Page 14