by S. J. Bishop
"Carter?" I asked, alarmed.
He shook his head, clearing it. "I’m okay," he said. "Just felt a little lightheaded for a moment."
I looked up at him, worried. "Really," he said, "I’m fine."
I smiled and let my worries go. Carter was strong. We’d been through a lot tonight and he probably needed some sleep. Or some food. My stomach grumbled. I’d never eaten the Snickers Bar my mother had brought me. I wondered if I still had it.
"There you two are," Hannah shouted when we emerged into the waiting room. Hannah had joined my parents there once it had been settled that Erik wasn’t going to die any time soon, and Olivia would stay with him in the hospital for the night.
"We just went for a walk," I said, blushing and hoping no one would notice.
Hannah eyed us suspiciously. "I’d have thought you’d be at home by now," Carter said to Hannah, settling into a chair. His face had grown paler in the last few minutes than I had seen it all night.
"I’m not going anywhere," Hannah said. "That’s my niece in there!"
I paused. In all this, I had never stopped to consider that Hannah was Lily’s aunt. I’d been so wrapped up with how to tell Carter that Lily was his daughter, it had never occurred to me that Hannah might have a vested interest in Lily’s well-being as well.
"Yeah, I guess you are her aunt," I said, smiling now.
"And as her aunt," Hannah said. "I’ve got a few questions for you. First of all, how long has this affair been going on?"
My cheeks burned bright red as my parents looked over with interest. "It hasn’t," I mumbled. Hannah laughed. "I mean..." I didn’t want to talk about all this in front of my parents, but I supposed that they were all adults.
I took a deep breath and squeezed Carter’s hand. He squeezed mine back, but I noticed that it didn’t feel as strong as usual. I was about to ask him again if he was alright when Hannah said, "We’re waiting..."
"Look," I said, "Carter and I were together once, three years ago. That’s how Lily came to be. And that’s been the only contact we’ve had. Until recently..." I smiled and bit my lip, sneaking a look at Carter, who smiled back. His eyes seemed to be getting dimmer by the second though.
"Carter, are you okay?" I asked. "You look awful."
"I’m fine," he replied, but now Hannah and my mom and dad were looking at him too. "I’m fine," he repeated to us. "Just had a little too much excitement for one day. Found out I was a father. I was almost killed. It’s a lot to take." He tried to laugh but it came out as more of a gasp.
"You know, I do feel a little funny. Maybe I’ll just go splash some water on my face," he told us, standing and heading to the bathroom.
"And food," my mom said. "Poor thing probably hasn’t eaten all day. I’ll go get him something. Ava what does he like?"
I paused, realizing that despite all we’d been through together, we still had a lot to learn about each other. "I’m not sure," I confessed.
Hannah stepped in. "A chicken sandwich would be great," she said.
"Chicken it is then," Mom said, rising and heading for the cafeteria.
Ten minutes later, Mom was back, and Carter was still in the bathroom.
"Maybe I’d better go check on him," Dad said, looking anxious.
"He’s probably fine," Hannah said, but her eyes were nervous. Dad stood and headed into the bathroom Carter had disappeared into. A second later his head popped out of the door.
"Get help!" Dad shouted.
I rose from my chair and darted to the bathroom. Carter lay on the floor, his face white. His eyes were closed and I wasn’t sure he was breathing.
"Oh my God," I cried. "Carter!" I knelt beside him while Hannah ran for help. A second later she was back with several nurses in tow. They lifted Carter onto a stretcher and wheeled him into emergency. I tried to go with him but they refused to let me back there.
"Just family," the nurse said.
"I’m family," Hannah replied. "We all are. I’m his sister and this is his fiancé."
I caught the nurse stealing a glance at my blank ring finger. "Fiancé huh?"
"That’s right," Hannah answered for her. "And I demand we be taken back there."
The nurse, who was probably on the last hour of her shift and too tired to argue, raised her hands and said, "Suit yourself."
We found Carter in the back surrounded by two nurses and a young doctor with light blonde hair and green eyes. "I’m his sister," Hannah said, before the doctor could say anything.
He smiled. "I know who you are Ms. Stone. I’m Dr. Greenwold. I’m afraid your brother has lost a lot of blood."
"He has?" I asked, guilt overwhelming me. "It didn’t look like that much to me." I bit my lip. Why hadn’t I made him see a doctor hours ago when Mom suggested it? "He seemed okay. He said it didn’t even hurt."
"The blade appears to have hit a nerve. That would explain why he didn’t feel any pain."
"A nerve?" I asked. "Is that serious? Like an artery?"
Dr. Greenwold laughed. "Not quite as serious as an artery. He won’t bleed out from it, but it could affect his ability to use his arm."
Hannah gasped. "You mean... like throwing a football?" Dr. Greenwold looked at her and nodded.
"We’re taking him into surgery now. I won’t know how serious the damage is until we’re in there."
"Do whatever it takes, Doc," Hannah said. "I don’t know what he’ll do if he can’t play football anymore."
"I’ll do my best," Dr. Greenwold said, pushing Carter towards the OR. "But I can’t make any promises."
51
Ava
Dr. Greenwold came out first. Even though Carter had gone in for surgery well after Lily’s had begun, he was still out before her.
Hannah and I stood up when he came out, clinging to each other. I had a fresh bandage wrapped around my leg. While we were waiting, Hannah and my parents had insisted I get myself looked at.
Dawn was breaking outside the hospital. Hannah had called her parents shortly after Carter had gone in for surgery. They had been greeted by Hannah, who told them of the awkward situation—not only was their son in surgery, but so too was the granddaughter they had never known they had. They had sat off to the side of the waiting room in silence, processing this new information.
"How is he?" I asked.
Dr. Greenwold smiled. "Well, he’ll be alright as far as his health goes. There was only slight internal bleeding and we were able to stop it without any problems."
"Thank God," Hannah and Carter’s mother said, rising from her chair. My mom put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. Hannah’s mom smiled back.
"Regarding the nerve in his shoulder. I’m afraid it was completely severed. There’s little we can do to repair it."
"What does that mean?" their father asked. "Will he still be able to play football?"
The doctor shook his head. "I’m afraid it’s just too soon to say. Sometimes, these things heal on their own, but usually in a case like this... Carter’s right arm function may be rather limited. We’ll know more in the next few weeks."
"Can we see him?" Hannah asked.
"Wait just a little while," Dr. Greenwold said, smiling at her. "Let him rest a bit before you go in."
I sat back in my chair, my head resting on my knees. Lily’s doctor came out after the sun was fully up. The surgery had taken eight hours. I was barely able to stand when Dr. Martin approached. Exhausted and terrified of the news, I waited for him to speak.
"It went well," Dr. Martin told me and I let out the breath I hadn’t noticed I was holding in. I stood frozen trying to process all this might mean. Was it possible that Lily wouldn’t have to be rushed in and out of the hospital anymore? Could she have a normal childhood?
Mom and Dad hugged Carter’s surprised parents, who after a moment’s hesitation, hugged them back. Hannah gripped me in a tight hug, just like the sisters we’d grown up as.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Dr. Martin said, his smile falte
ring. "I don’t want to give false hope." One by one, the smiles fell off of our faces. "What I mean is, we’re not exactly out of the woods yet. We’re gonna need to wait and see how Lily’s body handles things. She’s been through a lot. She’s strong, but she’s still only three."
"What are you saying?" I asked, desperate for some good news. "Is Lily going to make it or not?" My voice rose and my parents came beside me, taking me in their arms.
"The next forty-eight hours are critical," Dr. Martin said. "If we’re going to have any problems, we’re going to have them during that time."
"Can I see her?" I asked.
"Of course. But just you for now. Lily’s not awake yet, but she can sense your presence." He hesitated, "We’ve moved her out of recovery and put her in the same room as her father."
I blushed and looked around her to see if either of our parents would say anything, but no one did.
I headed towards Carter and Lily’s room when I heard my mother calling after me. "Ava." I turned and saw my mother standing at the end of the hall, tears in her eyes. She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight.
"I just want you to know that I’m sorry for anything I’ve ever said or done to make you feel like you weren’t a good mom. You’re the best mother I’ve ever known, including myself." She laughed and looked at me and my eyes spilled over now too.
"Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Carter from the beginning."
"It doesn’t matter. Not now. All that matters is that Carter and Lily get well again. I love you honey."
"I love you too Mom."
My mom gave me one last hug then hurried back to the waiting room. Inside the hospital room where Lily and Carter lay. I held my breath. Carter looked worse than Lily with the bruises and cuts that saturated his face, but Lily’s porcelain skin against the myriad of tubes and needles poking out of her made her appearance that much more unnerving.
I went to Lily first, kissing her head. Then moved to Carter, kissing his. The beeping of Lily’s heart monitor was rhythmic at first, almost peaceful. But as I stood there, it seemed to get more and more erratic. I searched the room for a nurse, wondering if that was normal.
Suddenly the beeping went ballistic. Three nurses burst into the room followed by Dr. Martin.
"What’s happening?" I asked, but they were too busy to answer me. "Dr. Martin, what’s happening?"
"We have a problem," Dr. Martin said. "She’ll be okay, trust me, but you need to leave now."
"What? Why? I’m not leaving." But one of the nurses took my arm and pushed me from the room, closing the door in my face. I stood there a second, listening to the sounds of my daughter crashing, before returning to the waiting room.
Epilogue
AVA - One year later
The music began to play. I scooched Lily ahead of me. "Go on honey, you first."
"Kay Mommy. Now?" Lily asked, turning to look at me with wide, wondering eyes.
"Yes Lily, now."
Lily stepped onto the long white carpet that lined the path to the wedding altar. Her flower basket swung from side to side as she threw pink petals down. My parents took pictures. Carter’s parents had hired a whole video crew. They’d been so upset that they didn’t get to have a wedding here last time, that for Carter’s wedding they’d gone all out.
Hannah pouted beside me. "My parents didn’t have swans walking around in the yard for my wedding," she said.
I smiled and laughed. "Where’s your date?" I whispered.
"Dr. Greenwold? Mmm... there he is. On the aisle." Hannah waved at him and he waved back, his face glowing.
"I think he might be a little enamored with me," Hannah said.
"By that goofy grin on his face," I replied, "I’d say he’s head over heels."
Hannah beamed. "You really think so?"
"Absolutely. Your turn."
"What?" She asked. "Oh, crap." Hannah stepped onto the carpet, taking the arm of Carter’s old coach from the 49ers who escorted her down the aisle.
The music changed and I steadied myself. I stepped onto the carpet, my wedding gown dragging behind me. I’d thought about getting something shorter, but my mom had almost had a heart attack at the suggestion.
"A wedding gown needs a train," my mom had said. Carter’s mom had agreed, and I had decided to play along. Now that the day was here, I was happy they’d made me choose this dress. I’d always dreamt of wearing a ball gown like this. It made me feel like Cinderella.
Carter stood at the end of the aisle, a huge smile on his face. His best man, Axel, stood next to him, eying the bridesmaids. Both men looked good in a tux. Despite the problems Carter still had with his arm, and would probably always have, he managed to keep up his workout routine and stay in shape. Lily stood in front of him. I still couldn’t believe we’d celebrated her fourth birthday. After some initial problems with her heart surgery, which Dr. Martin had smoothed out, things couldn’t have gone better for her. The trips to the hospital had gotten fewer and fewer until I’d finally had to make a special trip there to deliver Dr. Martin’s wedding invitation.
I stopped when I reached Carter, taking my place across from him.
"You look beautiful," he whispered. He squeezed my hand and someone snapped a picture. We’d tried to keep the press out, but there were too many celebrities here. Everyone on Carter’s old team had come out for the event, and several of Hannah’s film star buddies, most of whom I had gotten to meet these last few months that Lily and I had spent with Carter in California.
I had been uncertain about taking Lily anywhere at first. Dr. Martin was a stickler for reminding me that just because Lily seemed okay now, didn’t mean there would never be another problem. But he thought the chances of her living to be an old lady were quite high, and finally told me that some time in the sun might be just what she needed to wrap up her recovery.
It had been there in California, on a beach, that Carter had proposed. One thing after another seemed to fall into place after that. It was as if the universe had been waiting for this proposal to open the floodgates.
At Carter’s insistence, I had reapplied to Harvard. "I don’t need to stay in California," he’d told me when I’d objected. "It’s not like I can throw a ball anymore." He’d smiled as he’d said it, but I’d known it bothered him that he couldn’t play football anymore.
I was so nervous that I wouldn’t have what it took anymore. After all, I had failed a test for an online course. The days before I waited to hear from the admissions office seemed an eternity. But finally I’d received the news that I had been accepted into Harvard for the second time. I couldn’t believe it. We’d celebrated. Then Carter had been offered an assistant coaching job with the Patriots. It had taken two seconds for me to tell him to accept it. It was like the universe was suddenly playing favorites, and Carter and I were on top of the favorites list.
Boston was something neither of us had ever anticipated, but we were both excited about. And the Boston Children’s Hospital was the best in the country. Hopefully we wouldn’t need it, but if they did, it was nice to know it was there waiting for us.
And that would also mean we were that much further away from Myron, who was locked up in Washington of all places, for the murders of three other women. He was never getting out.
The minister spoke so fast that I could hardly believe it when he pronounced us man and wife. I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I barely remembered saying my vows. Carter took my hand and pulled me to him, in a kiss. Lily giggled beneath us.
"Can we get a dog?" Lily asked. Carter and I laughed hysterically.
"We’ll get a dog, a cat, and a moose if it makes you happy," Carter said lifting Lily onto his shoulders.
"A moose?" Lily said, scrunching her face. "A dog is better," she said, clapping her hands while Carter held onto her and I watched her back. We walked down the aisle together, a family that had already suffered more than most, and only had the future to look forward to.
TH
E END
Personal Note
Thank you for reading Dirty Quarterback! I highly value the time you took to read, and it is readers like you who keep me writing!
If you enjoyed this book, please would you be kind enough to leave a review on Amazon? I'd very much appreciate it if you could.
Don’t forget to flip over to check out a snippet from Drop Kicked (the prequel to Blitz). Have a read and sign-up for a FREE copy of the full story if you like it.
Feel free to reach me anytime for comments or just to say “hello” at [email protected].
SJ x
Drop Kicked - Excerpt
"Hey, Jackson," I replied smoothly. "Looking for another notch in your belt?"
His smile faltered slightly before picking back up. "Just thought I'd say hi to the prettiest girl in the room."
I knew it was a line, but God, he looked good saying it. His perfect pink lips looked as though they could play both equally soft and hard against my skin, depending on his mood or mine. I wished he didn't smell so good. What the hell was it? Like ocean air and eucalyptus.
"I think we had better just keep things professional," I told him, not moving my steely gaze from his lustful one. "Considering we start contract renegotiations tomorrow."
"Oh, what's the harm in one drink, Emma?" My name rolled off his tongue like dew. My panties were getting hot, and I suddenly realized how close he was standing. I stuck one red fingernail out at him and pushed him back.
"Down, boy," I said, flashing him my smile. "I don't fuck football players. Ever. Last time I checked, that included you."
Jackson's smile dropped away, and his caramel eyes turned stormy. As good as he looked when he was trying to score, he looked even better when he was angry. My heart thumped hard against my chest, but I refused to let him see it.