Earning a Ring (More Than a Game Series Book 4)

by Kristina Mathews

  * * * *

  Rachel woke to sunlight streaming into an empty room. She’d fallen asleep on Bryce. On their wedding night. Instead of two or three rounds of hot, sweaty, mind-blowing sex, she hadn’t even made it to a goodnight kiss.

  She was just stepping out of the shower when she heard Bryce’s keycard in the lock. Rachel dried off, wrapped her hair in a towel, and slipped into a robe. She stepped out of the bathroom.

  He was carrying a paper cup from Starbucks and she waited for her stomach to recoil at the smell of coffee. But there was no smell.

  “I started to get you a cup of coffee but then I remembered pregnant women shouldn’t have too much caffeine.” Bryce offered her a sweet smile along with the familiar green and white cup. “So I got hot chocolate. I also thought you might need a little something to tide you over until we get to Johnny and Alice’s. I hope you like those little mini scones.”

  “Thank you.” She took the hot cocoa and the bag of scones over to the table by the window. They had a great view of the city and the mountains surrounding it. She took a tentative sip, hoping it wasn’t too hot.

  “I finished my coffee downstairs. In case the smell of it bothers you.” He stood as she pulled a vanilla frosted scone out of the paper sack. “Does the smell bother you?”

  “Sometimes.” She took a tiny bite, not trusting her stomach much these days. When the first bite seemed to pass the test, she took another. “But I miss it, too.”

  “If you have to give up coffee, I will, too.” Bryce continued to stand there, hovering. “We’re in this together.”

  “Stop. Please.” She took a sip of hot cocoa to soothe the stinging in the back of her throat. Tears welled in her eyes. She hated being so damn emotional all of a sudden. “And please, sit down. I can’t stand this overprotective thing you’ve got going.”

  “I’m not overprotective.” He sat carefully on the edge of the bed. “I just want to take care of you. And the baby.”

  “It’s too much.” She shoved the cocoa and the rest of the scones away from her. “You finish your coffee downstairs so I don’t have to smell it. You bring me scones and hot chocolate and stare at me while I eat. It’s like you’re waiting for me to fall apart.”

  “I’m not waiting for you to fall apart.” Bryce rested his forearms on his knees. “I’m just trying to help.”

  “Yeah. Well, I don’t need your help.” Now she sounded ungrateful. “I don’t need your understanding. Or you sacrificing your morning coffee for me.”

  “Okay.” He said the word as if he thought she was overreacting. Maybe she was. But this wasn’t them. They weren’t a couple. They’d never even shared a meal together. Not even late night room service.

  “Maybe I’m being a little…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I guess I just don’t want you to throw up in my car. It was bad enough you threw up on my car.”

  He looked up at her and grinned. That stupid, adorable, impossible-to-resist grin.

  Her heart did a crazy little lurch, and she knew she was going to end up in bed with him once again. Of course she was. They were married.

  She stood up, walked over to the bed, and placed both hands on his shoulders. She shoved him down and started kissing him. He tasted like coffee and vanilla and Bryce. She pressed her breasts against his chest and wove her hands into his hair.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and she could feel his erection pressing against her belly. He felt his way underneath her robe, and grabbed her ass. She wriggled, moving her hips to give him better access. This was more like it. This was what they did together better than anything.

  “Do you have a condom?” She stopped kissing him long enough to ask the question she’d asked him dozens of times.

  “You’re pregnant,” he said with a look of surprise.

  “Yes. Even more reason to be careful.” She didn’t want to imply that she didn’t trust him, but… “Unless you can tell me you haven’t been with anyone since the last time we were together.”

  Before he could confirm or deny her suspicions, her phone on the nightstand buzzed. She knew by the ringtone she couldn’t ignore it.

  “Shit.” Rachel rolled off him. “I’ve got to get that.”

  “Really? Now?” Bryce sounded irritated. Of course he was.

  “Believe me, it’s better to get it over with.” Rachel scrambled off the bed and grabbed the phone.

  “Hi, Mom. What a nice surprise.” She sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Bryce and smoothed her robe down around her thighs. She felt the bed shake as he got up, and she tried not to cry when she heard his footsteps cross the room.

  “Speaking of surprises.” Her mother’s tone was all too predictable. “I was watching the news last night, and before they even got to the sports highlights, there was my sweet baby girl onscreen, accepting a marriage proposal from one of the Goliaths’ players. Please tell me it was a joke. Or a publicity stunt. Please tell me you’re not engaged.”

  “I’m not engaged.” She gripped the phone, digging her nails into the shockproof cover. “I’m married. Bryce and I are in Reno, and actually, we don’t have a lot of time left on our honeymoon, so—”

  “Married? I see.” Her mother sounded like a woman who had just learned her daughter had run away and joined the circus. “I suppose informing your own mother of your intention to get married just sort of slipped your mind.”

  “Look, Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t call you, I didn’t have time. It all happened so fast. We had an off day and decided to take advantage of it while we could.”

  “You just up and decided to marry this guy on a whim?”

  “It wasn’t a whim. It was…” She rubbed the back of her neck. “We decided it would be better to make the wedding small. Stay out of the spotlight.”

  “I don’t understand. I’ve never even met this man.” Mom sounded more hurt than offended, now. “Never even heard you mention him. I talked to your sister. She said the only thing you ever said about him was that he drives you crazy.”

  “He does drive me crazy.” Rachel sighed. She turned to see if Bryce was listening, but he’d left the room. “But he also makes me laugh. And I don’t expect you to understand, but I do hope you’ll support me. Support us.”

  “It would be easier to support you if I wasn’t so blindsided. I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.” Rachel supposed it would be a shock. “I mean, you were with Carter for three years. You brought him to Megan’s wedding. We were all expecting you two to be next.”

  “Well, Carter wasn’t the man for me.” She was glad Bryce wasn’t in the room. She didn’t want him to overhear her defending her choice to dump a man who had charmed her family so convincingly. “He cheated on me, for one. And he didn’t take my career seriously.”

  “He cheated on you?” Mom sounded genuinely shocked. “I’m so sorry.”

  “He wanted me to quit my job.” That still stung even more than his infidelity. “Thought I’d be content to simply be Mrs. Bigshot Attorney.”

  She flopped down on the bed just as Bryce came out of the bathroom. He saw that she was still on the phone and started to back away. She smiled at him, motioning for him to stay.

  “Look, Mom. I’m sorry you didn’t get to come to the wedding. But I’ve got to go. We need to head back to San Francisco. We both have to work tomorrow.”

  She glanced over at Bryce, and a warm feeling bloomed in her chest. Part of the reason they were here in Reno was so she could keep her job. Hopefully. But the fact that Bryce recognized how important her career was made him a hero in her heart.

  * * * *

  She didn’t trust him. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it still hurt. She wanted him to wear a condom. Because she knew he’d slept with other women. Not as many as he could have, but more than he should have. The question he had to ask himself was why? To prove he was hot stuff? He was Bryce Freaking Baxter. World Series Champion. MVP. The highest paid player on the Goliaths. He made eve
n more than Marco Santiago. But Marco was set for life. He’d married the Goliaths’ former owner. She’d basically traded her interest in the team for Marco. Not to mention a large sum of money.

  Bryce had done everything he could not to let anyone get close to him. He knew his time at the top was only temporary. He wasn’t going to be the man forever. He didn’t want to set someone up for disappointment.

  It had worked for him just fine until he met Rachel. He’d thought she was just using him for a story. Not a big deal. He’d been used for most of his life. From the minute his talent had become a little more than average, his dad, coaches, and yes, girls had all jumped on the Bryce Baxter bandwagon. He didn’t mind. Too much.

  But when he’d gone back to Rachel to plead Johnny Scottsdale’s case, to ask her to keep the story to herself, she’d agreed. And he’d been totally screwed.

  Chapter 4

  Rachel put on her best smile-no-matter-what smile. She was a guest of Johnny Scottsdale and his wife, Alice. If she hadn’t been trying to get the scoop on Johnny’s relationship with Alice’s thirteen-year-old son, she never would have ended up in Bryce Baxter’s bed. She didn’t sleep with him for a story. In fact, she’d only approached him because he was the only player who had spent any time with the reclusive Scottsdale. They’d shared an autograph table at Fan Fest and had been seen working out together.

  She hadn’t expected Bryce’s fierce loyalty to a man he’d only known a week. Part of it was the fact that they were teammates, both new to the club. But the affection between the two men seemed genuine.

  And the chemistry between her and Bryce? That was very real as well.

  They’d connected that night, and when she woke up the next morning in his bed, she’d chalked it up as a one-time thing. But when he came back to her a few days later, asking her to sit on the Johnny Scottsdale story, she’d found herself once again impressed by his loyalty. And she’d found herself once again in his bed.

  Now she stood on the doorstep of the last two people she’d expect to invite her into their home.

  “Congratulations, you two.” Johnny answered the door with a huge grin. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been there.”

  “Thanks for stepping up at the last minute.” Bryce held out his hand in gratitude.

  “Anytime, man. Anytime.” Johnny pulled his friend into a fierce embrace.

  Rachel stood just behind her new husband. She knew the only reason she was here was because the two men were close. A brief stab of envy rose into her heart. She could never hope to be as close to Bryce as Johnny was. They had been through a long season together. A championship season. And she knew that the rings the two of them shared would always mean more to Bryce than the one she’d placed on his finger last night.

  “Alice is putting Emily down for a nap.” Johnny finally acknowledged Rachel. “She’ll be down in a minute. Why don’t we head on back to the kitchen?”

  “Thank you.” Rachel felt like a stranger. Sure she’d interviewed Johnny several times. She may have even flirted with him a little bit during the first interview before she’d connected the dots between him and Alice and their son, Zach.

  They followed Johnny through their large, yet welcoming home. They were on the outskirts of town, with a bit of property surrounding their house. The kitchen opened up to the back yard, where a large stone patio led to a fenced-in pool.

  “We could eat outside, if you’d like,” Johnny offered.

  “Sure.” Bryce put his hand on the small of Rachel’s back, ushering her out onto the patio. “Can I help with anything?”

  “No, you two just relax.” Johnny grinned again. As if he was genuinely happy for them. “Coffee?”

  “We already had some back at the hotel.” Bryce made the excuse before she could decide whether or not she should take a cup just to be polite.

  “We have juice.”

  “That would be nice.” Rachel hoped she could stomach it. Nerves and morning sickness weren’t a good combination. And today, nerves seemed to be winning.

  “Coming right up.” Johnny headed for the kitchen. “I should have thought to pick up some champagne. We could have made mimosas.”

  “That would have been great, if we weren’t driving back to San Francisco today.” Bryce covered for her.

  “Right. You have to get back to work.” Johnny’s voice had the slightest hint of envy. Rachel wondered if he missed the game. He probably always would.

  “Look, if you want coffee, or anything else…” Rachel didn’t want Bryce to go without because of her, yet she appreciated him making it easy for her to decline.

  “I already had my coffee, and I never drink and drive. Not even one drink.” Bryce sat next to her, picking up her hand and reassuring her with a quick squeeze.

  Johnny returned with two glasses of orange juice and a cup of coffee for himself.

  “Sorry I kept you waiting.” Alice joined them with a weary smile and a cloth diaper draped over one shoulder. “Emily is starting to settle into a predictable nap schedule, but she took a little longer to go down today.”

  Johnny stood, placing a kiss on his wife’s cheek, grabbing the diaper and tucking it into his pocket.

  “Thank you for having us over. I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble.” Rachel offered what she hoped was an appreciative smile.

  “No trouble at all,” Alice assured her. “Johnny did most of the work.” She glanced at her husband admiringly.

  “Let’s eat.” Johnny clapped his hands together. “Ladies first.”

  He ushered the two women into the kitchen and Alice grabbed a stack of plates, handing one to Rachel.

  “Everything looks delicious.” Rachel felt a grumbling in her stomach. She waited for the accompanying dizziness and clammy skin, but it was genuine hunger, not nausea for a change. She heaped piles of fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and golden potatoes onto her plate. Toasted wheat bread, what looked like homemade jam, and fresh fruit rounded out the meal.

  * * * *

  It was good to see Rachel with an appetite. She’d eaten most of her breakfast, but Bryce could tell she wasn’t entirely comfortable. Sure the conversation flowed. Rachel asked questions about the baseball camp Johnny and Alice were starting. They should be up and running by mid-June.

  Bryce hoped Rachel would eventually feel comfortable around the Scottsdales. Even though they weren’t teammates anymore, Johnny was one of his closest friends. He wanted to include his wife in their circle.

  His wife. He was starting to feel more and more comfortable with the idea. But he was kicking himself for all the time he’d wasted trying to deny how well they fit together. If he’d put half as much energy into courting her properly as he had in trying to get over her… Well, he would have given her a proper wedding. And wedding night.

  Just as they were starting to wind down their meal, Emily’s cries carried over the baby monitor.

  “I’ll get her.” Johnny placed a loving hand on his wife’s shoulder. “You finish your breakfast.”

  “Thanks.” Alice gave him a grateful smile.

  Bryce really wanted to go with him. Pick his brain a little. Gain some wisdom from a guy who had this fatherhood thing down. Bryce admitted to himself that he hadn’t done a good job the first time around. Fear, resentment, and a complete cluelessness had kept him from being much help when Hailey had been a baby.

  He’d just been called up to the majors and wanted to enjoy his time in the big leagues. He hadn’t wanted to change diapers, get up for midnight feedings, or try to put the baby down for a nap. He especially hadn’t wanted to be told he was doing it wrong.

  As a result, he’d failed as a father and husband. He believed he just wasn’t cut out to be a family man. But being around Johnny and his family made him think that anything was possible. Made him believe that he wasn’t completely helpless when it came to kids. He’d spent a lot of the offseason with them, even managed to hold the baby without freaking her out. Or hims
elf.

  Johnny returned with Emily in his arms. She was a little fussy, but as soon as she saw Bryce, her face lit up and she lunged for him.

  “There’s my girl.” Bryce took her and she giggled as he bounced her on his knee. Maybe he could do this. “Did you miss your Uncle Bryce?”

  She squealed in delight and leaned forward to plant a wet baby kiss on his face.

  “Whoa, now, hate to break it to you sweetheart, but I’m a married man.” He shifted her to his other knee. “But maybe if you’re lucky, we’ll have a boy. You can marry him when you grow up.”

  He glanced over at Rachel just in time to see her face drain of color. Uh-oh. Either she was going to be sick or he was going to be in trouble.

  “Are you having a baby?” Alice turned to Rachel with a curious look on her face.

  “Yes.” Rachel glared at Bryce. He was most certainly in trouble. “Why else would we get married in the middle of the season? In the middle of the night?”

  “Maybe he just finally realized the most amazing catch he’s ever made was the night he met you.” Johnny tried to keep the peace. “He couldn’t get over you any more than I could get over Alice.”

  They all sat there in silence until Emily grabbed a handful of Bryce’s hair and yanked with glee.

  “Ouch. I think it’s time you go back to your daddy.” Bryce grimaced, both from the stinging in his scalp and the wound in his pride. Johnny Scottsdale had held the record for emotional shutdown. Now he thought he was Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz or whoever the hell went on TV pointing out the obvious to clueless saps.

  Like Bryce. Shit. He didn’t need The Monk to tell him he was crazy about Rachel Parker. Probably had been since that first night. He should have been the one to tell her.

  Not that she’d believe him.

  Alice stepped up and saved his ass. She asked about due dates and then the two women were suddenly the best of friends discussing trimesters and morning sickness and what to expect when.

  He let out a breath when they went inside to look at pregnancy books and maternity clothes.