by Claire Adams
“That bad, huh?”
He chuckled, which was a good sign. “Yes, you could say that. I’ve got to go and deal with other matters. We can talk more about this later. I don’t think it’s a good idea to do dinner tonight. The press is lined up the street at my house and we certainly can’t go out.
“I understand. I’ll be holed up here, doing what I can to keep Ainsley shielded.”
“Good plan. Someone’s calling me,” he grumbled. “I may as well have this phone glued to my ear.”
“Okay, I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
“You need to call Milo.”
“Dad,” I started to protest.
“Don’t Dad me. I don’t think he did anything to deserve your ire. Call him.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
I was not ready to eat two pieces of humble pie in one sitting. The first one was bad enough.
He hung up. I stared at the phone in my hand. I had made a mistake. A mistake that could change my dad’s entire life. While I knew damn well Ainsley wasn’t a mistake, hiding her away as if she was, had been my bad decision. I should have been honest from the start with both my dad and Milo. The past was in the past, and it was all out in the open now. It was time to move forward.
“You want something to eat?” I asked Ainsley, heading into the kitchen.
“Daddy’s on TV and me too!” she hollered.
I raced into the living room and saw pictures from the game. Milo was holding her close while the photographers snapped pictures of her. The look of anger on his face said it all.
“What’s that say?” she asked, pointing to the ticker running along the bottom.
“Nothing. Watch something else,” I ordered.
She didn’t need to know what was going on. The news had painted some pretty colorful stories, calling Milo a deadbeat dad and me his secret mistress. The reporter claimed my dad had plotted to get us together. It was ridiculous.
My phone rang. I looked at the number and didn’t recognize it. It was time to shut it off. Milo could wait. I needed to think about what I would say to him. My dad was right. This whole situation was my fault. Milo wasn’t a deadbeat dad and didn’t deserve to be harassed over something he had no control of. I would find a way to fix it.
“Mommy! Look, it’s you and Daddy!”
And there it was. I was an unwilling celebrity.
I groaned. “Let’s turn off the TV and read a book.”
I hoped tomorrow the story would fade a bit. Until then, we were going to be prisoners in this apartment. It was obvious the press wasn’t ready to give up quite yet.
Chapter 34
Milo
I was in a shitty mood. The stress of the past two days had been building up, and I felt like pounding someone. I had a feeling Coach felt the same way. Getting to practice had been no small feat and felt like something out of a spy movie. I had to hire two drivers. One to drive my car away from the hotel and another to drive me to practice.
Getting out on the field had been a very good outlet for my anger, but I wasn’t really in the mood for the technical stuff. Thankfully, I was only on the field for a short time. The rest of it was spent in the weight room where it was quiet, and I was shielded from the cameras.
“She’s cute,” Luke said, sitting on the weight bench next to me.
“What?” I asked, my cranky attitude plain as day.
“Your little girl. She looks a lot like you. I’m not saying you’re cute, but she is,” he said with a grin.
“Thank you.”
“How old is she?”
“Four.”
He slowly nodded his head. “Fun age.”
“Do you have kids?” I asked, realizing I didn’t really know him all that well.
“No!” he answered a little too quickly. “I’m the oldest of eight though.”
I burst out laughing. “Wow, I would have never guessed that.”
He smiled. “Yep, wow. I’ve been around younger kids my whole life. My youngest brother is four. I miss him like crazy.”
“I bet. Do they ever come to the games?”
He shook his head. “There’s still six kids at home. It isn’t easy for them to travel. If I’m going to get a starting position, though, I think they’d be more willing to brave it,” he joked. “There is no way they would come this far to watch me sit on the bench.”
“Good point, and I think they better get their luggage ready. You’re on Coach’s radar now.”
“I hope so. Look, don’t worry about the media. They don’t know you, and I can tell you’re a good dad,” he said with some authority.
“Thanks, I appreciate that.”
“It’ll all blow over soon,” he said.
He was about the hundredth person to say those words to me. I knew he was trying to be helpful, but I didn’t want to wait for soon. I wanted it all to be over now.
“Yep, that’s what I’m waiting for.”
“Let me know if I can help. I don’t know what I can do, but I’m here,” he said, before leaving me alone in the room.
He was a good kid. I liked him. Once I got my house cleaned up and situated, I would invite him over for a beer. I finished my workout and headed for the locker room to shower. My SUV was supposed to have been delivered to the parking lot while the other car I hired and made sure the press saw me getting out of, was waiting out front. I was hoping the town car would serve as a decoy so I could drive my own car.
Once it looked like the coast was clear, I called Liza. Again. I was beyond pissed that she continued to ignore my calls.
When she answered the phone, she took me by complete surprise. I stuttered out, “Hello?”
I had been expecting it to go straight to voicemail and was caught off guard.
“What?” she grumbled, not bothering to even try to be polite.
“Don’t get pissy with me. I’m going to text you an address. Meet me there.”
“No.”
“Yes. Do it, or I will show up there with my posse of reporters,” I threatened.
She growled. “Fine. When?”
“Now.”
“Ainsley?”
“Bring her if you want, but I am still dodging the press. I think I’ve lost them, but they have a funny way of popping up out of nowhere,” I complained.
“I better not then. I don’t want her to be seen with the two of us. She’ll be scarred for life,” she muttered.
“We’ll talk about that. Just get over there. Please. I need to see you.”
“Fine. Give me an hour or so.”
“Thirty minutes,” I said, not in the mood to argue.
“Ha!” she said and hung up.
We were both angry for different reasons, but it all boiled down to the same issue. I knew she was mad at me for what I said at the game and the press conference. I was mad at her for putting us in the position at all. I wanted to move past it, but I didn’t want to do it alone. I wanted her in my life. The last two days were made more miserable because I couldn’t see her or talk to her. I missed her like crazy. I missed Ainsley as well, but it was a different kind of longing.
Before heading to the bungalow, I drove to a small hardware store to pick up a few supplies. I hoped no one would recognize me, or if they did, they’d leave me alone. I pulled on a hat, hiding my notorious hair and hiding my face as much as I could.
Thankfully, I managed to get in and out of the store with no trouble. I was at my wit’s end with people pushing me and asking me questions about things they had no business knowing. I had repeated the phrase “no comment” more times than I could count in the past twenty-four hours. I wasn’t giving any information. I apparently hadn’t made myself clear enough, and it was always the same questions over and over. It had gotten really old, really fast.
Thankfully, the bungalow was off the beaten path. It wasn’t exactly an affluent neighborhood, which was perfect. The paparazzi weren’t roaming about, hoping to catch a celebrity in their natural habitat. I c
ould come and go as I pleased without worrying about anyone asking me about the scandal. I hoped it stayed that way.
I parked in the driveway and waited for Liza. If she didn’t show up within fifteen minutes, I would call her and bug her until she got her ass to the house. I was nervous and excited to see her.
I didn’t have to call her. She pulled in and parked beside me in the driveway. I was going to have the gate moved back to include the driveway I decided, realizing it wouldn’t be long before someone recognized me. It was too risky for Ainsley and Liza as well. I would add that to my ever-growing list of things I wanted to do first. I had about ten firsts already, but the gate was a priority. I was hoping Liza would give me some advice and input.
“What’s this?” she asked, slamming her car door behind her.
I walked up, wrapped my arms around her and kissed her. She protested at first, but I ignored it and kept kissing her anyway. I was starving for her, and I was going to take my fill.
“Now, get your mood right,” I said, pulling away.
“You can’t kiss away my anger.”
“Wanna bet?” I said, kissing her again.
She sighed. “I’m still mad. What do you want anyway? Why am I out here?”
“Because I want to show you something,” I said, grabbing her hand and walking to the slightly rusty wrought iron gate.
I pulled out the keys and unlocked the padlock on the gate. I pushed it open. It protested and squeaked as it opened into the overgrown yard. I hadn’t quite figured out if it was the front or back of the house.
“Okay, is this a haunted house? Wrong season,” she quipped.
I walked along the crumbling brick path to the door and once again used my keys to open it. That familiar musty scent came rolling out.
“Oh,” she said when the smell hit her.
“Ignore that, but, well, here it is,” I said, spreading my arms wide as I walked into the living room.
“Here what is?”
“My new house,” I said, with a great deal of pride.
“What?”
“I bought it. I found a bungalow on the beach.”
“How did you get it so fast?” she asked, slowly walking around the large living room.
I laughed. “It’s not exactly in the best shape. I offered the seller cash and a quick close with no stipulations.”
She was shaking her head. “I guess money can move mountains.”
“Come on, let me show you the place. I haven’t actually inspected it all that well. I have a bunch of cleaning stuff in the car and some air fresheners,” I said, excited to check out my new house with her by my side. “Sit tight and I’ll be right back.”
I rushed out to my rig, grabbed the bag of cleaning supplies, the bottle of champagne and the blanket I had picked up. I was hoping to woo her with a small picnic on the beach and picked up some cheese and crackers from the corner market. It wasn’t exactly gourmet, but it was something. I was prepared to grovel if needed, but it didn’t look like that would be necessary.
“I love this view,” she said, standing in front of the row of windows.
“That’s what sold me. The minute I walked in here, I knew I had to have it.”
“How many bedrooms?” she asked.
“Three.”
We walked down the hall and checked out each of the bedrooms before moving back into the outdated kitchen.
“This is great. I love it. You are going to have to do a lot of work, but it has a lot of potential.”
“I’m glad you said that,” I said, feeling my heart in my throat. “I want you to live here with me.”
She spun around. “What!”
“I want you and Ainsley to live here with me.”
“Milo, that’s moving kind of fast. We aren’t even together.”
“Yes, we are,” I stated as if it was a known fact.
She chuckled. “Really? Is this something you decided?”
I shrugged. “I guess. You know you want me,” I winked.
That made her laugh. “Milo, good sex does not make a relationship.”
“How do you know?” I teased.
She shrugged. “You’re right. I don’t actually have any relationship experience, but I can’t pick Ainsley up and move her into a house only to discover we aren’t compatible.”
“Yes, you can. We make it work. And, if it absolutely doesn’t, it isn’t like Ainsley is going to be yanked out. She’ll have a room here. I want her to stay with me on occasion. I’m in this for good. I want to make it work with you, but if it doesn’t, I will still be in her life,” I explained, hoping I didn’t sound too pushy.
“True, but,” she said looking around the kitchen and living areas again, “I can’t move in here.”
I nodded. “Not today, but the bedrooms are in good shape. They need cleaned, and there is a lot of work to be done, but that’s not a big deal. Say you’ll move in.”
“I think you’ve lost your mind. Did you get hit on the head today? Do you not remember having a panic attack at the mere thought of family? But now you’ve suddenly changed your mind?”
“Yes. I’ve had time to think about everything and being away from you the past few days has been brutal. I think I’m in love with you,” I said in a low voice.
Her mouth dropped open. “What did you say?” she whispered.
I stepped towards her, put my arms around her and forced her to look up at me. “I think I may be falling in love with you. It’s fast, and I can’t say for sure because this is all new to me, but I want to explore this feeling. I want to be a family with you and Ainsley.”
“Milo, this is so sudden. I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll move in.”
My heart was pounding so hard in my chest it was almost painful as I stared into her eyes, waiting for her answer. I had put my heart on the line, something I’d never done before. I was scared. Terrified that she would tell me it was never going to happen. She hadn’t exactly poured out her heart.
“Milo,” she said, and I felt my heart stop and plummet to my feet.
I dropped my hands from her waist and took a step back. I knew what was coming.
Chapter 35
Liza
I felt as if I were standing at the base of a giant V. One path led to my normal life. A life that included me and Ainsley living in the same apartment I had been in since she was born. It was just me and her. The other leg of the V was a life with Milo that would most likely include some rough patches, but it would also include companionship and great sex. Boring and normal versus challenging and exciting.
He didn’t say he loved me. He said he thought he loved me. I couldn’t say I loved him because I didn’t know him all that well.
“Milo,” I repeated his name, hoping the right answer would tumble out of my mouth.
I didn’t know what the right answer was. I was being pulled in two different directions. In the very short amount of time I had spent with Milo, I only actually liked him for about half of it. I wasn’t sure that was the best way to start out a relationship.
“Think about it,” he said. “Don’t answer right now.”
I nodded my head in agreement and began to pace the living room, taking in the size of the room and admiring the natural light. In my head, I was already placing furniture and decorating the damn place. It was too easy to jump in with both feet. It was a decision that needed to be mulled over. That was the rational side of me. Then there was that irrational side that Milo seemed to bring out.
“I hate the press,” I said, spinning around to look at him.
“The press isn’t going to be around forever. I’m not that exciting, and neither are you. It’s a headline that’s going to get boring very quickly. No one cares,” he said.
I walked to the kitchen. It was big enough, but there were no appliances. The gold laminate was ugly and in bad shape.
“I won’t cook you steak or bacon,” I said, running my hand over the dusty counter
top.
“You don’t have to. It’s better if I cut out some red meat anyway.”
He started walking towards me. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins as the idea of living in the bungalow with him started to take hold. I had to turn him down, I knew that, but somewhere inside me, I knew I wouldn’t.
“I don’t want any more kids,” I said, holding up a hand and stopping his advance.
He cocked his head to the side. “We’ll have to talk about that one a bit more. We make beautiful babies.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Fine, I’ll agree to that for now, but I will need a lot of practice to make sure I stay in shape for when you decide you do want my baby,” he said with that sexy grin on his face that had a way of making my panties wet.
“I could use a little more practice,” I said huskily.
He lunged forward and kissed me. The kiss was passionate and full of need. We had been apart for too many days. I was desperate to have him pushing into me.
Before I knew what he was doing, he scooped me up and started carrying me down the hallway.
“What are you doing?” I asked, nervous excitement racing through my veins.
“I want to christen the house. I plan on having you in every room, but we should start with our room first.”
“Milo,” I hesitated, thinking of the dust and grime I had witnessed throughout the house.
“Shhh,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss me before he walked through the doorway of what was to be our bedroom.
He deposited me in the center of the room. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he had in mind. I looked down at the hardwood floors covered in a layer of dust and then looked back up at him.
“Hold on,” he said racing out of the room and returning seconds later with a blanket. He was ripping it out of the plastic bag it was in and spread it on the floor.
When he had smoothed it out enough to his satisfaction, he turned back to me. The heat in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine.
“Now, where were we?” he said, moving towards me.
I smiled. “Right here.”
He reached out and unbuttoned the top button of my shirt. He used one finger to spread the collar wide, staring at the small V of skin he had exposed. Then he moved it down and undid the next button and on down the row until my shirt hung open.