by Rose Harris
Jace’s long-suppressed feelings for Ava had changed during that amazing night of rock-your-world sex three years ago, when he realized he’d stopped having sex with her and started making love halfway through. Once he realized, he bolted. He would never be able to give her the life she wanted: the house, kids, and white picket fence. He was a football player, and he had to accept he was never going to be home. Case in point, all he could do was drop in on his parents and sister on random weekends. The Nashville Renegades owned him; the organization had become his life, his family. If they told him he had to make an appearance for a charity, have an extra practice, jump through hoops, whatever needed to be done. That was what he did. He was the new guy; he needed to prove his commitment.
I have to focus on me, my life, not a woman, and never a child.
“What are you going to do?”
“I need to make an appointment with an attorney tomorrow morning. I want to try to keep everything quiet as long as possible, or at least until I can confirm if the kid is mine. I haven’t even called my agent.” Jace paced across the kitchen he felt so comfortable in.
“Talking to Ava sounds like a good jumping off spot. They have many high-profile clients, and they keep everything confidential. At least I know Ava does, she never tells me anything.” Roxi smiled at her lame attempt at a joke. “That’s where she was this weekend. A client had a deposition in Georgia, and she had to go to help her boss. She would help you. She’s always thought of you as a brother.”
A knife through the heart would have been less painful than hearing Ava only considered him a brother. Of course, Roxi didn’t know he had slept with her, so really what could he expect from his sister?
At least he now knew for sure Roxi didn’t know about his night with Ava. She would never forgive him for taking Ava’s virginity and then not being man enough to call.
What kind of guy does that?
The kind of guy I was up until two days ago, a self-centered, self-absorbed, egotistical jerk, just like my biological father.
With a glance out the window, Jace noticed the swing set that dominated the tiny yard and thought Ava must have changed a lot in the last few years. He still didn’t think it would be easy to get her to help him.
When Roxi once again stood beside him, he put his arm around her slim waist. “I promise you if this child turns out to be mine, I’ll take care of him. Now I have a lot to think about, so I’m going to go out running. I have minicamp starting in a few weeks, and I need to keep up my training.”
As the front door closed behind him, Jace heard the phone start to ring. Roxi answered “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”
This day just keeps getting better.
In order for Jace to face his parents and their disappointment, he really needed to clear his mind. He took off to relieve his stress.
Chapter Three
The power of his feet hitting the asphalt was the closest thing to a stress reliever Jace could find without grabbing a bottle of beer. The muscles in his calves were screaming from the strain he inflicted on them, and the pulsing of the ground under his feet was exhilarating. It brought peace to his soul and clarity to his mind.
Being back in the county he had grown up in was an experience that could only be described as surreal.
There is no place like home.
Never had a saying meant more to him then right at that moment.
His focus on the trees that flanked either side of the road gave him the opportunity to clear his mind. Once the news got out he could be a father, the press would hound him day and night. He would have a lot of explaining to do, and decisions would have to be made.
What would he say to his mom and John? They had always stood behind him and were so proud of his accomplishments. How could he face them and tell them he screwed up, big time?
After explaining everything to Roxi, she seemed to understand his need for privacy right now, but his mom would demand he stand up and be a man. He could hear her now, “I raised you to be a better man than some sperm donor who just makes deposits.”
How do you explain to your family you were so drunk you can barely remember the night, much less the girl accusing you of fathering her baby?
Sad but true, he did not remember her. He remembered showing up at Alex’s Tuesday afternoon and finding his friend in a shitty mood that matched his own. Alex had broken up with some girl he had been seeing and was pretty pissed about it. They mutually agreed to drink away their troubles and went out that night. What the hell happened after that? He had put a call into Alex on his way home yesterday. Knowing Alex, he would call or just show up to harass him about this mess.
At the fork in the road, Jace slowed. One led him into town, while the other would send him by his old schoolyard across town from his parents’ neighborhood. Jace made the turn to go toward the school. It had been so long since he’d gone down this road, and since it was less populated and the opposite direction of his family home, it was a no-brainer.
He remembered coming here on his bike with his friends and playing football on the side field in the fall and baseball in the spring. He could still remember the panic of breaking the window in the old gymnasium from a fly ball he had hit. Of course, the punishment was brutal; he had to spend the summer cutting the grass at the school so he could repay the county for the repairs to the window.
Watching all his friends coming by with the ice cream they had gotten from the ice cream truck was torture. Nevertheless, the real tragedy was watching the pretty girls walking past in their bikinis on their way to the river. Pure hell on his teenage body. A dip in the cool river would have made life more bearable.
Of course, all of his friends’ parents had paid the money to the county, but his mom and John made him do the honorable thing and work the money off. He should really thank them for the lessons they had taught him. Maybe that would help cushion some of the blow that they could be grandparents.
As memories assaulted him, Jace was surprised to find the playground in use. On the monkey bars that still stood by the abandoned school, three boys played what appeared to be a game of chicken. Of course, the playground needed a lot of repair, the grass was beginning to get out of control, and Jace wondered why the town would let things get this bad.
Jace took in the unkempt grounds and tried to avoid the boys, when he noticed in the open field a child running around, chasing bubbles. Watching the little girl with her bouncing brown curls run through the tall grass, Jace smiled. How good it must feel if the only worry in your world was whether you could pop a bubble.
Just as he was about to pass the field, he recognized her mother and almost tripped over his size-thirteen shoes.
It was Ava, and she was beaming. She had her hair pulled up in a ponytail, and with the sun shining, her hair looked like it was black spun silk. She wore stretchy black Capri pants and a tiny hot pink tank top that had her impressive breasts pushed up and out. The memory of their one night together surrounded him, and he was about to approach her when he realized the three boys on the monkey bars recognized him.
Never being the type of player to blow off his fans, Jace smiled at the boys as they approached. As the boys came rushing forward, he looked to where Ava stood. Their gazes locked, and he would have sworn the ground trembled.
****
The instant Ava realized she and Ashlyn had more company than just the three boys clambering noisily on the playground equipment, she turned to see who was coming. Ava could only remember two times in her life she was thunderstruck.
The first was the night three years ago she walked into her family room and found Jace Johnson lounging on her couch, looking like every one of her fantasies come to life. The second was the day the doctor told her she didn’t have the flu. She was pregnant. They say the third time is the charm. Seeing Jace running without his shirt, in black shorts, sweat dripping off his sculpted body, caused Ava to stop dead in her tracks again. He had already spotted her. She raised her hand in greeting.<
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As he made his way down the road, she watched his every move. He seemed to enjoy the physical demands he was enduring, and he looked sexy as hell doing it. The muscles that strained in his legs as he ran caused her own heart to race as if she were the one running.
Ava had never thought about a man’s legs being sexy, but watching them pump up and down made her a little breathless. If she continued to react this way every time she saw him, she was going to need a stress test.
My heart can’t handle being around this sexy man.
Massive shoulders held straight as if ready to do battle with anyone who got in his way glistened in the morning sunshine. After the story she had heard from her parents that morning, he better be ready for battle. It looked like he was going to have to fight to survive the media onslaught heading his way, or at the very least, go down swinging.
Ava had known Jace for so long, her initial reaction was the story couldn’t be true, but her own circumstances with him proved it was possible. He had made a baby with her and had no idea. The fact was he never even considered the possibility. If he had, he would at least have tried to contact her to make sure everything was okay.
Ava wasn’t sure why she felt betrayed that he slept with someone after they had been together. He made no secret of his revolving relationships.
Is it that he may actually have to do “the right thing” by this other woman? Marry her and give their child a home with two parents?
This other woman would get everything Ava had dreamed about and was too scared to ask for.
As the boys approached him, Jace flashed his million-dollar smile. He actually appeared to stand taller as the boys showed their adoration by knowing all of his stats.
“What’s it like to play with all those people watching you?” said the boy who wore high tops and a striped shirt.
“What does it feel like to have all of those guys tackle you? Does it hurt?” asked the boy with dark brown hair.
However, the question that had Ava floored was when the boy, who had been egging on the other two during the chicken fight, asked, “Is that the kid that they are talking about on the news? I saw you watching her.” The look of pure terror on Jace’s face was undeniable.
In the middle of the playground, Ava stood by as Jace faced the young boys; tension caused his lips to stretch into a fake smile. The clenched teeth made a muscle in his cheek jump. His agent and publicist would be relieved to know he didn’t sneer at the children. When he answered their questions, she couldn’t help but listen in.
It was obvious the question had taken Jace by surprise, but he replied casually. “First, it’s an amazing feeling knowing millions of people want to watch you play a game you love and have trained for years to be the best at. Second, you don’t really notice the impact of the sack because your adrenaline is running so high, unless of course they really hurt you.” Jace kind of laughed at the astonishment on the boy’s face when he said it didn’t really hurt. “And the answer to your question is, No. That is not my child. I don’t have any kids. The news people just don’t have all of the information yet.” After giving the boys a few more minutes and some pointers on how to throw a perfect spiral, Jace told them he had to go talk to the pretty lady.
Jace walked up to Ava slowly, almost as if he was afraid of what she may say. She knew he was studying her, looking for signs of her reaction to the question that was just asked. She could tell he couldn’t decipher her mood. She knew she didn’t hate him, but it was hard to give him a smile or hug after the news she had endured that morning.
“So this must be your daughter. I was right. She is just as pretty as her mommy.” Jace looked across the field at the little girl who wobbled as she ran. “What’s her name?” Jace asked.
“Ashlyn.” Bracing herself as if she were about to throw a punch, Ava said, “I heard about why you came home, but why did you come to our house and not to your parents?”
Ava watched the shock of her declaration cross his face. The pain, disappointment and embarrassment brought out the creases around his eyes. Jace dropped eye contact.
Ava took this moment to watch Jace study Ashlyn as she held a small bottle in one hand and the wand in the other attempting to make bubbles. Watching her purse her lips together was both comical and angelic, and her innocence seemed to bring a moment of healing from the torture she caused. The existence of this child was Ava’s reality check.
Ava sent up a silent prayer Jace would not ask for her help. How could she help him with the problems he was facing when she should sympathize with the alleged mother? Jace ran his hand over his face, before he made eye contact. “What exactly do you know?”
“Well, I heard what that kid just asked you and your reply. I also know you are being accused of fathering a little boy in Henderson County.” Ava wanted to take back the harsh tone as soon as she saw his face. He was obviously having a hard time dealing with the thought of being a father. “I heard it from my parents this morning. Apparently someone called your parents’ house last night looking for you. When your mom told them you were not there, they started asking her what she thought of being a grandma. Once the person explained you may be a father, your mom was so shocked she hung up.” Ava would have sworn Jace turned a little green when she told him his parents knew.
“Ah shit, my mom is probably so pissed at me. I cut my cell phone off yesterday afternoon so I could have time to think.” Jace turned away from Ava and looked over the field. When he turned back toward her, Ava saw in his eyes everything she needed to know at that moment. Jace was scared and alone. Walking over to him, she instinctively put her arms around his waist.
****
As soon as he felt her arms wrap around him, Jace felt a sense of peace that had been missing from his life. Resting his cheek on the top of her head, Jace said, “I figured I would at least have until Monday before the news spread. I just needed some time to think.”
Leaning back slightly, Jace looked down into Ava’s mossy green eyes and knew if he could ever trust anyone, it would be Ava. She had always understood his love of football and only football.
She was one of the few people who had always known John was not his biological father. While he was a kid most just assumed he’d been given his mother’s maiden name, since his parents hadn’t been married at the time of his birth. Now of course, the whole thing had come out. It was the price of fame.
He’d had always made it clear to all the women he had been with that he was not making a baby and he never would. He had always been careful, he always wore protection, and contrary to popular belief, he was selective with the women he slept with. Of course, there were always female fans who hung outside the locker room after a game, and Jace had been known to let a few go back to his room and help soothe his sore muscles. The reality was a lot of the players had been known to do that.
When Ava leaned back and met the full force of his stare, her arms loosely wrapped around his waist, he watched her eyes flicker when she felt his reaction to their embrace. With every breath, the wisps of hair that escaped her ponytail gently caressed her cheeks. Right as he was about to lean down and take her mouth…
“Mama, Ma, Ma-ma-ma!” Ashlyn tugged on her shirt. “More bubbles, peas.”
****
Ava jumped at the interruption. Looking down into eyes identical to the man she currently had her arms wrapped around, Ava felt nervous as she smiled at her daughter. “All right, but this is the last time. We have to go get lunch because a certain little ladybug needs to take a rest.”
Ava took a step away from Jace and began blowing bubbles for Ashlyn. With her back to him, Ava laughed as she watched Ashlyn run off. “I learned the hard way, never mention the word N-A-P until the last possible minute because even sweet little girls can have horns when they don’t want to do something.” Realizing Jace didn’t respond, Ava turned to look at him.
Jace stood there frozen just staring at her. The expression on his face made Ava apprehensive. Did h
e recognize himself in Ashlyn? Did he hate her because of the secret she kept? What was she supposed to say? What did his expression mean?
The smile that broke across his face made her feel so relieved. She knew she could keep her secret for at least one more day.
Calling to Ashlyn, Ava held out her hand to her daughter and was shocked when Jace slipped his fingers into hers. Tilting her head up to look at him, Ava wasn’t sure why, but something had changed in the last few minutes. Having her hand intertwined with Jace’s felt natural. When Ashlyn came over and held out her arms to be picked up, it didn’t seem weird her child’s arms were raised to Jace.
The three of them walked through the field, and Ava searched for a reason to spend more time with him. Once Ashlyn was buckled in the car seat, Ava asked Jace if he would like to join them for lunch. After an enjoyable fast food lunch and time spent wrestling in the ball pit and one broad-shouldered man temporarily getting wedged in a tunnel slide, the threesome headed home. Ava reached out for Jace’s hand when he pointed out his mom’s car in the drive as they pulled in. Apparently this was his day of reckoning.
****
The first step into his sister and Ava’s house was like entering a minefield; Jace did not know when or if it was going to blow, but he felt prepared for the fallout.
Ava stepped into the family room with Ashlyn on her hip. The perky little girl who was chasing bubbles and munching fries thirty minutes before was gone, and in her place was a sleepy baby sucking her thumb and on her way to the dreaded N-A-P.
That was, of course, until she saw Lexi and John, and she immediately began to whine to be held by her Grammy. The shock of watching his mom and dad take care of the little girl sent a longing through Jace he didn’t understand. Unfamiliar with the emotion of seeing his parents react to a grandchild, Jace cleared his throat and said, “Hi Mom, Dad. What’s new?” The glare he received from his mother was enough to bring any man to his knees.