Touchdown Baby

by Rose Harris

  “You should have trusted him. I’m not going to judge you because I wasn’t in your shoes, but I know my brother. He would have stood behind you no matter what.”

  Turning so she was able to lean back against the carved headboard, Ava continued. “I didn’t want him to have to make a choice. In his mind they can’t be combined. No matter what his fellow players do, he feels it is one or the other. Who would have guessed she’d look like me but have his eyes?”

  “I do have a beautiful niece.” Roxi stood and preened in front of the mirror. The early morning sunlight turned her hair golden as she tousled the tresses into spun silk. “I can’t believe I never noticed her eye color and expressions are the exact same as Jace’s. I guess it’s more obvious now she’s growing up.”

  Roxi turned to Ava. “Let’s get out of here. We can go shopping for a little while, before you have to become a mom again.”

  With more exuberance than necessary, Ava rushed to change clothes so she could get a few hours of retail therapy. After all, she had quit her job and had more problems than a soap opera; she deserved a few hours of mindless browsing.

  Hand in hand, they rushed down the stairs, not stopping to chat with Jace who was reading the morning paper.

  ****

  Jace knew falling asleep with Ava in his bed had been a mistake from the moment he woke with a hard-on. The cold shower barely alleviated the pressure that was consuming him from the inside out to have her. How could he be expected to get through the next two weeks with her under the same roof?

  Black coffee in his favorite mug, Jace smiled at the image she had presented when he opened the bathroom door. Ava’s tight ass sticking up in the air as she searched under the bed was as erotic as any fantasy he could conjure up. His body’s immediate response had been nothing less than predictable under the circumstances.

  On a bar stool, Jace let the memory play out again before dismissing the intelligence of starting something he could not finish, at least not yet. With the first sip of his coffee, he felt the burn as he tried to regain composure over his active imagination. The blister forming on his tongue did not quell the need to have her.

  A glass of water in hand, to put out the fire that was raging on his tongue, Jace noticed the morning paper on the kitchen table.

  The lead headline caught his attention: “Renegades QB Trying to Tempt Fate”. The headline was ambiguous enough to warrant further research, so he turned to the sports section to see a picture of him and Ava in a compromising position on his boat.

  Jace Johnson, Renegades star quarterback, seems to be on a path to tarnish his own reputation. The Golden Boy seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to football and women. Ms. Felicia Frampton filed a paternity suit against him in Henderson County, Tennessee, where she is alleging he fathered her almost two year-old son. Our infamous #8 appeared contrite and humble. Apparently he is not as innocent as he would have everyone believe.

  Ava Banks, the woman who accompanied him to the press conference, and who was supposed to be only a childhood friend, was seen straddling the quarterback on his boat late last night. Sources say the couple has been more than friends on and off for years and suggest Ms. Banks is hoping to be the next baby mama for Jace Johnson.

  Hostile energy poured from Jace as he continued to read the article that had Ava appearing an opportunist and him a player. The temperature in the room was staggering with the heat that permeated from him as he stormed into his office to call his agent.

  Twenty minutes later Jace’s blood pressure left his head pounding. After discussing his rights and options as far as retaliation for the article, the final verdict was he would have to ride out the storm. Jace was tired of being nice; he wanted someone to pay for this embarrassment. But who? The paper didn’t specifically name their source, and after a call to the reporter, he was no closer to unearthing the faceless individual who ruined any and all chances Jace had to get closer with Ava, now or ever.

  ****

  After a day of shopping ended up as confusing as it was enjoyable, Ava was happy to be home, or at least her temporary home. With bags hanging from both hands, and Roxi following close behind with armloads of her own, Ava tried to get in the front door without knocking over the potted hydrangea, but it was locked.

  The key Jace gave her had been left on her nightstand as they had rushed from the house in their attempt to escape from reality that morning. Wanting to get in the house before her mom showed up with Ashlyn, Ava tried the code Jace had given her the night before.

  The door wouldn’t budge, so she tried again. When the door opened, she almost fell inside; luckily Jace was there to catch her. “What are you doing?”

  This wasn’t the welcome she had been expecting. She looked at him with both surprise and concern in her eyes. “Trying to get in the house. I guess I forgot the code, and I left my key upstairs.”

  “If I hadn’t just finished my workout, the police would have arrived on an intruder call.”

  The sight of his wet hair that fell in matted chunks against his forehead proved he had just completed what appeared to have been a strenuous workout, but the anger that emitted from him seemed excessive for a simple memory lapse.

  “Sorry, it won’t happen again.” Ava squeezed by him.

  “Geez, what flew up your butt, Bro?” Roxi questioned as she slipped by an aggravated Jace.

  Oddly, Jace glanced around the yard before he shut the door, piquing Ava’s curiosity. “I don’t think we disrupted any neighbors with the alarm. We couldn’t hear it, so I’m sure nobody else did.”

  “I’m not worried about the neighbors. Did you notice anyone following you?”

  “What kind of question is that? Why would anyone want to follow us?” Roxi questioned her brother.

  ****

  The girls went into the family room where they deposited their bags. Jace realized they didn’t know about the article. Not knowing how to answer the question without blowing his top again, he went and got the crumpled paper from his office.

  The office phone had been ringing off the hook since early that morning. He had no intention of answering the annoying questions each caller asked, so he’d made a point of avoiding the room for the last several hours.

  The closed door helped him ignore the insistent ringing, and he returned to the happy chatter that should have made him relax. Without fanfare, he handed the paper to Ava with little more than controlled rage consuming him.

  The look of humiliation and hurt that crossed Ava’s face would have brought down any man. Wanting to protect her from the ugliness of celebrity, he had to fight the urge to shred the paper so she wouldn’t have to read anymore. The problem was she had to be aware of the unpleasant circumstances her friendship with him was causing.

  When Ava finally looked up from the paper, the pain that etched her shamrock-colored eyes had him crossing to her without thought of his sister’s presence or his sweaty body. Pushing the paper to the side, Jace wrapped Ava up in his arms and felt comfort he’d been missing since reading the offending words.

  The audible rage that emerged from his baby sister on their behalf made him smile at her instantaneous support. Roxi Coolidge was nothing if not supportive of her family and friends. “Those bastards!”

  One arm around Ava, Jace turned to address his sister’s outrage. “I agree, but according to my lawyers, there’s nothing I can do. My agent is working on damage control.”

  “What about the poll at the bottom of the article? Can’t you do anything about that?”

  “Since the column is written as the reporter’s personal opinion, the poll is justified.” Jace tried to remember all the bullshit his lawyers had spouted about freedom of press and other nonsense he didn’t care about at the moment.

  “Is there anything I can do to help alleviate the speculation for you?” Ava’s quiet acceptance of the hell she would have to face surprised him, and when he looked down into her eyes, he no longer saw pain, but anger.

&n
bsp; “I don’t expect you to do anything. It’s my fault for getting you in this situation. If I hadn’t tried…” The sound of the doorbell had them all turning in unison to the front door.

  “It’s probably our moms,” Ava said.

  “Only one way to find out.” Jace strolled to the door to allow entry to his mom and Lia and a sleeping Ashlyn.

  ****

  The afternoon flew by while Ashlyn slept, and the group discussed the latest development that was now Jace’s life. The moms took the news of their private embrace now captured forever in photos with surprising calm and understanding.

  Lexi looked at her son with compassion as she discussed the embarrassing situation. “I think you two should show a united front. How is it going to look to all of your fans if you try to deny a relationship after the picture of your embrace has been broadcast across the country?”

  With a giggle, Ava naively disregarded Lexi’s assumption. “Lex, you’re being a little dramatic, don’t you think? Tennessee is hardly the entire country.”

  “It’s not only Tennessee that’s seen the picture. While you were laying Ashlyn down, we caught a report on ESPN reporting Jace’s latest foray into the tabloids. I think you have to be prepared to face the consequences of being involved with a celebrity.”

  When Lia spoke up, Ava was surprised at the implication. “I agree with Lexi. With the history you two share, you should definitely proceed as a happy, united couple, willing and able to weather any storm together.”

  Ava met her mother’s gaze and realized her mother knew of Ashlyn’s paternity. If Lia knew, that meant Lexi knew as well. Her secret no longer being a secret had her suddenly feeling lightheaded. Closing her eyes to break contact with her mother and giving herself time to regain composure, Ava tried to lean back against the couch and quite by accident leaned against Jace, who casually wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

  Looking up into the eyes that promised everything was going to be all right, she released the breath that had begun to hurt her chest. “We can do this. You’re only going to be here for a few weeks. Between your class and my training camp, we will both be busy with our own lives. We’ll just have to make sure we look like a normal couple if we go out together.”

  “What about Ashlyn? I don’t want her in the public.”

  “We’ll shield her from the cameras as much as possible. You’ll drive my Escalade with the tinted windows so they won’t be able to get a clear picture of her. Since the school offered to let Ashlyn stay in their staff nursery, you’ll know she’s close by, and the security is tight, so no one will be able to get to her.”

  “You have an answer for everything.” Ava swallowed at the rightness that washed over her as she sat snuggled against his side discussing their daughter. If only he knew Ashlyn was his.

  “Don’t worry. I got you in this mess. You can count on me to get you out of it.” The promise in his eyes had Ava blinking back tears she refused to shed. She dreaded she was going to ruin their friendship forever with her announcement.

  Chapter Sixteen

  With only two rooms furnished with beds, the moms and Roxi left early with plans to stay at the Opryland Hotel. Roxi would have to miss her Monday classes, but their moms planned to spend the next day sightseeing and doing a little more discount shopping at the outlet mall.

  The evening passed without problem, except for the never-ending ringing of the phone. When Alex arrived, he and Jace hung out on the deck with a six-pack, while Ava prepared herself and Ashlyn for bed.

  The only other time Ava had been this nervous had been before she went into labor. The excruciating pain she’d heard about had had her wide-awake nights with worry prior to delivery. Ironically, as debilitating as the pain had been, she would go through it again to have Ashlyn with her. The real test was would she feel the same way about the job she was starting tomorrow.

  The only way to face her internship was to act as if it were a job. She had to do everything to make a good impression prior to her interview. If she let herself consider it as a prolonged job interview, she would drive herself crazy. Ava tried to hide the tension from Ashlyn, but her daughter apparently felt her mother’s stress. The little girl would not settle down for the night.

  She paced the floors for what felt like hours, both physically and mentally exhausted. How was she going to be able to face tomorrow on little to no sleep? When her bedroom door opened slightly, and Jace popped his head in, she wasn’t sure how she felt about this sudden presence.

  The moment Ashlyn discovered his presence, she reached for Jace, and Ava happily passed her daughter off. The brush of her arms across Jace’s bare chest was intimate in a different way. The darkness and quiet of the house held them together in an embrace that felt familiar.

  “Hey there, princess, what’s wrong?” Jace whispered into the tiny ear of his daughter. “Why don’t we go for a walk while Mommy tries to get some sleep? She has a big day tomorrow.”

  Ava was prepared to refuse his help, but when he leaned forward and brushed a sweet kiss across her lips, she allowed him to help without a fight. The fact Ashlyn already had her head resting peacefully against his wide shoulder, with one hand holding on tightly to his chest hair, gave her the confidence she was doing the right thing by letting them continue to bond.

  The click of the door as they exited the room gave her a sense of relief and yet dread. Before she could give herself time to contemplate either of those emotions, she climbed into the bed and promptly fell asleep.

  ****

  The sound of the alarm came earlier than Ava would have liked. Turning over to get five more minutes, she realized she wasn’t alone in the bed. Ashlyn lay sprawled across the middle of the bed, and Jace mimicked her position perfectly. It was a good thing this was a queen-sized bed, or else it would have been a tight fit.

  Ava snuck from the bed, escaping into the bathroom to shower and change before her daughter woke. How she had slept through their arrival last night was beyond her, and the fact this was the second night she’d shared a bed with Jace didn’t escape her notice.

  You better watch yourself, or you may get used to his presence.

  The hot water washed away the sleepiness that hung on her, and she emerged from the shower with a positive outlook for the day ahead, with a promise of a bright future. It may not be with Jace, but she had a prospective new job on the horizon. She needed this job; after all, she didn’t have anything to fall back on. Jace might want to support his daughter, but she had to stand on her own two feet.

  Ashlyn woke with ease, but rousing Jace was a whole other problem. The man slept like the dead. Giving up, she made her way downstairs to get breakfast while Jace snored softly in her bed.

  ****

  When it was time to leave for the first day of her internship, Ava couldn’t find the keys to the Escalade. He said they were on the kitchen counter. Didn’t he? Ava questioned herself as she searched the kitchen for the keys. After scouring the counters and the floor for the missing keys, she gave up and went upstairs to wake Jace; she couldn’t be late on her first day.

  Ava attempted everything from a gentle nudge to a hard shake, and they both did nothing; he simply rolled away from the aggravation. The man looked like a Greek god lying on a cloud of white sheets. Bronze skin that stretched across toned muscle warranted further examination, but she didn’t have time.

  Ava contemplated throwing a cup of cold water on him but vetoed the idea.

  I don’t want to sleep in a wet bed tonight.

  Decisions on how to awake the sleeping giant went from thoughts of holding his nose, to rolling him out of the bed, but the final verdict was to try her mother’s tried and true method, whisper endearments.

  The bed was too high to lean against, so kneeling on it was her only option. The moment she bent to speak, Jace flipped her over. “I was beginning to doubt your determination,” Jace murmured as he captured her lips. The kiss was gentle. “I’d kiss you more thoroughly,
but morning breath prevents it.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

  “You don’t mind bad breath?”

  “Yes, I mind. I meant I didn’t care how I got you up, I’m just glad you’re awake. I have to get to school. Where are the keys you promised would be on the counter?” The shock of the kiss evaporated with the reality of the time.

  “I knew I would have to get up for a radio interview this morning, so I left them in my office. Let’s go get ’em.” Sliding out of the bed and causally exiting the bedroom in nothing but his boxer briefs, he gave Ava little option but to follow. The truth was if she didn’t have to go to school, she would have snuggled with him, morning breath and all. Walking behind him as they made their way downstairs, Ava thought, Damn that man is fine.

  ****

  As first days went, Ava’s went smoothly. The security at the private school made it possible for her to escape the watchful lenses of paparazzi and reporters. Ironically, Ava felt less nervous at the school than she did on the drive in. The paparazzi hounds followed her down every street until she went on the private school property.

  The only hiccup in the day was when two teachers cornered her during her lunch hour, peppering her with questions about the article. Southern women are nothing if not nosey, and Melanie and Krista were definitely southern. Their heavy accents appeared exaggerated, but they both were politely pushy.

  Melanie questioned, “Are you really Jace Johnson’s girlfriend?”

  Before Ava could even respond, Krista chimed in. “He’s dreamy, you sure are lucky. How did you two meet?”

  “Krista, stop being so nosey.” Melanie chastised her friend but turned back to Ava as if waiting for her answer.

  With the need to make a good impression and not alienate potential coworkers, Ava decided to answer. “Jace and I are friends. We’ve known each other since grade school.”

  “We know that, but we want to know if you’re his girlfriend?” Melanie asked again.

  Panic overtook Ava. Should she say yes and act the part as loving girlfriend or stick to the truth nobody believed? “Yes, I’m his girlfriend.” The lie just rolled off her tongue.