FALSE START (Gods of the Gridiron Book 2)

by Shanna Swenson

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Brooke asked as Madi heaved into the toilet again. “Mexican was a bad idea last night, huh?” She handed Madi a paper towel to wipe her mouth.

  “Jeez, I guess. Crap.” Madi held her belly as she came up off her knees to stand, flushing the commode as she did so. It could be the Mexican that hadn’t set well with her or the fact that she was stressed about today’s preseason game; either way, she was annoyed with the stomach that always gave out at the first sign of stress. She’d always known it was her weakest organ. “No more Texas margaritas for me.” Madi scoffed and moved to the sink to wash her hands.

  They were already at the stadium; the guys were suited up, although most wouldn’t run more than a few plays before heading back to the sidelines to watch. They were playing the Jaguars today, and Madi knew she shouldn’t be worried; preseason was always iffy, but she was still stressed. Preseason games marked the beginning of the season—but not as far as she was concerned. There would still be players cut, trades made, and losses that didn’t much count before the regular season’s start. So, why was she so amped up? Amped up enough to lose her breakfast?

  She couldn’t answer the question as Val and Sky came into the luxury box and hugged her. Val always made home games, even in preseason, occasionally away games if she got a babysitter. This was her time, she said, to be an adult, get out of the house, and praise her husband for all his amazing feats. To think almost two years ago, he’d almost died at his own hand.

  Sky was radiant today with her flashy new ring atop her finger. Madi still felt a little jealous and couldn’t shake why. She was uber happy for Travis and Skyla and knew they made a great couple, complementing each other so well.

  “Madi, you look pale. You ok?” Sky asked, and Val frowned up at her.

  “What’s the matter?” Val asked.

  “Guys, she’s fine. She ate Mexican last night, and she’s just stressed,” Brooke answered and waved it off as she moved to get herself a drink—not minding that it was only eleven in the morning.

  “I’m really not that stressed, it’s just my stomach.”

  “You don’t have that bug going around, do you?” Sky asked warily and took a step back, getting a laugh out of Val.

  “Bloody hell, the way you and Zeus have been going at it, you might be up the duff,” Val scoffed and patted her arm. She tilted her head questioningly at Madi who frowned. She only knew what the phrase meant because Val had told her about a friend of hers who’d gotten pregnant recently, and she’d said the same thing—up the duff.

  At first, it offended Madi. Val knew how hard she’d tried to get pregnant but then the little voice in the back of her head reminded her of something… She turned from her girls and moved to look out onto the field. Holy shit! She wasn’t on birth control! And she and Brett hadn’t used protection…not once. How in God’s name had that happened? How had she forgotten to take that precaution! Was she insane? Oh God, what would Brett say? Madi looked down at her belly and cupped her lower abdomen, wondering if she might be pregnant.

  “Well, shit. Looks like I’m running to the drug store.” Brooke set her glass down and headed out the door.

  Madi fell into the chair in front of her, her eyes bouncing around the room. Could it be possible?

  “Are you late?” Sky ran up and grabbed Madi’s arm.

  Her periods hadn’t been regular for some time now, but her mind couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a period, or needed to use sanitary napkins. It was a blank slate…other than flashing back to the numerous times she and Brett had sex over the last five weeks. In the weight room, the bed, the couch, the wall, the stairs, oh God… every damn where. There wasn’t a square inch of his house, or his vehicles, they hadn’t christened. They’d been like two damn rabbits. And yet she was surprised that she might be pregnant?

  Her heart fluttered at the prospect but burned with fear; she couldn’t get her hopes up. What if she wasn’t? She was going to be so disappointed.

  Madi realized Sky was still waiting on an answer and she nodded.

  “Ohhhh,” Val squealed, delighted. “I’m so excited.”

  “Don’t jump the gun so quick, Valeria. We don’t know yet. I—”

  “Girl, you’re late and you puked for no reason. You’re as pregnant as pregnant can be.”

  “Shh…” Madi scolded as she saw the GM, Josh O’Connell, and her father coming through the door. “Keep your voices down. Sky, text Brooke and tell her to meet us in the hall bathroom when she gets here.”

  Sky did as she asked and Madi popped up, planting a smile on her face as her father and Josh greeted her. They talked briefly before Sky was pulling Madi away. She excused herself and walked numbly down the hall to the bathroom where Brooke had three pregnancy tests set up.

  “Do all three at once, no doubting, no retaking. The moment has come, sis.”

  Madi rolled her eyes at her overdramatic sister and took all three tests into a stall with her.

  She did the deed, brought the tests out, and washed her hands. All the while, she prayed that they were positive, although she couldn’t say why. Brett was going to freak on her, she just knew it. They’d only been together a short time, they weren’t married, and they hadn’t even talked about their future, yet here Madi was painting a bright little nursery in her head.

  When the timer on Brooke’s phone beeped, Madi didn’t look down, she simply said, “What’s the verdict?”

  “Well,” Sky began, “I hope you’ve prepared a speech for Zeus cause, honey, you’re pregnant.”

  “What? Really?” Madi finally looked down at the strips showing the evidence. “Oh, my God. I’m pregnant? I’m pregnant.” Madi looked up into the overjoyed faces of her best girlfriends in shock. She couldn’t believe it, but three positive tests didn’t lie. Thank God Brooke had been smart enough to have her do them all three at once instead of one back to back which would have drawn the suspense out even more.

  Val was the first to pull her in for a hug. “Welcome to motherhood, Mama.” She placed her hand on Madi’s lower belly. “Hi there, little one! Aunt Valley is so excited to meet you.”

  Madi teared up and pulled Val in for another hug. This was all she’d ever wanted, and it was happening. Holy crap!

  Brooke came next with tears in her eyes. “Oh, big sis. I’m so happy for you. This is amazing. I can’t believe I’ll have a niece or nephew in eight months.”

  Holy crap!

  Sky came next. “So, I uh, I might have something to share too.” Her plump lips pulled in, in apprehension.

  Madi’s mouth dropped even as Sky nodded and tears fell down her cheeks.

  “We’re due in March. Travis is over the moon. He can’t wait. Oh, Mad, we should do double baby showers.”

  Madi nodded vigorously and pulled Sky into her arms for a hug. This was surreal. More than she’d ever dreamed of. Holy crap!

  But the nagging at the back of her heart was becoming a pounding ache in her chest. What the hell was Brett going to say, what would he think, and would he be excited? She didn’t want to tell him before the game, but she wasn’t sure she could wait for hours on end either.

  She felt like she might puke again.

  “There’s my gorgeous goddess,” Brett said and pulled Madi into his arms. She held him for a long time, and he soaked up the peace she always made him feel—the serenity, the feeling that he was home, complete when he was with her. He pulled back finally because he sensed something wasn’t right. Her cheeks were red, as if she’d been crying, but she also looked a little green around the gills. “Baby, what’s the matter?”

  Madi blew it off with a fake smile and shook her head. “Nothing. I guess Mexican and tequila didn’t sit well last night.”

  Brett’s brows drew. He’d known Madison Thomas way too long to not know when she was fibbing, but she quickly started talking with the other guys, throwing him off.

  “Listen,” Madi fumble
d when the others were distracted, “um, I don’t know what you had planned for after the game, but…”

  “Well, I had you planned, Hera. Post-victory sex, right?” He whispered and winked. They’d been joking about it all week, trying to decide which place got defiled next—like they hadn’t tore the sheets up just this morning.

  “Umm, right. But I, uh, I want you to myself just for a little while. We…uh…we need to talk.”

  And just like that, Brett’s heart raced. That wasn’t good; he knew what that meant. When women said, “We need to talk,” it usually meant something bad. Was she breaking up with him?

  He gulped down the fear and nodded, trying to rationalize what could possibly have her looking like she was going to cry. Had someone upset her? He felt angry all of a sudden but tried to hold it in; he had a pre-season game to get through.

  Madison reached up on her tip-toes, and Brett pulled her back into his arms as he kissed her with all his might, forcing her to feel how much he cared for her, forcing away whatever this was that was upsetting her. He pulled back slowly and looked into her seafoam green-blue eyes. “I love you Madison Hope Thomas. You know that, right?”

  Madi’s lips curled in; she was holding back tears. What the hell wasn’t she saying? “I love you too, Cap—so, so much.”

  When Coach Cavanaugh started calling for them to warm up, Brett was reluctant to let her go, even though they would both be taking the podium at half-time to say some inspiring words regarding Hunter and this year’s team.

  Brett kissed her forehead as he released her and gave her a big smile; a smile that he hoped conveyed whatever she needed in that moment.

  “Hunter Thomas was my best friend,” Brett said and looked over at the woman beside him, the woman he loved with every centimeter of his being, the one now beaming brightly up at him on this sunny early August day. “Practicing without him, and being on this field without him has been difficult—not only for me, but the other players who loved him as much as I did. This organization took a huge hit when Hunt passed away.” Brett stepped back and cleared his throat before moving back to the mic in front of him. “As the team captain and the quarterback, I’m pledging my year to Hunter. May his spirit, the spirit of Hermes, flow through each and every one of us as we strive to achieve the same goals we had last season. This team has heart, this team has ambition, and we aim to give it our all, for not only us but also for our fans. Here’s to Hunter Thomas.”

  The crowd roared in response and chanted “Hermes” as Madi and Brett raised their arms together. He pulled her to him and hugged her, although not as familiarly as he wanted to. After all, they were in front of eighty thousand people in the stands and millions live. He kissed her cheek and smiled into her face, getting one in return. She took his arm as they walked back toward the sidelines, getting cheers from the team as they filed into the tunnel.

  The first half had been pretty uneventful where Brett was concerned, he’d only ran three plays—two runs and a pass—before he’d been called back to the safety of the sidelines. Then he’d spent the next hour waiting for time to hurry up while he watched his second string, Hayes Bentley, do what Brett wanted to be doing, playing QB. He knew his coach was just protecting his asset, but Brett was pumped, ready for the season, and eager to find out what Madi wanted to talk to him about.

  Obviously, it wasn’t too bad or she wouldn’t still be smiling at him like she was now.

  “I’m gonna head back up. I’ll see you after the game.”

  “I’ll be there, sexy lady. Be naked!” His brow rose in challenge, and she blushed appearing to be contemplating it, which got a chuckle out of him.

  “Meet me in the box.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek, and he savored the feel of her lips on his skin. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, making a big production of not letting her go and getting another smile out of her as she reluctantly pulled away.

  He turned then and listened to his coach talk about their angle in the next half and telling Bentley what he wanted out of him. Brett propped himself against the wall and pretended to listen, all the while he was thinking about Madi and when he could have her wrapped around him again.

  The last five weeks had been everything he’d ever imagined they would be. He and Madison had loved each other, as he’d always dreamed they would—undeniably, completely, and with raw abandon. They’d lost themselves to one another in the throes of passion on practically a daily basis. He’d never loved anything more in his life than he did Madi, and he couldn’t wait to ask her to be his for all eternity. He was the next one planning an elaborate proposal and understood why Travis had wanted his to be big. Brett could’ve shouted it from the rooftops, but knew he and Madi had to be slow with their announcement, giving the organization and the fans time to see that their relationship had “slowly” progressed into something more than friendship since Hunter’s death.

  They already had the blessing of their families and even Frank and Rita Thomas who loved their daughter-in-law and still spoke to her regularly. They were glad Madi had found love again and wished them the best. Brett wasn’t feeling guilty anymore, except for the fact that he hadn’t discussed everything he needed to with Madi.

  Brett hadn’t told her that Hunter had lived long enough to talk to him, to say his goodbyes. It wasn’t that Brett had wanted to keep it from her, it was simply that the conversation had never come up, the timing had never been right. He knew he just needed to come out and tell her, say it and be done. She wouldn’t be mad—would she?

  Had someone told her that Hunter had lived after he’d been pulled from the car? Had someone confessed that he’d died in the ambulance—twice—and the EMTs had brought him back? Had someone from the hospital informed her that Brett had had about five minutes to talk to Hunt before he’d finally succumbed to death? Was that why they’d “needed to talk”? Brett couldn’t shake the fear even as his team huddled, chanted their new chant this year, “Gods of the Gridiron,” and ambled back to their lockers to get their gear.

  Travis gathered him, Linc, Quil, TJ, and Pax over, while grinning like a shit-eating possum.

  “Bring it in, guys. There’s something I gotta tell ya.”

  “What’d you do? Knock up your fiancé?” Pax smarted with a snort—something Hunt would have said—and it made them all chuckle.

  “BINGO!” Travis shouted and clapped, laughing excitedly.

  “Holy shit, dude. Really?” Linc was the first to clap Travis’s back in congrats.

  Quil was next, grinning and pointing at him as if to say, “Way to go.”

  Brett was in shock—and a little jealous, if he were being honest with himself—but he tried not to let his friend see it as he gave him a fist bump and a smile.

  Pax shoved him, playfully. “Damn, dude, you’re so impatient. You couldn’t have waited ‘til the honeymoon?”

  “Hey, Ares is a greedy god, what can I say? That redhead of mine says, ‘Take me, Daddy,’” Travis stated in a high-pitched voice, imitating Skyla, “and I’m there.” Travis smirked, gaining an eye roll from the rest of them.

  “Oh, Sky calls you Daddy? That’s what Val calls me,” Linc teased, although Brett wasn’t so sure.

  “Yeah, we know. Uggh,” Quil stated, wrinkling his nose in disgust. When Linc frowned at him, confused, he added, “You forget weekend before last while we were camping? We all heard your performance, ‘Big Daddy.’”

  The five of them laughed heartily at a blushing Linc, and TJ patted Brett’s bicep. “This one will be next, mark my words.”

  “Me?”

  “Yup. Madi’s next. I guarantee it.”

  Brett scoffed but, even as he attempted to guard his girl’s good name, he understood his friends knew what was up. His and Madi’s chemistry was indisputable; he simply shrugged.

  He’d love to see Madi pregnant with his baby. The thought of it made his heart flutter, and he grinned big.

  “Well, I’m gonna sit this one out fellas,” Pax muttered, hands
up in surrender.

  “You don’t want kids, Pax?” TJ asked as if Paxton were insane.

  “Nah, it isn’t that. This here surfer boy’s still got some wind left in his sails. I’m not ready to settle down yet.”

  “He’s still a young sprout,” Brett muttered and ruffled Pax’s long unkempt hair. “He’ll ease into the idea.” Pax was the youngest of them; a couple years younger than their “newbie” Quillan, who happened to be twenty-seven years old.

  “Single and ready to mingle, I get it. Just give it time, Junior.” Travis smirked. “Find you a girl that you can’t think straight around but also one you can’t possibly live a day without. That’s the money shot, Poseidon.”

  “Amen to that,” Linc and Brett added, pointing to one another.

  They all laughed again before Linc said, “Hey, wait a sec. We still haven’t named our newcomer here. It’s time. It’s our first pre-season game. We have to get him titled so we can sell it.”

  They all regarded Quil who looked around at them, seemingly eager and anxious to know what they’d come up with.

  Brett began to think. Quillan was fast, he was smooth, seamless in the way he caught the ball and ran it into the end zone. He was their only acting TE now that Lang was gone. He was powerful. But Brett sucked at picking these god names, maybe Google would help. He was about to turn to his locker to retrieve his phone only to stop as Travis said, “He’s tall, dark, and solemn. Fast and volatile.” Ok, now he was just spouting random shit off. “We’ve got Zeus and Poseidon… I think it’s time Hades joined the team.”

  Quil gave him a crooked grin and a shrug. “I mean it fits pretty good, I guess.”

  “He does disappear in a black cloud of smoke when Zeus throws him one of those thunderbolts of his,” TJ winked, getting a laugh out of the rest of them.

  “Hades. I like it. Welcome, King of the Underworld.” Brett reached out his hand and Hades took it, shaking his head in amusement. “We’re glad to have you, brother.”