Boxed Set: Intercepted by Love (The Complete Collection): Books One - Book Six (57 page)

February of the next year.

Andie’s mother propped her up on pillows, and her father wheeled his chair next to the bed. Andie’s divorce from Declan was final, she was twenty-eight weeks pregnant, and she was confined to bedrest due to premature labor. There was no better place than home with Mom and Dad, since Cade was in Santa Clara, California at Forty-Niner Stadium for the Golden Super Bowl, where the Los Angeles Flash would take the field against the New York Warthogs.

Cade was the starting quarterback for the Warthogs against Todd Irvin, who still played for the Flash.

As for the events following the sting, Rob Cash was tried and found guilty of influencing the game along with some of the players, including Devon Davis, the kicker, Carmine Carmona, and a few of the linebackers. Dick died from the gunshot wound, but Barbara had survived.

During Rob’s trial, Roxanne took a plea bargain and ratted out her brother and every player who was guilty. Devon had bought the drugs on Dick’s behalf to get Cade’s mother hooked again. They hadn’t meant for her to overdose, only to get her dependent so that when she wanted more drugs, they could shake her down for the password to her bank account. Roxanne never admitted to stealing Cade’s credit card, and they couldn’t prove she left the threatening notes in his pillowcase since the notes weren’t written in her handwriting.

She definitely wasn’t all that innocent even though she played the victim, complaining that Rob used her to sleep with team owners to extract better deals for his clients. She pled guilty for extorting money from Dick and was given a suspended sentence and probation.

Declan was only in this mess for the publicity and when it turned bad, he dropped Roxanne like a hot potato. Although, some of the notoriety helped him audition for bad boy roles, he never made the cut and ended up taking a role in a children’s production.

Meanwhile, Barbara had disappeared after recovering from her wound, a bullet graze. It was speculated that she’d handed the chips to Cade’s brother Donnie, who’d cashed them in and left the country.

“Time to watch your daddy,” Andie’s mother said, holding Bret on her lap as the Super Bowl continued after a commercial break. On TV, the crowd cheered loudly, drowning out the announcers.

Bret gurgled and laughed. He was a happy little fellow and Cade’s biological son after all. It was Barbara’s idea to trick Dick into thinking Bret was his son so she could milk him for more money. As for how Bret was conceived, well, as Roxanne explained, Barbara used to clean Cade’s bathroom as a side job, and Cade never flushed his condoms down the toilet.

Yuck. It made Andie want to barf, but then again, after Roxanne confessed to being paid to have Bret for blackmail purposes, she’d agreed to let Andie and Cade have custody of Bret.

Andie reached over and tickled Bret’s fat tummy, eliciting squeals of delighted laughter.

The game progressed back and forth. First the Flash led and then the Warthogs, who were the underdogs. Despite the turmoil earlier in the season with the Flash, Dinah Silver, Dick’s widow, was able to take control as the owner and assemble a formidable team, even with salary caps in place. She vowed to root out all cheaters, and apparently, the commissioner was satisfied that she had had no part in Dick’s dirty dealings. Devon, of course, was in jail for his role in killing his father, even though he claimed it was an accident.

Andie’s heart leaped every time Cade took to the field. No matter how many times she’d seen him play, she would never get over the excitement and pure joy of watching her favorite pro quarterback in the world.

The game tightened in the fourth quarter. The Flash led by seven points, but Todd Irvin was sacked for a loss, and the Flash had to punt. The commentators speculated that there was only time for one more drive, or if the Flash were able to force the Warthogs to punt, they would be in position to win by running out the clock.

Cade completed pass after pass as the Warthogs drove down the field. Each pass stopped the clock, and the crowd was in a frenzy.

“This is turning into a replay of the last Super Bowl,” the announcer said. “Cade Prescott has got to be feeling the pressure.”

“That’s true,” the second commentator said. “He’s led a seventy yard drive, and it’s first and goal with less than a minute left. Only his team is seven points down. A touchdown and extra point would tie and force the game into overtime.”

“Let’s see what he does. There they go, breaking the huddle and lining up. The ball’s snapped, and Prescott drops back in the pocket. Oh no, none of his receivers are open. He’s stepping back, back, Johnson’s broken through. Is this going to be a sack?”

“He’s going to throw it! Long and deep. Just like last year. He’s insane. There’s no recei—Touchdown! Unbelievable. Cade Prescott has thrown a touchdown.”

“Yay! Hooray!” Andie’s family whooped and cheered. Even baby Bret squealed loudly, joining in on the hooting.

“Cade did it.” Andie bounced in the bed, but stopped when her womb contracted.

“Don’t get too excited.” Her mother rubbed her back. “Deep breaths. Deep breaths.”

Beside her, her father smiled and gave her a thumbs up. He’d been regaining motion slowly but steadily, and was a pro with the speaking machine by now.

They turned their attention to the field.

“The special team is setting up, and it looks like Cade Prescott is going to be the holder for the extra point,” the first announcer said.

“Didn’t he injure his hand pre-season when he tried that last time?” the second announcer remarked.

“That’s right. It’s inconceivable that the Warthogs would use their quarterback to hold for the extra point, unless …”

“The ball is snapped. You’re right. Instead of placing it down, Prescott stands up for a pass. He doesn’t have a man free. Oh no, he’s scrambling now, the defense has broken through. This has got to be the worst play of any Super Bowl. Worse than the interception last year.”

“Go, Cade, go!” Andie yelled at the TV. “You can do it.”

As they held their breath, Cade tucked the ball and ran. He broke a tackle, then he was jumping toward the goal line, as the entire team from both sides piled on top of him.

“What happened? Where is he?” Andie had her hands over her mouth, her heart in her throat.

The referees blew their whistles, and the camera zoomed in on the pile as players were peeled away.

“Two points!” the announcer roared. And there was Cade hugging the ball just over the goal line. “Warthogs win the Golden Super Bowl. I have no doubt Cade Prescott, super number ten, will be the Super Bowl MVP.”

Andie grabbed Bret and hugged him while her mother hugged her Dad, and then hugged her. This was truly her best day ever.

Cade and his teammates were celebrating on the field as the clock ran out. Tears of joy ran down Andie’s face. Cade had been vindicated. He was truly the hero in more ways than one.

Todd Irvin, the Flash quarterback, congratulated Cade, and so did his former teammates. Black and white confetti flooded the stadium and the announcers were going crazy.

“Prescott has broken all Super Bowl records, completing forty-one passes, going ten for ten on the last eighty yard drive.”

“That’s right, lucky number ten, that’s Cade Prescott’s number ever since he started playing football.”

“Yes, and you never know what to expect from him. The most extraordinary play was going for the two point conversion over the almost guaranteed extra point kick. That takes balls.”

“I’ll say. Cade Prescott has vindicated himself after the LA Flash scandal that took down his former agent and the former owner.”

“As well as his half-brother, who’s sitting in jail on murder charges.”

“What a story, we’ll have the presentation of the Vince Lombardi trophy after these messages.”

The TV cut to commercials as phone calls flooded in on Andie and her family. Her cell phone was busy, as was the landline. Andie turned on her tablet and her social media exploded.

Her mother took call after call, and then the TV cut back with the presentation of the trophy. The silver trophy with a big football on top was brought through the line of players, who touched it or kissed it. As it made its way toward the stage, Andie kept her eyes peeled for Cade. He was near the end of the line and when the trophy passed by, his teammates hoisted him on their shoulders and passed the trophy to him to hold. He handed it to the commissioner who was onstage already. It was the same commissioner who had reviewed all of the videos of the previous year’s Super Bowl and exonerated Cade one hundred percent. His actions, emotions, and every movement had been scrutinized and cleared, but it took Rob’s trial and Devon’s downfall to convince most skeptics, especially the gossip press who couldn’t believe the Warthogs had taken him on.

The commissioner gave a speech, followed by the coach. And then it was time for the MVP.

Cade stood on the platform, sweat still glistening on his face and grease paint striped under his eyes, sporting a huge grin.

“I’m very proud of this team and the great defense we had on the line, as well as the best receivers in the league.” His deep voice echoed throughout the stadium. “I appreciate all your faith in me and the support I got from the league. Victory is always a lot sweeter when you have someone to share it with.”

“That’s so true,” the emcee said. “We’re proud to present you the Golden Super Bowl MVP. We have someone on the line for you. Ladies and gentlemen, look up on the jumbotron …”

Andie followed the TV camera which pointed to the jumbotron. It has a split screen with Cade on one side and Andie’s picture on the other side with the flashing words, “making video call.”

At the same time, ringing sounds zinged from her tablet.

“No way,” she yelped. “He’s calling me in front of everyone?”

“Answer it,” her mother said.

“The entire stadium awaits one woman named Antoinette Marie Wales to answer her video call,” the announcer commented.

Oh my! She’d better answer or Cade would be embarrassed. Andie clicked ‘on’ to answer.

“Hey, you’re there,” Cade said.

“Congratulations. Wow, I can’t believe it,” she replied, sounding stupid. Everyone in the world could see her sitting in bed with her hair all mussed up. Bret waved his hands, so she lifted him and said, “He’s mighty proud of you, too.”

“Hey, there little guy.” Cade waved and the fans in the stadium said, “Aww…”

Suddenly, Cade bent onto his knee and looked up at Andie, his eyes beaming true blue.

Andie’s jaw dropped and fireworks exploded in her chest. What was he doing? Was this it? The big romantic moment?

Cade raised his hand and popped open a velvet box with a huge marquise cut blue diamond. It sparkled continuously under all the stadium lights and flashbulbs.

A giant hush descended on the stadium as Cade said, “Antoinette Marie Wales, the best interception of my life was when you jumped out of nowhere and grabbed my heart. You are my MVP and I would like nothing better than to huddle with you the rest of my life. Will you do me the honor and marry me?”

Andie held Bret close and hugged him tight. She nodded and hiccupped as happiness danced over her. “Yes, yes, I will. I love you, Cade. Now, give me that ring.”

She made a swipe at the camera and the entire stadium burst out in laughter.

[to be continued]

Book Six

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“… a special experience you really don’t want to miss out on.”
– Amber McCallister

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Dedication

Rayilyn Brown, my high school history teacher.
Thanks for instilling in me a love for history.

“How’s my birthday girl?” Cade Prescott silenced the alarm clock and placed his hand over the pregnant belly of his fiancée, Andie Wales. Sunlight streamed through the lacy curtains of their cottage in the woods outside of Itasca, New York, the small college town where he’d met Andie the year before.

She mumbled and groaned as she rolled toward the side of their waterbed. “Have to pee.”

“Can I give you your birthday kiss?” He rubbed her abdomen. “Or give our little Bonnie a kiss?”

Andie was more than eight months pregnant with their little girl and almost ready to pop. Of course, he knew better than to make any comments about her size or explosive potential. After all, he was in training to be a good husband.

“After I pee.” She threw his hand from her body and swung her legs off the side of the bed.

“Let me help you.” Undaunted, he sprang from the bed and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet.

“Oh, come on, Cade.” Andie twisted to get out of his grip. “I can at least pee by myself.”

“I know that, but you’ve been on bedrest for over twelve weeks.” He followed her to the bathroom, trying not to worry. Now that she was past the danger zone, her doctor had allowed her to get out of bed and move around.

Andie hobbled to the toilet and pulled up her nightgown. “Can you shut the door?”

“You sure you won’t fall in there?” He closed the door, leaving a crack. “Make sure to use the handrails.”

“I’m pregnant, not disabled. Sheesh.”

Was it his imagination, or was his usually amiable and easygoing Andie turning into a grouch?

Cade popped a breath mint and tried to recall the tips he’d read in a men’s magazine for dealing with pregnant women.
Don’t give her advice. Don’t treat her like glass. Don’t point out how big she is. And above all, don’t complain.

“You’re doing great,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound like an insincere labor coach.

Her only answer was the sound of her tinkling, followed by a flush.

So, she wasn’t the bubbly sweetheart he’d met a year ago. She’d been on bedrest since the end of January when she went into premature labor and hadn’t been able to attend the Super Bowl where he’d thrown the game winning pass and had been named Most Valuable Player.

Two months had gone by since he’d proposed to her over video conferencing, witnessed by the entire stadium and TV watching audience. Two months of bedrest for Andie, and two months of interviews, endorsements, and disrupting the sleepy university town with news vans and media. Cameras followed him from Andie’s parents’ home, to the rescue shelter he volunteered at, and to the stroke rehabilitation center her father worked out at. He’d caused so many traffic jams, the mayor of Itasca had kindly requested him to find a place outside of town in a gated community up in the hills, which suited him and Andie just fine, since they were finally out from under her parents’ noses.

The bathroom door opened and Andie blinked at him, finally smiling. “All yours.”

“Why, thank you.” Cade looped her into his arms and kissed her. “Happy Birthday.”

“Mmm ….” She kissed him back, but kept her mouth closed. “Morning breath.”

“Morning breath? I popped a mint while you were in there.”

“Not yours, mine.” She covered her mouth and dove back into the bathroom for her toothbrush.

“I love your morning breath.” Cade nuzzled the back of her neck while she turned on her electric toothbrush. He couldn’t help running his hands over her belly, reassured that his baby girl grew inside. “We’re running out of time to get hitched before Bonnie’s born.”

“Oh, no. Not that again.” Andie rinsed her mouth. “Have you gotten in touch with your mother yet?”

“I hired a private investigator, you know that.”

His mother, Barbara Prescott, was wanted by the law for grand theft and extortion, and Andie was refusing to plan the wedding until they’d heard from her.

“Any news?” Andie twisted her long, red hair into a bun and secured it with a clip.

“If I had news, I would have told you.” A plume of irritation swarmed over his scalp. All he wanted was to finally have the family he’d always yearned for and to settle down. None of this uncertainty still left with the baby possibly showing up before they were married.

Andie squinched her nose at him. “You’ll regret it if your mom isn’t part of the wedding.”

“She was barely part of my life, and she made her own choice, running off with the loot.” Cade crossed his arms and felt his muscles tighten. This argument had been going on way too long. His mother had been addicted to heroin and had left him in a slew of foster homes growing up while she flitted in and out of his life at her convenience.

“She might get tired of running,” Andie said. “I think she’ll want to come back for the wedding and to meet this little one.” She patted her abdomen. “I can’t wait to meet our little Bonnie Blue.”

“How’d you know she’ll have blue eyes?” Cade blinked his baby blues and wrapped his arms around his fiancée. “I want our little Bonnie to be legal.”

He’d already had an illegitimate son, a darling boy named Bret who was born eight months ago to Roxanne Cash, a fashion designer who’d pulled off a scheme to extort money by pretending the baby was the son of another man. It was a long story, but Roxanne had taken a plea bargain and signed away her parental rights, and Andie had started adoption proceedings.

“You and my mom are rushing me.” Andie pouted, her cuteness almost making him forget they were having an argument, okay, a discussion. “She keeps pushing me to look for wedding gowns and shoving maternity wedding catalogs at me.”

“You don’t need a wedding dress.” He eyed her perfect shape, ripe with his child growing inside. This was his dream come true, to have the woman he loved bearing a child for him. What more could any man want? Certainly not a designer wedding dress and a big to-do.

“Oh, I doubt you’d want me to get married naked.” Andie chuckled. She turned on the water to heat up the shower. “Feels so good to be on my feet again.”

“Any contractions?”

“None at all. Strange. Seems like all that stress was for nothing.” Andie stretched and yawned.

It was all Cade could do not to grab her melon ball boobs, a benefit of pregnancy. He shifted his sweatpants and focused on the argument, er discussion. “We should at least go together to apply for the marriage license. Your divorce has been final for two months already.” Not that he was counting—scratch that, of course he’d been counting.

“There’s no rush.” Andie enunciated as if he were a toddler. “Don’t you think I have enough to deal with? This pregnancy, Bret, my father’s rehabilitation?”

Andie’s father was recovering from the stroke he’d suffered a year ago. His speech was much improved from before, and he was in physical therapy to regain his ability to walk. A year ago, Andie’s family didn’t have the finances for her father’s rehab, especially the high tech robotics needed to help him walk again, but with Cade being the Super Bowl MVP, a foundation had caught up with his story and come up with the funds in exchange for Cade being a spokesperson for them.

“All true, but Bonnie could be born any minute.” Cade stuck to his guns. “We just have to go to the county clerk’s together to apply for a license and wait twenty-four hours.”

Andie’s lips flattened, and she drew her eyebrows together. “That won’t do. I’m the only granddaughter in my family. My aunts and uncles will kill me if I don’t have a wedding. Besides, Mom and Dad want to give me away together. It doesn’t have to be a big production, but I’ve always dreamed of a wedding on the shores of Canandaigua Lake.”

“You should have told me earlier.” Cade wiped his hair, shaking his head. “We need to reserve the location months ahead of time.”

“It’s only April.” Andie shrugged. “If you had contacted your mother by now, we could have moved forward to setting a date.”

The baby was due in May. With the way Andie was dragging her feet, Bonnie would be born before they were married. This thing about his mother was unreasonable. After all, she’d left no forwarding address. Both she and his brother, Donnie, had disappeared after stealing the big bag of chips from the FBI. There was no way they’d waltz into a wedding on the shores of Canandaigua Lake, and Andie knew it.

Cade leaned forward, getting into his darling fiancée’s face. “I’m thinking there’s another reason why you want to delay the wedding and it has nothing to do with my mother. Is this some sort of rebellion thing against your mother and her church? You know how important it is for me to have Bonnie be legal. I was born out of wedlock and relegated to foster homes.”

Andie’s nostrils flared and a fierce blush colored her face. “You know full well this has nothing to do with you. There’s no way we’re sending Bonnie to a foster home. Maybe you don’t see it, but your mother was always kind to me, and I care about her. She’s out there somewhere, and if we invited her, she’d be here.”

Was Andie naïve or what? Oh, right. She was. Her parents were still together. She lived with them even while working at the library. She’d been sheltered by a religious mother and an intellectual father.

Cade clenched his teeth and swallowed, closing his eyes. Patience. Patience. She meant well. That was one of the things he loved about her—hoping for the best and believing the good in everyone.

“I’d like my mother to attend, too,” he said. “In fact, I’m going to miss the mother-son dance as much as anyone, but sweetheart, I know Barbara Prescott. She may mean well, and she may care about you, or me, or Bret, but she’ll never, ever put anyone in front of her survival. Ever.”

That had always been true. His mother was a heroin addict. She’d gotten pregnant at a young age and gave up her baby to the system when Cade was born with a cleft palate. For a living, she’d blackmailed Dick Davis, Cade’s biological father, who was married to a wealthy socialite, Dinah Silver. Sure, she did befriend Andie when she was new in town, but if push ever came to shove, Barb Prescott would save her own skin. No one else’s.

Andie must have felt his anguish, because she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her softness lowered his blood pressure, a little, but he couldn’t help the overwhelming sense of loss from swamping him. She was right. He’d never have a normal life, much less a normal wedding. There would be no mother-son dance, no grandmother at Bonnie’s baptism, no baby shower, no birthday parties with her presiding as the matriarch of the Prescott clan.

“Let’s not argue about this,” Andie said, hugging him tight. “Even if we don’t know where she is, I bet she’s following your social media. Maybe she’ll make contact under a fake name.”

“We can’t wait forever.” He stroked the side of her cheek, loving every bit of her. “I can’t wait to make you mine.”

“I already am, Cade, whether we have the piece of paper or not.” She flashed him a tentative smile. “I think you’d regret it if you didn’t give her a chance.”

“I wish she’d regret disappearing and absconding with all the money. If only she’d turned in the chips to the FBI, she could have come off as the hero. I’m disappointed.”

“As am I.”

“We have to have the wedding and the honeymoon before the end of July when training camp starts. You know I can’t take vacation once that happens.”

The prime time for professional players to take vacation was after the Super Bowl and before training camp. Some players spent June in conditioning camp, and he owed it to his team to get himself back in playing shape especially after these few months as a celebrity.

The creases between Andie’s eyebrows deepened and she twisted her lips. “Does it have to be this year?”

Her words punched the breath from him. Why was she dragging her feet? Wasn’t she in love with him? Didn’t they have a baby coming? Didn’t they already have a son, Bret, whom she was adopting?

A zinging chill snaked its way down his spine, and he couldn’t shake the suspicion. This had nothing to do with his mother disappearing. After all, she could very well stay away forever. Was Andie going to wait two years, three? Ten?

He blew out a breath and focused on her jewel green eyes. “What’s really going on here? What’s the real reason you won’t set a date?”

Without answering him, she stripped and stepped into the shower.