Line of Scrimmage: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (Pass To Win Book 2) (13 page)

I
was driving
like a madwoman and if a cop stopped me I was surely going to end up in jail. Mia was next to me, with her seatbelt on and clutching the giant teddy in her hands. The gift that Sean had given her that night when they had first met.

“Are we going to make it?” She asked me in a tiny voice, looking at the clock.

“Yes, we are, baby. I’m sure we are.” No. I wasn’t sure we were going to make it to the game at all. It was already getting late. But I wasn’t going to tell that to my own daughter. What kind of a mother would I be!

Finding a free spot in the parking lot proved to be a real pain in the ass. I swore and cursed under my breath. Eventually I turned on both blinkers and got out of the car. Mia and I ran across the lot to the entrance. The whole arena was ablaze with vertical lights going into the sky. I heard loud voices cheering and booing. It filled my heart with joy and excitement.

My Sean was playing down there. For his team and for us. I knew it.

“We won’t make it. It’s ending,” Mia cried from next to me.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. It’s not over yet,” I told her reassuringly and we sped forward entering the stadium. The voices were louder than ever, ringing in my ears. The sound was deafening.

“Stay close to me,” I told Mia. She nodded.

We rushed up the stairs as quickly as we could.

And then the announcer spoke, “Before we begin with the last play, Sean Coleman wants to dedicate this last playoff to his bright and shining light—Mia.”

We froze in our tracks. I turned to look at Mia with my eyes popped open in surprise. Mia’s jaw was hanging open.

“Was that about me?” she shouted so that I could hear her over the noise.

“Yes, baby. That’s Sean,” I said and hugged her. “I love you, baby.”

“I love the both of you, mommy,” she whispered into my ear. My heart melted and I hugged her even tighter.

“Come on now. We don’t want to miss this last quarter, right? It’s for you.” I hurried, taking Mia by the hand. There was no one on the stairs. All of the fans were probably too excited to go to the toilet or grab something to eat. They were all waiting for that last whistle and the final score. Mia and I climbed up the stairs.

And we arrived. The stadium was huge. Every chair was occupied.

I expected Mia to be a little bit afraid, because this was her first live football game. But she wasn’t. She was as excited as I was. Probably more so. Her small curious eyes scanned the field.

“There, mom! There’s Sean!” she yelled at the top of her voice.

I followed her index finger and saw my man in a green jersey with a big yellow seven on the back. Coleman, was written above the number.

“Yes, honey. Watch how great he plays,” I replied.

Luckily, we found two free spots in the last row and we sat.

The numbers on the clock indicated that it was going to end soon. The commentator said so himself. I was getting nervous and started playing with my nails. I always did that out of anxiety.

The game was very unpredictable, but soon Sean was about to change that. He grabbed the ball and headed for the end of the field. Mia and I stood up, shouting his name and cheering for him as if he was right here next to us.

Five…

He was running.

Four…

He was very close.

Three…

He couldn’t score. He was too far away. They weren’t going to win. No chance.

Two…

Touchdown! Sean’s team wins!

The fans on the stadium all yelled in happiness and enthusiasm. The energy on the stands was palpable.

“He did it, mom,” Mia yelled and hugged me.

“He did it, baby. For us.”

Sean Coleman was the star of the show. They were all applauding him and taking pictures of him. I remembered that he always wanted to be in the spotlight, to flirt with the reporters, the fans and the cameras. Not this Sean. He proved once again that I wronged him by thinking that he was still that playboy asshole.

Instead he quickly went to his teammates and they all made one group hug, congratulating themselves on the win.

I felt my eyes water and a tear slid down my cheek. I was proud of my babe. Because I knew how much football meant to him. Even in his college days. I wiped away the tears so that Mia wouldn’t see them.

“Come on mommy. Let’s talk to him,” Mia grabbed me by the sleeve and pulled me down the stairs to the field. A row of guards were placed at the bottom of the stairs.

“I’m sorry. I can’t let you through,” one of them told us.

“But please,” I pleaded him. “I beg you. My daughter loves Sean and so do I. We have to see him. We have to talk urgently.”

“Sorry, ma’am. The rules are the rules,” he replied.

I turned to Mia with puppy eyes. “Sorry, honey.”

“It’s okay, mom. We’ll talk to him later,” she said and sat on a seat in the first row. I sat next to her.

We were looking at the field when I heard two fans standing up behind us. They were talking. “Pal, you going to the Q&A?”

“Is Sean gonna be there? I have to congratulate him, man. He made us all proud,” the other replied.

“Yeah. Of course he’ll be there. That man rocks.”

“I’m in,” the other man replied. “Lead the way.”

My eyes glittered with joy and anticipation. There was still a chance I could see him and talk with him after all. Boo yah!

“Come on,” I told Mia and grabbed her hand. I knew where they did the Q&A sessions with the reporters and some loyal fans. I had been there myself back in the day.

Running to secure a spot in the session, we got there quickly. The place was packed though. Hundreds of fans and supporters waited in line to get there.

“Excuse me,” I said as I struggled to get further in the line. With my elbows I cleared the path for Mia and I. People gladly let me through, seeing that I had a small child with me. Bless them!

My stomach was tied in a knot at the thought of seeing Sean again. Now that nothing stood in our way, I loved him more than anything. My whole being was trembling for him. Oh, the things love did to people.

The Q&A session began. The coach opened it. He thanked the press and all the fans that supported them tirelessly. He then gave a short statement regarding the game and stuff like that. I didn’t understand half of what he was talking about. After this, I had to sit down with Sean and learn some football vocabulary to add to my dictionary.

One reporter from a famous sports magazine asked Sean a question. He opened his mouth to say something. And then Mia raised her stuffed teddy bear in the air. I completely forgot about it. I thought that she had left it in the car. Way to go, kiddo!

Sean’s eyes lit up at the sight of it. A wide smile appeared on his face. His pearl white smile reflected the flashes of the cameras.

“Kayla, Mia, come up,” he said in the mic.

I was struck on the spot. What did he say? Did he invite us up there?

All eyes were on us. The cameras were ticking like crazy, taking pictures of Sean’s new guests. My feet carried me up the small stairs where Sean greeted us. I wasn’t aware how we got there. All I knew was that my heart was beating loudly as waves of adrenaline flooded every ounce of my body.

The next second, Sean embraced me. His hands were on my back. Oh my Goodness! I knew that all of his fans envied me and surely wanted to kill me right there on the spot.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you, too,” he replied, smiling.

He then picked up Mia in his hands and took the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to present to you my girlfriend Kayla and my daughter Mia.”

The reporters went crazy then. They started screaming questions all at once, producing a loud, unbearable noise I hadn’t heard before. Wow, this was rad.

And then it hit me. Sean called Mia his daughter. We didn’t even have the results of the paternity test yet he loved her like a daughter. He acknowledged her as his daughter. That completely threw me off. I was so surprised that I certainly looked petrified on the cameras. He didn’t care whether he was Mia’s biological father. He knew that loving the child and raising her up into a good person was what made him a father. What a kind man. His heart was indeed in the right place. I knew that I had found the one.

One by one, each reporter and fan asked their own question. A great part of the conversation shifted to Mia and I. The game was suddenly not that important. This was the scoop of the year. The secret daughter of Sean Coleman. I could clearly see the cover pages of the tabloids all around the country. We were making history.

* * *

“
I
still can’t believe
it,” Sean said, holding my hand. After the Q&A, Sean wanted the three of us to grab some lunch. We were in the mall. The restaurant we were in had a playground where Mia was playing with the other children. It was right opposite of us.

“What?” I took a sip of the red wine.

“The game. You. Everything. It still feels like a dream, you know. Pinch me, so that I know this is really happening.” he chuckled.

I playfully hit him under the table with my heel. “There… It’s real. It’s all true, baby,” I said, winking.

“How did it all happen? Tell me!”

I told him how Mia described to me the whole situation and how Danielle had behaved strangely and what she had said. “…Then she grabbed the teddy bear and we came to you. In the right moment. That touchdown made me like seriously emotional,” I said.

“Aw,” Sean replied, fondling my hand. “I did it for you. You know, everyone was giving up. We weren’t going to win, but I didn’t give up. And as I ran all that I could see was your face. I imagined that you were waiting for me on the other side and that you were calling me. And I did it.”

I wiped a tear from my eye. “I love you, Sean. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough…”

“It’s okay,” he said, gently fondling my cheek. “It’s all in the past. What matters is that we’re here. The three of us are here together.”

We both looked at Mia who was climbing a roundabout. “Look at the angel we have,” I said.

“She is adorable. Just like her mother,” Sean replied looking at me.

“So what now?” I stared into his beautiful eyes. “We got rid of Danielle. She was a lousy nanny anyway. But what’s next for Sean and Kayla, huh? Now that they’re together.”

“The best duo that ever lived,” he said and we chuckled. “Hmm… I don’t know. Whatever you like. As long as I’m with you, I know that my future is going to be just fine.”

I smiled. “When did you become such a hopeless romantic, playboy Sean?” I giggled.

“Err… Let me see,” he said with a smile. “Since I met this gorgeous girl in front of me that hasn’t aged a single day since I first time I saw her eight years ago.”

“You’re not bad yourself, babe,” I replied. “Just like wine. The older you get, the better you are.”

“Oh really?” he said through laughs.

“And you’re much better in bed,” I whispered. He nearly choked on the wine which made the both of us burst into a booming laughter that filled the restaurant.

“I can stay with you for the rest of my life like this,” he told me after we calmed down.

“You’re always welcome.” I smiled.

We stared at each other for a while; our eyes saying things that our lips couldn’t. His glowed with happiness, warmth and love. I was sure that mine did too.

Everything was too perfect to be real; Sean was right. But as I looked at him, his pupils, the lines around his mouth and beneath his eyes and his strong jawline, I knew that we were meant for each other.

Then, the biggest annoyance in history rang and ruined our moment. My phone. And it was my doctor. I picked it up at once.

“Yes?”

“Is this Kayla Vaughn?” his voice was deep.

“Yeah. How can I help you?”

“The results of the paternity test have just come in. I’d like to see you and Mr. Coleman in my office,” he said and the blood froze in my veins. Oh my God!

I
really loved
our car trips so much. I mean, I had the love of my life by my side and my little sunshine humming a tune in the backseat. Life just couldn’t get any more perfect. Who would think that Sean Coleman would actually have such an amazing family? Hey, life was truly the most unpredictable piece of joy.

I noticed Kayla nervously biting her nails while staring out of the windshield. She looked so gorgeous like that. Thoughtful and concentrated. My one and only babe.

“Look what song came up, Mia! Your favorite…” I spoke to break her thoughts. I didn’t want her to notice that I knew about her concerns. Oh, if only she knew how much I dreaded the events to come. Even more than her.

“Hey-ho, hey-ho!” Mia began chanting the song of one of the Disney movies with dwarves she really liked
.
Kayla and I clapped along.

For the first time since entering the car, she looked me right in the eyes and smiled shyly. I blew her a kiss and turned off of the highway. We were so damn close to the city and the results that threatened to change my life. I just hoped it was for the better.

“Don’t worry, babe! I’ll always be here,” I said, covering Kayla’s hand with my own. I wanted to show her my true feelings so, so badly. Like really convince her that no test or doctor could separate me from her.

Her skin was so freaking warm and soft that I couldn’t help it, but bring it to my mouth and plant a kiss on it. I heard Mia chuckle from behind me and my heart fluttered in my chest.

“I know.” Kayla gripped my hand and I smiled to her.

Our trip continued in silence with Mia making occasional remarks on the songs and the cartoons they were from. She was such a clever girl. I knew that she noticed everything but didn’t want to disturb me and her mom. Oh, God, I really loved her more than myself. More than I ever thought I could love someone. She’d become an inseparable part of me. Sean was Sean thanks to Mia and Kayla. Full stop.

It wasn’t until I hit the brake that we all became aware of Kayla’s building standing tall before us. As Mia had been too tired from the trip, we had decided to drop her off at the apartment with the neighbor next door who agreed to babysit for us. And plus the sweet girl was afraid of hospitals, so we didn’t want to bother her.

“Bye!” She waved to us as we stood before the apartment door.

“Take care for yourself, sweetheart. We’ll be back shortly,” Kayla said and kissed her while I took her to her room.

Before closing the door, I winked at her, patting the pocket of my jacket and she giggled in her most adorable way. That girl was driving me mad from cuteness.

In no time, Kayla and I were back in the car again and in the hospital parking lot. I thumped my fingers against the steering wheel struggling to decide what to do. Damn. I’ve never been in a situation like this. A part of me wanted to go out and finally be done with everything and the other was scared of the results.

“You ready?” Kayla asked me in a shaky voice. She, too, was beyond nervous. I’d never seen her like that. Oh, my dear babe.

“I am. Come on!” I opened the door and stepped on the asphalt. She followed, grabbing my hand and clutching it tight. We were doing this together. Come hell or high water, we were in this together. Team Sean and Kayla for the win!

Hand in hand, we entered the massive hospital building and headed for the reception. The nurse sent us to the waiting room on the second floor and there we were stuck waiting again. Waiting like our lives depended on it. And they truly did.

“I’m scared, Sean. I… I never thought that things would go this far. Damn me. This is all my fault.” Kayla was twisting her fingers and wouldn’t look at me. Her words shattered my heart in a thousand pieces. Her fault? Stupid destiny. It was our fault, our mistakes and decisions that led us to this bloody moment.

“No, babe. Don’t think that. You’re not guilty of anything. We did this together. All the good and bad stuff are on the both of us. I’m scared, too, but also I want to find out the truth. I mean, I just love the two of you more than you can imagine. I planned my whole life with you in it,” I admitted, wiping sweat from my forehead. My arms and legs were shaking. It was finally time.

“Kayla… I should’ve done this a long, long time ago. I should’ve never let you go.” I went on my knees and locked my eyes with hers. I pulled out the toy ring, Mia had given me earlier, from my pocket and showed it to her. “I want you to know that I’m committed to you regardless of the results and everything else. Will you let me right all the wrongs now and make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me, Kayla?” I couldn’t believe what I was saying! Woohoo! Sean Coleman did it! Yeah, baby!

Still on my knees, I saw Kayla’s eyes getting teary and her whole face bearing the sweetest expression. Regret, joy and love mingled all in one. Aww!

She sniffled a few times and then resolutely threw herself in my arms. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“I love you!” I managed to whisper before our lips met in a soft kiss that turned into a rather wild and passionate one in seconds. Kayla slipped her tongue into my mouth and I pressed her closer to me. I’ll never let her escape again. Oh, no, siree. Kayla was mine now. My soul and my life. Gosh, I really loved her!

“I promise… You’ll get a real ring…” I said between kisses and she chuckled.

“I like this one more.”

We kissed even harder, when we heard our names. Someone was calling us. Awkward.

“Sean Coleman and Kayla Vaughn! You can enter now!” It was our doctor. Great.

Smiling to each other we followed him into the office. My heart reached its climax going wild inside my chest. Like it would go out in any minute.

The doctor coughed, taking a sheet of paper out of the drawer. A moment. Two. And a wide smile appeared on his face. Like really, his features brightened.

“I have good news. Congratulations! Sean, you are Mia’s biological father.” He dropped the bombshell and I thought I’d go crazy.

What the fuck? Oh my freaking God! The realization hit me all at once. I was a father! I was a father!

“I’m a father!” I voiced my thoughts and Kayla squeezed my shoulder, crying.

“You are. We’re Mia’s parents!” she confirmed as I gathered her in my embrace.

Despite myself, I sensed something wet dripping down my cheek. It ended in Kayla’s hair. A tear. I was indeed the father of the most amazing girl in the whole wide world and I wanted to scream and cry all at once.

For the doctor’s sake, we calmed down a little and took the results. With trembling hands
,
I read the sentences again and thanked the doctor for everything. I sure as hell wanted to get out of that office and run home. To my family.

By the time, Kayla and I got in the car and I started the engine, everything seemed like a wonderful dream that I never wanted to wake up from. But the plastic ring on Kayla’s finger was enough proof that this was my life now. I had a small family and I was getting married.

“I can’t believe it, honey. It’s like I’m reborn. You’re Mia’s dad. Thank God and all the angels!” Kayla said and clapped her hands.

“I know, right? I can’t believe it myself. My adorable daughter. She… She has my blood and my hair and my soul. Babe… This is truly a miracle. I love you!” I threw everything in all at once. Like I knew what I was talking about. This was better than every touchdown in my career.

“Let’s go home, now! Mia will surely be ecstatic!” Kayla told me excitedly. And she was damn right.

“I can’t wait to tell her,” I said driving out of the lot and down the streets as fast as I could.

I truly didn’t know how, but we reached our apartment (it was ours and not Kayla’s apartment now) in a few minutes. Without caring about how I looked, I sprinted up the stairs with Kayla following me.

She turned the key in the lock and we finally entered our home. Lucky me. I had a real home!

I basically ran to Mia’s room, only to find her sleeping with her teddy bear clutched in her little arms. My sweet angel.

All emotional, I sat on the side of the bed and gently caressed her hair. Like she was some fragile, glass object that could break at my touch. I swallowed as hard as I could to keep from crying again.

“Mia, darling. We’re back.” Kayla’s sweet voice spoke from next to me. She was slowly shaking our daughter’s shoulders.

Mia didn’t react at first, but then her beautiful eyes opened a little. At the sight of the both of us sitting together, she jumped straight up. The bear was still against her chest. I couldn’t resist her cute curious blinking.

“And?” she asked in her tiny voice.

“And what?” her mom teased her and she smiled.

“Do you want to tell me something?” Mia asked again looking from her mom to me and back. As I said, she was truly a clever girl.

“Honey, from now on Sean will stay with us here. He’ll be with us every day.” Kayla began explaining.

I don’t know what the hell happened to me. I just sat there like a dummy, tongue
-
tied and unable to utter even a single word. I was speechless before my daughter.

“You’ll live here? With me?” Mia addressed me, her eyes glittering with joy. Oh, I could eat that girl.

“Y-yes, dear. I will. I… I’m your…” I mumbled.

“Dad!” Mia squealed, jumping in my embrace. Her small body was against my chest, as we breathed in sync. A father and his lovely daughter. I finally got what I’d always desired. A win for me! A huge, huge win!

Kayla sniffled from beside me, hugging the both of us.

“I’m your daddy, Mia. My sweet child! I love you more than anything, my dear!” I whispered in the girl’s ears, her soft hair tickling my face. I liked that. And I loved the three of us, cuddled like that on the bed.

“I love you, too, daddy! Daddy?” Mia slightly separated from me and I helped her sit on my knee. I was a real mess.

“Yes, dear?”

“Will you take me to the park and the movies like all other dads?” Mia asked me. She was full of questions. And that was completely understandable. After all, I had just appeared in her life and things must have seemed very strange to her little mind.

“I’ll take you everywhere, my princess. Anywhere you want!” I swallowed the tears again, planting a kiss on the top of Mia’s head. Kayla squeezed my upper arm in reassurance. Her presence meant to me more than she knew. My thoughtful girls. They were my all.

“We’re a family now, Mia. Look, your dad gave me your ring. And I accepted to marry him,” Kayla said and Mia clapped happily.

“Really, daddy? Yay!” she shouted and I hugged her.

“Really, really! We’re going to have the biggest wedding and dance all day and night, okay?” I was beyond excited. At this point everything ceased to exist. World? Other people? What was that? I cared about no one and nothing else.

“And wear the best dresses! I can’t wait!” Mia exclaimed and Kayla and I laughed. Oh, how little people needed in order to be happy.

I kissed the both of them and we remained sitting together and exchanging silly things with each other until night fell outside. We’d never separate again. I’d never let them go no matter what it cost me. It was the three of us against the world now.