The Talk of the Town

Chapter Thirteen

“What’s this I hear about a grandchild?”

Quinton closed his eyes and barely suppressed his groan. When he’d received the text from his mom saying he needed to call her back immediately because it was important, he’d thought there was an emergency. He did not want to deal with breaking the news to his parents after the fiasco that just went down at the park.

All manner of hell broke loose after Shania announced to the rest of her family that he was her father. Halle’s cousins demanded answers. Halle had tried to defend herself. Shania had tried to defend him. He’d tried to defend them both. In the end, he’d been told by Mick that this wasn’t the end of things after Halle finally shut things down and said this was her life, her business and they could stay out of it.

What stuck with him out of everything was Gregory’s response. The way he’d looked at Halle as if she’d cheated on him with Quinton and given birth to Shania two days ago, not fourteen years ago. He didn’t like the way he’d looked at her and wanted to step in. Instead, he reminded himself that her relationship with Gregory wasn’t his business.

“Quinton! Do you hear me?” His mom’s voice sliced through his thoughts. “What’s this about a grandchild?”

“What grandchild?” He reverted back to his old high school tactic of playing dumb before admitting to any wrongdoing.

His mom sucked her teeth. “Boy, don’t you play with me. Do you or don’t you have a kid?”

“Don’t you lie to your momma. Give her a straight answer now,” his dad’s voice chimed in.

He must be on speakerphone. “Where did you hear that I had a kid?” He knew the answer. Dawn couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. As long as he could delay the inevitable, he would.

“Don’t worry about where I heard it,” his mom said, sounding exasperated. “Just tell me if it’s true.”

“Nah, I need to know where you heard it. If you’re calling me about a kid, then I want to know who told you.”

“Aha! So it’s true,” his mom exclaimed. “Why would you keep this from us? Thank goodness your sister is loyal.”

“You mean she can’t hold water,” Quinton mumbled.

“Hey!” his sister’s voice chimed in. “They forced it out of me.”

Quinton glared at his phone before putting it back to his ear. “I don’t even believe that. I’m surprised you made it this long.”

“Wait? How long have you known about this?” his mom asked.

His sister grunted. “This is his secret. Don’t get on me.”

“She’s right.” His dad’s voice. “Why are you keeping this a secret from us in the first place? Who is this woman and who is this child?”

Quinton sighed and sat on the couch. He leaned back into the cushions and swirled the whiskey he had in a highball glass with ice. “I didn’t keep it a secret from you on purpose. I just found out about her a few weeks ago.”

“Is your sister right? Did you...donate your semen?” His mom said the word semen as if it was a bad word. He felt like it was a bad word; he never planned to have a discussion with his mom about his semen.

He took a sip of the whiskey. The smoky flavor and warmth of the liquor spread through his chest. “It’s a long story, but yes. I don’t want to get into all the reasons why.”

“You better get into the reasons,” his dad said. “Why would you give away a piece of yourself like that? It don’t make no sense. Didn’t I tell you not to be spreading your stuff around like that?”

“I wasn’t spreading anything. I needed the money, and I did what I had to do. It was one time. I never thought I’d even find out who got it, but fate had other things in store.”

“What did you need money for?” his mom asked.

Quinton cringed; he hadn’t meant to let that slip. Proof that the day had lowered his defenses. “That’s beside the point.”

“Was it to take care of us?” The concern in his mom’s voice was like a kick in the gut. This was exactly why he didn’t want to tell them.

“Look, I did what needed to be done at the time.”

“It was when we were losing the apartment,” his mom continued. “You suddenly had the money and claimed one of the donors to the school gave it to you. But I knew you wouldn’t take it because you didn’t want to ruin your chances to get drafted with a scandal. I knew we shouldn’t have laid that burden at your door.”

“Again, it doesn’t matter,” he said firmly. He wasn’t about to have this argument with his parents over something that happened over a decade ago. “It’s done, and now I have a kid to show for it.”

“What’s she like?” his mom asked, curiosity about a possible grandchild outweighing her earlier concern about his decision. “Does she really play football?”

“She does. Like I said, fate had to step in on this one.”

“What about the mother?” his dad asked. “Is she going to try and keep you away from our grandchild?”

“We’re figuring out how to work this out. And will you stop saying our grandchild?”

“Why?” his dad asked. “She is our grandchild, isn’t she?” He spoke as if he’d known Shania from the moment she was born. With a certainty that let Quinton know his parents weren’t going to easily stay out of this.

“Yes, technically, but Halle and I need to figure this out first. We’re still getting used to the idea.”

“But she said you can be a part of her life, right?” his mom asked hopefully.

“She did.”

“Then that means we can be a part of her life.” The excitement in his mom’s voice made him sit up.

“Mom, don’t get overly excited. I need you to please give me a chance to work this thing out before I get you all involved.”

“What’s there to work out?” his dad asked. “She’s your kid. You’re going to be a part of her life. We’re all family now.”

This was exactly what he’d been worried about. He did not want his parents to swoop in and take over before he had the chance to get used to the idea of being a father. Shania wasn’t a newborn; she was a teenager. He and Halle weren’t together. This situation was going to be challenging enough to maneuver without adding his eager parents.

“We’re not all family,” he said slowly but surely. “Let us figure this out first before you start planning family dinners, please.”

“Are you keeping us from our grandchild?” His mom.

Quinton looked to the ceiling and let out a silent scream, then he took a deep breath before answering. “No. I’m just asking for some time. We just found out a few weeks ago. Please, trust me. When the time is right, I’ll introduce you to her and her mom.”

His mom sighed and so did his dad. Thankfully, Dawn finally chimed in and helped him out. “We’ll give you some time. Won’t we?”

His parents grumbled but agreed. Quinton released a sigh of relief. That would give him some time to get things straight with Halle before they moved forward. He ended the call with his family with the promise that they wouldn’t just pop up and try to insert themselves in this situation right now. He got in the shower and washed off the sweat and irritation from the afternoon.

After the shower, he slipped on a pair of basketball shorts and went into the kitchen to grab some water. The doorbell rang just as he filled his glass. Frowning because he wasn’t expecting anyone, he went to the door and opened it. His breath caught at the sight of Halle standing on the other side of the threshold. She’d changed from the athletic clothing she’d worn earlier at the park into a pair of loose-fitting pants and a T-shirt. The material looked soft and comfortable and brushed across her curves with the skill of an expert artist, drawing his eye to her full breasts, wide hips and supple behind.

Her eyes lowered to his bare chest and then down to his shorts. They widened before jumping back to his face. He swallowed as heat filled his face. He wasn’t wearing underwear beneath the shorts, and the thin material of his worn, “around the house” shorts had to make that obvious. He warred with embarrassment and the satisfaction with seeing the flash of awareness in her eyes.

“Is this a bad time?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I just got out of the shower. Do you want to come in?”

She looked over her shoulder then back at him. “Just for a second. We need to talk.”

He stepped back and she crossed the threshold. She followed him into the living area. When they faced each other, her eyes dropped to his bare chest. Her lips pressed together before her eyes met his.

“Um...could you put on a shirt?”

“Give me a second.” He went into the bedroom, grabbed a T-shirt out of the drawer and came back.

Her eyes scanned his bare arms. “You didn’t have anything with sleeves?”

“I grabbed the first thing I saw.” He ran a hand over the front of the faded red sleeveless Georgia Bulldogs T-shirt. It was one of his favorites that he’d worn when he’d played professionally. A go-to, and he hadn’t even thought about the lack of sleeves when he’d grabbed it.

“Do my arms bother you as much as my chest?” he asked, raising a brow.

Halle crossed her arms over her chest. “No part of your body bothers me,” she replied in a tight voice. “It’s just a little inappropriate of us to talk with you...like that.”

“That’s why I put on a shirt. The last time I checked, having my arms out isn’t scandalous.” The corner of his mouth quirked with a thought. “Unless any sight of bared body makes you uncomfortable.”

Anything between Halle and him would be too complicated and too tangled to even try to work out. But some part of him, that primitive part that was attracted to her, couldn’t stand the idea that she was willing to dismiss him as someone unworthy of her attention. He wanted her to acknowledge that, despite the reasons they shouldn’t be together, if they could make things work, they would be fucking fantastic.

Halle cleared her throat and raised her chin. When she spoke, she was back in the crisp school principal tone that only made her sexier. “No part of you makes me feel any type of way, Coach Evans. I didn’t come here to talk about your body parts or anything else. I came here to talk about our daughter.”

Our. Daughter.

The words hit him straight in the chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs and the smugness out of his thoughts. Damn, they did have a daughter. The situation between them was convoluted, unorthodox and could easily result in Shania being hurt if they didn’t proceed with extreme caution.

“Is Shania okay?” He motioned toward the couch for Halle to sit.

For a second she hesitated, and he thought she would remain standing. But she eventually took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the couch. Not trusting his thoughts to stay on topic if he sat close to her, Quinton sat on the love seat.

“Shania is fine. In fact, she’s over the moon.”

“I thought the outburst this afternoon might have upset her.”

“No, she’s wanted to know who her dad was for a long time. Now that she knows, I think she wants the world to know as well. I knew it was hard on her, not knowing who her father was. But after she burst out and insisted everyone know, I think I have a bigger appreciation for how much not knowing has affected her. She doesn’t want to be the kid who was abandoned.”

“I won’t abandon her,” he said quickly, meaning the words. “I meant what I said about being a part of her life. I’m willing to take responsibility.”

“I know, and even though I was hesitant to let you in, I realize that it’s best for Shania, but...”

“But what?”

“But we need some ground rules or something. A way to make our lives coincide without interfering with the others.”

“Okay,” he said slowly. “I don’t know how we coincide without interfering.”

“I stay out of your business, and you stay out of mine. Unless it concerns Shania, we don’t get involved.”

“Involved how?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Like today. You showed up and made things uncomfortable for Gregory. That was unnecessary.”

He blinked. “Uncomfortable for Gregory. Are you that worried about his feelings?”

Halle swallowed the “no” that threatened to burst from her lips. She was not that concerned about Gregory’s feelings. She’d think about that later, but his showing up had interfered with her life. Shania had been happy, and Quinton had gotten along with her cousins easily. He’d fit in with her family with no problems. While Gregory had seemed uncomfortable and irritated from the moment he’d seen Quinton there.

Afterward, when Gregory had driven her home, he’d asked her the real reason why she’d been at Quinton’s house that day. Halle admitted the truth. They’d argued and then he’d suggested they take a break while she “figures this thing out.” Gregory believed Quinton was going to try to work his way into her life and that Halle needed to “set him straight” so he understood exactly what his place would be in her life.

The frustration she’d felt in that moment and the rush to take back control of her life returned in a surge. She lifted her chin and crossed her arms. “I just want to make sure we’re all clear. That we have boundaries.”

Quinton’s eyes narrowed. “Is this really about boundaries or is it about Gregory’s feelings?”

“It is coming from me. Don’t you think we need to come up with boundaries? Some type of schedule or rules about ways to make this work?”

He shook his head. “I think we’re going to have to feel each other out. See what does and doesn’t work. I’ve never been a parent, but I promised myself that if I ever had kids I would be there for them. I don’t have a game plan for co-parenting, but I’m ready to come up with our own rules.”

“I don’t have a game plan either. I may have had help from my cousins and friends with Shania, but I’m the only parent. My word is the last word. You showing up unannounced today undermined my wishes. Is that what you’re going to do with Shania? If I say no, you’re going to say yes?”

The challenge left his eyes and his shoulders relaxed. The look he gave her was apologetic. “Look, I’m sorry I showed up like that today. I felt pushed aside when you told me you didn’t want me around your family. I’m not good with that.”

His words stopped any quick retort she had. She’d expected him to argue or say he had a right to just show up, not open up a part of himself and admit he was wrong. “And, you’re right, I may have been pushing you aside, but it’s only because I’ve been on my own. I don’t know how to share. My life, Shania, any of that. I wanted this to come out on my own terms.”

“It felt like you were trying to keep it a secret, but sorry, that won’t happen. Not in this town. I’m a deal-with-it-head-on type of guy.”

“So am I.” She didn’t usually back down from a challenge or push back uncomfortable situations. Life had taught her that bad things didn’t wait to happen when you were ready for them.

“Then we’ll tackle this head-on. Together,” he said. “And as for Shania, your word is still the last word. At least until you trust me. I’m not trying to butt in and change the way you raise Shania. I just want to get to know her. See how I fit into her life. Which means I’m going to have to fit into your life.”

He was going to have to fit into her life. He wasn’t going anywhere. Which meant if she wanted the break to end with Gregory, she’d have to find a way to include both of them. “Fitting into my life means respecting the people in my life.”

“People like Gregory?” He didn’t sound impressed.

“Yes, Gregory.”

“Is it serious between you two?”

“It’s serious enough.” Once she convinced him that Quinton’s being in her life wouldn’t affect her ability to start a relationship with him. She’d have to convince herself of that, too.

“If it was serious enough then you wouldn’t be over here handling his insecurities for him.”

“He’s not insecure. He just notices a threat when he sees it.” Halle pressed her lips together as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

Quinton tilted his head. “A threat? How am I a threat?”

“He wants to build a relationship with Shania. Now it’ll be harder. That’s all I mean.” The words were true, but they both knew that his standing with Shania wasn’t what she meant.

“Is that all you mean?” The words may have been a question, but his unflinching gaze dared her to admit the truth.

Halle could ignore his meaning, but she wasn’t the back-down type. If she really was going to put up a boundary between them then she couldn’t ignore the sparks between them. She had to put them out. “I thought we already dealt with this that day at the bar. I’m not your type and you’re not mine.”

“I believe having a type is limiting,” he reminded her.

“Maybe so, but you were very clear that even with your lack of a type, that I’m not someone you’re interested in.”

“I said that because you insisted you weren’t attracted to me.”

The evenly spoken words threw her off course. The words in Halle’s brain scrambled and then came back together in a picture she didn’t recognize. This was supposed to be an easy boundary because he wasn’t interested in her. “Wait. What?”

“You said you weren’t interested in me, so I did the same. What was I supposed to do?”

“Tell the truth,” she blurted out and stood.

Quinton rose slowly and stepped toward her. “Do you really want the truth?”

Halle’s heart rate picked up. Did she want the truth? Yes! a daring voice screamed. No! caution yelled back. She was supposed to be over here putting space between them, not making it worse.

She held up a hand. “About the rules.”

“However you want me to deal with Shania, I’ll do it. I’m her biological father, but I understand that I’ve got to build a relationship with her. You’ve got to trust my judgment with her as well. That’s no problem at all.”

Her body stiffened and she felt like she was standing on a tightrope. She could feel there was more after that statement. “And the rules when it comes to your relationship with me.”

“Again, do you want the truth, or do you want me to say what you want to hear? What Gregory wants me to say?”

Halle’s breathing shallowed. The look in his eye, challenging and bold, pushed right up against what she needed to say. He was challenging her. Daring her to ignore the spark between them and hide what she really felt and thought. She could either go against herself and resist the challenge, or risk things by allowing him to take the lid off a box that needed to stay closed.

“Say what you need to say,” she replied in a calm voice. Even though her heart beat quickly and she fought the urge to hold her breath.

The satisfaction in his eye both irritated and thrilled her. He slid a few inches closer. “Am I attracted to you? Yes. I’ve always been attracted to you. First, I kept my attraction to myself because I know you don’t like athletes. Then I kept it to myself when Shania came to play for me because I don’t get involved with the parents of my players. Do I give a damn about Gregory’s feelings? Not one bit. If this situation wasn’t already confusing enough, I would say you being the mother of my child means my interest in pursuing you is fate, but I won’t. Not while you’re with Gregory and not if you don’t want to go there. So, I’ll keep the way I feel about you in check. We’ll figure this out with Shania and be there for her. But believe me when I say this. When you end things with Gregory, and if you give me the go-ahead, I’m not going to hesitate to try and be the man in your life.”