Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
BLAKE
“Mrs. Maxwell!” Levi yells as he runs into the kitchen and throws himself at the older woman. “You’re finally here.”
I feel that familiar ache in my chest at those words. While Levi was always big on showing his love toward people he cared about, recently, since Reina left, there’s been this need inside of him to keep them close by and reassure himself they won’t leave him as well. A part of me hated her for making him so insecure. It was one thing to leave me if she wasn’t happy, but to leave our boys without a second glance? Fuck that.
“You missed me, Levi?” Mrs. Maxwell smiles at him, patting his head affectionately.
“Yes.” He tilts his head back and grins at her. “Did you bring me any cookies?”
“All you think about are cookies, young man,” she scoffs, but I can see the amusement shining in her eyes. “I did not, but I can bake some today.”
“Yes!” Levi pumps his hand excitedly. “The chocolate chip ones?”
“Is there any other kind?”
“Nope.”
“How about you eat your breakfast first?” I suggest, placing the cup of coffee on the counter. “We have to get going soon. Where’s Daniel?”
“Dunno.” Levi shrugs and slides onto the barstool at the counter just as Mrs. Maxwell places a plate with some eggs and bacon in front of him. “He didn’t come out of his room.”
I shake my head, trying to keep my irritation at bay. “Eat, I’ll go check in—” I turn on my heels when a shadow appears in the doorway.
Daniel’s eyes lock on mine for a heartbeat, the tension building between the two of us. I was trying my best to be understanding and give him time to come to terms with everything that was going on, but he sure was testing my patience.
“Well, look who finally decided to join us,” Mrs. Maxwell says, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Placing the second plate on the counter, she goes to him and jabs him playfully in the side. “Is that any way to greet an old lady?”
Daniel’s shoulders relax as he shifts his attention to Mrs. Maxwell, the corner of his mouth lifting a notch. It’s the closest he’s come to smiling in ages. “I don’t see any old ladies around here. But it’s good to see you, Mrs. M.”
“Daniel Walker!” Mrs. Maxwell places her hand against her chest in a dramatic fashion. “Coming from the grump himself. I have to admit, I’m surprised.” Letting her hand drop, she pushes him toward the chair. “Come on, sit and eat. You need to get to school.”
Daniel doesn’t try to protest as Mrs. Maxwell steers him toward the chair. For all the bullshit he pulls with me, he’s always respectful when it comes to her. Not surprising, considering she’s been working for us since the moment I got my first NFL contract and was somewhat of a grandmother figure for both of my boys; something they both desperately needed. Reina didn’t talk to her parents even before she got pregnant, and my mother died when Daniel was only five, so he didn’t remember her that well.
“How have you boys been? Did the move go well?” she asks as she joins them at the table.
“It would have been better if we didn’t move at all,” Daniel grumbles, jabbing his fork into his food as he pointedly looks at his plate.
“I like it,” Levi grins. “My new teacher is really nice, and she’s pretty too.”
His words have me almost choking on my drink.
“Is she now?” Mrs. Maxwell inquires, thankfully completely oblivious to my mishap.
“Mm-hmm…” He nods, his head bending down and a lock of hair falling in his face. “Way better than my old teacher.”
“Well, that’s great news to hear. Bluebonnet is a really nice town, so much to do.” She brushes the runaway lock back. “Like get a haircut.” Those dark eyes fix on me over the rim of her glasses, making me squirm in my seat. It’s like I’m ten all over again. “Seriously, Blake?”
“What?” I lift my hand and rub at my jaw, feeling the sharp bristles scratching at my palm. “Between the move and everything, there was not much time.”
She shakes her head. “You have to make time. People will talk.”
“Yeah, well, they can talk all they want.”
I think they’ll have much more interesting things to talk about soon enough, but I don’t bother pointing it out.
Although I’d been tossing and turning for most of the night, thinking over Savannah’s words over and over again, I had yet to figure out how to tell the boys about her. About the baby. I didn’t know how to bring it up or properly explain what had happened without destroying the fragile relationship I had with them.
But Savannah was right, until I told them, I couldn’t do right by her. One’d think that at thirty-five, I’d have my shit in order, but they’d be wrong.
“Finish that up, boys.” Mrs. Maxwell claps her hands, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We have to go if we don’t want to be late.” She turns to me, drying her hands on a towel. “Do you need anything else while we’re out?”
“Oh, it’s fine.” I open the dishwasher and put away my cup. “I’ll take them to school.”
When I straighten, I find her staring at me, her brows pulled together. “You will?”
“Umm… Yeah.”
“You never take them to school,” she points out.
Her words make me stop in my tracks.
She’s right.
I never took the boys to school. By the time they’d be ready, I was already at the Lonestars facilities going through my workout, dissecting plays, or working on our next game plan. And even on the days I didn’t have to be at the facilities, there were other things that needed to be done.
Was it even surprising that I had a shitty relationship with my kids?
Bile burns my throat, but I force it down.
You’re trying to do right by them now, I remind myself, but that little voice at the back of my head that’s been haunting me for a while is relentless.
Do you seriously think you can do right by them and Savannah?
“Now I do. Besides, I need to grab some things in town.”
Mrs. Maxwell watches me for a second longer before she nods. “Sounds good. I’ll get to setting up the kitchen and get those cookies started in the meantime.”
“Thanks, Mrs. M.”
The boys finish their breakfast and clean up their mess before going to grab their things. Not even ten minutes later, we’re out of the house.
“Wanna drive?” I ask Daniel.
He glances at me, his face impassive. “Does that mean I get my own car?”
Seriously, this kid…
“That means you get to practice driving,” I extend my hand toward him, the keys a silent offering. Daniel watches them for a moment. Just when I think he’ll brush me off, he takes them.
“Whatever, might as well drive.”
Shaking my head, I help Levi get into the back before sliding into the passenger’s seat, just as Daniel starts the truck. I keep my mouth shut as he drives. His expression is serious, his whole focus on the road. He was a good driver for his age, not that I was surprised. Daniel is smart and has so much potential, however, he is easily influenced by other kids. He pulled a lot of shit in the last year, and while I wanted to trust him, I needed to see that he was willing to put in the effort to make a change.
“Park the truck over there,” I point at the open space in the school parking lot.
“Don’t you want to drop Levi off first?”
I shake my head. “I’ll walk him to the door.”
After a couple of tries, he maneuvers the truck into the space and kills the engine. He hands me the keys before we get out, and the boys grab their things.
“I’ll see you later,” Daniel mutters, and he’s gone before Levi can even put his backpack on.
Glancing over my shoulder, I watch as Daniel marches across the parking lot toward school, not paying any attention to the kids lingering around.
Sighing, I look at Levi. “You ready?”
“Yeah. Dad?” He looks up at me, nibbling at his lip. “Do you think Miss Parker will be in school today?”
“I don’t see why not, buddy.”
Levi nods, his fingers wrapping around the straps of his backpack. “I really want her to be there. She’s fun. Not like that other teacher.”
My hand falls on Levi’s shoulder, and I look down at my son. He seemed happy. Would that still be the case once he found out about Savannah and the baby?
“You really seem to like her, huh?” I ask tentatively.
“She’s the best.” His grin grows even bigger. “Miss Parker!”
It’s like there is an invisible string between us, pulling us together. Savannah tilts her head to the side, her honey hair shining in the morning light. One strand slips from her braid, so she tucks it behind her ear as she nods at whatever the woman is saying before turning her attention in my direction. Today she’s dressed in another dress; this one is too big on her, helping conceal the bump I know is hiding underneath. My fingers itch to touch her and reassure myself that our previous encounters weren’t just a fluke.
This morning, she came out of her house dressed in an oversized shirt that barely covered anything and made me want to do all sorts of things to her. My cock stirs at the image in my head. Those long, toned legs that I wanted to feel wrapped around my waist once again. Her flushed cheeks and all that messy blonde hair…
Fuck my life.
The last thing I needed was a freaking boner—in school of all places. What was I? Twelve again?
Levi comes to a halt in front of Savannah and grins up at her. “Morning, Miss Parker. You came today!”
She shifts her attention to my son and smiles at him. Even if I didn’t like her up until this moment, I’d like her for this: for giving my son attention and making him feel like he’s the center of her world. I knew it wasn’t just Levi; she probably treated all of the kids she taught the same way, but she’s been the first person in a long time that he was compelled to open up to.
“Good morning, Levi. I promised I’d come, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did. But sometimes people don’t keep their promises.”
Savannah pauses for a moment, her face softening slightly. “No, they don’t. That’s why I always make sure to do my best to keep my word.”
“And I’ll always keep my promises, too.” Levi nods once, his expression way more serious than any six-year-old ever should be. But then his gaze darts in the direction of a few kids. “Kyle!” He grabs the straps of his backpack and runs toward a dark-haired boy. Only when he’s halfway there does he turn around and smile at me. “Bye, Dad!”
“I’ll see you later, bud,” I call back, as I come to a stop in front of Savannah. “Miss Parker.”
That frown between her brows deepens as she glares at me. For somebody who insisted on calling her Miss Parker, she sure as hell didn’t seem happy when I did it. Still, she schools her features quickly, that mask of indifference falling in place. “Mr. Walker. It’s nice to see you came on time today. Now if you’ll excuse me?—”
She starts to turn around, but I grab her wrist. Surprise flashes in her blue irises, her cheeks turning pink.
“Are you still angry about the porch? Because I’m not going to apologize for keeping you from getting hurt.”
Savannah presses her lips in a tight line. “Are you going to apologize for keeping things from me?”
Keeping things? My brows pull together in confusion. “What are you?—”
“Professional football player?” She pulls her hand out of my grasp. “Really, Blake?”
Well, shit.
Did she look me up? Or did somebody tell her?
I guess now it didn’t matter how she found out, just that she did. And she was clearly pissed.
“ Ex- football player,” I correct. “I retired after last season before we met.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
Dammit.
“Blondie, I…” I open my mouth, but no words come out. What was there to say really?
“This thing between us? It can only work if we’re honest with each other.”
I run my hand over my face. “I know. I didn’t mean to keep it a secret. I just…”
But didn’t I? I liked the fact that she didn’t know I was a professional football player. I liked the anonymity. I liked that I didn’t have to worry about if she was trying to deceive me because she could get something out of me. That night she liked the man she saw, not all the zeroes in my bank account, or the attention she’d get if we were seen together.
“You just did,” she finishes, shaking her head. “I can’t do this.”
Icy chills go down my spine. “What do you want me to do?”
“I want—” She looks away, her tongue darting out to slide over her lower lip as she carefully weighs her words. “I want you to give me space. I have so much on my plate right now; between the school and the move, I just… I need time to process”—she waves her hand—“all of this, and you being here doesn’t make this easy.”
“You want me to leave you alone?” I say, feeling the irritation growing inside of me. “You can’t ask me that. I’ve never?—”
“Walked away from your responsibility?” she finishes, those blue eyes fixing on mine. Frustration and something that looks so much like sadness and hurt, playing on her face.
“Yes!” I run my fingers through my hair.
Savannah flinches, and this time, she doesn’t even try to cover it.
“Blondie…”
“No.” She lifts her hand and takes a step back. “I don’t want to hear it. I need to get to my job.”
With one last look in my direction, she spins on her high heels and goes toward the door. This time, I don’t try to stop her.
“Fucking hell.”
I messed this up.
And I messed it up badly.
What’s another fuckup in a row?
Since there was nothing that I could do about it, not now that she was angry and busy with work, I headed back to the parking lot.
Might as well deal with shit that I can change.
Just as I slide into my car, my phone pings with a text message.
Miguel:
Got time to spot me?
Or I could sweat out my frustration with the whole situation.
Blake:
I’ll be there in 15.
“So how are things going?” Miguel asks from above me, watching me carefully.
“Fine,” I breathe, pushing the bar up, the weight making my muscles scream in protest. This was our fourth and final round, and I’d asked him to put more weight on than usual.
“The boys doing okay?”
I roll my eyes and grit through clenched teeth. “Great.”
Miguel snorts. “You don’t sound great. And you’ve been acting like a freaking grumpy asshole more than usual. I guess now I know why you’re such good friends with my brother.”
I fumble at the mention of Aaron, the bar almost slipping from my hands, but I manage to catch it at the very last second and correct myself. My palms are sweaty, so I tighten my grip on it.
Did he hear about my visit yesterday? Does he know about Savannah? Was that the reason for all the questions?
“Shit, you okay?”
No, I wasn’t okay. I was freaking pissed. At Savannah, at myself, at everything, and I didn’t know what to do.
“Peachy.”
Pushing through the last few reps, I put the bar in place and grab the towel hanging from the bench next to mine as I sit upright, rubbing at my sweaty face.
“What the hell’s going on? I thought coming here was what you wanted, but you don’t seem happy.”
“It is. I just have a lot on my mind.” Instead of answering his question, I decide to change the subject. “What’s the best place to buy stuff to fix a porch around here?”
Not just the porch, but a whole freaking house. I guess the porch would have to be a good start since I highly doubted that Savannah would give me a key to her place, and I don’t think breaking into her home will buy me any points. But I had to do something .
Miguel frowns. “Why do you need to fix a porch? Yours seemed fine.”
“I’m not fixing my porch.”
“Then whose porch are you fixing?” he asks just as the door to the gym opens and Rebecca strolls inside, her gaze landing on me.
“Savannah’s.” She props her hands on her hips. The gesture should look stern, but with her big belly protruding in front of her, it looks funny. Or it would have if she wasn’t shooting me a death glare. “Marriage? Seriously, Walker?”
I wince inwardly at her accusing tone.
So, that’s how she found out who I am.
It made sense; they were friends after all.
Well, I guess it was just a matter of time. People would find out sooner or later the whole story, which is why I had to figure out how to tell Daniel and Levi before they heard it from somewhere else.
“Marriage?” Miguel looks from me to his fiancée. “What marriage?”
Becky tilts her head in my direction. “Oh, ask your friend. I’m also interested to hear what he has to say.”
Two pairs of eyes turn to me, one pissed off, the other one confused. This was going great.
“I hooked up with Savannah back in March, and well…”
Miguel’s eyes widen as he stares at me. “You did not. You’re shitting me, right?” He turns to Becky before he shifts his attention to me. “But that would mean that…”
I can see his brain work as he does the math.
“ Holy shit. You’re?—”
“Sav’s baby daddy?” Becky finishes for him. “Well, yes, he is. And his grand solution to the problem? Telling her they should get married.”
I wince at the jab.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Oh, no?” Becky lifts her brows. “You didn’t tell her you guys should get hitched?”
“Well, I did, but… It wasn’t like that. I mean, it was, but I also like her and…”
I run my hand over my face.
I was messing this up.
Badly.
Becky shakes her head. “Oh, trust me, I understand it perfectly. But seriously, what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that she’s carrying my child that I didn’t know about until now, and she was just about to move into a hellhole,” I snap, done with the twenty questions.
“So you weren’t actually thinking.”
No, I wasn’t. That was the problem. I was reacting, trying to come up with a solution to this mess of a situation we were in.
“Is it so wrong that I want to take care of her? She’s pregnant with my kid, for fuck’s sake.” I run my fingers through my hair, pushing it back. The pent-up tension that’s been building over the last few days, and which I thought I’d somehow sweat out of my system in the last hour, is back in full force.
“Is that the only reason why you suggested that? Because she’s pregnant?”
“I—” I open my mouth, but no words come out.
I like Savannah. I liked her that first day we met. Not only was she a gorgeous woman, but something about her, her sass, and her kindness, made looking away impossible.
“Savannah is…” Becky shakes her head as if she’s at a loss for words.
“Stubborn? Too freaking independent for her own good?”
“Guarded,” she finishes finally. “Not that you can blame her. She’s been hurt too many times by the people she loved, and she doesn’t open up easily.”
My fingers clench into a fist by my side. “Her ex?”
I could still remember the sorrow on her face that day we met when she told me about her ex. Was he the one who hurt her? Or was there somebody else?
“Her ex was an ass, sure, but I think she was with him because he was safe. She knew he wasn’t for her, and he wouldn’t be able to hurt her. Not really.”
I grind my teeth. The idea of Savannah with some unknown guy got on my nerves. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit. “You’re not making any sense.”
Becky shrugs. “It’s not my story to tell.”
“Then what’s the point of all of this?”
“My point is that you’re different. You’re the father of her child, and you do have the power to hurt her.” She moves closer and jabs her finger into my chest. “And if you do that, you’ll have to deal with me. Do I make myself clear?”
“Red,” Miguel comes behind her, his hands resting on her waist. “Blake is a good guy, remember?”
“And Savannah is my friend,” she says, not moving her gaze from me. “She loves that baby more than life itself. I won’t let anybody take that away from her or upset her in the process, which is apparently what you’ve been doing the last few days.”
“Then what do you expect me to do?”
Because I needed to do something. I couldn’t just sit still. I’d go crazy.
“Give her time. She’s been dealing with a lot, and she needs time to process everything. The stress isn’t good for her or the baby.”
There it was again.
What the hell did she mean by “she’s been dealing with a lot?” Was something happening I should know about? Was it her or the baby? And was this whole thing only making it worse? Shit, I hate this. I was a fixer. I took care of people in my life; it’s just who I was. Knowing that there was something Savannah was dealing with and not being able to do anything…
“I know.” I run my hands over my face. “Fuck, I know. The last thing I want is to add more to her plate.”
“What are you going to do?” Miguel asks softly.
“Let her come to me, I guess?” I could understand how all of this could be too much for a person. The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel more stressed out. Besides, I had shit of my own to deal with. “I don’t know. I have to figure out a way to tell the boys before they hear it from somebody else. And I’m going to fix that freaking house. She’s pregnant; she shouldn’t have to deal with all of this on her own. She won’t have to deal with all of this on her own. I take care of what’s mine.”
And she and that baby?
Want it or not, they were mine.