9. 2
“Why?” she questioned, but I stared as a response and motioned with my hands for the phone.
She handed me the pink covered case, but her phone was locked.
“Unlock,” I requested.
“Why?” she asked, but she received the same answer.
Mia unlocked her phone and handed it back to me.
I turned on her locator and looked at her text messages to see someone named Addison.
He asked about batting cages, and I blocked his ass.
I’m the only man Mia needs to be concerned about.
“What are you doing?” she asked, and I smirked before kissing her temple and returning her phone.
“Marcus, what did you do?” she questioned, and I chose to ease her mind.
“I turned on your locator to make sure I can track you and Harley,” I said, a partial truth.
Mia gave me a halfhearted glare, but her face relaxed.
“Marcus, you could’ve asked and I would’ve turned it on. I have your daughter.”
More than satisfied with her answer, I wrapped both hands around her waist to take in her beauty.
“Are you going to miss me?” I asked.
“Why?” she asked in a shy, lighthearted tone.
I lowered my head to the space between her ear and her neck and kissed.
“Because I’m going to miss you, but I’m at ease with you being in my bed, waiting for me,” I said, and she giggled.
A knock came at the door.
We both knew who it was.
“Time’s up. Good Luck on the game. I got Harley,” she said.
Before I could answer, another knock came at the door.
“Who is it?” I requested.
“It’s me, Harley. Is Ms. Mia awake?” she asked with her heightened voice.
When my daughter was excited, her voice changed.
It elevated to almost a squeak.
It’s something her mother, Sierra, used to do.
“Get ready for Tornado Harley,” I whispered, and Mia patted my chest.
I pulled up to the private airport hangar and parked my red Nissan Maxima next to Bryce’s Jaguar.
He slouched over the steering wheel in a hard cackle and then got out the car, but I didn’t care.
She helped me keep a low profile.
“Marcus, man, how old is this damn car?” Bryce asked.
He tapped the hood in a spot with the paint chipping.
“She’s ten years old,” I said.
“Dude, if you don’t buy yourself a car,” Bryce said, and I shrugged.
Unlike my QB, my taste in cars was more old school.
However, Mia, Harley and Eddy would ride in the best.
“I have a car. She still ticking. I put a brand-new motor in her before I left Ohio,” I said as we walked toward the plane.
Tears flowed from Bryce’s eyes and he held his stomach, laughing.
At some point, I stopped and joined in.
Getting from the plane to the hotel, for some reason, annoyed the hell out of me this week.
The sound of my teammates lying and leaving my wifey and daughter behind, pushed me into a bad mood.
We checked in, dropped off bags, and headed to our first team meeting.
The conference room was empty when I arrived, so I secured me and Bryce a seat in the back.
Moments later, a few members of the team piled in, talking to each other about a party.
“I’m ready to go to bed,” Keyshawn said as he entered the hotel meeting room.
The chairs were uncomfortable as fuck.
It’s one of the many reasons I hated road games.
Keyshawn yawned, exposing the fraternity brand on his side before his eyes locked in on me.
He abandoned his seat as he moved in my direction.
“Marcus,” he said, and I nodded in his direction.
He leaned against the table and crossed his arms.
“What happened to you on the bye week? Did you not get the text about the BBQ? Teddy had a full spread. Afterward, we hung out in his basement with those fine ass women. You know he has two women living with him?” he questioned.
I received the text and deleted it because I had no intention of going.
Teddy, our nose tackle, having multiple girlfriends wasn’t surprising.
He owned two of the same items.
I thought he wore the same shirt for two days until I observed him unpacking.
“The polygamy life isn’t a bad option,” Keyshawn said.
I smirked because he didn’t know a damn thing about the origins or practices of polygamy.
What he wanted was two women who agreed with him not being committed.
Keyshawn lacked the discipline to lead a household with two women and multiple children.
Bryce walked up and slapped hands with Keyshawn.
I sat back and watched them interact.
“But, some of your teammates feel a way about you not hanging out with us,” Keyshawn said, directing his attention to me.
I nodded, choosing not to give my unpopular opinion about hanging out with the team.
It’s true, wide receivers depended on everyone to complete their jobs, but at the end of the day, we were getting paid millions.
Me attending after-hour events shouldn’t be a requirement for people to tackle.
“All right, let’s get down to business,” Coach Owens said, and Keyshawn left without me responding.
Bryce sat and side-eyed me and I knew he was going to volunteer some of his advice.
If it involved me spending time with grown men and drinking, I wasn’t interested.
Nothing good came from it.
“You ain’t fucked up about your other teammates, are you?” he asked, and I side-eyed him.
“They gon say you are picking sides.”
“Bryce, you know I don’t give a fuck about holding hands with grown men. As long as we good, I’m good.”
He chuckled as he opened his tablet.
Mia
Harley led the way into the living room as her father and I followed.
My stomach churned, coming face-to-face with Mrs.
Eddy and meeting Ms.
Renee.
Walking behind Marcus, I wanted to cut and run before we could make it to the kitchen.
When he stopped, I tucked behind him, but Harley called me out.
“Ms. Miaaaa,” she yelled.
She ran past Marcus and hooked her arms around my legs.
I peered down at her smile and saw the happiness bouncing in her brown eyes.
“Miss Allen, how are you this morning?” I asked as I kneeled and gathered her in my arms.
“Why are you hiding Ms. Mia? Can I call you mom now?” she asked.
My heart raced as I searched for the correct answer.
I wanted to say yes, of course, but my mind scrambled for an appropriate answer.
“Not yet,” I stammered.
“Why not?” she asked.
Observing her eyes lower broke my heart in half.
Last night, Marcus and I discussed nothing.
We both climbed into bed and fucked.
“Because I haven’t asked her to marry me. After we get married, you can call her mom. Right now, I expect you to respect her as you would a parent,” Marcus said, and Harley squinted in his direction.
He pulled her from my arms and kissed her until her smile returned.
The way he loved his daughter radiated through with his patience and affection.
“Daddy, we have to get Ms. Mia a ring. And then we can have a wedding, and I can put on a dress with butterfly wings. Right, Ms. Mia?” she asked.
The hope in her eyes wouldn’t allow me to tell her anything different.
“Absolutely. I bet you will steal the show,” I said, and her smile widened.
I scanned the room to find Eddy and a woman I assumed was Ms.
Renee, lending me smiles.
The air in the room had evaporated, leaving me gasping for my breath.
“Harley, can you bring me your hair supplies? I’ll re-twist your hair,” I said.
Marcus put his daughter down and off she went down the hallway.
Silence took a seat at the table as our eyes wandered to each other.
Marcus angled his head down and kissed my neck.
“I think you agreed to marry me, Mia,” he whispered in my ear and I moved his hands from trying to caress my ass.
“You set me up,” I said and then chuckled.
“I didn’t know she was going to ask you those questions. But it sounds as if we’re getting married after the season is over.”
“Ms. Mia, I’m ready,” Harley’s voice echoed, and I pushed Marcus away.
In the hallway, she stood with a clear container with hair supplies.
“Good morning, Ms. Eddy and Ms. Renee,” I said and waved Harley to me.
The two women gave each other a nod, similar to older women gossiping in church.
“Good morning, Mrs. Allen,” Mrs.
Eddy said, and my mouth parted.
Giggles erupted from both women as they shared in my embarrassment.
Placing my hands on Harley's shoulders, I guided her to the living room. She sat on the coffee table, while I hovered over popping the older rubber bands. As I combed through her hair, I could tell it was well maintained. Beside her sat a jar of blue hair grease, a brush, and a container full of hair ties and accessories.
“Harley, who combs your hair? It’s long and healthy,” I asked.
“Granny and Ms. Renee.”
“Do you want one ponytail or two?” I asked.
“Granny said I’m not old enough for one ponytail, but can we do three?”
Southern born grandmothers did not play around about little girls growing up faster than they should. Eddy Allen had my respect.
“I’ll give you three,” I said.
By the time my hands twisted the pink knockers around the base of her hair, Marcus kissed my cheek.
“Let me get a look at you,” he said to Harley, and she twirled in her pink sundress.
“Beautiful,” he said, and every tooth, including the one growing back, made an appearance.
“I gotta go show Granny,” she said and exited the living room.
Two strong arms wrapped around my body, forcing me to turn. Marcus kissed my cheek, but a different spot this time around.
“Relax. No one is judging you,” he whispered in my ear.
“You’re staying here, right? With Harley,” he questioned, and I smirked.
“Mia!” he called my name, and my smirk converted into a smile.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I peered up and pushed away my usual need to complicate things.
“I’ll be here in your bed and eating your food as I promised,” I said.
Relief fell over him, and it confused me. He’s worried I’d leave when he agreed to me staying a few days.
Marcus kissed everybody in the house before he exited the front door. The ease with which my body fell in line should have worried me, but it didn’t. Standing in the living room, I knew what I had to do, talk to the matriarch of the house. Marcus assured me things were okay, but southern grandmothers didn’t believe in shacking up before marriage.
“Mrs. Allen, can we talk?” I asked as I joined her at the kitchen table.
A smile accompanied her gentle, worn, wisdom-filled eyes.
“Harley, let’s go to your room,” Ms. Renee said, and the two moved down the hall.
I rubbed my hands together and gave an uneasy smile. “Um, did Marcus talk to you about me staying over a few nights?”
Mrs. Eddy covered her legs with a quilted blanket. “No, he talked to me about you moving in and I told him I was okay with it. But, only under one circumstance. He better produce a ring. Don’t you let him drag his feet on it, either,” she said in a stern tone.
“Marcus and I are trying to...well, I don’t know what we’re doing,” I said.
Moving backward on the couch, I relaxed my shoulders.
“Ahh. I see love, but it may take you a while to realize it. Marcus is going to smother you because he’s used to people leaving him. I told him not to, but until he deals with his mother leaving him, he can’t help it. Take care of him, even if it means telling him no and setting boundaries. Don’t let his meekness fool you; he is possessive, but he loves hard. You and Bryce are important to him,” she said.
I dissected and stored away her words.
“Thank you. I promise to abide by the house rules until I can talk him into letting me go home,” I said.
Eddy waved her hand at me and laughed. “Marcus isn’t letting you go home. And you’re the woman of the house. With you here, I can finally go home; but first, I need to visit BeBe and Corner in Arkansas. It's early but can you stay for about two weeks and help Marcus. Oh, and how do you book a plane ticket to Memphis? Can you call them? I got money on my card. I already talked to BeBe and she agreed to pick me up. Don’t you tell Harley, she tells Marcus everything.”
The soft warmth of her eyes convinced me to say yes, even though I shouldn’t. “I’ll take care of them while you visit your family in Arkansas,” I agreed.
“Now, help me to convince him to let me go. Him and Harley watch me like I’m some kind of piece of art. She be on me about my cane. If I sneeze too hard, Marcus will have me in there with them white coats. All them doctors want is your money,” she complained.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said and listened to her rant as I opened the airline’s website.
Harley with these pink butterfly sunglasses sent giggles through me each time I peeked in the back seat. Somehow, three ponytails and pink hair bows elevated her self-confidence. One turn in the mirror, she transformed from a southern lady to a runway model. Stacie had called a few times, but with Harley in the car, I sent her to voicemail. I couldn’t chance anything happening to Marcus’s baby because of distracted driving.
We pulled into the employee parking lot of the baseball stadium, and I flashed my pass to the attendee. He scanned it and said, “Stacie said to call her now.”
I shook my head and found my phone to send a text.
Me
I’m parking and I brought a guest with me.
The attendant lifted the gate, then I migrated to the owner’s designated area and parked next to Stacie.
“All right, Harley, we are here,” I said.
Those sunglasses and her blank expression sent me to the clouds. I opened my door and migrated to her side of the car. She waited for me to unbuckle her seat belt and I helped her down.
“Let’s take a picture for your dad,” I said.
Harley smiled and the peace signs popped up as I kneeled next to her and snapped the picture. I scrolled over to my thread with Marcus and uploaded the photo. A text message from Stacie appeared on the screen.
Stacie
What is his name?
Me
On the way. Crossing the street.
Hands tangled, Harley and I approached the owner’s entrance, passing through security with no problem. We took the elevator up to the suites and I snapped another picture of us before the doors opened.
As we progressed down the hallway, Stacie’s mouth opened but she quickly shut it. I squinted in her direction, telling her to behave. She wore Rex’s jersey, jeans and the team baseball hat.
“Stacie, meet Harley. Harley, this is Stacie,” I introduced.
Stacie extended her hand, and Harley shook it, but moved closer to me. I rubbed her face in hopes of calming her fears.
“You and I are going to talk,” Stacie said between gritted teeth and smiled.
Harley and I followed Stacie inside to discover an empty suite. This was the first sign of trouble in paradise for Stacie.
“Is this one of the remodeled suites?” I asked.
She scanned the room with a proud smile. Although the other suites were nice, they paled in comparison to the upgraded ones. The unobstructed view of the baseball field, and upscale, warm-toned light fixtures screamed luxury.
“I know how you love the stadium hotdogs,” Stacie said, after she led us to the buffet area that housed three chafing dishes.
“Harley, would you enjoy a hotdog?” I asked, and she smiled.
“Yes, please, and can I have ketchup on the side?” she asked.
“Of course,” I said.
I added a hotdog with a warm bun and chips with ketchup on the side on a plate. Harley followed me to the table, and I pulled out a chair. With the hotdog being bigger than her fingers, I cut it into several pieces.
“What about something to drink?” I asked.
“Do you have some sweet tea?” she asked, and I turned to Stacie.
My best friend covered her mouth to suppress her laughter. “No, I have pop, juice and water. But next time, I will add some sweet tea for you,” Stacie said.
“I’ll take water. It helps your skin glow,” Harley announced.
I opened the beverage fridge and selected a mini bottle of water. I placed it next to her plate with a few napkins.
“Stacie and I are going to step outside. Let me know if you need anything,” I said to Harley as she stuffed a chip in her mouth.
Before Stacie and I migrated outside, I snapped a picture of Harley for Marcus. Stacie waited until the glass door closed behind us before her smile stretched across her face.
“How old is she? Sweet Tea Mia? Whose baby is she?” Stacie questioned.
She placed her hands on both of my elbows and shook them with excitement. I peeked inside to see Harley eating.
“She is seven, but her soul may be sixty. Harley belongs to Marcus,” I said in a fading voice, hoping she didn’t hear his name.
Stacie covered her mouth again with both hands. “Marcus, as in the wide receiver on Kindness’s football team. The one who texted, and you lied about not dating,” she asked with lifted brows.
“Stacie, things with him are hard to explain,” I said.
“You slept with him and it’s about time. Skin glowing and you’re in your element. You were meant for motherhood and family life,” she said.
I dropped my head to hide my smile.
“Mia, how are you going to navigate this situation? I don’t want you to get hurt again by getting attached to another baby,” Stacie said.
I scanned the half-filled baseball stadium before I returned my eyes to my friend. “He gave me power of attorney in exchange…”
“For what?” Stacie interrupted as she trembled with excitement.
“To give us a real chance, and I only agreed to stay for the weekend. But I told his grandmother I would move in while she was out of town,” I whispered.
Stacie slapped my shoulder with her mouth parted again. “Mia, how long have you known this man for him to give you power of attorney over his daughter? You agreed to move in?” she questioned.
I put eyes on Harley again and smiled as she dipped her hotdog in the ketchup.
“I’m staying until Mrs. Eddy comes back, but it’s been two weeks. I know it’s crazy, but he says he knows I’m his wife and I said fuck it. The sex is good. I already care about Harley. He gave me a house key and his black card. We’ll get to know each other along the way. He has already treated me better than my last two boyfriends. He doesn’t watch my food intake, and he texted for a week, telling me I’m beautiful. To share his daughter spoke volumes to me,” I said.
“About damn time. Friend, I’m lovin’ this new attitude on you. Sometimes, you have to jump in the deep end of the pool. Especially when the lifeguard is fine,” she said, and I shook my head.
We both put eyes on Harley, and she waved at us before picking up her hotdog.
“What’s going on with you?” I inquired.
Stacie propped her body against the glass, giving me a tightened face.
“Daddy and Rex are at it again. He doesn’t understand why we’re not married. Then, Rex changed his mind about not wanting children. It came out of the blue last week,” she said.
My red flags flew in the air. Rex was more anti-kids than Stacie and steered clear of them outside of team events.
“Stacie, hear me out. When Nathan’s mind suddenly changed about kids before he popped up with Onna. I’m not saying Rex is cheating, but you need to find out why he changed his mind.”
My friend gave me a tight mouth but shook her head in agreement. For Rex’s sake, I hope he wasn’t cheating or had a secret baby. The things she suggested I do to Nathan would’ve had us both needing a lawyer. We both walked inside the suite and found Harley finishing up her food.
“They’re getting ready to throw the first pitch. Do you want to come outside and watch under the shade or stay inside?” I asked.
“Outside,” Harley said.
After I helped her down and cleaned her hands, those sunglasses went back on her face.
Stacie mouthed I love her to me, and I shook my head.