Chapter 15 #2
“There’s my dream girl,” I say, dropping my bag, snaking an arm around her waist, and pulling her into a hug. “How are you doing?” I ask, keeping my lips next to her ear. She nods as she pulls back. “Okay?”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “It was nice to see you play.”
“Say the word, baby, and I’ll get you a flight and tickets to every damn game.”
“You know that’s not feasible,” she says, her hands resting over her belly.
“No, but I want you there. As long as you know that, then we’re good. Now, I’m gonna need you to turn for me,” I tell her.
“What?” She furrows her brow.
“Oh, that’s an easy one,” Sloane tells her.
“He’s going to go all caveman on you once he reads his name on your back.
” She picks at the jersey she’s wearing, which just so happens to be Knox’s.
“It’s a thing,” she says, as if she’s experienced it first-hand.
“I’ve watched Knox and Landry both go through this stage.
It’s fun.” Sloane grins. “More fun for you, I’m sure.
” She winks, and Bellamy’s cheeks flame red.
“Turn for me, baby,” I tell her.
She shakes her head but does as I ask, and I groan when I see my name on her back. Fuck, I didn’t get it when Knox, Landry, and even Landon would talk about seeing their girl in their jersey, but I now understand the appeal.
Speaking of Landon, I need to call him and tell him I met my dream girl at his wedding.
I haven’t mentioned Bellamy to him yet. He asked me where I had disappeared to, and I told him I’d gotten a drink, taken a walk on the beach, and gone to bed.
It's not a complete lie. Those things happened, but a whole hell of a lot happened in between.
Stepping up behind Bellamy, I align my front to her back before placing my lips next to her ear. “You know what would make this better? Well, two things, actually,” I tell her.
“What’s that?” she asks, turning to look at me over her shoulder.
I peck a kiss on her lips. “If our little one were here, and if that name you’re wearing was yours.”
She sucks in a breath, her body sagging against mine. I hold her tighter as we chat with Sloane, waiting for the others. Corie joins us, and then Knox, Landry, Foster, and Baker come out. Finally, Rowan appears, having to stay back and work on any of my teammates who need it.
“Anyone left in there?” I ask Rowan.
“Just the staff,” she says.
I nod. “Ready?” I ask Bellamy.
“If I have to,” she says, stepping out of my hold.
I take her hand in mine and address my friends, our friends, “You guys don’t have to stay.”
“Oh, we’re staying,” Corie tells me. “Bellamy’s family now.” She crosses her arms over her chest as if I’m going to fight her. I won’t. My girl needs all the love she can get, especially where my team is concerned. They’re showing her that it’s not the game, but the choices of the person.
They’re choosing her, just as I did.
“Baker, go home to Cam,” I tell him.
“The nanny said he’s sound asleep. I’ll hang for a little while,” he says, leaning back against the wall.
There’s a lump in my throat. “Thanks,” I tell them. “Your support means everything.”
“We’ll be here,” Rowan says, reaching out to squeeze Bellamy’s arm gently.
“Thank you,” she murmurs.
With her hand in mine, I lead her into the locker room. It’s pretty much cleared out, just as Rowan said, except for the staff. When we reach Coach’s door, I knock, and he calls out to enter.
“Hey, Coach,” I say, pulling Bellamy inside the room behind me. She’s suddenly stiff, and I wrap my arm around her, keeping her close, letting her know I’m here, and I’m not him. I’ll always put her and our baby first.
“Montgomery,” he greets coldly. “Bellamy,” he says, his tone softer. “What can I do for you?” He glares at where my arm is around her waist, and that glare only intensifies when Bellamy places her hand on my chest, connecting us even further.
“We wanted to let you know that Bellamy’s moved in with me.” And there it is, the vein on his forehead has officially popped. “And,” I add, because we might as well rip off the Band-Aid of truth, “you’re going to be a grandpa,” I tell him.
“What?” he explodes. He stands from his desk, his chair sliding back and hitting the wall as he slaps his hands down on the wood of the desk so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t buckle. “Get your hands off of my daughter, Montgomery,” he says through gritted teeth.
Bellamy curls into me at his demand. “No can do, Coach. You see, she’s my dream girl, and we’re having a baby. I choose her,” I tell him, my voice clear. “Nothing you say will have me walking away from her.”
He’s fuming mad, and if it were possible, I think we’d be able to see smoke coming out of his ears. “Bellamy, you don’t want this,” he says, his tone softer, but the edge of his anger is still there, simmering at the surface.
“You don’t know what I want.”
“You don’t have to live with him. You can come and live with me, or with your mother.”
“I don’t need Reid to take care of me, William,” she says, using his first name instead of Dad.
I wince at the same time he does. My girl is out for vengeance.
“I’m living with him because we care about each other.
We’re going to raise this baby together.
I know that’s a concept you aren’t able to comprehend, but trust me when I tell you, I’m where I want to be. ”
Fuck me, my heart races at her words. My arms pull her closer, holding her a little tighter.
“You don’t want this life. How many times have you told me that? You hate football. You hate what it does to families.”
“Yeah,” she agrees. “Until I met a man who puts me first despite his busy work schedule. He calls me before and after every game. He calls me every night to tell me goodnight when he’s away, and if I don’t get a call, I have a text every morning telling me to have a good day.
When he’s home, he’s home with me. We talk, we plan, we laugh, and we do all the things you were never willing to do. ”
“I was building something great to take care of you and your mother,” he says, sounding almost defeated.
“Maybe,” she says, shrugging. “But you sacrificed us in the process. If Reid’s taught me anything, it’s that you have to want to find the time.
I understand the desire to have a career, support your family, and grow in your career, but you lost your way.
You claim you were building a better life for us, but you didn’t fight for us either. You let us go.”
“It was the right thing to do,” he says, his voice raspy.
“Let’s agree to disagree on this one, Dad,” she sasses.
“I want to know my grandchild.”
“Well, insulting his or her father and treating him as if he’s less than when he’s one of the top-ranked tight ends in the league isn’t the right way to earn that right.”
They stare at one another until finally, Coach Warner nods. He clears his throat. “How are you feeling?” he asks softly, the anger suddenly drained out of him.
“Fine. We’re due in March,” she says, tossing him a bone.
“So, after the season.” He nods before he turns his gaze to me. “I’m watching you, Montgomery.”
I open my mouth to tell him he can watch all he wants, but my girl talks first, beating me to it.
“Good, then you can see how a man can have a successful career and a family that he enjoys being around at the same time. You might learn something, William.”
Ouch. Her words hit as his shoulders droop, and he casts his gaze toward the floor. I kinda feel bad for him, because I know what it would do to me if she shut me out, but there are years of hurt between them, which he’s not going to be able to repair overnight.
Bellamy peers up at me under long dark lashes. “You ready?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m ready.” We turn toward the door as Coach calls out for us to wait.
Bellamy freezes before turning to glance over her shoulder, and I do the same. “What?” Her tone isn’t unkind, but it’s laced with pain and years of hurt.
“Can we do dinner, or maybe lunch?”
She glances at me, and I shrug. “Your decision, Bell. I’m behind you no matter what,” I tell her.
“I’ll think about it.”
Coach is dejected, but he nods. “Anytime, anywhere,” he says with conviction in his tone.
Bellamy doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t even nod as she turns back and steps out of his office, with me hot on her heels. We reach the door to the locker room, and I stop her. “You okay?”
“He’s about fifteen years too late,” she says, wiping at her eyes.
“I know, baby. I know he hurt you, and you owe him nothing, but maybe keep an open mind? People can change.”
“He’s not getting close to our baby until he’s proven that,” she says, her voice strong.
“That’s fine by me, but if you’re considering that, you have to give him a chance.”
“Ugh,” she groans, resting her forehead against my chest. “Can we go now?”
I know she’s reached her limit. “Yeah, Dream Girl, we can go.” When I push open the door, we’re greeted by our friends, our family by choice. The ladies swarm Bellamy and take turns hugging her.
“We’re going to dinner, catch up,” Corie calls over her shoulder.
“I’m going to head home. You good?” Baker asks.
“We’re good,” I assure him. “Thanks for sticking around.”
“I want to hear all about it,” he tells me, picking his bag up off the floor.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I assure him.
“I’m following my wife and the food,” Landry says, walking away in the same direction as the girls.
“Yep,” Knox says, trailing behind him.
“What about you?” I ask Foster.
“Everything good?” he asks.
“Yeah, he was pissed, but my girl put him in his place. Lots of anger there,” I confess.
“You stand beside her. She’s what’s important now.” There’s something in his eyes, as if he’s trying to tell me without saying the words.
“I know, my man.” I clamp a hand down on his shoulder. “I don’t know who she is, or what happened, but it’s not too late to make it right.”
Foster doesn’t acknowledge my words. Instead, he says, “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
My friend has something he’s holding close to his chest, and one day, he’s going to let us help him through whatever it is. I want him to get his girl, the one who makes him as happy as my dream girl makes me.
Foster walks away, and I pull my phone from my pocket to text Landon.
Me: Thinking about scaling a wall.
Landon will know what that means. He scaled that wall at the stadium during a game to get to his now-wife, Tessa.
Landon: My man! I can’t wait to meet her.
Me: We’re having a baby.
Landon: Damn, bro, are you trying to make me look bad? Looks like my wife and I have some catching up to do.
Me: Talk soon.
Landon: Take care of her.
Me: I plan to, my man.
There is nothing I want more than to take care of my family.