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

by Roxy Sinclaire

  I was on my feet again and hurried to the other team’s players down. They’re messing with the wrong kind of guys!

  The first quarter was over and the others passed in a flash. I still felt like we were ten minutes into the game when a voice announced the fourth quarter. Whoa! What the hell! We were leading by a point or two. That was bad. Very bad indeed. We needed something. A push. A weapon against those motherfuckers.

  My thighs and calves were killing me. I hadn’t run like this in forever. I hoped that it would be worth it in the end.

  At that moment all I could think of, were my two beautiful angels Kayla and Mia. I had to win for them. I had to do it. There was no other option. Those two girls were my life now. The purpose of my living. No wonder I found motivation in them.

  “Before we begin with the last quarter, I want to say that Sean Coleman wants to dedicate this game to his bright and shining light—Mia,” the announcer spoke in a serious tone. My lips curved into a smile. There was my baby girl.

  With a whistle we began again, each team giving its all. I hadn’t been this tired in a long time. Wasted. My socks were all green from the grass and so was the better part of my jersey.

  “What’s the plan?” Michael asked me.

  “Leave your heart on the field. Don’t let them win,” I told him and winked.

  The ball was in the hands of the opposing team. I forced myself to think of Kayla and Mia’s faces and I pushed him as hard as I could. Henry grabbed it instantly heading for the end of the field. I went after him in case he needed to pass.

  I found myself sprawled on the ground, knocked down by a huge, stout man. Damn it. Quickly on my feet and I was off again. This last quarter was the dirtiest and most brutal one I had ever played in my whole life perhaps. It was as if we were fighting for the game of the century. The hits were merciless; the tactics were impossible to predict. And the score was almost a draw. Fuck!

  My eyes caught my coach who was unbelievably pale. It was like all the color had drained from his face. His chin was in his hand. He is an incredible man. I read desperation on the features of his face.

  Then, I saw George about to be tackled. I screamed his name from the top of my lungs.

  He knew what was going on immediately and threw the ball in the air. That darn pigskin that meant life to me. Everything was in slow motion. Just like in the movies. Or so it appeared to me.

  I saw Jameson from the other team lunge forward to grab it. Not so fast, bitch. I grabbed it now. And ran. The pain didn’t exist anymore as my body was drunk on adrenaline and the sheer willingness to win the game.

  The clock was going to sound the end. I had absolutely no time for one last score. There wasn’t any chance I could do that. Not theoretically. Not practical. It couldn’t be done. So what was I doing? I couldn’t believe my strength.

  The fans held their breaths. Half of the players were on the ground, knowing that it was done. But that didn’t matter to me.

  I wasn’t giving up. Even if I scored after the whistle blew, I would continue running.

  My feet were no longer touching the ground. I felt like that comic book character who ran fast and even went back in time.

  With all my muscles aching, I held the ball tightly in my hands like a holy grail. The target was near.

  And touchdown.

  The crowd was on their feet. My teammates were yelling, hugging each other. Some were crying.

  I unfastened my helmet and threw it on the ground. I put my hands on my knees, inhaling and exhaling as huge drops of sweat fell onto the grass.

  We won! You won, Sean! All of it because of Mia and Kayla.

  “There he is. The fearsome number seven. The one and only Sean Coleman scores for the win!” The announcer spoke. That made the crowd go into a frenzy. “Let’s have a shout out to him. Make some noise people!”

  Now I turned to look at the audience and waved. They were all chanting. “Go Sean! Seven Sean! Go Sean! Go Seven!”

  23

  Kayla

  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!

  24

  Sean

  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.