Fourth Down: A Beaumont Series Next Generation Spin-off

by McLaughlin, Heidi

  “Later, then?”

  “The second you walk in tonight, you’re mine.”

  “I suddenly hate that I’m on the evening news.”

  We both laugh at her statement. As much as I love watching her on TV, I too hate that she works until almost midnight. “I’ll watch and fantasize about everything I get to do to you tonight.”

  Autumn walks with me to the parking garage, where we proceed to make out like horny teenagers. The thought of being with her in the backseat of my car overwhelms my senses. I push her away. There are cameras watching us, and the last thing either of us needs is for security to hone in on the rocking SUV. Comical as it might be, the embarrassment would be too much for either of us. With one last kiss goodbye, I climb into my car and start thinking of the most disgusting things I can. It would not bode well for me to show up at the practice facility with a hard-on.

  Thirty-Five

  Autumn

  For the first time ever, I hate my job. It’s raining, and it’s Sunday. In the world of football, these two things do not go hand-in-hand. On Friday, I promised clear skies for the game today. However, a shift in the weather pattern—that no one could predict—has the city of Portland under a constant drizzle. The rain cloud is content to hang over us all day, making for a very wet football game. Things probably wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t dating the Pioneers wide receiver and planning to attend the game. Take those two things out of the equation, and you’d find me nestled on my couch, with a blanket over my legs and a good book in my hands.

  Last night, instead of spending time with Julius and the kids, I gave myself a mini spa treatment. After a long soak in the tub, I did the whole self-care thing with an at-home mani and pedi, plucked, trimmed, and cut where needed, and put on the best mud mask I’ve ever used. I feel nights like this will be hard to come by once football is over. I’m not complaining at all, but I’m also unsure if I’m ready for the change. There is very little doubt in my mind that I’m in love with Julius. However, loving him means loving Reggie and Roxy, which is easy to do. I just don’t know what my role is or should be. With Roxy, things are simple. We’re already close, but Reggie—he’s going through a lot, and at eight, I can’t begin to comprehend how he must feel. He probably feels like his world is falling apart and doesn’t see that his father is doing everything he can to protect him.

  I’m putting on the last of my cold-weather gear when there’s a knock at my door. I look through the peephole, and my heart jumps at the sight of two of my most favorite people. I open the door and squeal as I leap into my mother’s waiting arms. When she lets me go, my father welcomes me into his.

  “What are you guys doing here?” Even though I was in Texas, I couldn’t see my parents. Leaving the approved area wasn’t allowed, and since I was technically on a job interview, I couldn’t go off on my own.

  “We’re here to visit,” my dad says. I bring them into my apartment, and he sets their luggage down.

  “Oh, sweetie, you have a view,” mom says as she goes to the slider.

  “It’s not much, but I enjoy it.” I open the door, and she steps out. The balcony is only wide enough for a small chair and table. Unlike Peyton and Noah’s terrace or even Julius’s, I won’t be having any parties out here any time soon.

  “Beautiful, but very cold.” Mom crosses, rubs her arms, and then heads back inside. I give my parents the tour. It’s small but homey, and I’ve done a lot to make it my own. When they finally settle on the couch, I ask again why they are here.

  “Do you want us to leave?” my dad asks.

  “No, not at all. I’m happy you’re here,” I tell them. “A slight hint or notice would’ve been nice, though. I have plans today, but I’ll cancel them, and we’ll go sightseeing or something.”

  “Nonsense.” My mom bats away my statement.

  “I do believe tickets are waiting for us at will-call and a promise of a luxury box and tour of the stadium.”

  My mouth drops open. “I’m sorry, did you say tickets?” What the heck is going on?

  Dad nods and has a big cheesy grin on his face. “Sure did. I’ve never sat in a suite before. Probably a good thing since it’s raining out, and I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

  “Wait,” I say. “Can you please explain what’s going on?” Before my parents can answer, my phone rings, and a picture I took of Julius, Reggie, and Roxy shows on the screen. “Excuse me for a minute.” I take my phone and head into my bedroom. “Hey.”

  “Hi. How’s your morning?”

  “Well, it’s turned out to be a pretty great one.”

  “Is that so?” he asks with a chuckle.

  “Hmm, you wouldn’t have anything to do with my parents being here, would you?”

  Another laugh. “Thanksgiving is next week, and I thought it would be nice for your parents to spend it with you, and hopefully the kids and me.”

  “Wow, I don’t know what to say other than thank you. I don’t even want to know how you pulled this off or got a hold of my parents.”

  “Well, you can say you’ll spend Thanksgiving with us. I promise delicious food, amazing company, and only two football games, followed by some college basketball. And yes, please don’t ask. I don’t want my source to get into trouble over this. It’s all meant to make you smile.”

  “I’m smiling, and you know I’ll be there. I want to warn you, though, my father is a huge sports fan, so you probably have a best friend for life.”

  “I’m counting on it, Autumn. I’ve sent a car to pick you up. There’s a luxury suite waiting for you and your parents. Plus, they can buy whatever they want at the fan stores inside the stadium. Everything is taken care of.”

  I sigh. “What about the kids? And your parents? I don’t want to leave them out.”

  “Are you sure?” he asks.

  “Julius, if we are going to do this relationship thing, I want to be in one-hundred percent. Are we moving fast? Yep, we are, but we’re too deep to slow down now. Besides, you’re going to meet my parents, and I’ve already met yours. You might as well make it one big happy family in the suite. And I want to be with Roxy and try to bond with Reggie.”

  “I don’t know how I got so lucky, especially when I don’t deserve you, Weather Girl.”

  “Just remember what you said when it downpours on you later.”

  Julius laughs. “I’ll see you at the game.”

  * * *

  My dad is giddy with excitement on our way to the stadium. Julius texted after we hung up that his parents and the kids would meet us at the suite and not to worry about them riding with us. It’s a bummer because I think the kids and my dad would have a blast together as he’s currently standing up through the sunroof.

  “He’s going to hurt himself,” my mother says with a shake of her head. “He’s such a child.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “The hospital isn’t far from the stadium, and the team has an amazing medical staff if Dad needs something.”

  My mom stares at me for a minute, and I can’t help but feel scrutinized. I straighten my jacket and brush my hand over my hair. It’s an automatic response to someone gawking. After what feels like an eternity, I finally say, “What?” My tone is a bit harsher than I suspected.

  “You’re different,” she tells me. “When I saw you in Dickinson, you seemed sad, withdrawn.”

  “I didn’t like Dickinson a whole lot. It was depressing. Small town living is not for me.”

  “I thought it was because you missed Camden and still reeled from the break-up.”

  I shake my head slightly. “The break-up would’ve happened regardless. Cam and I are better off as friends. I used to think differently, but after the storm reporting I did with him, I realized he’s not the one for me.”

  “And Julius is the one for you.” It’s not a question but stated as a fact. “He’s the difference in your demeanor.”

  I want to tell her she’s wrong, but I don’t think she is. Even with everything that’
s happened since we met, I’d still take those days over not knowing Julius. “Maybe.” I refuse to say otherwise out of fear I might jinx things. “We like each other, but his life is complicated right now.”

  “I read about him in People Magazine. More so, his ex. She seems,” Mom pauses and then says, “busy.”

  “She’s trying to make her mark in Hollywood.” As much as I want to badmouth her for everything she’s done, I can’t. I won’t. I promised myself I will always see the good in her because she’s Reggie and Roxy’s mother, and it’s what they deserve. When they’re older, they’ll come to their own conclusions about their mother. Since she went back to California, she’s only called once, and as far as I know, she hadn’t answered when Reggie phoned her.

  Mom looks at me skeptically. She can probably see right through the bullshit but knows it’s not her place to say anything. I’m sure, as a parent, the last thing she expected from me was to fall for a single dad going through a divorce and a high-profile one at that. The media is relentless when it comes to gossip, which only increased when someone leaked their divorce documents. I couldn’t help it and looked to see what people said on social media. Most of Julius’s loyal fans sided with him, while Elena’s “wives” all took her side, who feel Julius should’ve paid Elena more money. I hope I am never like that or in a situation where money matters more than love and family.

  When we pull up to the stadium, my dad hoots and hollers like he’s some dedicated fan. I doubt he’s ever watched a Pioneers game until I told him about Julius. The driver takes us around back. It’s very cloak and dagger but saves us from having to stand in line and wait for tickets. I learned early that when Julius says will-call, he doesn’t really mean for me to stand at the window while someone searches for my ticket. There is a private entrance for families at this stadium.

  A Pioneer staff member meets us at the door and tells my parents they’re getting a tour of the facility, and assures me they’ll bring my parents to the suite when they’re finished. Julius is giving them the royal treatment, which will definitely win my father over.

  When I reach the suite, Reggie is standing outside the door, looking at his phone. Across from him is a security guard, watching him. “Hey, Reggie.” I try to make my voice sound as upbeat and happy as possible, even though I know he’s hurting.

  “Hi, Miss Autumn.”

  I stand next to him. “Whatcha doing?”

  He shrugs. “My mom won’t answer.”

  “She’s probably on set. I read somewhere that actors sometimes have to be on set from sunup until sundown, and most of the time, they can’t have their phones with them because they don’t want it to ring during filming.” I’m trying—anything I can do to put a positive spin on things for him right now.

  “Maybe,” he says with a heavy sigh.

  “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  “My parents are here, and I think my dad is a bigger football fan than you.”

  Reggie looks at me. There’s a twinkle in his eyes. It’s short-lived, but I saw it. “Not possible.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. He might challenge your knowledge of the sport.”

  Reggie looks down the corridor. “Where is he?”

  “Getting a tour and probably a hotdog. Oh, and probably one of those foam fingers that everyone has.”

  Reggie laughs. It’s a deep belly chuckle that makes me smile. “That’s silly. There are hotdogs inside.”

  “Yum! I’m starving. What do you say? Do you want to go in with me?”

  He shrugs. “Okay.”

  I nod and hold my arm out for him. I signal to the security guard that I have Reggie now. With my hand on the door, he pauses. “Miss Autumn?”

  I crouch down until I’m at eye level with him. “How about we stop the Miss Autumn stuff, and you just call me Autumn?”

  “Okay,” he says. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being my friend. You’re starting to feel like a mom to me. At first, that scared me, but I think I like it.”

  Cue the tears. “Reggie, your words mean everything to me.” I stand, pull him into my arms, and kiss his head. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be. Whatever makes you happy.” His little arms tighten around my waist.

  “I’m so glad my dad found you.”

  Me too, bud. Me too!

  Thirty-Six

  Julius

  The rest of November and all of December flew by. I swear I think I went to sleep Thanksgiving night and woke up days before Christmas. Whirlwind doesn’t begin to describe my life right now. I’m still embattled with Elena and this ridiculous divorce. Instead of taking the offer on the table and agreeing, she listened to her “fans” on social media and the “wives” and decided to hire her own lawyer. Something she should’ve done from the beginning but didn’t have the money. She still doesn’t, but her counsel is willing to take payment once a settlement comes in. I’ve tried to tell her that means less money for her, but I’m wrong. I’m always wrong. I’m confident a judge will accept the prenuptial agreement as is. She won’t be able to ask for custody of the children either. She’s proven she can’t effectively communicate with them. They haven’t spoken to her since she left this last time.

  The only thing Elena is doing is holding up my moving on with Autumn. We’ve talked about her moving in, but she won’t until I’m divorced. She doesn’t want Elena showing up and causing a scene and us having no recourse. As much as I agree with her, I hate it. I hate that Elena still controls my life.

  Noah and I are at the jewelers. He’s looking for a gift for Peyton but doesn’t know what. Every time I say, “How about this?” he shakes his head. After the tenth time or so, he finally admitted he doesn’t know what he wants to get her but wants it to be unique. He let it slip a few weeks ago, after one too many drinks, that they’re struggling to get pregnant, and each time they find out they’re not, Peyton begins to shut down. He’s hoping that the trip they’re taking to see family at Christmas will help her because he’s afraid he’s out of options.

  It occurs to me that I might be able to help him. “Can I take you somewhere?” I ask him. He nods, and we head out and to my car. I drive us to a part of town I only visit when I can’t get out of a funk, which happens after I’ve had to deal with Elena and her bullshit. I pull up to a row of stores and park along the curb.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t want you to laugh, but I started seeing this woman to help me with my stress. She’s a healer.”

  “You brought me to a voodoo shop?”

  I shrug. “Sort of. Just follow me.” I open the door, and the bell chimes over the stop. The young salesclerk looks up, smiles, and then goes back to reading the magazine she holds. I take Noah over to the jewelry case and point. “Each stone represents what you need. For instance, I have an amethyst that I carry when I have to go to the lawyer or when I have to talk to Elena. I find that it helps, and I’m not angry all the time. Maybe it’s my mindset or thinking the gem works, I don’t know, but I wasn’t a believer until I came here on a whim. I’m not saying this could help Peyton, but it might.”

  “Julius, hi. You brought a friend.”

  Madame Keisha steps out from behind the curtain. She eyes Noah for a long while and then shakes her head. “I have something that can help with that ache you’re feeling.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” he asks after his head pops up. “I feel fine.”

  She nods and says, “Okay.” Keisha disappears behind the curtain and then is back with a small jar of what looks like a white cream. “Put this on before bed. Nothing is wrong, but your body is telling you to stop and listen. This will help.”

  Noah takes it but does so with great reluctance.

  “Now, you’re looking for,” she takes his hand in hers and smiles. “Baby. Do you desire to have children?”

  He nods. “My wife is having trouble conceiving.”

  Still holding Noah’s hand, her s
mile fades. “There was trauma. She’s hurt.”

  Noah nods again. “She was in a bad accident. I almost lost her.”

  “You did lose her, but she came back.”

  I stand there in awe of Madame Keisha. Maybe people don’t believe in her craft, but I do. She sets Noah’s hand down and goes to her case. She starts putting gems together on a string and then slips them into a bag.

  “Give this to your wife. She must wear it until the babies arrive.”

  Noah coughs. “Babies? What are you talking about? She’s not pregnant.”

  “Yet,” Madame Keisha winks. She looks at me and says, “Julius, I have something for you.” She hands me another small bag. “Give this to your love. She will need it.”

  “What—”

  “You’ll find out in time.” With that, she goes behind the curtain and leaves us standing there until the clerk clears her throat. I direct Noah to the cash register where we cash out. Back in the car, Noah looks confused.

  “Sorry for bringing you. I didn’t think you’d freak out.”

  “It’s not that. It’s what she said about Peyton ‘she’s hurt.’ She said it in the present tense like something is wrong with her now.”

  “The babies part doesn’t freak you out?”

  He shakes his head slowly. “No. Peyton’s doctors have told her the chances of conceiving naturally would be hard. The damage from the car accident left her scarred. But we try. And we’ve talked about doing IVF or looking for a surrogate. The surrogate is out. She doesn’t want to use one. Peyton’s read too many horror stories where the surrogate wants more money or decides to keep the baby.” He looks down at the bag in his hand and smirks. “This shit is just propaganda.”

  “Then how did she know that stuff about Peyton?”

  He looks at me, and I swear he rolls his eyes. “I’m sure your friend there knows who I am, by way of you. If you look me up on the web, Peyton’s story is well documented. It's not hard to fake it.”