Fourth Down: A Beaumont Series Next Generation Spin-off

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Fourth Down: A Beaumont Series Next Generation Spin-off Page 27

by McLaughlin, Heidi


  Noah’s right, but I don’t want to believe it. I drop him off at his place and tell him to have a good trip. He thanks me and asks that I not say anything to Autumn about the gems because it’s unlikely he’ll give them to Peyton.

  “Does this mean you won’t tell your mom about it?”

  “Hell no,” he says while standing on the curb. “She’d believe it and start rubbing the stones anywhere she can. Both moms are crazy for grandkids. No one is going to know about this little trip except for us. Got it?”

  I salute him and pull away once he shuts the car door. I suppose he’s right about keeping our excursion to the voodoo shop a secret. I haven’t told anyone but him, even when Autumn has commented on the stone I keep in my pocket.

  When I get to my apartment, Roxy comes running to me and tells me that Autumn is sleeping. “Autumn is at work, sweetie.”

  She shakes her head fast with her eyes wide. “Au-um has the ickies.”

  Autumn didn’t say anything about staying home today. She spent the night last night and went for her run this morning and then took Roxy to the park after dropping Reggie off at school. She’s taken over for Miss Meghan this week because she’s on vacation, and Autumn wanted to help out.

  I head down to my bedroom with Roxy on my hip. I open the door slowly and find a lump in my bed. “I’m going to set you down. Please don’t jump on Autumn.”

  “I won’t, Daddy.”

  Putting Roxy on the edge of the bed, I go to the side and place my hand on Autumn’s shoulder. “Hey.”

  She moans.

  “What can I get you?”

  “Ginger ale,” she whispers.

  I pull my phone out and order groceries via an app. I request as much stuff as I can from Pedialyte to Pepto, including the ginger ale. Then I take Roxy out to the living room and set her up with a movie. When I get back to the bedroom, Autumn is rushing to the bathroom. I don’t know what to do except offer to hold her hair back. She kneels in front of the toilet, expelling whatever contents she had left in her stomach.

  “I have groceries coming. They should be here in a minute.” I leave her side, grab a washcloth, and wet it down. I set it to her forehead and hold it there. “Hopefully, it’s just a bug, and it’ll pass soon.”

  “Good thing you don’t have a game this weekend.”

  She’s right. We have another weekend off because of Christmas. It’s rare when our schedules align, but I’ll take it. “Stomach of steel right here. I’m more concerned about you right now.”

  Autumn tries to stand up. I help her and decide to pick her up to carry her back to bed. “I can walk,” she says.

  “I know, but I can carry you.” I lay her down and pull the blankets back over her. “What can I get you?” I set my hand against her forehead to check for a fever.

  “I’m not sick, Julius.”

  I look at her oddly. “I saw you get sick.” I hate pointing out the obvious, but I was in the bathroom with her a moment ago.

  “Julius,” she says my name and then sighs. “I’m late.”

  “Give me your phone. I’ll call Leon and let him know you’re sick and can’t come in. I’m sure someone can cover for you.” I reach for her phone, but her hand stops me.

  “I’m not that kind of sick.”

  “How many kinds of sicknesses are there?” I feel like Autumn is talking in riddles here.

  “I’m the kind of sick that happens to women when their period doesn’t show up on time,” she pauses and looks at me. Autumn starts to cry. “I’m pregnant, Julius.”

  Pregnant.

  My mouth opens to say something but closes when nothing comes out. I try again, but nothing.

  “I know we haven’t been together very long, and you’re going through that mess with Elena. I don’t know how it happened because we’ve been safe and—”

  I press my lips against hers to silence her. She keeps her mouth closed, which I’m thankful for because . . . well, she’s been sick. When I pull away, I wipe her fallen tears. “I should’ve told you the second I realized this. I’m in love with you, Autumn. I love you so damn much. I planned to ask you to move in once my divorce is final, but I don’t want to wait anymore.” I move closer to her and take her hand in mine. “Autumn, will you move into this place and help me make a home?”

  She nods and pulls me into her arms.

  “Now, it seems like we had a little mishap with protection. Do you think I should sue the condom company?”

  Autumn chokes out a laugh and shakes her head.

  “So, tell me about this baby of mine growing in your tummy.” I pull the blankets back and lift her shirt. “Hey there, baby. I’m going to be your dad.” I kiss her belly a couple of times. “If you can do me a favor and not make your mommy sick, I would really appreciate it. I don’t like to see your mommy hurting.”

  Autumn’s hand goes through my hair, and I look at her. “I thought you’d be upset.”

  I maneuver until I’m lying next to her. “This isn’t ideal, but it’s not a dealbreaker. You’re the one I want to be with no matter what. So, what if we’re doing things a little backward. No one says we must follow their rules. We’ll make our own.”

  Her hand cups my cheek. “I love you, Julius Cunningham.”

  “I love you, Weather Girl.”

  Epilogue

  Reggie, Roxy, and I make our way into the stadium. The atmosphere is surreal, and according to Reggie, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every seat has a fan of football sitting in it. Every luxury box has a corporate sponsor, a celebrity, or some big shot, something or other. As a family, we chose to sit in the stands to be near the action. Because like Reggie says, we may only experience the Super Bowl once.

  There are a few things in my life that I’m thankful for right now. One being, Reggie and I get along very well. For the first couple of weeks, after his mom left, he shut down. He reminded me that I’m not his mother and never will be. He would get angry with Julius if he invited me to dinner. Or when Reggie would wake up, and I was in the kitchen. The adjustment has been challenging for both of us, but I never stopped trying to be his friend. I never set out to replace his mother. Not then and not now. Elena is doing a stand-up job of separating herself from her children without any help. It took a picture of Elena on vacation, which she posted on social media, for Reggie to start seeing his mom in a new light. An unfortunate situation all around.

  I’m also incredibly thankful for my job, for Leon, and the staff I work with. If someone told me six months ago, I was going to move to a vast city, fall in love with a professional athlete, and get pregnant, I would’ve died of laughter right in front of them. None of this was in my life plan—not that I had one to begin with. Thinking back, I feel as if I didn’t have any direction. If it weren’t for Leon, I wouldn’t be here right now, which made my decision to stay in Portland ten times easier. Of course, Julius was a significant part of this. I knew from the start he was going to be someone special in my life.

  I’m beyond appreciative of this life I live. I love my job, friends, family, and this little family unit I’m in with Julius and his children. Even though Roxy isn’t mine, she’s becoming my mini-me more and more each day. She’s started doing her own weather reports in the living room each morning. Even though Julius still employs Miss Meghan, I take Roxy to the park each morning before heading to work. Meghan is there to take care of Roxy when neither Julius nor I are home, and she picks Reggie up from school. We plan to keep her when the new baby comes because I’m not ready to give up my career.

  This baby growing inside of me is one of the best things to happen to me. At first, I didn’t think I was ready. My career is just starting to take off. Julius and I haven’t been together that long and the fact that when I told him about being pregnant, he was still married. The day his divorce became final was one of the happiest days of our new lives together. It’s also the day I officially moved in. Once I told him about the pregnancy, he wanted me to treat his apa
rtment as if it were mine. He gave me a key and full reign to redesign anything I wanted. His office will be the nursery, and we’ll start on that once we tell people we’re having a baby. It’s still early, and I’d like to keep it a secret a bit longer. If it weren’t for Julius, people would probably know already. My morning sickness kept me sidelined for the first week or so until he gave me the bracelet I wear constantly. He said it was given to him by a psychic and that he had no idea it was for me until I kept getting sick. Of course, once he said the word psychic, we had to have a long talk on why he went to one.

  An usher shows us to our seats. All around us are Pioneer fans. Reggie has his foam finger, and we are wearing our Cunningham jerseys. As soon as Roxy sees Betty Paige Westbury, she begs to sit with her. Peyton’s mom sits down next to me and hands over baby Oliver. Mrs. James is trying to rub baby fever on any unsuspecting wife and girlfriend on the team. Her reasoning is she’s ready for grandchildren and figures if Peyton’s friends are pregnant, she’ll want to be as well. Oliver wears a Noah Westbury jersey, and it’s the cutest thing I have ever seen. I only get to hold him for a few minutes because Elle shows up and takes him.

  Nola sits down next to me, and I ask, “How are wedding plans?”

  She lets out a huge sigh. “There are times when I think I want to elope or have a destination wedding, but then I think about my nieces and nephews in the wedding, and I want that too. I’m so torn. I just want to marry Quinn and start a family.”

  “I think Quinn’s mother will be delighted with the last part.”

  Nola’s eyes go wide. “You’re telling me. She has baby fever worse than any of us.”

  Julius’s parents and mine show up and take their seats. Reggie sits between my father and his grandfather, chatting about the game and the Pioneers’ odds. All I know is that Julius is a ball of nerves. When they won their conference championship on a Hail Mary throw by Noah into Julius’s arms, he said he almost crapped his pants on the field. I, for one, am happy he didn’t do that.

  I look out to the field and see the team warming up. My gut twists with excitement and nerves. I know once Liam Page starts singing the National Anthem, I’m going to start crying. It’s pretty amazing that the NFL asked Noah’s dad to sing. It’s going to be an emotional day for the Westbury family.

  Speaking of the Westburys, Noah’s elderly grandmother is coming up the stairs, with Mack escorting her. She takes a seat right at the railing. I’ve seen her at a couple of games, and let me tell you, the mouth on her would make a sailor blush.

  “Who else is sitting with Noah’s grandma?” I ask Nola. At our last playoff game, I had the chance to meet Mack. He came over with Noah and Peyton after the game, and it was then that Peyton told me about him and his connection with her family.

  “Oh, that’s Peyton’s grandfather and Quinn’s grandmother.”

  “Awe, their family is so blended.”

  Nola nods. “Literally one big happy family. Quinn told me one time that if it wasn’t for Peyton and Elle’s grandpa telling Katelyn to move on, their family might have never happened.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, Katelyn and Mason—the twins’ father—were high school sweethearts. Harrison met Katelyn months after Mason’s funeral. For Harrison, it was love at first sight, but for Katelyn, she was afraid people would judge her for moving on so quickly. Mr. Powell pushed Katelyn toward Harrison, and the rest is history. Harrison adopted the twins, and Katelyn adopted Quinn.”

  “Yet, they never married.”

  She shakes her head slowly. “Nope, and they won’t. It’s Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell if you ask me.”

  “A true love story.”

  “Pretty much,” Nola says. “I asked Quinn what he thought about his parents not being married, and he said it only bothered people who made it an issue. Growing up, they didn’t know otherwise because they all had the same last name.”

  Peyton joins us from the field. She hugs her grandparents and Noah’s grandma, and then her parents. She finally sits down in an empty seat near Nola and me and asks her sister to bring Oliver to her.

  “Is Noah ready?” Elle asks.

  Peyton shrugs. “It’s a big stage. The biggest of his life. He’s as ready as he’s going to be.”

  “It’s too bad you can’t sit with us,” Nola adds.

  Peyton smiles, but I’m not sure if it’s at us or the baby. “I’m right where I want to be.”

  “How’s Uncle Liam? Did you see him before you came out?” Elle asks.

  “No, he and Dad are in the dressing room.”

  “Uncle Jimmy is pissed that he’s not here,” Elle says. “Mom said Eden has some huge event in Australia tomorrow, and they had to fly there early to kill the jet lag.”

  Nola elbows me. “You look confused.”

  “I am. There’s just so many in their family.”

  She laughs. “Not even gonna lie, I wrote everyone down in a book and created a chart, so I knew. The worst part of all this—the only ones related to each other are the parents to the kids. The aunts and uncles are all long-time family friends.”

  “Yeah, Peyton tried to explain it to me. I just nodded along.”

  Elle snorts. “I love telling people that my sister married my aunt and uncle’s son—that really gets people going.”

  Peyton slaps her sister. “You’re a brat. Where’s Ben?”

  “He had to work. He’s got a big project.”

  “A project that couldn’t wait until Monday?” Peyton’s face pinches as she stares at her sister.

  Elle shrugs, signaling the end of that conversation. Peyton hands Oliver back to her sister and then tells us she will see us later. She talks to her mom quickly before heading back to the field, but not before taking Mack with her. It’s then that everything shifts.

  It’s time for football.

  We stand for the anthem, which Liam sings beautifully. After, he hugs Noah, which brings tears to my eyes. When Julius goes out for the coin toss, Reggie and I cross our fingers. I close my eyes and listen for the call. When I hear that the Pioneers have won the toss, I feel relieved.

  Reggie tugs on my shirt, and I bend toward him. “We’re going to win,” he says. “I can feel it in my bones.”

  “Me too, bud.”

  The kick-off happens, and the Pioneers return it for a touchdown. Within seconds, it’s seven to nothing. Four downs later, Noah and the team he’s led to the Super Bowl take the field. My man lines up on Noah’s left—a position I’ve been told is very significant to Liam, and Peyton’s father, Mason. I made the mistake of asking Julius, in front of Peyton and Noah, why he’s never on the right side of his quarterback. Once Noah shared Liam and Mason’s story, I understood.

  Noah’s first attempt goes to the running back, Brandon Garrison. He picks up six yards, according to the announcer. Not that we can hear much of what they’re saying because this stadium is loud. People are yelling, chanting, and stomping their feet. I’ve never been in the middle of something like this. It’s both exhilarating and terrifying.

  In the next play, Noah takes the ball and steps back. He looks left and then right and fires a pass downfield. I lean forward and see Julius running toward the end zone. A guy is trailing him. I have no choice but to watch everything unfold on the massive screen hanging in the center of the stadium. There are too many people, and they’re standing, blocking my vantage point. The guy in pursuit of Julius is waving his arms in the air, but none of this affects Julius. He holds his hands out, and the ball lands perfectly in his arms. Another player comes at Julius and tackles him, but not before the ball breaks the plane. Every Pioneer on the sideline puts their arms up.

  Touchdown!

  “Mom, did you see that?” Reggie says as he pulls on my arm. I glance at him and smile. “I mean, Autumn. Did you see that?”

  It doesn’t hurt that he changed what he called me. Reggie has to move at his own pace. If he wants to call me mom, he can. If not, Autumn is perfect too. “You
r dad scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl!” Reggie and I high-five each other, plus everyone around us, and then we cheer for Julius as he reaches the sideline.

  Julius comes over to the railing and holds the ball up. He points at Reggie, who scrambles to get down to his dad. When Reggie comes back, he shows me the ball. “Dad says it’s mine to keep!”

  “We’ll get a stand for it, and you can put it in your bedroom.”

  “Awesome,” he says. He shows his grandfather and my dad before showing everyone else in our group. Roxy comes to me and tells me she’s sad and then screams to her dad that she wants a ball.

  The other team scores a field goal next, and then Noah runs for a touchdown after taking the team from the thirty-yard line to the end zone. I fully expect him to give the football to Peyton, but he comes over to the stands and points at his dad. They hug, and when I look over at Josie, she has tears in her eyes.

  “That’s another true love story,” Nola says to me. “Ask Noah or even Josie about it sometime.”

  “I will, thank you.”

  After halftime, the following two scores put the other guys up. Reggie is stressing but keeps telling me that he knows we are going to win. The Pioneers call a time-out, which my dad says is smart because they need to regroup. All around me, everyone talks about football, and I realize I need to learn a lot before next season starts. I’ve got the basics down, but that’s about it.

  When Noah is at the line of scrimmage, he calls an audible. Everyone shifts, even Julius. Noah steps back and hands the ball to Chase Montgomery, who rears back and throws a bomb toward Julius.

  “Catch it,” I mutter. He does and runs the last ten yards into the endzone without being touched. Before I can alert Roxy, she’s made her way to the railing and holds her hands out. She brings the ball back to me and asks me to hold it while she goes back to sitting with Noah’s sister.

  “Dad has two touchdowns! I told you we are going to win.”

  “Let’s hope, Reggie.”

 

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