Daddy’s Wild Friend

by Charlize Starr

  Alex held up a hand. “Because I’m not finished yet.”

  “Well don’t keep me in suspense. Who is she?”

  Alex let out a slow breath, preparing for hell to break loose. Once David calmed down and realized Alex wanted to marry Kellie, it would be okay. He hoped. “It’s Kellie.”

  “Kellie?”

  “Your daughter, Kellie.”

  Grabbing at his shirt, David ripped open the top button. “You son-of-a-bitch. You’re the one?”

  David jumped up but Alex remained in his seat. He didn’t want to have a fight with David—he wanted his blessing.

  “She told you?”

  “You got her pregnant, left her to face it alone, and then you come here and give me flowery words about how you’ve fallen in love with her? If you loved her, she wouldn’t have had to call her mother to hold her hand yesterday.” David’s voice rose until it cracked. He grabbed at his chest and shouted, “Diane!”

  Alex scanned the room, trying to make sense of what David had said. Kellie was pregnant? Why didn’t she tell him? He knew he was the father. Kellie would never, ever screw around with anyone else.

  He hopped up and went to David. His face was a mottled red, and he was having trouble catching his breath. “Are you all right?”

  Diane came in, took one look at David, and said, “Go start your car. We’ve got to get him to the hospital.”

  “He’s… the one.” David said.

  “The one what?” Diane looked between the two men. Alex hated to say it again, to hurt this family any more than he already had. And he needed to get to Kellie.

  “The one… who got Kellie… pregnant and left her.”

  Diane turned on Alex, her face thunderous, but then she faced David. “We have to get you to the hospital, baby.”

  This was a disaster of epic proportions. How would he tell Kellie he’d caused her father to have another heart attack? What if David didn’t make it? That got him moving. He put a hand on David’s shoulder to lead him to the car, but David shrugged it off.

  Once they got him seated in the back, Alex gunned the engine to life and peeled out. Diane turned to him. “If he doesn’t make it, I will cut off your balls myself, Alex Leblanc.”

  Alex shook his head. He couldn’t even blame them for hating him. He kind of hated himself, for pushing Kellie away so hard she’d thought she’d have to go through this alone.

  ***

  Kellie got the call at 8:36 in the morning that her father was being rushed to the hospital. Her mother called from her cell. “We’re in the car now, sweetie. Meet us at the hospital. Try not to worry, you don’t want to send stress hormones to the baby.”

  Kellie closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. Please let my dad live to be a grandfather to this child. “I’m on my way.”

  “And, Kellie… we know about Alex.”

  “How could you?” She didn’t understand what could’ve happened. She certainly hadn’t told anyone, not even her best friend. Had someone at the office overheard something, the fight between Alex and Chase Valentine, maybe?

  “Alex came by this morning.”

  “And that’s why Daddy’s having another heart attack? Oh, my God. This is all my fault.”

  “No, this is all Alex’s fault.” Her voice was hard as a stone. “We don’t know that he’s having a heart attack. We’re just being safe. Just… get to the hospital.”

  “I will. I’m leaving right now.” Kellie hung up the phone and ran to the bathroom. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt from college, ran a comb through her blonde locks, then pulled them up with a hair tie. In a rush, she brushed her teeth before running out the door. When she realized she’d forgotten her keys and purse, she had to come back.

  She drove quick as possible to the hospital nearest her parents, where her father had gone for his last heart attack. Why would Alex have gone to her father? Some misplaced sense of guilt, a need to ease his conscience for breaking her heart?

  What if they'd told him about the baby? Surely not—she'd begged them not to tell anyone. She couldn't think about all this right now. She just had to think positive, healing thoughts for her father.

  In the emergency department lobby, Alex sat not far from where she'd sat and waited to find out more about her father just… what? Seven weeks ago. Please, not another heart attack.

  If Alex had told her father, then that would've been quite a shock. Their knocked up daughter had an affair with her dad’s business partner. She stalked up to him. “What did you do?”

  “Me, really? You're fucking pregnant, Kellie. Were you even going to tell me?” Alex stood up, his voice rising.

  She pulled her ponytail over her shoulder, running her fingers through the strands. “No. I don't know. You were pretty clear about not wanting to be trapped.”

  “This is different—you’re different.” He pulled a box from his pocket and flipped it open. A big, clear diamond sparkled at her. “Marry me, Kellie.”

  “Stop it, Alex. People are staring.” Kellie glared at the people looking at them until they turned away, one-by-one. “This is the last thing I want, you marrying me because I’m pregnant.”

  “It’s not because you’re pregnant.” He grasped her by the elbow and tugged her to a corner of the lobby. “I’d planned to do this so different. I was going to have that music we picked out at the bookstore playing and make you dinner with candles.”

  “You’re not making any sense. You couldn’t have known I was pregnant before this morning. I didn’t know myself until yesterday.”

  He took her other arm and pulled her closer, into his embrace. “Think about it, Kellie. Why do you think I went to see your dad today?”

  “I don’t know what you were thinking. I just hope he’s okay.” Tears brimmed her eyes.

  He squeezed her tight. “He will be—he has to be.”

  “Let’s just wait until we hear something about my dad before we talk about anything else. I can’t think while he’s in danger. I can’t—”

  “Shh.” He kissed the top of her head. “You don’t have to.”

  Together, they sat. Alex was perfect. He went to fetch her coffee and made her eat a breakfast sandwich, he held her hand, he asked the nurse for status updates. It was a shame he was only offering to marry her because of the pregnancy because she loved him and he was a good man.

  She sighed, worried she was going to cry again. This was all too much—the pregnancy, her dad, her broken heart. She couldn’t take much more.

  The doors whooshed open and her mom walked out, arms crossed over her middle. She looked shaken but not broken, but what if it was shock?

  Kellie jumped up and ran to Diane. “Mom? Is he okay?”

  Her mother took her hand and nodded. “He’s fine. It wasn’t a heart attack. The stress just… overworked his heart a bit.”

  Diane gave a pointed look in Alex’s direction. He stood a respectable distance away. Far enough that he wasn’t eavesdropping but close enough if Kellie should need him. “Did you work things out yet?” her mother asked her.

  “Mom, these are not the times when a man and woman have to get married because they made a baby. I won’t do that.” The nurse at the reception desk near them jerked her head up, openly listening to their conversation now.

  “But, Kellie… he came this morning to ask your father for his blessing. He wanted to marry you before he found out about the baby.” Diane shrugged. “Do what makes you happy, sweetie. I don’t approve of him getting involved with you, but the man doesn’t want you because you’re pregnant.”

  Her hands flew to her mouth as it all clicked into place. She’d been too upset to realize it earlier, but Alex already had a ring. He couldn’t have gotten one this morning, after he found out. He’d been planning to propose to her when he went to her parents’ house today.

  Kellie flew into Alex’s arms, holding him tight. She’d never let him go again.

  “Kellie? What is it, honey? Is your dad okay?”


  She blinked back tears of happiness this time. “He’s fine. I just… I need to hear what you want.”

  “I want to marry you.” He took her by the shoulders and held her, gazing into her eyes.

  “One question, I need to know one thing. Why? If it’s not the baby, then why?”

  He tucked a finger under her chin and used the other to pull her close. “Because I love you. I’m so in love with you, I can’t bear the thought of being away from you.”

  Releasing her, he got down on one knee and opened the box. “Will you?”

  Kellie looked around. Everyone in the room was actively watching them now. And that was okay because she wanted to remember this moment, when Alex proposed and they became one sweet little family forever. “Yes.”

  *****

  THE END

  The Football Star's Secret Baby

  Description

  I’d rather die than tell him...

  Olivia Snyder is making do. Her daughter, Maya, is turning two in a few months and Olivia believes she has it all under control.

  She never really achieved her dreams because she got pregnant early… but what more could she ask for except that her daughter grows up happy?

  But then problems start to brew. Sophie, her childhood best friend, returns to their sleepy town for a family event. Sophie and Olivia meet up for their usual girl-time. But what Sophie hasn’t told Olivia is that her older brother Rufus is coming home too...

  Rufus has made it big in NFL. He had always been the town’s sweetheart but he has now quickly become the national heartthrob as well.

  This wouldn’t be an issue if Olivia wasn’t still hung up on him, his classic good looks, that dimpled smile and the way he has about him which makes all women fall at his feet...

  Olivia has secrets to hide: not only her feelings for Rufus, but also that they once slept together in college. She can never let Sophie find out that she slept with her older brother.

  Especially not now that Rufus is back in town... How will Olivia keep her secret, now that her life seems to be unravelling?

  Chapter One

  Olivia’s phone beeped beside her and she turned it over so she wouldn’t be troubled by the flashing light. She needed to get through this last hour without any more distractions. A woman was holding a stack of three books in her hand and waiting at the till when Olivia returned to take up her post. Three books was good, but not enough to hit her target for the day. A few people would have to miraculously appear in this last hour and purchase at least ten more books between them. The trouble was that nobody was buying physical books anymore, so independent bookstores such as the one Olivia was working at made very little money now.

  She smiled at the woman anyway as she zapped the barcodes on the books and then put them in a small paper bag for her. The woman handed Olivia the exact change and walked away. Olivia sighed. She looked at her watch again, fifty-five more minutes to go.

  The bookstore was empty again. Stacks of freshly printed books were piled on the front table, trying to attract passersby into the store to flip through them and, hopefully, make a purchase. Olivia stood behind the till desk, looking hopefully at the people on the street. She needed to make her target for the day, or it could mean risking her job. The management was cracking down on employees now, and getting strict with their sales targets.

  Olivia caught a reflection of herself in the shop window as she remained standing, looking out. Her usual brown curls looked frizzy, given that she hadn’t had the time to properly condition them in a while. Her large gray eyes looked wide and sleep deprived, especially without any makeup. Even her lips looked chapped and tired. She quickly reached for the lip gloss she usually stored in one of the drawers and ran the tube over her lips once, knowing full well that just some lip gloss wasn’t going to cut it.

  Her phone beeped again and, this time, she reached for it. The store was empty so there was no point denying herself the distraction from her boredom.

  She’d received a couple of messages from Sophie again. She was in town now and wanted to meet up. Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes. They had been friends since kindergarten and had grown up together. Now Sophie lived in New York and had a fancy job at a publishing house, while Olivia was still stuck in their hometown.

  She quickly sent a response back to Sophie, letting her know that she would only have a few hours on Saturday afternoon to meet. The rest of the time, she’d be busy at the bookstore or with Maya. Olivia loved Sophie, just as much as she knew Sophie loved her. But it was getting increasingly difficult to keep up with Sophie’s lifestyle now. She didn’t have the fancy lifestyle that Sophie enjoyed, didn’t live a high-flying corporate life, didn’t own the designer shoes or handbags that Sophie now flaunted. A rift was slowly developing between them, and Olivia was recognizing that they had less in common and fewer things to talk about. But she couldn’t let Sophie go, despite everything that had happened. She was still her best friend.

  Sophie replied with an excited text and an invite to come over to her parents’ home, and Olivia put her phone away. It was back to praying that she got a few more customers in before closing time.

  The boredom of not having anything to do resulted in her mind drifting to thoughts of Sophie again…and this time, Rufus as well, Sophie’s older brother. Rufus Frost. He was the guy who Olivia had grown up around, her teenage fantasy. She had spent her whole life drooling over and pining for him.

  Rufus was destined for stardom, he always had been. In school, Rufus was one of the popular kids, while Olivia and his sister were the nerds. However, Rufus always looked out for them and made sure that nobody ever picked on Sophie or her best friend. Not on his watch.

  College was the same. Rufus was the town hero, the rising football star who was going to take the town and the college to national prominence. Girls threw themselves at him, boys wanted to be him and parents wished he was their son. Nobody was left out of Rufus Frost’s charm spectrum, least of all Olivia.

  She grew up in his shadow, admiring him for his looks, his good nature and of course his superstardom. But Rufus had always been out of Olivia’s league. She knew that. Which was why, when he joined the NFL and his charisma and success carried on to the national level, nobody was happier to see him go than Olivia. She didn’t want to be in his presence anymore, she didn’t want to suffer all her life, pining away for a man she could never have. Even though it had seemed for some time, to her at least, that they might actually have a chance, Olivia knew the truth was that they never did. Rufus didn’t feel the same way. To him, Olivia Snyder was nothing more than his sister’s best friend.

  The bell hanging over the bookstore door tinkled, snapping Olivia out of her thoughts. A customer had walked in! The middle-aged man looked around the shop for a minute, his hands flying over the bookshelves, dragging out titles he thought he wanted. Olivia watched from the till with a smile on her face, ready to recommend books or spark up a conversation that might eventually lead to a sale.

  The man walked out of the store empty-handed. It was almost like the universe was teasing her. She was going to have to go home without having met her target today, bringing her one day closer to losing her job.

  ***

  Olivia parked outside her mother’s house and remained sitting in the car for a few minutes longer. She needed to compose herself before she went it. The door was left open as usual, as her mother was never in a habit to lock the house. Olivia walked in, adding a forced spring to her step and pasting a smile onto her face.

  Her mom was in the living room, in front of the television, with Maya on her lap.

  “Hello, kids,” Olivia greeted them chirpily. Her mom and Maya both turned, both equally happy to see her.

  “Hi, honey. How was your day with Nana?” Olivia reached for her daughter, who grabbed her by the neck and hung from it while they cuddled. Maya had not started talking properly yet, but could say a few words, which always made Olivia proud. She was certain
that her daughter was going to be a genius.

  “How was your day?” Jen, Olivia’s mother, asked.

  “Good, good. We had a busy day at the store,” Olivia replied, still hugging her daughter and trying to avoid her mother’s inquisitive stare.

  “Really? I heard from Lucy that they’re planning on closing the store down. Not enough customers.” Jen had folded her arms across her chest and was glaring at Olivia while she spoke.

  “I don’t know why Lucy would say that. The store is doing really well now.” Olivia was still not looking at her mother, instead busying herself with smoothing the delicate blonde curls around Maya’s angelic face.

  “So you’re meeting your targets?” Jen still urged, and Olivia rolled her eyes.

  “Yes, mom. Will you leave it be? I have to go now.” She whipped around quickly, with Maya still in her arms, and rummaged around to pick up the bags that she’d brought over in the morning. Jen was awfully quiet as she watched Olivia clearing up the mess of toys that Maya had made.

  “Olivia,” Jen said, in a low, worried tone.

  “What, mom?”

  “You’ll tell me if things are going badly?”

  “Yes, I will, mom. I can manage it myself.” Olivia positioned Maya on the crook of her hip and then came over to give her mother a quick hug.

  “It’s Maya I’m worried about. She’s going to turn two in a few months, her necessities and expenses are only going to grow.” Jen still had that worried voice as she spoke. Olivia pulled herself away from her mother slowly and looked at her. Olivia knew her mother meant well, but she didn’t want to cause worry.

  “We’ll be fine, mom. Thanks for your help, though.” Olivia tried to smile weakly while stroking her mother’s arm at the same time.

  “Why can’t the father help, too?” Jen hurled the words at her and Olivia turned around to start walking away. Not this again!