by Taylor Hart
She laughed, and the sound followed him as he walked over to his teammate’s cocked eyebrow.
“The neighbor’s hot,” Frankie said when he got to him.
Jace rolled his eyes. “She’s married.” He thought of how good she was. How she had spoken of those refugees with such passion. Then he thought of how selfish he was. How Addison had been right. He had a lot to be grateful for. “Plus, that kind of woman is totally out of our league.”
Chapter 5
8 Months Later
Holding her belly, Addison sat on the long swing Tim had put up in the backyard as a consolation gift for being such a butt when she’d told him she was pregnant.
Closing her eyes, her mind flashed to the accident. The semi crashing into the car as they were on their way to get supplies for the baby. She blinked back tears and pushed thoughts away of everything she’d lost.
She still felt numb. Half awake, half zombie-like. Was it bad to be so relieved the baby was okay even when her husband was gone?
Dead.
She’d felt so guilty about being the one still living.
Hoisting herself off the swing took a minute. It amused her that her doctor thought she was underweight for this stage in the pregnancy because she felt huge. Maybe it was more than the physical weight of it.
The doctor had chastised her just that morning, telling her she needed to eat more. Feeling a bit out of breath, she paused at her backdoor before going inside the house.
It felt empty. Which was funny because she hadn’t changed a thing. Tim’s office, clothes, everything in the house was the same. If Tim were alive, he could walk right back in and resume ownership. The overwhelming feeling of sorrow tried to surface, but she squelched it.
She sucked in a breath and moved into the nursery next to her room. It’d been quite a task trying to put the room together. She’d managed to buy all the things she needed for the room, but most of it was still in boxes.
“Gotta get this done, don’t we, baby?” Sitting down next to the half put-together crib, she picked up the wrench and tugged the paper of directions closer to her.
Fifteen minutes into trying to figure it out, she felt dizzy. “Stupid blood sugar.” Her doctor had told her the dizzy spells were from something called gestational diabetes. Apparently, many women developed it later in pregnancy. It wasn’t bad enough to require her to use insulin, but she shouldn’t let her blood sugar dip too low. She was too far along in her pregnancy for that. Using the wall as leverage, she hoisted herself up and waddled down the hall.
When she opened the fridge, she wasn’t surprised to see there wasn’t much in it. Reluctantly, she admitted she was starving.
Picking up her purse, she opened her billfold to see how much cash she had. Digging through it, she stumbled upon a Cubbies’ receipt next to a ten-dollar bill.
She hadn’t been back to Cubbies since she’d seen Jace Harding there. It struck her as funny that she would find the receipt now. She may be behind on putting her receipts into Quicken, but she wasn’t that far behind.
Holding the receipt, she thought of how he had caught the winning touchdown in the championship game in February.
Then she shook her head, trying to get Jace out of her mind. Shoving her billfold back into her purse, she got the keys and headed out the door.
Cubbies sounded good.
Chapter 6
With the Jeep top down, Jace relished the fresh air on his face as he zoomed down the interstate toward Castle Rock. “Thank you, Lord, for the sun on my face and the fresh air in my lungs,” he said aloud to no one.
He was off the month of May, and he’d committed to helping his parents on their ranch in Castle Pines, right outside of Castle Rock. Of course, he’d have to go into Denver for a couple of team meetings and for training, but for the most part, he’d be doing ranch stuff with his dad.
In the past few months, he’d surprised everyone, including himself, with how his career had taken off. He was the now the leading running back in the league with the most touchdowns since his winning catch. Still, he continued to train hard, hoping to negotiate a bigger contract.
He deserved more money. He was convinced of it. Negotiations would be finished by the first of June, and then he would know if he was staying with the Storm or going to another team. Determined to enjoy what might be his last chance to hang with his parents, he grinned. He didn’t want to leave the Storm, but the money would be worth it at this point in his career.
Though there had been some appeal to use this month to go sit on a beach and train at a resort, he’d wanted to come home and spend time with his parents, who had been worried about him since the divorce. Taking the exit for Castle Rock, he noticed Cubbies and thought how he hadn’t been there since the day he’d run into Addison.
Suddenly, he had this feeling, well more like an impression, he should stop. But that was stupid he decided, going past it. His mother would be expecting him for dinner, and he didn’t want to ruin his appetite. Getting further down the road, the feeling wouldn’t go away. Annoyed, he made a U-turn and went back.
He wasn’t that hungry, but he could eat something.
Pulling into the parking lot, he thought of Addison. He shook his head. It was probably because the last time he’d been here he’d sat by her. Well, truthfully, he’d sat at a table next to her.
Getting out of the car, he reflected on how she had helped him get through a really tough time in his life. He’d put her advice—well, Cooper Harrison’s advice—into practice and now did a daily ritual of gratitude. Taking it one step further, he’d tried to train himself to incorporate gratitude throughout the day, thanking God for all that was good in his life at every opportunity.
Opening the door to the restaurant, he was pleased to notice there wasn’t another soul in there yet. Maybe he was turning into an early-bird-special old guy sooner than normal. The best perk was not having to fight the crowds. It was just the opposite of the last time he’d been here. Again, Addison’s face popped into his mind, which was strange because he hadn’t really thought about her that much. Though he’d been intrigued by her, she was married, so it would have been pointless to think of her.
Quickly, he ordered his meal, adding on extra chips and queso. After settling down to enjoy his food, he was about to get started when Addison opened the door and rushed inside.
The sight of her almost made him drop his sandwich.
She hadn’t taken notice of him. In fact, she hadn’t taken notice of anything but menu and cashier. He watched her get her tray then fill her drink. The small bump on her tummy was pronounced.
It didn’t surprise him she was pregnant. Well, good for her and Tim. Yes.
He found it weird that he still had an attraction to the woman because, at the moment, she was wearing slippers and her hair was simply pulled back into a ponytail. Clearly, the pregnancy was hard for her. She looked completely worn out compared to the Addison he’d run into here a couple of months ago.
His heart raced. This was weird. He hadn’t been here since the last time he’d seen her here, and now, she showed up the one time he came back. He didn’t know what he should feel as Addison turned to head into the open restaurant seating space and froze when their eyes met.
She gasped, and her tray tumbled from her hands. It was like one of those slow motion scenes in a movie. The tragic incident was happening, and the reaction time of the person who could help was horrendously slow. He jumped up and ran to her, arriving just as the tray hit the floor with a crash.
The food all but exploded, Coke splashing across the floor, ketchup splattering up her clothes. Not that her clothes were that great. Maybe even pajamas, he surmised.
“Oh gosh.” He pitifully bent to pick up the tray and grabbed a napkin and held it up to her. “Here, use this.”
The look on her face was still one of horror, but she took the napkin, not using it, just holding it.
A worker was there in an instant, telling them it w
as okay, and he would get it cleaned up. “Ma’am, if you wait, I’ll have them make you some new food.”
Jace stood, but registered something akin to shock on Addison’s face. Her face paled, and she gently touched her stomach in the way pregnant women absently did. “No, I have to go.”
“They’ll make you a new order.” Jace protested, seeing her hand shaking. He wondered if she was okay.
She finally used the napkin and mopped up the soda that had splattered on her face. “I shouldn’t be eating that junk anyway.” She lurched toward the doors.
“Wait.” He rushed in front of her to stop her. “Addison, it’s Jace, remember?” He felt like the dweeb at school trying to get the attention of the popular girl.
A small smile formed on her lips. “I know. Hey,” she said, but there was no emotion behind it. “You caught the winning touchdown. Nice job.”
For some stupid reason, it felt good that she knew that, but now was not the time to explore that feeling. Evaluating her, he wondered if she was okay because it looked like she was getting even paler. “Can you sit for a second, and we’ll get you a drink at least? You’re pale.” He didn’t want to say, and it’s obvious you’re pregnant because his mother had always told him never to assume or ask if a woman was pregnant.
She blinked, and her eyes rolled toward the back of her head. Her legs threatened to buckle.
Taking a chance, he grabbed her arms. “Addison, are you okay?”
“Blood sugar,” she whispered, leaning into him.
Now he had an indisputable reason for her to stay, so he gently ushered her toward his table. “Let’s get some food in you, okay?”
“No, I have to get home,” she said without putting up any resistance.
He got her to the table and pulled out a chair, keeping her braced against his arm. “Look, I’ll call Tim and tell him what happened. While you wait, you can eat.” He gently put her into the chair.
“What?” She looked stunned.
He took a sweet potato fry and held it out to her. She took it, but didn’t eat it. “I’ll call Tim and tell him what’s happening. He can come get you.”
Slowly, she put the fry to her lips and took a bite, chewing slowly. “You can’t call Tim.” She wasn’t looking at him anymore. Her eyes had glazed over.
“Well, I can take you home. Is he working late?”
She didn’t answer, only took another bite and chewed slowly.
He took his chair and scooted it closer to her. “Are you okay? You look like you’re in shock or something. What can I do?”
Blankly turning to him, she reached out and picked up his soda. “Can I have a sip?”
He nodded nervously.
She took a drink, then put the pop down and pointed to the chips. “Can I have one?”
The worker was back, holding a new tray full of food. “Here you go.” He slid the food onto the table.
“Thank you,” Jace said when Addison didn’t respond. She munched on a chip, and looked a bit peaked. “Addison, should I take you to the hospital? Is this a side effect of pregnancy?”
She took a minute to answer, her eyes meeting his. “Part side effect of pregnancy, part side effect of my husband dying.” Her eyes rolled to the side, and she started to slip.
Taking hold of her, he panicked. “Are you okay?”
Staring up at him, she closed her eyes and mumbled. “I just found that receipt.” Then she passed out in his arms.
Chapter 7
Jace sat on the front steps of Addison’s house facing his old home. It would have been funny if he were in an ironic mood. Instead, he was worried.
He’d insisted on taking her to the emergency room. There, he’d found out a couple of things. One, she had gestational diabetes, and her blood sugar was low. Two, the doctor now wanted her on bed rest until the baby came. It was due, he found out, in roughly four weeks.
On the way to her house, she’d been quiet, only answering him when he kept asking how he could help her. He had already figured out a way to bring her car back to the house, which he would do in a bit. One of his teammates would come pick him up and take him there so he could drive her car to her home.
There was so much more to this situation. When Addison had been asked for an emergency number, she’d given the number of Mrs. Hensley, the old cat lady who lived next door. Jace didn’t know much about the almost ninety-year-old woman, only that she’d bugged him unceasingly about getting his front light changed when it had gone out, but she was old always had a passel of cats in front of her house.
The nurse asked if she had family, and Addison had replied no. Of course, he hadn’t wanted to pry about Tim or how he’d died.
When he’d insisted on helping get her situated in her bedroom, she’d protested but finally relented. At first inspection, the house was tidy, but when he’d gone to get her a drink of water, he’d opened the fridge, because the icemaker wasn’t working, and he’d found it bare except for some cottage cheese and apples. The rest of the house was okay, but it looked like it needed a good cleaning.
This was no way for a pregnant lady to live.
His teammate Frankie showed up in his car, and Jace hopped in.
“Man, what are you doing with a pregnant woman?” Frankie grunted at him and then took off. Jace had explained the situation on the phone.
“Hey to you too.”
“Dude, weren’t you supposed to be having dinner at the ranch with your parents? Your mom’s cooking.” He sighed and appeared to be suffering. “What I would do for a mother who cooked for me like yours cooks for you.”
Jace could only imagine how his mother was probably more upset he’d been at Cubbies than the fact he had actually taken a pregnant woman to the hospital. Jace ignored it. “My mother will be fine.”
When they got to Cubbies and he got out of Frankie’s car, Frankie rolled down his window. “So what are you going to do?”
Jace shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Frankie sighed. “Man, this can’t be your problem. You know that, right? You have a big contract negotiation in the works. You’re headed to the top, and you can’t get your head messed up by a pregnant woman whose husband is dead.”
Hearing Frankie be so unfeeling put him off. “Whatever.” He turned to her car.
“Jace,” Frankie said insistently.
Jace unlocked her car and opened the door, turning back to him. “What?”
Frankie rolled his eyes. “I feel bad for her too, but focus is the only thing guys like us got. If we don’t keep our focus, our careers fall apart. You know this.” Frankie had been a good friend to him after he became messed up with everything that Stacy had done to him.
Jace didn’t respond. Adrenaline coursed through him, preparing him for a fight. He wanted to argue but knew Frankie was partially right. Then he thought of the way she’d said, “I found that receipt” right before passing out. What did that mean?
Frankie pointed at him and started pulling away. “Take her car back. Then get to the ranch and tell your mom and dad hi for me.”
Jace watched him drive away, still unable to get the nagging feeling that he had to do something for Addison out of his mind. It couldn’t be a coincidence he ran into her tonight and she passed out in his arms.
He had a gut feeling this was not a mistake. It felt like those precious moments when he would run for the end zone and know, literally know, the ball was going to end up in his hands.
No, this had happened for a reason.
After getting her car back to the house, he went in to check on her.
Walking into the front of her house brought back a lot of memories. Their floor plans were identical, just mirrored, but her walls were filled with pictures, some art and some of people or trips. His ex-wife had never gotten around to putting stuff on the walls. He wondered if that should have been a sign. She wasn’t a stayer. Or she was a leaver or cheater or something.
The past couple of months, he’d worked to s
trengthen himself mentally. He read some books by Cooper Harrison in addition to the gratitude affirmations. He’d also been making donations to the nonprofit group she worked with. Anonymously, of course.
Looking around, he knew she needed help. He wondered if he could help with the bills, vaguely remembering she worked from home.
A thought struck him out of the blue, was this the reason he’d gone to Cubbies today? So he could help her?
Warm chills rushed over him. He didn’t believe in things like destiny or fate. He’d always known hard work was the only thing that ever got him anything. He did believe in God though. Was God telling him something now?
Walking back to her room, he hesitated before pushing the door open. She was in the same spot he’d left her, under the covers, propped up on pillows. The sun was down, and the moonlight shone brightly into her home. Her eyes were closed.
It was strange how protective he felt about her since he’d found out Tim had died.
As he turned to walk down the hall, he remembered seeing her face through the window, the day he’d sold his house. He remembered feeling guilty because he wanted to get to know her even though she was married. Well, now she wasn’t married.
She was, however, pregnant.
He shook his head and grunted. This whole situation was ridiculous. Wandering back to the kitchen, he thought he should at least run to the grocery store and get her some food so she would have something to eat in the morning.
Heading to his car, he thought about who would make sure she was eating every morning. Who would make sure she was okay if her blood sugar dropped too low again? He cursed and tightened his grip around the keys.
Was it him? Was he really sent to help this woman? In another flood of chills, he remembered being twelve and alone at the ranch one night. He’d heard someone breaking in, and he’d just known he’d had to run from his house. Later, when he’d gotten to the house down the street, they’d called the cops and found a bunch of punk kids had broken in and shot some stuff up. That impression had saved his life years ago. Now, he had that same type of feeling. It was telling him to stay, and he knew he couldn’t deny it.
