by Ava Walsh
Olivia didn’t look at the ring or stop to admire it. She wanted his arms around her shoulders instead.
Rufus and Olivia kissed, for the first time in front of other people, and she felt like she could stay in his arms forever. Maya was clapping too, joining in the celebration, and Olivia watched as Rufus went over to pick his daughter up. He looked like a man who didn’t know what to do with the joy he was experiencing, a proud father.
“She has his eyes, and his hair…no, your hair,” Sophie said beside her and Olivia turned to look at her with a laugh.
“I should have seen it years ago when she was born.” She added and Olivia bit down on her lip. “I don’t know how you managed to keep it a secret for so long, but now it’s all out in the open. You’re marrying your dream man.” Sophie hugged her friend again and Olivia laughed.
“I’m marrying everyone’s dream man.”
*****
THE END
Secret Baby Sports Romance: The Hockey Player's Secret Baby
Description
He can never know! My secret will destroy him...
Chelsey and Hannah practically grew up together. They were best friends, sure, but there was one secret Chelsey kept to herself: her feelings for Hannah’s older brother, Aron Keels...
Chelsey believed that she could keep her feelings for Aron in check, save her friendship and move on with her life. That, is until college ended, and Aron was all set to leave town. He had been scouted and picked up by an NHL team in Los Angeles.
On his last night in town, at the end of a drunken party, Chelsey and Aron fell into bed together. And then he left...
Three years later, Chelsey is still in the same town, working at the same hair salon where she worked while at college. She has cut off all ties with her family and her friends, including Hannah. She lives a life of seclusion in a cramped apartment, trying to make ends meet.
When Hannah walks into the salon, she is surprised to find Chelsey still works there… Then she delivers Chelsey some news—her celebrity brother is going to be in town as well, attending their parents’ thirtieth anniversary party.
How will Chelsey continue to keep her life a secret, now that everything she is protecting seems to be unravelling?
Chapter One - Chelsey
Chelsey was tired of smiling, especially since she also had to concentrate. People entrusted their hair into her hands, literally, and it was her job to give them a fabulous new look which they might tip her extra for. She was holding the large oval mirror behind her current customer’s head and also trying to keep the usual fake smile plastered on her face.
“That is gorgeous! Exactly the way I wanted,” the woman with the unmanageable cowlick on her forehead turned in her seat to say. Chelsey continued smiling, nodding as she plugged in the blow dryer. The woman sat back again and, from the corner of her eye, Chelsey noticed her digging around in her purse. Great success! She was going to get the tip.
“I have to leave in like fifteen minutes, Monica,” Chelsey said, tapping the floor manager’s shoulder after her customer had left.
“But your shift doesn’t end for another half an hour, Chelsey.” Monica whipped around, passing a quick look to the clock on the wall.
“I know, but the sitter texted me to say that she can’t stay for much longer. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll make up for it soon,” Chelsey said, pouting her lips in the hopes that she might be able to charm Monica just as successfully as she did her clients.
“I’ve already signed on one more customer for you. So you’ll have to do that one. Apparently it’s just a trim,” Monica said, shaking her head indulgently.
“It’s never just a trim. Thanks anyway, Monica,” Chelsey said, walking away from her with an accomplished smile on her face.
She stood waiting behind the high chair, staring at herself in the mirror. Her natural poker-straight hair was cut to a manageable length right at her shoulders, her face looked pale and overworked, she hadn’t had time to touch up her pink-tinted lipstick since the morning and her clothes were covered in hair and chemical products.
Her next customer brushed past her and sat down with a thump on the chair in front of her, snapping her out of her self-pitying thoughts.
“How are we today?” she automatically chirped. It was a strange, robotic voice that turned on without any initiation in front of customers. She turned to pick up the robe and tie it around the customer’s neck but when she looked up into the mirror, her hands froze and she nearly dropped the pair of scissors and comb from her hands.
The girl was staring at her in the mirror as well, a slow grin forming on her face.
“Chelsey?” she shrieked, and she whipped around in her chair to look up at her directly.
“Hannah.” Chelsey couldn’t smile any longer. Her pretend face had long disappeared.
“How crazy is this?” Hannah jumped out of the chair and flung her arms around Chelsey’s neck, nearly strangling her.
“It is crazy. What are you doing here? Are you back in town?” Chelsey managed to ask, even though she could feel her heart racing in her throat and her palms growing sweaty. She hadn’t seen Hannah in three years. She didn’t want to see Hannah. She wished she could forget that they had ever been best friends.
“Well, not back back. Just for a week, actually,” Hannah said, finally pulling away from her, giving her some space to breathe.
“How come?” Chelsey asked, realizing that she still had the scissors in her hands, dangerously pointing towards herself in fact. She placed them on the counter in front of the mirror.
“It’s my parents’ thirtieth anniversary. They’re throwing a big party. Aaron is flying in as well. Fingers crossed.” Hannah giggled and Chelsey tried to smile. “I had no idea you were still in town,” she added.
“I had to come back,” Chelsey said, probably too quickly, and then stole a look at the clock.
“Why? I thought you were liking New York,” Hannah probed.
“My mother…she got ill and I had to come back and take care of her,” Chelsey said, and ran her hands through her hair. She could feel herself blushing, and her nerves were giving way to full-blown panic. Hannah clucked her tongue in sympathy.
“Is that why you stopped replying to my emails and texts? I’m so sorry, Chelsey. I had no idea.” Hannah looked genuinely upset and sympathetic, and Chelsey immediately felt guilty for lying.
“She’s alright now, though. So, all is well.” Chelsey tried to shrug it off with a nervous laugh.
“So you’re working here now?” Hannah asked. Chelsey took a deep breath and smiled her widest fake smile.
“Only temporarily,” she said, and started to take a few paces back.
“Well, that’s exciting, then. It’s been years since you gave me a haircut. Remember when you used to practice on my hair, and sometimes even on Aaron’s?” Hannah giggled again, but Chelsey was slowly backing away from her now.
“I do remember. But…it’s just that I have to go now. Something’s come up,” Chelsey said, interrupting Hannah’s laugh. She had backed away from Hannah far enough to be able to reach the coat rack on the wall, where she turned to pick up her jacket and bag.
“Are you serious? You can’t be serious. I just got here, Chelsey. What’s wrong?” She could hear Hannah’s voice behind her as she ran towards the door, pushed it open and hurried out without turning to inform Monica that she was leaving. She wanted to get as far away from Hannah as possible, as far away from the mention of Aaron’s name as possible. The guy who had ruined the possibility of continuing a friendship with Hannah. The guy who she thought she was in love with. The guy she could never get over.
Chelsey arrived at her car, jerked the door open and sat down with a thump. She breathed out deeply and tried to steady her heartbeat. She had a daughter to go back home to.
Chapter Two - Aaron
Aaron knew she was looking at him. He had been thumbing through his phone, while his carry-on bag remained slung ove
r his shoulder. But he could sense it, she was looking at him. He had noticed her when he joined the queue. He was sure everyone else had noticed her too. Sleek blonde hair, blow dried to perfection, plump red lips, matching red nails, a tight pair of jeans and a crop top that showed off her flat belly and her tiny waist.
He didn’t recognize her, but it was easy to tell that she was a model and judging by the brands of accessories she was carrying, she had to be a super model.
And now she was looking at him, while he stood a few paces behind her.
The airline staff were checking their tickets, and Aaron bit down on his lower lip. He wondered if he was going to be seated beside her.
“Hi.” He heard a voice and even before he had looked up, he knew it was her. She had a soft refined voice, but she wasn’t shy. She had recognized him and she was going to take the opportunity to introduce herself.
Aaron looked up and took a few steps forward to reduce the gap between them. She stepped around the man who was standing directly in front of Aaron. She seemed happy to give up her place in the queue, just to be able to talk to him.
“Hello,” he replied, flicking his phone off and sliding it into the pocket of his pants.
“You are Aaron Keels,” she said, a wide smile spreading across her face. He could sense other people looking at them. He could almost hear what they were all thinking, this gorgeous bombshell and Aaron Keels. How good they look together!
“In the flesh.” Aaron extended his hand to her and she shook it, confidently, he noticed.
“I’m Becca Lowry,” she said with a twinkle in her dark green eyes, as though he was supposed to recognize that name.
“I know,” Aaron said, still clasping her hand in his. That was the first time he heard that name, and even though she was drop dead beautiful, he couldn’t quite place where he had seen her before. Nowadays, they all looked the same to him.
Becca’s smile grew. She believed him, that he had recognized her.
“Fancy us being on the same flight. I was at one of your games this season. In LA.,” she continued.
“I’m honored that Becca Lowry attended my game. You should have come up and said hi after we won.” Aaron slowly pulled his hand away from her, and watched as her cheeks blushed a bright red. He hadn’t pegged her for a blusher, but he knew he could make any woman in the world blush. He always knew what to say to them.
“I figured you were busy,” she said, shaking her head gently so that her hair fell into place again. He noticed how long her arms were, and slender, and the chunky diamond studded watch around her right wrist. He still didn’t know anything about her, but it was evident that Becca Lowry was successful.
“I wouldn’t have been busy if I knew you were at the game,” Aaron said, looking directly into her eyes, and she blushed again.
“What is your seat number? I wonder if we’re sitting anywhere close to each other.” She ran her long red nails through her hair and Aaron gazed at her voluptuous breasts, the way they stretched the thin silk material of her designer crop top.
She caught him looking, but she only smiled at him.
“I’m in Business class,” Aaron said, and Becca shrugged her shoulders.
“So am I. I’m in 9A,” she said, looking at him with hopeful eyes. Aaron caught sight of her belly again and he felt himself stir in his pants. He had never seen her before, but he wondered if Becca Lowry could be one of the most beautiful women he had ever met in his life. She probably was. Her features were too defined, her high cheekbones were like royalty, her hair was perfect, her body was smashing…the list went on.
“I’m in 4A,” Aaron said, without looking at his ticket. He knew his seat number by now.
“I’m sure we can figure it out. We can speak to the flight attendants and find a way of sitting next to each other,” Becca said softly, and leaned in towards him. He got a whiff of her expensive perfume, and a thought occurred to him. He wondered how delicious she would smell between her legs. He wondered if in another hour she might be begging him to fuck her in the toilets, to join the mile high club. She wouldn’t be the first one, and she wouldn’t be the last. On his last count, he had fucked seven women on different flights, so that would make Becca Lowry the eighth.
Aaron only smiled at her, and she smiled back. She had caught him gazing at her body, and she knew what he was thinking.
The queue was growing shorter and now Becca was only one person away from having her ticket checked and being led through into the aircraft, followed by Aaron himself.
“So should I speak to them, or will you?” she asked, poised to take the step towards the staff member waiting for her now.
Aaron shrugged and continued smiling.
“I really need to catch up on some sleep, Becca. It was nice to meet you though and I hope you have a good flight.” He touched her waist gently and then pulled his hand away to take his phone out of his pocket. He didn’t bother to look at her, he knew what the expression on her face would be. Shock and embarrassment.
Chapter Three - Chelsey
Chelsey carried Ruby to the kitchen. She couldn’t believe her luck: Ruby had fallen asleep in her arms. This meant that she would have some time to herself, to think things over. She started boiling the vegetables and the chunks of chicken breast, placing Ruby on her high chair, still sleeping. So, Hannah was back in town, and Aaron might follow. Chelsey knew what that meant: there was no avoiding facing them. If she knew Hannah at all, she was not the kind of girl to just take no for an answer.
Chelsey had continued to text back and email Hannah for a few months after they had finished college nearly three years ago and Hannah left for Chicago, just to avoid an onslaught of questions. What she couldn’t bring herself to do, though, was answer any of her calls. As for Aaron, he was the kind of guy who probably wouldn’t even remember her. They had all grown up together. Chelsey had practically lived at their home all through her teenage years. Hannah and she were inseparable. Aaron was in the room next door. Aaron was her best friend’s brother, and also the guy of her dreams.
The water boiled over as Chelsey stood leaning against the cabinets. She realized a minute too late, and the stew had already boiled over the pot and spilled all over the floor. The commotion woke Ruby up and she was squealing in no time. Chelsey stubbed her toe in the rush to turn the gas down and also go to Ruby to placate her. She cursed, then apologized and soon enough felt hot tears pricking the back of her eyelids.
“C’mon, sweetheart. Go back to sleep. Mommy’s going to make us some nice warm dinner,” she cooed to her two-year-old daughter. Ruby’s screams started to die down as she placed her head on her mother’s chest, right next to her beating heart, but she was blubbering still. Chelsey couldn’t help but smile at the small bubbles Ruby was blowing out from her saliva-laden mouth.
“You’re a cutie, aren’t you?” she cooed again, and gently rubbed her nose with her daughter’s. She looked into Ruby’s glassy blue eyes. They reminded her of her own mother’s. Her mother who didn’t speak to her anymore. The mother she hadn’t seen in over a year. Chelsey’s mother was disappointed and angry. She was upset with her daughter for getting pregnant at such a young age. Mostly, she was angry with Chelsey because she refused to reveal to anybody who Ruby’s father was.
With Ruby in her arms, Chelsey rocked over to the living room and placed the baby into the playpen. She reached for the remote control and switched the television on, knowing the sights and the colors always calmed Ruby down. She wasn’t prepared, however, to see Aaron’s smiling, victorious face on the TV screen. Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise rather than disbelief. She almost felt like she was being watched, like somebody was listening in on her subconscious.
It was a news segment on yet another victory for his team. The presenters had nothing but praise for Aaron Keels, the star who had led the team to another win. Aaron Keels is unstoppable, the voiceover said, as Aaron’s dark curls were pasted over his sweaty forehead on-screen. Aaron
Keels is a hero to millions, the man continued, and Aaron was laughing while running with his team towards the exit, with thousands of cheering fans in the background. Chelsey had to close her eyes tightly to get the image out of her head, but his piercing green eyes were forever embedded in her brain. She simply couldn’t forget his face.
Her heart was racing again. Ruby was thankfully distracted, playing with her building blocks, and Chelsey rushed to the stack of newspapers on the side of the couch. She sifted through them till she found the one she was looking for. She’d found it on page 3 of the paper a few weeks ago but quickly ignored it then, choosing to strengthen herself by living in denial. Today was not the day she could live in denial anymore.
There it was, Aaron Keels’ smiling face staring back at her. It was a series of shots of him leaving an LA nightclub. Two girls, in seemingly matching sequin dresses, clung from his arms. They were all smiling. She could see the glittering Rolex on his wrist and the long black Limousine behind them, waiting to take them back to his place. The gossip column detailed his relationship with the girls, who were both rising models. Aaron Keels definitely had a reputation in LA. He was the hot stuff that everyone wanted. They wanted to sleep with him, to be seen with him, to endorse him, to shower him with advertisement deals. And Aaron Keels happily obliged.
She could feel the rising anger in her gut. That was not the guy she knew growing up, but that was clearly who he had become. She threw the newspaper away from her and walked back over to Ruby to brush her soft, black curls away from her forehead. She didn’t know how she was going to deal with this, with any of this.
