Playing for Keeps

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Who cares what other people think?” Michelle replied.

  “I can just see it now. Gold digger finally traps hockey star.” Charisma waved her hand across the air as if reading a headline. “I’m going to be vilified again.”

  “No, you won’t.” Morgan came over and hugged her. “The fear is the hormones talking. Trust me, you’re just going to through a gauntlet of emotions.”

  “You know how the fame game works,” Isabelle said as she passed her a linen napkin to wipe her tears. “It’s not salacious enough to be happy in a relationship. That doesn’t help advertising dollars. You know how many times I’ve seen something that said Tate’s music is suffering because he’s married with kids? Or that he’s cheating on me with one of his backup singers?”

  “Yeah, I totally wanted to go to that magazine’s office,” Michelle huffed, “but she wouldn’t let me.”

  “Because it won’t solve anything. The important thing is that you and Derek know the truth.” Isabelle sliced a piece of cheesecake and set it in front of her.

  “Great,” she said, eyeing the huge piece of cheesecake. “My ass is going to get even bigger.” She laughed through the tears.

  Michelle nodded. “Yeah, I was a maniac when I was pregnant.”

  “It wasn’t really that different from your normal personality.” Isabelle raised an eyebrow.

  Mackenzie came back into the room with a big gift bag and handed it to Charisma. “This is for you.”

  “I can’t wait to open it.” She caressed Mackenzie’s cheek.

  “One sec,” Morgan said to Charisma. “We have something else for you too. It’s a late housewarming present. I’m sorry it didn’t arrive for the actual party, but it took some time.” Morgan headed to the hall closet and retrieved a large package.

  “You and Seth have already been quite generous with the gifts,” Charisma said. Who else would get their friend an actual scoreboard? “What is it?”

  “Open it and find out.”

  Charisma cried again when she finished unwrapping her present. It was a large portrait of her, Morgan, and Isabelle. They were sitting on their grandmother’s porch and couldn’t have been more than six years old. It was one of the rare times they were all happy together. They had on matching pink dresses, sandals, and their hair was braided in ponytails. Aunt Elizabeth was always taking photos of them for posterity. She said she wanted to remember every moment of their growth. Charisma always wondered if her aunt had a premonition that she was going to die at an early age. When she thought back, her aunt had done a lot of things as if she’d known she had little time.

  “I remember that day.” She sniffed. “It was a hot summer day, and Aunt Elizabeth said she would take us for ice cream if we could sit still for the picture.”

  “Yeah, that was a great day.”

  “Kenzie.” Morgan looked at the gift bag her daughter had brought downstairs. “I think there was another bag for Aunt Charisma on mommy’s bed. Can you go get it?”

  “OK.” Mackenzie scurried out of the room again.

  “I hate to break up the tender moment, but I just got a ping on the family’s social media page. The cat is out of the bag, big time.” Avery passed her phone around.

  “What!” Charisma gripped the phone. “I bet it was that damn Trina.”

  It was no surprise that her cell phone started pinging like crazy.

  “Wait, there’s a link.” Avery kept scrolling. “The Pirates posted it on their social media page and it’s spreading.”

  “I can’t believe this.” She bit her lip. On cue, her cell phone rang. It was her mother. She sent the call to voice mail.

  “You’re not going to like this.” Morgan looked at her cell phone display. “It’s a text from Trina. She walked in on the tail end of a fight between Sydney and your mom at Grandma’s house.”

  Isabelle put her fork down and turned to Charisma. “Please tell me you told your mom already?”

  “No, I didn’t.” She closed her eyes. This was a nightmare. “She told me a few weeks ago that I was making a mistake by living with Derek. Does that sound like someone who’d be happy to hear I’m pregnant with his baby?”

  “Oh.” Michelle gulped.

  Morgan gave her a funny look. “Is that why you said no to his—”

  Mackenzie came back into the room with the gift bag, so they tabled the conversation for a time when young ears weren’t around. They all silenced their phones and continued to talk about old times. While Morgan and Isabelle had fonder memories of their childhood, Charisma could only recall being dragged from one thing to another, all in the name of her mother showcasing her. She wasn’t going to do that to her child.

  Two hours later, Derek was still out with Seth, but she was getting tired, so Morgan and Isabelle walked her to the guesthouse. They told her to be prepared for an extra-massive spread at the Sunday family dinner. Teri-Lyn loved to cook special goodies for mothers-to-be. She looked at the clock and shook her head. It was only nine thirty. The days of the night owl party woman who loved to dance were becoming a distant memory. She and Derek hadn’t been out dancing in a while and she missed it. Since he was out, she might as well do the thing she didn’t want to do. She had to call her mom.

  She sat down and dreaded every ring until her mom finally picked up. “Hi, Mom. Did I wake you?”

  “No, I was just sitting here sipping on some chardonnay wondering where I went so horribly wrong that I find out my daughter’s pregnant on social media and she’s in Texas,” Debra drawled.

  “I didn’t mean for you and dad to find out like that. The news kind of got away from us. And—” She took a deep breath and rubbed her tummy. “I didn’t feel like hearing what a big mistake I was making.”

  “You having a baby is a wonderful thing.”

  “You think so?” She relaxed just a little.

  “Yes. Do you know how long I’ve waited to be a grandmother? I can’t wait until I have a grandbaby to spoil.”

  “So you’re finished trashing Derek? Because like it or not, he’s the father of your soon-to-be grandchild.”

  “I can’t help how I feel, and I don’t feel he’s right for you.”

  “Goodnight, Mom.” Charisma ended the call.

  * * *

  Derek waved goodnight to Seth and headed into the guesthouse. It had been quite a night with Seth and the guys. After they ate, they rounded up the rest of the fellas on the ranch and had a good old-fashioned gab session on Tate’s porch, complete with beer and scotch. It was good sitting around with men who were great fathers, telling him about the wondrous things he should expect in the months to come. The mood swings and the crying would be balanced by happy moments that made it all worth it. They told him to let Charisma take the lead and that included respecting her wishes about marriage right now. Seth told him to hold on to the love they shared because it was real. The Reed women were stubborn, but they eventually came around on their own terms.

  Inside, he made his way through the guesthouse wondering if Charisma had gone to bed early. He followed the sound of the soft music coming from the bathroom. He opened the door, then stood there and looked at her. She looked gorgeous as she hummed to the song as she soaped up. She often said a shower helped her scrub off the angst of the world around her. But tonight she was using slow, gentle motions as she moved the body puff over her skin. Her hand went to her stomach and she smiled.

  Derek stripped and stepped into the shower with her. He turned the showerhead so the water beat down directly on his head.

  Charisma turned and put her arms around him. “Are you mad at me?”

  “I could never be mad at you.” He placed his chin on top of her head.

  “Good. Because I need you. We need you.”

  The warmth of the water cascading over their bodies was nothing compared to the heat between them. Her kisses ignited something primal within him that was hard to control, but now he had to be more careful with her. He trailed kisses down her neck unt
il he reached the center of her breasts. He gripped her waist, picked her up, and gently brought her down on him. He groaned at the feel of her clamping down on him. She tightened her grip on his shoulders and encircled her legs around his waist.

  He pumped harder, loving the feel of nothing between them. It was sweeter this time because he knew this was how they’d made their baby. Love, passion, and caring became a perfect recipe for bringing a life into the world. A part of him would forever live on in the life they created and that was pretty damn awesome. Charisma held onto him for dear life as they climaxed together.

  * * *

  Charisma paced around the exam room in the pretty pink cotton gown. She was a nervous wreck, but Derek was his usual calm self. Today they’d be getting the sonogram done. Things had been good between them since they’d both agreed to a cease-fire when they came back from Texas and decided to take things day by day. They were making plans for the nursery, and Derek had bought a slew of toys and books. Michelle was able to track down a series of bedtime stories he liked as a child in Russian. He’d read them to the baby every night while rubbing her stomach, insisting it was never too early to be bilingual. Derek reveled in his impending fatherhood with his teammates and they celebrated by getting together at the Slap Shot for drinks. Jonas and Mike both attended, but didn’t say much to each other.

  Things were going great with the exception of the strained relationship with her mother.

  “What’s taking the doctor so long?” she said. “It’s rude for her to make us wait forever.”

  “I’m sure it will only be a few more minutes. The nurses have checked in on us twice.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Uh, the nurses checked in to check you out.”

  “I don’t think so.” He grinned.

  “Believe me, I heard. I have super nosey hearing. I can hear them giggling every time they close the door.”

  “I just have one of those faces.”

  “I know.” She continued to pace. “You’re too damn handsome for your own good.”

  “Babe, have a seat.”

  “I can’t. I’m too nervous.” She was wringing her hands. “Why aren’t you nervous?”

  “Because I am sure everything is fine.” He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap. “You’ve been eating right and getting plenty of sleep. And that doesn’t include the times you fell asleep while eating in bed.”

  She bit back a smile. “I was multitasking.”

  There was a knock on the door, then it opened. It was the nurse. “Hi there. Dr. Albright will be in shortly. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable. Can I get you anything?”

  “I’m fine.” Charisma smiled. “Just a little anxious.”

  “What about you, Mr. Reed? Can I get you some water?”

  “Actually that’s Popovich,” Derek asserted. “And the baby will be a Popovich too.”

  “Oh. OK.” The nurse blinked rapidly like she’d made a faux pas. “Dr. Albright is almost finished with the call to the hospital. It will be any moment.”

  Charisma stood and put her hands on her hips. “What was that all about?”

  “What?”

  “What do you mean the baby will be a Popovich?”

  Derek stood. “There’s no way my child isn’t going to have my last name.”

  “This isn’t the stone ages.”

  “I’m not infringing on your rights as a mother. I’m asserting my rights as a father.” He folded his arms across his chest.

  The door opened again. This time it was finally Dr. Albright.

  “I apologize profusely.” Dr. Albright went over to the sink and washed her hands.

  “We’ll continue this discussion later,” Charisma said through her teeth as he gently hoisted her up on the exam table.

  Charisma tried to focus as the doctor made light conversation while she prepped the machine. She continued to send Derek silent, deadly looks. He responded with smiles and bantered with the doctor, who was a hockey fan.

  She was irritated though. They hadn’t discussed a lot of things; they were still letting the dust settle on the recent events. Now the last name of their child was going to be an issue. She was a Reed. The baby should be a Reed. That was all that there was to it…except he did have a point. He had rights too, and she had to be mindful of that. Since they’d reached an impasse on the marriage thing, logically he’d want to know where he stood legally with his child. Did they need to make some kind of agreement? She pushed that thought out of her mind as dread settled in her chest. What was she thinking? They loved each other. This didn’t have to become a battle. Like every other obstacle they’d come across lately, they would figure out a compromise.

  She tuned back in to the sonogram when the jelly went onto her belly. She took a deep breath as the doctor moved the wand around. Finally she hovered over a prime spot and the baby came into view. It was incredible that something that small would grow and come out of her. There would be diaper changes and skinned knees and before she knew it, the baby would be off to college. But she was comforted that Derek would be right there with her.

  Before she could reach for his hand, Derek took her hand and squeezed. Tears of joy fell from her eyes. She was glad she wore her waterproof mascara today.

  The doctor was staring at the monitor. “The heartbeat is strong and the size is consistent for the number of weeks.”

  “So that means everything is good?”

  “Better than good.” Dr. Albright smiled. “This one will be blocking the other team’s biscuits and cross checking in no time, just like dad.”

  “This is amazing.” Charisma sniffed.

  “It gets even better. Do you want to know the sex of the baby?”

  Charisma looked at him. “What do you think?”

  “That’s up to Mom.” Derek smiled and wiped her tears away.

  “No, we should make the decision together,” she replied.

  “I just want a healthy baby. I’m going to spoil it rotten no matter what it is.”

  “OK.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s wait. It will be a fun surprise.”

  “Not a problem. Some parents like the suspense.” The doctor hit a button on the machine then began wiping the jelly off her belly. “I want to see you in a few weeks, and keep up whatever you’re doing.”

  She nodded. “Thanks.” She sat up when the doctor exited the room. Derek stood and caressed her legs.

  “That was something, huh?”

  “Words can’t describe how I feel right now.” She tried to smile.

  “Listen, about—”

  She interrupted. “Can we talk about this last name business another time? We’re in the middle of another one of those special moments.”

  “I don’t want to talk about that.” He shook his head. “I know you feel like I asked you to marry me as a gut reaction to the baby news. I can’t blame you for feeling that way; the timing was less than ideal. But I want you to keep an open mind and heart and give me a chance. If it takes the rest of my life, I’ll prove to you over and over that I love you and the baby, not out of obligation but because we’re meant to be. I knew it the first time I saw you. But you have to be sure too. The next time I ask you to marry me, I promise I’ll do it right.”

  Charisma nodded, afraid that if she said a word she’d bawl right there. She’d done a million things wrong in her life, but loving Derek was the one thing she’d managed to get right. She’d be foolish to risk losing him over something small like the last name of their baby. She didn’t think he’d leave her for that…but she knew a part of her old, me-first self had reared up a little then. She’d thought she’d had that part of her safely locked in the past, but sometimes since she’d become pregnant it was so hard to get a grip on her emotions. She was ready to cry all the time. Other times she wanted to take on the world for the baby inside her. Everything was so new and confusing.

  He loved her and he was willing to put in the work to put her at ease, even though she was the
one hesitant to go forward with him. He’d been that way with her since the beginning. Their courtship had been a gentle, loving dance, and he’d let her guide them so long, she never stopped and considered what he’d needed in the relationship too. She slid off the exam table and got dressed. Derek helped her with the zipper on her dress; she was anxious to get home. She had a million things to do, but right now she just wanted to go home and enjoy the warmth of being in his arms.

  He held the door open for her. “Do you still want to go shopping?”

  “What do you say to picking up some takeout, cuddling on the couch, and watching some action movies?”

  “I’d love to.” He kissed her.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Derek stamped the invoice and put it in the pile on his office desk at the Slap Shot. When Steve called and said one of the bartenders had gotten sick, he thought it would be a great time to come in and get some paperwork done. Charisma was visiting with Sydney and Grandma Reed and she didn’t need to be picked up for a few hours. He’d thought about going with her, but he figured he’d give them some time alone since Debra wasn’t trying to bond with Charisma.

  After he’d caught up with the bookkeeping and put in the orders for next week, it was time to help out on the floor. They had a good-size crowd, and it looked like they’d have another successful night. To his surprise, Jonas and Mike were there having a drink. They seemed to be in a deep discussion, so he thought it best not to bother them right now. But at least it hadn’t taken months for things to blow over. The last thing the team needed was for them to be fighting during the pre-season.

  He poured himself a glass of scotch and took a sip. He went into his shirt pocket and took out the sonogram photo. He was still dumbstruck that something they’d created was growing inside Charisma. Against every instinct he had, he dropped the marriage proposal business and decided to focus on enjoying this special time in their lives. There were a ton of things to accomplish before the baby came. They decorated, shopped, and had even picked up brochures for schools. Seth and Morgan told them that as crazy as it seemed, it was never too early to apply because the exclusive private schools like the one the boys attended in Philadelphia filled up quickly.