Page 83 of Playing It Forward

“Is that…” Nolan swallows.

“Yes, daddy. That’s your baby.”

“My baby. Suddenly, I can’t wait for the season to be finished.” He leans close to the monitor. “I can’t wait to meet you, little mermaid.”

I hope he gets to meet her. I hope I can carry this baby to term. But I haven’t been the luckiest person when it comes to having my wishes come true.

Nolan leans down and gently removes my lip from between my teeth. I didn’t even realize I was chewing on it. “Let me worry about everything. You concentrate on being healthy. I got you.”

Does he really? He’s a quarterback on an NFL team hyped to be the next Super Bowl winner.

He can’t have me and football. But which one will he choose?

Chapter 27

It’s difficult to panic properly while Tanner is making condom jokes.

Nolan

I park my SUV in front of the stadium at Coastal State University. For the first time in my life, I don’t want to be at practice. I want to be with Terri. But she kicked me out of her office. Apparently, I was ‘hovering’. Whatever that means.

I’m itching to get my hands on the bedroom in her house I think would make a good nursery. I don’t want Terri to lift a hand. I want to take care of it. Of her. Of everything.

“Ahem!” Tanner clears his throat.

“Hey, Tanner,” I greet. I start to walk toward the entrance but I’m blocked by Brock. “What’s going on?”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “You got a woman on this island pregnant.”

I glare at him. “A woman? Terri isn’t any woman. She’s my woman.”

“Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.” Tanner waves his hands around. “Terri’s pregnant? The woman who rejected you multiple times?”

I growl and step toward him. Corbin blocks me. “Not worth it.”

“Disagree.” My nostrils flare. “He’s joking about Terri. How would you feel if we were joking about Siena?”

I expect him to deny his relationship with Siena – the way he’s been denying it for weeks now, but he doesn’t. He simply steps out of the way and motions toward Tanner. “Have at it.”

Tanner squeaks before ducking behind Brock, who quirks an eyebrow at him. “Do you seriously think I’ll save you?”

“You’re grumpy but honorable.”

Brock rolls his eyes. “Nice try, goofball, but no.”

Tanner looks to Gage, who shakes his head at him. “We agreed to warn Nolan; the entire team knows he’s having a baby with Terri. We’re not giving him a hard time about it.”

Tanner grunts. “Not even when he tapped it but forgot to wrap it?” he whines. “I came prepared. The man can read defenses but couldn’t read the condom box. He went from franchise quarterback to suburban dad in record time. This is why quarterbacks shouldn’t improvise. You hit—”

I dive for him but Brock wraps an arm around my waist to stop me. “Coach Knox will bench you if you get caught fighting.”

Tanner peaks out from behind Gage. “Some leader you are.”

I snap my teeth at him. “Seriously? You won’t let me hit him? I’ll aim for his soft tissue. No one will know.”

“You shouldn’t aggravate your shoulder,” Corbin says.

Shit. Does he know how bad my shoulder is? Do they all know?