Page 24 of Her Big Bad Mistake

Damon knew Becky wouldn’t be happy when she found out about this. He practically had to beg her to give him a chance.

“Chet, Stevens, you’re getting out.” The officer opened the cell door and avoided Damon’s gaze. “Congrats on your wife being pregnant.”

They walked out and Damon started to have a sinking feeling as the man continued to talk. “She said you were taking her baby shopping today. Good luck with that. I remember taking my wife on her first baby shopping trip and that was a while ago. Um… my son is a fan of yours. Would you mind signing something for him?”

Damon stopped and looked at the officer. “Did you say my wife was here? Out those doors?”

The officer seemed to figure out he’s said the wrong thing. “Yes, she came with your teammate, Caleb Blackbe.”

Clenching and unclenching his fist, he nodded. “Sure, I’ll sign something for your kid.”

The officer opened the door, stepped out, and walked him to where his lawyer, Caleb, and his wife stood chatting and laughing with police officers. When Becky saw him her eyes widened and he watched her paste a smile on her face. Her eyes were what had him pausing—they flashed bright with anger.

“Honey, I was just telling them that you were supposed to pick me up from the hospital and take me baby shopping.”

What the hell?Becky had never called him honey. Dickhead, asshole, but never honey. What game was she playing?

Her Australian accent was thick as she hugged him and leaned up to whisper, “You’re an arse. This gives me real faith in you…not.” She pulled from his ear and held his hand with a bright smile on her face.

One of the policemen cleared his throat. “Mr. Chet, we have some paperwork for you to sign and then you’re free to go. The charges have been dropped. No more fighting off the ice.”

He tried not to roll his eyes. Of course it was all right for him to beat the shit out of someone as long as it was part of a hockey match. Damon tried to let go of Becky’s hand but she wasn’t giving it up. Giving in to her, he walked to the table and signed the papers. She let go of his hand only to let him sign the documents and autographs before she grabbed it again and held it tight.

Once they were out of the precinct and in Caleb’s car, Caleb waiting behind to finish up with Jacob, Damon waited for the yelling, but Becky did something worse. She broke down crying. Damon felt like a douche as gut-wrenching sobs left Becky.

“You are black and blue. I don’t know if I can do this if this is how you’ll be. I don’t want my child to come with me as we go to the precinct to bail daddy out of jail after another punch up. I saw the footage and I don’t understand how you could do that. Jacob is your friend. Why?” Damon didn’t say anything and she shoved at his chest. “Why?”

“I only found out yesterday that my wife that ran off the day after I married her is pregnant with my child, and I have to beg her to move in with me. Then my friend starts at me so of course I’m going to fight back.” Damon was getting angry all over again.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like I did. I shouldn’t have left at all.” She sat up and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t contact you. I was going to a million times, but then I would see you in a magazine or on TV doing something stupid or with another woman and then I thought, stuff you. So I waited.”

Damon had come home from Vegas and stayed to himself, but anytime he left his house his anger would surface and he would end up doing something stupid. Then his agent had shoved women at him, going on and on about his image and keeping up appearances. He didn’t give a fuck about appearances. Maybe he should have gone after Becky, but he knew she wasn’t really for him. Becky was the settling down type and Damon wasn’t; at least, that what he told himself. He was thirty-three and hadn’t found anyone willing to settle down with. Damon had fallen for Becky but she was too good for him—she saw the best in everyone. Maybe that was why he was willing to give her everything he thought he wouldn’t ever give to anyone. He told himself marrying her had been a mistake, but deep down he knew it wasn’t.

The front passenger doors opened. Caleb got in the driver’s side and Jacob in the front passenger side. Caleb started the car and drove away. No one said anything and they sat in silence for a while until Becky let out a loud sigh. “I stuffed everything up. I’m sorry. Please don’t get angry with each other. I didn’t expect anything like this to happen. I came over to America for an adventure. To do something I wanted. I’m sorry for any trouble I caused between you. That’s not what I wanted.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Crap, this pregnancy has turned me into an emotional mess.”

Damon’s chest felt like it was about to burst—that was his child she carried. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head, then caught Jacob’s gaze and nodded. He’d gotten the go ahead. “Angel, it’s not your fault. We were the ones who intruded on your vacation. Truthfully, we had fun with you. We did things with you that we would never have done without you.”

Becky hiccupped and looked up him. “I know you had fun. You slept with a different woman every night, sometimes more than one.”

Damon couldn’t help wincing at what he’d done to try and forget her. He’d been trying to find a woman that would satisfy him and make him hard with just a look like Becky could. But after he’d met her, no other women got him instantly hard at just the thought of them. Damon brushed Becky’s hair out of her face. “I haven’t been with another woman since New Orleans. Once I knew I couldn’t fight my attraction, or fuck it out with others, I knew I was going to have you and that you would be mine.”

Damon was thankful that his friends were staying quiet. Becky studied him for a while before she nodded. “Why did you marry me? Why not just continue to see me? I live here in Chicago.”

“I didn’t know you were living here. I didn’t want to know at first. I wasn’t happy about how I felt about you. Then when I gave into what I knew you were to me, we didn’t talk about where you would be living.” He scrubbed his face. “I married you because you’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to make my wife. I hoped it would keep you with me. I thought if I married you, you’d stay and follow me. I would support you and you wouldn’t have to work. I’d get to come home to you when I wasn’t on away games and work stuff.”

Caleb snorted and Jacob groaned, “Idiot.”

Becky sat up and moved away from him. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. “So let me get this straight, you didn’t give me my dream wedding that I’ve been planning since I was a kid because you wanted me to follow you to your home, and wait around for you. To stop my life and my dreams so you can have yours? Have me reliant on you for everything?”

Damon knew this was a trap. He told himself not to argue back. He’d said something wrong. He looked out the window to see how far they were from his house. He saw they weren’t far. He needed to change the subject. “Why did the police think we were going shopping?”

“The police didn’t want to release you two together. They said if a fight broke out that they’d have to keep you, Damon. You’re already on probation.” Becky raised her eyebrow at him and he shrugged. He wasn’t sure what he could say. She already thought he was a dick. Becky rolled her eyes. “I told the police that with me here you wouldn’t dare. I sweet-talked them into letting the both of you out. Your lawyer helped. He’s a great liar.” Damon could hear the snarky sound to her voice. “And don’t change the subject. Do you expect me to stop working? Do you expect me to sit around and spend your money? To wait all day until you get home?”

He turned to Becky. “Yes… No. You’re my wife. You’re pregnant with my child. I have no idea what you’re supposed to do.”

Becky nibbled on her bottom lip. “I want to work. I need to work. I’m not one of those women that spends other people’s money or sits around waiting for her man to come home. And if you think that’s me then that doesn’t build my confidence in you, Damon. I’m terrified I’ve done the wrong thing saying I’ll stay with you. I don’t like who I become when I’m with you, Damon. I became jealous and insecure.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling like he wanted to yank it out. Caleb moaned as the car slowed and he drove down his street. “Damon, I didn’t think they would do it. I told the guys that today would not be the right time. To leave you and Becky alone to have some time, but they didn’t listen. They have organized a barbeque. You’ve been acting weird, Damon, and we’ve all been worried.” They drove up his driveway and Damon saw the cars. His teammates were at his house. “All the guys have been wondering why you were leaving as soon as the games were done and avoiding everyone. After yesterday they now think it’s because of Becky.”

Fucking hell, he didn’t need this. Damon glanced at Becky to see her eyes widen and her pink skin turn white. “Why on earth didn’t you stop this, Caleb?”

“I told them not to. They all think you’ve been spending all your time with Becky. I didn’t know what you wanted me to tell them. So all I said was not to do this, but no one listened. Even the coach is in on this.”

He looked at Becky as Caleb parked. There were so many things he wanted to say her, but Damon knew it had to wait. “What do you want to do? I wanted you to myself. Now you’re going to get ambushed by my friends and teammates. What do you want to tell them? The truth?”

“I’m not happy about you two being together.” Jacob said, butting in before Becky could answer. “But you need to remember here in Chicago everything you do and say goes to the press. I’d like to say everyone we know wouldn’t talk to the press, but we know that’s not true.” Jacob turned to face him and Becky. “I can’t be here. I need time.” He stared at Becky. “Before you ran from Vegas without even a proper goodbye I was going to come and see you. I wanted you for myself. Damon knows how I feel about you. I thought you felt something for me, too.”

“I…I…um…I’m sorry, Jacob, I didn’t know. I thought of you as a brother. You didn’t show interest in me. It was only when I got home and thought about everything that I saw things differently. That I wished things turned out differently. But I lo—”

Damon felt sick as he listened to the exchange before him. Opening his SUV door, he got out and almost ran to his house. Just great, he was another person’s mistake.

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