Page 22 of Fumbled Love

“Give me a little a time and I’ll come up with something.”

“Don’t take too much time. We need to get ahead of this news before it turns into a scandal. This story is tabloid gold and could spin into a public relations nightmare if you don’t handle it right. Don’t forget, you’re in the middle of contract negotiations for next season and you have a very strong morals clause that ownership could use as a bargaining chip in our negotiations. You have the potential of being the highest paid franchise quarterback in the league next year.”

He had a solid point. My injury had given my backup quarterback a platform to show off his football talents. I was drafted to the Atlanta Arrows during my senior year of college. It didn’t matter how many rings I’d earned or how many trophies I had on my shelf. Everyone in this business was replaceable.

* * *

“I hope I didn’t screw up your breakfast plans?” I asked, taking a sip of my coffee. Kinley and I were seated in the back of the restaurant. It was a little after ten a.m., just between the breakfast and lunch crowd. I was facing the wall, hoping to stay out of view from the customers coming and going.

“Not at all. I was a little tired from traveling, so I enjoyed the extra sleep.”

Kinley looked cute with her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail; she was the definition of girl-next-door. It was a look I was becoming fond of and a reminder of who she was. After she left my condo last night, I replayed our conversation a million times in my head. I had no idea she had a crush on me growing up. Back then, the only things on my mind were scoring the ladies and throwing for touchdowns. Being three years younger than me, and being friends with my younger sister, had kept her completely off my radar.

“Have you talked to Rylee lately?” I asked, starting with small talk, something I hated.

I watched her sweep her spoon through her oatmeal. Who the hell ordered fruit and oatmeal at a diner? “Not recently.” She looked guilty. “She doesn’t know I’m in town yet, although after showing up at your parents’ house yesterday, I’m sure she’ll find out soon enough. Which reminds me.” She pulled something out of her purse and slid it across the table. I looked down and saw the keycard I had given to my parents to access the building. I guess that explained how she was able to show up unannounced. “I need to make sure that gets back to your parents.”

I set my fork down on my empty plate and accepted a refill from the girl walking by filling up everyone’s cup. “Were you not planning on seeing my sister while you’re in town?” I asked, stuffing the card inside my wallet.

Rylee and Kinley were tight growing up, but I had no idea how often they still talked. Or if they kept in touch at all.

“I wanted to talk to you first and go from there.”

“I appreciate that.” I sat back in the booth and studied my baby mama. She drummed her fingers along her cup and seemed to shift nervously in her seat every thirty seconds. The irony of knowing almost nothing about the woman I’ve known for nearly half my life was not lost on me.

“This is pretty weird, isn’t it?” she said as if she could read my thoughts.

“That’s an understatement.” I chuckled and took a sip of my water. “Maybe we should get the heavy stuff out of the way first.”

Her eyelashes fluttered over the rim of her decaf coffee. “Sure.”

“Is there anyone in your life that I need to know about?”

Leading with that question wasn’t my intention, but I couldn’t deny I was curious about her answer.

“Do you think I would have spent the night with you if there was?”

I held my hands up. “Just making sure there isn’t anyone else in the equation.”

“No one. How about you?” Her concerned eyes met mine. It was hard to get a read on why she would be worried. Was it because she cared or was she just nervous about how it would affect the baby?

I shook my head, wishing I had any insight into her thoughts. “Nope.”

She folded her hands under her chin. “Why not?”

“Football takes up too much of my time. The games, travel, and commitments can be tough on a relationship. Not that I’ve done a lot of dating.” I took a guzzle of my water. “And once you reach a certain level of fame, it gets harder to tell who’s genuine. It’s one of the downsides to being in the public eye.”

“I hate fake people.” Her cheeks heated like she was upset on my behalf. “I can only imagine how tough it is to live a normal life when you’re so well-known.”

She had no idea how much I hated all the fakeness. My status and money were all most people cared about. It wasn’t just that, though; I was constantly being scrutinized and talked about by the media and fans. Having a personal life was too much work.

I sat up straighter in my seat and adjusted the baseball cap on my head when a few younger guys walked in. Out of the corner of my eye, I’d seen them snap a few pictures when they thought I wasn’t looking. Thankfully, they kept their distance.

“It is tough. That’s why I keep my private life out of the headlines. I only allow people to see what I want them to see.”

She trailed her fingernail along the edge of the checkered tablecloth. “Speaking of that,” doubt and something else flickered across her features, “is it okay if we keep this between us for now? I don’t mind our families and close friends knowing I’m just not ready to be thrust into the spotlight yet.”

“I understand.” I picked up the steaming hot cup of coffee in front of me. It tasted bitter. The life I lived wasn’t for everyone, so I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible before she got dragged into the daily media circus.

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