Quarterback Daddy (5 page)

What? What? He jumped from his bedroll and almost crashed against the crib. The baby was screaming her head off. Dan glanced at the window—still dark outside. Seemed his daughter couldn’t tell time yet. He peered into her red face, her mouth open, eyes shut tight, and reached into the crib.

“Okay, baby. Let’s figure this out.”

It had become one hell of a night, and it wasn’t over.

“D
AN
! I
T
’
S ONLY EIGHT
o’clock in the morning, and your eyes are bloodshot. Please don’t tell me you’ve been drinking already?”

Why did his mother always assume the worst? He opened the front door wider and stood aside. “Come on in, Mom.” She swooped in, his dad right behind her.

“If my eyes are red, blame your granddaughter. I’ve been up and down for hours. And now—when’s it’s finally daytime—she’s sleeping.”

Rita’s chuckle became full-throated laughter. “Oh, my goodness. I guess you are a real daddy after all.”

“I can only stay five minutes, Danny-boy,” said Nick. “Where is she?” His dad and Joe would work the store alone today. Rita would be missed.

“Follow me, but if you wake her…” His idle threat was treated with amusement. “The kid’s got lung power, that’s for sure,” said Dan. He yawned twice, then stretched his entire body just to get moving.

“How are you going to play on Sunday?” demanded Nicky. “Look at you. You’re exhausted.”

“It’ll be easier when she has a nanny.” He covered his mouth as he yawned for a third time.

“Get a couple of hours’ sleep now, Danny. I’m here for the day,” Rita said.

He nodded. “Right after we peep in on her.” Better to be late but ready for his workout than to show up on time and accomplish nothing. Lateness, however, could not become a habit.

They walked up to the third floor, which contained
the three bedrooms of the town house, and tiptoed into Michelle’s room.

Dan stood back and watched his parents’ reservations melt like ice cream on a summer’s day, as they viewed their newest grandchild for the first time. Michelle lay on her back in a bunting—no blankets—just the way Alexis had instructed him. It was safer this way.

“She’s beautiful, Danny,” whispered Rita, her eyes filling and her hands hovering over the infant.

“Don’t wake her up!” Dan whispered. “Let’s go.”

They made it as far as the door before Michelle demonstrated her lung power. Dan closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, the pulse in his temple starting to throb. The first night with his daughter did not bode well for his immediate future. He wondered if Michelle woke up every night or if she’d slept through at Alexis’s place.

After his two-hour nap, Dan’s cell rang just as he was leaving for the stadium.

“So, how did it go?”

He recognized the woman’s voice immediately. Her anxious voice.

“Not to worry, Auntie. She slept like a top.”
Liar.

“Really?” It was almost a squeal. “I’m so relieved. I—I thought…well, I didn’t know what to think, so I was up all night. You must have a magic touch.”

He could picture her pacing, moving, smiling. “Didn’t she sleep through at your place?”

“Sure,” said Alexis, “if you consider six hours sleeping through. Usually from about ten at night to four in the morning, and then wham-oh! She screamed for that bottle.”

The woman sounded so cheerful about interrupted sleep, while all Dan wanted to do was crash to the floor. Again.

B
Y
S
ATURDAY MORNING
, A
LEXIS
had polished her condo to a shine. Not a speck of dust lived. Her business suits hung with their matched blouses ready to be worn to the office again, starting Monday. All of Michelle’s clothes and toiletries were organized and waiting for her when she visited. Alexis had kept herself busy, busy, busy, wiping tears away as she worked. She missed Michelle—the baby who felt like her daughter. And now, with the weekend still ahead of her, she had nothing more to do.

She glanced out the window. A sunny day beckoned, and she put on her running shoes and a headband. With her cell and a few dollars zipped in her pocket, and a bud in her ear, she cranked her iPod and headed out.

She hadn’t lied to Dan about their hometown. Boston was a walking city, a city of parks and running trails, and the historic Freedom Trail, which was a Mecca for tourists. She had pushed Michelle’s stroller for miles. Fresh air was good for children, including babies, and exercise was good for her.

Today, she could jog to the Public Gardens, or she could jog down Boylston Street and window-shop along the way. She had lots of lovely choices. So it seemed strange that an hour after leaving her condo, she found herself on the corner of Chestnut Street—Dan Delito’s street in the historic Beacon Hill section. She hadn’t planned the roundabout route—not consciously—but here she was, slowing down her pace to a walk while her
heart rate actually increased. Weird what a case of nerves could do.

She palmed her cell and pushed Dan’s number. The man had invited her to call and arrange a visit.

“Hi, Alexis.”

“Caller ID?”

“You bet. And you’re on it.”

Hmm…that actually didn’t sound too bad. “I happen to be in the neighborhood, and I was wondering about stopping off for a few minutes.”
Please, please, please.

“Not a good idea right now. Sorry. Tomorrow’s the game, and today’s my day to relax at home and keep the muscles loose. No weight training, no practices. So it’s a good day for Michelle and me to pal around and get to know each other better.”

She blinked back tears, now clearly realizing how much she’d counted on the visit. And how little authority she had. “I see. So when do you think—”

“Ahh-ohh.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry, that was a yawn.” A second yawn followed.

“So, how many hours of sleep did you actually get?” asked Alexis.

An empty silence followed her question.

“Dan?”

“Give me a minute. I’m thinking.”

Or still sleeping on his feet.

“Here’s an idea that might appeal to you,” Dan said. “The game’s tomorrow, and a sitter won’t be coming until Monday. Would you want to stay here tonight and look after Michelle so I can actually sleep? My folks will be over in the morning, so you’d be free then. This
time, they’re watching a home game on television instead of at the stadium.”

Did she want an evening with Michelle? Was the sky blue? “I’ll be over at…how about five, so the baby and I can have time to play?”

“You sound like a little kid yourself, Alexis.” His deep voice was warm, friendly and amused.

“You’ve just made me very happy, so if I come across like a kid, so what?”

“Fair warning—don’t get used to it. I admit, I’m stuck right now, but next week I won’t be. We’ll set up a schedule soon.”

Suddenly, “warm and friendly” evaporated, but she never went down without a fight.

“A generous schedule, I hope. Remember, Dan, that with me, you’re getting a ‘value-added’ component in a sitter and an aunt. I happen to love your daughter.”

A
T FIVE O
’
CLOCK THAT
evening, Dan opened the front door and lost his breath. Why did he always forget how pretty Alexis was? That smile could dazzle a man into forgetting who he was and what had been.

“So, where is she?” Alexis reached into her tote bag and held up a small package. “First, though, I need to put this in the fridge, if you don’t mind.” She headed down the center hall toward the kitchen as though she owned the place.

“What is it?” asked Dan.

“My dinner. A tuna-fish sandwich. It’s the only thing I had handy.” She peered at him from beneath her lashes. “I’ll share if you’re hungry.”

Oh, his hunger was rising, all right, but not for a sand
wich. Those eyes of hers had darkened to a green velvet like rich moss. Her hair was gathered loosely at the nape of her neck. He wanted to pull the elastic away and free the thick mass, he wanted to touch it and run his hands through it. He wanted a lot of things he couldn’t have anymore.

“That sandwich wouldn’t fill a cavity in my teeth, let alone the one in my stomach. Besides, a sandwich is not a dinner. You’ll eat what I eat tonight.”

“You don’t have to feed me,” she said, placing her food in the refrigerator.

He laughed. “I’m Rita and Nicky Delito’s son. I grew up in a kitchen, feeding people. Besides, tonight’s meal is important because it provides the fuel for tomorrow’s game. It’s more important than what I eat tomorrow.”

She twirled and faced him. “Scientific, huh?”

“Absolutely.”

“Where’s Michelle?”

“Upstairs.”

“By herself?” she squealed.

“Calm down. The house has an intercom system, so I can hear her if she cries. But let’s go. You’ll feel better when you see her.” He hustled them up the stairs to the second floor. Then he led Alexis into his huge game room, where she made a beeline toward the crib.

Michelle was asleep. Dan was content to watch Alexis stare at her niece.
Devour her niece
was more apt. She embraced Michelle visually as though they’d been apart for months, not two days. Her love for that baby was easy to see, and for the first time, Dan’s confidence wavered.

He tamped down his uncertainty. He was the father!
He and Kim had longed to be parents and Michelle was the child they couldn’t have together. The baby belonged with him. Period.

Alexis approached him now. “So, you bought two cribs?”

He nodded. “Of course. There’s one upstairs in her bedroom, but I almost live in the game room here,” he said with a wide gesture, “when I’m not training. Pool table, card table, hi-def television, small fridge. Here’s where I study videos. So Michelle has to have a comfortable place with me.”

She gazed around the huge room, which ran the width of the house. “Wow! From babyhood to teenage-hood, she’ll have everything a girl could want except…” Blushing, she turned away from him.

“Except what?” he asked.

“Um, are you going out with anyone special, Dan? Any significant other in your life?”

He’d never figure out how a woman’s mind worked. Where had she pulled that question from?

“You’ve got to be kidding. I have no intention of getting involved with anyone, ever again. Do I look like a glutton for punishment?”

Silence greeted his reply, then a smile spread slowly across Alexis’s face. “Truthfully, Dan, each time you take to the field, you’re asking to be pummeled. So, my answer is yes. As in, yes, you’re a glutton for punishment, all right.” Her grin brightened further.

The woman was more than pretty. He itched to hug her, but didn’t. “Well, well, well. Alexis Brown can joke when she wants to.”

“Alexis Brown hasn’t had much to laugh about
recently,” said the woman who now stared at her niece. “And I never thought I’d have to relinquish all custody….” She shook her head, murmuring, “Sorry, Sherri.”

The happy light in her eyes dimmed, but an angry heat rose inside him. She’d approached him, after all. It wasn’t as though he’d asked for this responsibility. “Change the tune already, will ya? I’m tired of hearing it. I’m not the bad guy here,” he bit out, and immediately regretted it. The woman was understandably upset.

She met his gaze, and he saw resignation. “You’re not the bad guy at all. Any regrets I have, I brought on myself.”

“What could you have done differently?”

“I don’t know.”

But he knew. The unthinkable idea had been lurking inside him since she’d shown up with his daughter. He’d questioned her about it once already, and she’d avoided givng him a direct answer.

“You could have kept Michelle away from me forever, and I’d never have known. But you didn’t, because you needed money. You contacted me only because you were stuck for cash.”

Her eyes blazed. “Is that what you really think? That money was my
only
motivation?”

Self-righteousness overflowed. Her explanation would be a doozy. “That’s exactly what you told me. You said a little child support was all you needed, and that’s almost a direct quote. What other reason could you have had, counselor?” He was baiting her, hoping for something more. For something more honorable.

“You stupid…stupid…athlete! All brawn, no brains.”
She walked toward him, looking ready to poke his eyes out with her extended pointer finger. She poked him in the chest instead.

“Cash flow may have been the immediate catalyst, but what would I have told Michelle when she grew up and asked about her daddy? When she asked me—the one person she would trust? Could I lie to her and say I didn’t know who her father was?” She shook her head hard. “No. Lying is no way to raise a child, no way to build relationships.”

Relief surged through him, and he was ready to divert her, but she was on a roll.

“Just as she has the right to know about her mother, Michelle also has the right to know her father. Every child wants to know their parents and deserves the truth. And if the truth stinks, it’s still better than a bunch of lies.”

He heard her breath come hard and short, as though she was asthmatic. “Okay, okay, I believe you. Calm down.”

“And how could I live with myself if I kept your identity a secret from her forever?”

Her tone, her body language, her outraged expression. It hadn’t been simply happenstance that had brought his daughter to him. It had been this woman. She might have had her own timetable, but she’d taken the honest path.

“I believe you, Alexis. You did everything right and reasonable.” He shrugged. “I apologize if I’ve insulted you. So, if you have no regrets, it’s time to move on.”

“Move on? Like you have?” she snapped. “Someone in this room is living in a glass house, and it’s not me.”

Her barbed arrow pierced his soul. He understood her meaning at once and resented it. Resented her. She had no right. She hadn’t loved…she hadn’t lost….

“Look, Michelle’s waking up.” Alexis stepped to the crib, their discussion forgotten, at least for the moment. He joined her in time to see his daughter’s delight, her unabashed excitement, when she recognized her aunt.