Player (A Secret Baby Sports Romance)(85)

It’s that honeyed, drawled voice - the one I know, the one that’s buried deep in my head and my heart. And I know it’s him even before I turn towards the last man I ever expected to see again.

Austin.

“What?!” Vince sputters, pushing me aside and taking a step towards Austin, standing at the back of the church by the doors.

“I said no, she doesn’t.”

There’s another almost comically loud gasp through the crowd, and I glance over to see my mother clutching at her pearls.

“You’re a dead man, Taylor!” Vince screams, his face bright red and frothing up on the alter.

The crowd suddenly shrieks, and I’m still gasping for air as I whirl to see Lorenzo standing from the first pew and pulling a gleaming silver pistol out of his suit coat. His eyes narrow at Austin as he suddenly levels the gun right at him. “Get this redneck piece of trash out of-”

There’s a sound like a bomb going off, and suddenly every door to the church crashes in as men in black fatigues and jackets with the letters “FBI” stenciled across them come charging in, guns raised. And there at the front of them is…Kyle?

What the HELL is going on here?

“Lorenzo Capra!” Kyle roars, as two other agents wrestle Vince’s dad to the floor and kick the gun away from him.

“You are under arrest by the United States Government on the charges of racketeering, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit fraud!”

What?

I can feel my knees go weak, and the world starts to spin as my vision starts to fade. And I’m clawing at my neck, my other hand tight across my belly as I suddenly start to tumble.

And then I’m gasping as I feel Vince’s hands close around my wrists, shaking me. Austin roars as he charges the stage, and I’m dimly aware of him tackling Vince to the ground before suddenly he’s just there, right in front of me. His face is tight as his arms go around me, lifting me up as my head spins.

“Medic! Kyle! Get a fucking medic!”

“Hang on, princess,” he whispers, his lips brushing mine. “Hang on.”

I look up at him dreamily as the world starts to go dim. “You came?”

“Of course I did,” he says hoarsely, his face tight.

My voice sounds distant, like I’m in a dream. “But I divorced you.”

He grins. “Well, where I come from, paper-napkin contracts mean a lot.”

I’m laughing, at least, I think I am, as the world starts to fade.

“I- I need to tell you something,” I say suddenly as my hand slides across my stomach.

“I know.” His hand entwines with mine across my belly as he nods quickly. “I know, princess.”

“Thanks for rescuing me, cowboy.”

And it’s the last thing I remember before there are faces above me, a light in my eyes, and the whole scene goes dark.





45





Natalie




“There she is.”

That voice of his is the first thing I see, followed by those perfect hazel eyes the second I open mine. He’s leaning over me as I open my eyes, his face full of concern but with that smile teasing his lips.

I cringe. “God, did I faint?”

I start to try and get to my feet, but his hand is on my arm. “Whoa, hang on, princess. Everything’s fine, but just sit tight a few.”

A cold fear shoots through me as my hands suddenly move to my belly.

“Everything is fine,” he says softly, looking down at my laced hands as his moves to cover them. “Medics said you just had a panic attack, that’s all. No concussion, nothing serious.” He closes his fingers around mine. “Feel like standing?”

I nod, and he slowly helps me to my feet. The glint on my finger catches my eyes, and I glance down and shudder at the ring on my finger.

Vince’s ring.

I quickly claw it off my hand like it’s burning me, tossing it into the grass with a shiver before I turn to look up at Austin. I’m almost afraid to ask the next thing that pops into my head, but knowing I have to lay it out here and now.

“Look, if you came here today because of this-” I look down towards my belly. “I’m not- I mean, I’m not that girl, Austin. I’m not going to be like Tina or something and try to sue you or anything like-”

“The Tina thing is over,” he says quickly, shaking his head. “Turns out it was Harry.”

My jaw drops. “Wait, what?”

He makes a face, pushing his fingers through his mop of hair. “Yeah, some sort of- look, not important.” He grins as he glances up into my face, his eyes twinkling. His hands move to my waist, sliding over my hips and gently pulling me towards him.

“The only thing that’s important is that I’m all yours, princess,” he says evenly, his eyes burning right into mine. “Of course I came back for this,” he says, bringing a palm down to lay across my belly. “But I came back for you.”