Page 31 of Fumble Into the End Zone

“Oh, my God. What did Harley tell her?”

“All good stuff. Now my granny wants to meet you.”

“Marcus, what did Harley say?” Mia pressed.

“I’ll tell you Wednesday when we go bowling,” I said.

A pause stood between us, leaving the sound of a sensual exhale between us.

“Mr. Allen, you don’t want this smoke at the bowling alley,” she said, and I sat forward, not expecting her response.

“Mia Robinson, be ready to crown me king,” I said.

“Ah, Harley and I will be wiping the floor with you.”

The fact she pulled my daughter back into the equation highlighted the person she was, a nurturer. I could rest assured Harley would be just as important to her as she was to me.

“Remember your words when you’re carrying your L,” I said.

Mia and I both gave into a soft laughter as we exchanged words. I knew from the sound of her soft giggle we were meant to be.

As a favor to Bryce, I picked up his gift from the jeweler. I compared the necklace to the picture he sent me. Pulling up to his woman’s house, I didn’t forget Bryce neglected to confirm he was in a relationship. I parked, and I sprinted up to the front door.

“Where’s Harley?” Bryce asked, and I smiled, handing him the jewelry bag.

“Look at you, already trying to spoil my daughter. She’s with her grandma, getting ready for the pool. It’s hot as hell today,” I said.

He removed the box from the bag and opened it and immediately smiled at the meteorite necklace.

“Yo ass whipped, buying weird-ass jewelry,” I said, and we both laughed.

Stepping on the porch out of the sun, Bryce said. “Don’t worry about me. What’s up with Mia? Dude, you were coming ather hard as hell yesterday,” he reminded me of the assertiveness I put on display at the BBQ.

I used my quiet nature to my advantage. People were too trusting with me, forgetting I’m in the room and telling me their business, or they assume I’m not an Alpha male. Yesterday, I saw what I wanted, and I went after it.

“She gon’ be my wife,” I said.

Bryce paced toward the end of the porch and laughed, holding his stomach. By the time he approached me again, his eyes were watering.

“Does she know?” he asked.

“She will after our date tomorrow night. I told her she might as well move in and make my house our home.”

“Marcus, man, you gon’ scare her away talking crazy? It’s been all of twenty-four hours,” Bryce said, after rubbing a few sweat droplets from his forehead.

I raised my hands in surrender before he laughed again.

“Mia will be carrying my baby and my last name by training camp next year,” I said.

“Who are you?” Bryce asked as I laid out my plan for Mia.

I used my signature shrug, which got me out of most things, including questions I didn’t want to answer.

“What’s the scoop on Mia, anyway?” I asked.

Shaking his head, Bryce patted my shoulder. “I just met her myself. Kindness mentioned something about her family owning a communications company.”

Family wealth meant I needed to step my financial game up.

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