Page 79 of Fumbled Love

He cocked his head to the side and brought my hand down to his erection. He was already hard. “Does that feel like I’m in the mood to go house hunting?”

I swallowed. “It feels like you’re in the mood to go hunting for something.”

I gave his erection a slight squeeze, and his eyes slid shut. “Kinley, I don’t think you want to play this game with me right now. Seeing you so riled up on my behalf has me so turned on, I can’t think straight. So, unless you want me to strip you of these clothes and lay you down on a sweaty workout bench where anyone could walk in, I suggest we start moving toward the parking lot.”

I fake gasped. “Are we going to have sex in your truck?”

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the room. “You bet your ass we are.” He swatted my behind as I started to run ahead of him. We were both laughing hysterically until we reached his parking spot and came to a stop at his truck. My only thought then was, thank God for tinted windows.

CHAPTER28

MAVERICK

“You wanted to talk, son?”

My father’s voice startled me. I’d been leaning against the desk in my office, lost in my head.

My gaze was fixed on the Heisman Trophy I won in college sitting on the top shelf. Next to that were my three Super Bowl rings resting in glass cases. Everywhere I turned, there were pieces of my career scattered, taking up space.

I stood with my back facing him, staring at my accomplishments. “I think I’m going to retire,” I finally said, turning around.

His eyes grew big. “You think?” His gaze moved down to my leg. “Is it because of your injury?”

“Not really. It’s actually getting better. It doesn’t hurt like it used to, but I’m not sure I want to take the chance of further damaging it. I’m afraid I won’t be able to play at the level I played at before. Look at Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.”

“It sounds like you’ve been doing a lot of thinking.” He crossed his arms. “You know, Peyton and Brett both thought retiring would be easy until the reality of it all set in. They ended up changing their minds once they realized they still had a love for the game.”

“I don’t want to let anyone down, Dad. I want to leave while I’m still on top. I’d rather do it this way than be forced out or traded.”

He leaned his hip against the wall. “If you don’t feel ready and if you’re concerned that you might not get there, then take some more time to think it over. If you’re worried about losing your spot on the team, then I suggest being upfront and addressing these issues with the team doctors and management.”

“It’s not just that.” My nervous hands folded along the back of my desk chair. “I’m scared, Dad. It feels like no matter what I do, someone is going to feel let down. I’m scared of becoming a father. I’m scared about disappointing the people I care about. I’m scared of letting my fans down. I’m questioning everything. I’m losing sleep. I don’t know what to do.”

“You better get used to losing sleep.” He chuckled, and I did too. Talking to my dad about this stuff was easier than talking to my mom. My mom was too emotionally invested in my well-being, while my dad tended to keep an open mind.

He sat down in the chair and rubbed his jaw. “Is the thought of being a father tying you up in knots, or never playing football again? And before you answer that, what’s the one driving these feelings the most?”

My head dropped back. “Probably the responsibility of being someone’s parent. What the hell do I know about raising a baby?”

“None of us do. Sometimes I still don’t.” We both shared another laugh. “All humor aside. How do you feel about Kinley? Do you see a future with her?”

I let his question hang in the air for a minute and looked behind me. For the longest time, football was the most important thing in my life, but that wasn’t the case anymore.

“Kinley is different.”

He smiled knowingly; if I wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of pride in his eyes. “Go on.”

“She’s easy to talk to. She’s down-to-earth, and funny. I never have to question if she’s genuine.”

“Is that all?” He lifted an eyebrow, letting me know he wasn’t letting me off that easily.

“I feel connected to her in a way that’s hard to describe.” I scratched at my beard. “I love her, Dad. More than I ever thought I could love someone. And she loves me and accepts me for who I am. Me!” I hit my chest. “Not the football player, not that guy who can buy her things. She doesn’t care how much money I have in the bank, or how much my condo costs. Hell, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even like my condo. It’s rare in my world to find someone that I can trust and depend on. I know without a shadow of a doubt that she’d be there for me, no matter what.”

The look in his eyes told me he understood. “Those are all important qualities to find in a partner.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “You still haven’t answered my other question. Do you see a future with her? I’m not talking about as the mother of your child.”

I knew what he meant, and the more that thought took root in my chest, the bigger it grew. “I do.”

He linked his fingers together, looking smug. “She did give up her life in New York for you. Does she know about this plan?”

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