He frowned and said, “I really wouldn’t recommend it, but I know you pro athletes can be stubborn as mules.” He gave me a faint smile and patted my shoulder. “With your permission, I’ll send your x-rays and the report over to the team doctors, and you can take it up with them. They can wrap you up tightly and assess your movement and pain levels. But no practice tomorrow. You need to rest as much as possible, Mr. Broxton,” he said sternly, and I nodded again.

After the doc left, Ollie asked, “Is there anything I can do for you, bro?”

“Yeah. Had a card in my truck. Blaire’s number on it. See if they found it.” At my brother’s surprised look, I said, “Supposed to come to my house tonight.”

“A booty call with a married woman?” Oliver’s tone was disapproving at best.

I shook my head and scowled. “To talk about Carrie.” As confusion clouded his eyes, I remembered that I hadn’t shared the news about her with Oliver yet. It didn’t seem like I had just found out about it tonight. I already felt like she was a part of me. Hell, she actually was a part of me, and it made me feel… full or something. I grinned at my brother. “I have a daughter.”

Oliver couldn’t have looked more shocked if I’d had monkeys flying out of my ass. “But… wait… so you and Blaire…” I nodded as his mind whirled through the possibilities. “She didn’t have…” I shook my head, and his lips curved up into a huge grin. “Holy fuck, Ax. You’re a dad! How do you feel about it?”

“Happy. A little scared.”

“You met her? The little girl? She would be about five, right?”

I held up four fingers and nodded. “Met her in the grocery store,” I grunted.

“What’s she like? Tell me everything.”

Trying to sum up my daughter in as few words as possible, I said, “She’s perfect.”

14. Blaire

Blaire

I had some residual sadness when I woke up early on Friday morning, but mostly I was just pissed. How dare Axel Fucking Broxton! To act all enamored with Carrie in the grocery store and imply he wanted to know more about her and then not even bother to call? Well, I was fucking done with his ass. He didn’t deserve to know a child as wonderful and sweet and funny as Carrie.

She deserved men in her life who would do anything for her. Men like Evan, Beau, and the honorary uncles. I guarantee I could call any one of them right now and tell them Carrie needed something, and they would drop everything to bust their asses and get it for her.