The very way he handled himself told her that he was a man accustomed to success. If she was right, once the virile Bryan Beaumont experienced six preschoolers in action, he’d be out of her house quicker than a firecracker on the Fourth of July.
Bryan picked up the envelope, stood and walked over to her. “Thanks for reconsidering, Laura. I’ll see you in the morning.” He took the baby, and walked to an expensive foreign-made car.
“I have not reconsidered,” she muttered as the door closed behind him.
Bryan pulled to a stop at the red light, then brushed Jacob’s dark fuzzy hair to one side with his hand. “How can one baby turn a man’s life upside down?”
Jacob pursed his lips and grasped the finger Bryan offered, holding it tight until Bryan pulled to a stop in front of Kevin’s house. Bryan took Jacob from the car seat, then shouldered the strap of the diaper bag and grabbed his briefcase.
After changing clothes and feeding Jacob his bottle, Bryan turned to Kevin. “I could use a run. You mind watching Jacob for an hour?”
“Mind? The kid and I have some football plays to discuss.”
“I have my pager, if you need anything.”
“Get out of here. We’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about. Take it easy today, you’re not as young as you used to be.” Kevin picked up the baby, then tucked the diaper bag under his arm and pretended to be charging through the offensive line on his way out the door.
Not for the first time in the last week, Bryan watched Kevin with envy, wondering how a dedicated bachelor had developed such a way with babies. Kids had always intrigued Bryan, but when his bride had announced that a baby would ruin her petite figure and her career, he’d eventually given up trying to change her mind. He’d directed his energy into his career, setting aside all hopes of a family. It was evident now that he wasn’t father material.
Torturing himself more, Bryan remembered how tenderly Laura had held Jacob. How could a woman who didn’t even know the child have such an effect on him? It seems like the first time Jacob has relaxed in a week. I’ve got to convince Laura to take care of him.
Bryan ran down the stairs and out the door. He cleared the last steps in one leap, starting his run at a rapid pace. Despite Kevin’s warning, today was a day to push himself…again.
As he ran, his lawyer’s haunting voice returned…“Bryan, Andrea’s lawyer called this morning…She died in an automobile accident yesterday. That’s not all. You’d better sit down…You have a son.”
A son.
His son.
Two days later, Jacob had arrived in the arms of a nanny. Three days later, they were on their own…
Bryan pushed harder.
Faster.
After extending his regime of rigorous sprints up and down the hill, he walked to stretch his aching muscles, grateful for anything that would take his mind off the ache in his heart.
Distracted by a group of boys playing football on the practice field ahead of him, Bryan ignored everything except the one boy who’d captured his attention.
“What a throw.”
An intense pain suddenly gripped the back of Bryan’s leg. He grabbed his calf muscle as his body hit the hard ground. Bryan groaned aloud, struggling to stretch his leg.
From across the field, he heard yelling. “Help! Call 911! Call 911!”
“What?” Bryan turned to see what the boys were screaming about, when the kid he’d been watching suddenly dropped beside him, a look of terror in his huge eyes.
“Mister! Are you alive!”
Bryan saw another boy running off as if his life depended on it, and realized that they were talking to him. “Me?”
Relief spread like melted honey across the freckled face as the boy watched Bryan’s every move.
“I’ll be fine. My leg cramped.”
“I thought you were dying or something.” The fear disappeared from the young boy’s face.
“I’m okay.”
“Joey, come back! He’s not dying!”
Bryan gritted his teeth and straightened his leg, then sat upright. “You have quite a team here. I’m Bryan Beaumont,” he extended one hand while the other held a tight grip on his leg. “Coach of the McKinley Mustangs.” He’d looked forward to coaching the eight and nine-year-old boys’ football team for months. Ever since his wife had left him, to be exact. “Any of you signed up?”
A few of them nodded, but not the one with real potential.
Beads of sweat dripped down Bryan’s face. He swiped the perspiration with the back of his hand, then rested it on his knee. He looked at the freckle-faced boy.
“Aren’t you going to play?”
“I dunno.” The kid shrugged.
“Do you like the game?”
“Sure,” he said, as if it were the stupidest question he’d ever heard.
“Would you like me to talk to your parents?”
“I only have a mom. My dad died of a heart attack.”
Bryan froze. So that what why the kid had overreacted to his collapse. “I’m sorry about that. How old are you?”
“Eight.”
“You live near here?”
“I won’t take you there.” The kid backed away.
“That’s good. It’s okay. I don’t mean to frighten you. I was wondering if your mom might be able to come over to talk to me.”
“She’s real busy.”
“No problem. You ask her about playing.” He turned to all the boys and added, “I’d like to have all of you on the team. We practice at McKinley Elementary.”
“That’s the school just around the corner,” another kid exclaimed.
“Sure is. Anyone have a pen? I want to give you my phone number in case your mom has any questions.”
One of the boys ran to his backpack and pulled out a stubby pencil and a scrap of paper. Bryan scribbled his first name and phone number for the youngster, then struggled to his feet after the boys were gone.
Upon returning to Kevin’s, he found Jacob settled in his new crib, sound asleep.
Bryan filled the ice bag, grabbed a bottle of spring water, and hobbled into the den, hoping to forget his troubles.
“You cramped up again, huh? When are you going to realize Andrea isn’t worth this torture?”
“Even dead, she’s still a pain in the…Never mind. One of these days…years…I’m going to forget.”
“One day you’re going to realize she did you a favor.”
“Real