Page 52 of Zone
He’s dressed in a white tank with brownish stains on the side, his hair is a mess, and he seems truly desperate. My lips part, but all the words escape me. I don’t know what is happening right now.
Knox Bradford is standing in front of me, holding a red-faced, crying baby in his arms, and he literally smells like shit.
CHAPTER 13
Knox
“Hello, my little angel! You are absolutely precious. Do you know that? Do you?” My mom holds the smiling baby in her arms, shaking her head and rubbing their noses together in a way that elicits adorable little chuckles from my…
I can’t say the word.
Nope.
I’m not owning this yet.
I don’t even know how it happened.
I had just played the best game of my entire career. WedominatedTexas… except for that one sack at the half, but it was a calculated move. Nothing lost.
My family was all in town, watching from my box, and I ducked out of the sideline interviews as fast as I could to join them. I didn’t even bother to shower before I ran up to see Mav and Dove and Edward. It was the best night in a long string of near-disappointments.
The boys and I were all ready to head out for a night of celebration. I was mentally calculating how I might peel off and find Melody, when something out of Lemony Snicket’s occurred.
A creepy nun-like woman and a hunkering hobbit of a man thrust a squirming pile of blankets into my arms. Then, like a process server, he slapped me with an envelope, saying it was all her legal papers, and they high-tailed it out of the stadium so fast…
I was too shocked to chase them.
“I don’t know what this is all about, Mom.” My voice strains, and I watch her playing with what I’ve since learned is a nine-month-old baby girl supposedly belonging to me. “I don’t even remember anyone named Jules Allen.”
“Knox Bradford.” Mom’s tone is still sweet, but her eyes leveled on me through her glasses let me know I’m in trouble. “I taught you to have more respect for women.”
“Mom. I haveloadsof respect for women. Trust me.” I think about eating Melody’s pussy until her legs shake… again and again. “I honestly don’t remember her.”
Mom stands, holding the baby. “I’m sure if you think about it, you’ll remember her. This precious miracle has your blue eyes.”
Standing beside her, I look down at the baby, who takes that moment to blink up at me. Her eyes are definitely big blue sapphires, but what does that prove?
“Don’t all babies have blue eyes?” I ask hopefully.
“No.” Mom puts her into my arms, and I bend my knees, struggling to get my hands on her correctly so I don’t drop her. “Austin’s eyes were light brown when he was that age. Kimmie’s were too. You’re holding her like a football.”
“That’s a good thing, right? I’m a pro at holding footballs.”
“Hold her like this.” Mom positions the little girl uprightcloser to me, so her little stomach is pressed against my chest.
Then she puts one of my hands under her pampered butt, and the other on her tiny back. Her little face is close to mine, and she makes a high-pitched noise almost like she’s trying to talk.
“See?” Mom smiles up at me. “You’ve got this.”
“No… I don’t.” It only seems to be going well… then she starts to move. “She’s so fucking squirmy…” My knees bend, and the panic hits. “I’m going to drop her!”
Her little mouth pulls down so fast, and her bottom lip pops out. Her blue eyes crease, and she hiccups three times before starting to cry.
“Ohhh… Oh, no.” I hug her close again, patting her back. “There, there… Don’t cry, little baby.”
It doesn’t work. She keeps on yelling like her little heart is broken, doing these tiny hiccups just like in a movie. I make a desperate,help meface at my mom.
Her eyes narrow, and she shakes her head, taking the baby again. “Knox Bradford, you can’t shout at an infant.”
