The Way We Score: A small-town, accidental pregnancy, sports romance. (The Bradford Boys)

“Isn’t it interesting how we were both into sports and athletics, and we both ended up in legal-type fields?” Liv sits at the small table in the kitchen with her phone propped on her growing midsection.

She’s so cute at this stage, wearing stretchy leggings and tight sweaters to show off her small baby bump. There’s no mistaking she’s pregnant now. Our baby girl is the size of a head of cauliflower, and she’s moving a lot.

At night, when we sit on the couch watching The Closer, I’ll hold Liv between my legs with her back against my chest, and we watch as her stomach morphs into crazy shapes. At times it’s like a torpedo, which Liv says is her butt. Then it’ll be a small point, which she says is her elbow or knee. Maybe even a foot.

She assures me it doesn’t hurt as she holds my hand against the movements. It seriously blows my mind.

“It’s probably because we watched all those crime shows in high school.”

“We didn’t always watch them.” She slants her eyes up at me, and my dick twitches.

“Careful, I don’t have time to fuck you right now.”

Her lip pouts. “Sounds like you’re working too much.”

That does it, I put my mug down and walk to where she’s sitting. Her brow arches, and she stands, turning around and shaking her ass at me.

“Dammit, Liv, what are you doing to me?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you, Sheriff?”

My vision darkens, and I have ideas about handcuffs. “Put your hands on that table and don’t let go.”

She exhales a little squeal as I jerk her leggings down, and we do it right there, doggystyle over the kitchen table.

I gotta give it up for the horny phase of pregnancy. We’ve been fucking more lately than we did as teenagers, and that’s saying something.

I’m helping her get dressed again, and she laughs softly.

“What?”

“Remember that time Mom went to bed early, and we were alone in the living room, and I climbed onto your lap?”

“You always blew my mind, Liv.”

“We could’ve been caught, and I loved it.” Her nose wrinkles as her eyes blink down, almost nostalgic. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

Pretty hazel eyes meet mine again, so beautiful and open. “For reminding me what I was like, happy and free.”

“It’s how I always want you to be.” Using my finger, I slide a lock of her hair behind her ear, thinking about a question that’s been bothering me a while. “You never told me why you stopped dancing. You were so good at it, and you worked so hard.”

A little shrug, and she goes to the coffee pot. “I discovered law in college, and one of my professors encouraged me to take the LSAT. I did really well on it, but I also made it all the way to the finals with the dance team.” Her head tilts to the side as she pours another cup. “For so long, it had been my whole purpose. Then I looked around at all these talented women fighting for just a few spots, even after they’d already been on the team… I decided to let them have it and fight for justice instead.”

Straightening, I walk over to where she sits at the table and take a knee. “I think it’s pretty badass that you’re a lawyer. You were hot as shit when you were dancing, but knowing you can shake that ass and practice law…” Lifting my eyebrows, I nod. “Badass.”

Her nose wrinkles, and she huffs a laugh. “Not as badass as Aubrey Shiffer.”

Groaning, I fall back. “You had to be there!”

“I’m just teasing. You were being sweet.” Cupping the sides of my neck, she kisses my lips. “Thank you. Now I’ve got to get some work done. I can’t spend all morning having sex.”

Catching her face, I kiss her again, a little longer, a little tongue. Then I’d better get out of here before I do carry her to bed again.

“I think we blew all the excitement on the first day.” Going to the door, I lift my vest off the back of a chair. “It’s been kind of slow-going ever since.”

She stands, waddling just a little as she joins me at the door. “It’s pretty hard to top sixteen snakes.”

“It’s okay. It gives me time to work on my law enforcement materials.”

Her eyebrows rise. “So it’s a good thing?”

A good thing. I slide my hand along her cheek, thinking about all those months ago when we said being pregnant wasn’t a good enough reason to get married.

I think we have plenty of good reasons now.

“I’ll see you this afternoon.” Leaning down, I steal one more kiss.

Her cheeks flush, and she’s fucking adorable.

I confess, it gets my back up, too, but what am I going to say? I didn’t like him either.

The chat falls silent, and a weight is in my stomach. I don’t want to tell my little brother he might feel differently one day. He won’t believe me until it happens—I don’t think I would’ve believed me until it happened.

At the same time, I love his protectiveness. I love his family loyalty. He’s looking out for all of us, even if we’re not so worried about it anymore. Hendrix can be a little shit, but he’s my brother. His heart’s in the right place, and one day Cupid’s going to kick his ass.

Scrubbing my hand over the back of my neck, I don’t know what to do. Liv would probably have some good advice, but for now, I have to trust Jack to take care of him like he does all of us. I can’t stand in the parking lot any longer or Aubrey will think something’s wrong.

“Hey, girl.” I pull the glass door open. “Sorry about that. Brother stuff.”

Her lips press into a smile and she walks over to stand behind the counter. “I can only imagine, with all the star power in that bunch.”

“Yeah, it’s a laugh a minute.” My tone is flat, and I go to the desk. “Anything interesting today?”

“Not much. An out-of-towner just called the 800 line. She’s staying down near the pier, and apparently there’s a cat in a tree.”

“Isn’t that what the fire department’s for?” I’m teasing, and she laughs.

“We trade off based on who’s busier. Feel like taking a drive?”

Shrugging, I pluck the Post-it with the address off her finger. “Might as well. It’s not sixteen snakes, but…”

Shaking her head, she waves me away. “Sixteen baby snakes is nothing. Go be a hero for some little girl.”

Little girl. I think about our baby and how one day, she might have a cat who gets stuck in a tree. I’ll be her hero. Not going to lie, that makes me feel all sappy. “See you in a little while.”

“I’ll call you if we have any gator encounters.”

“Thanks.” I laugh, heading out to my truck.

It’s a short drive to the big hotel south of town. I pass the large city pier and the marina, out to where the vacation cottages line the road with their bike and walking paths. Specialty shops and small restaurants are sprinkled among them, and it’s a popular vacation spot.

The address leads me to a small cottage with white wooden siding, window boxes full of flowers, and a screened-in side porch. An ancient, enormous live oak tree is out front with thick, black limbs reaching down almost to the ground.

I can’t help thinking if a cat is in this tree, it will have no trouble climbing right back out again.

Pulling onto the shoulder of the road in front of the house, I put my truck in park and step out, slowly walking to the door. I’m wearing my Animal Control Agent vest, so there’s no mistaking why I’m here.

When I get closer, a woman with shoulder-length silver hair steps out to meet me. She looks about five to ten years older than me, and she’s well-dressed. Pretty fashionable for the beach. It kind of reminds me of how women dress in the city.

“Thank goodness!” She calls, jogging to meet me at the road. “Are you here about the cat?”

“We got the call, but I have to say…” Scratching my thumb over my chin, I look up at the tree. “I think a cat can get out of this tree on its own.”

“It’s been a while since I saw it, but it was crying and crying.” She chews her finger, staring up into the branches. “Perhaps I overreacted. It seemed so pitiful.”

“No worries.” I reach out to pat her shoulder. “It probably hoped you’d feed it. You know how cats are.”

Her brow crinkles, then all of a sudden she jerks, her eyes widening. “Wait a minute… Are you?” Her mouth opens, and she covers it with her hand. “Are you Garrett Bradford? Number 50, starting offensive lineman for the New Jersey Pirates?”

I clear my throat, a mixture of pride and embarrassment in my chest. “That’s me.”

“What the heck are you doing down here? I heard you’d been injured or something…” Squeezing her eyes, she scrubs her fingers over her forehead like she’s trying to remember. “I read you were on the disabled list. Were you hurt?”

“Ahh, well, you see…” Fuck, this hasn’t happened before, and I didn’t think about what to say if it did. “I had some family issues I had to take care of, and I couldn’t really be in the city full time.”

I’m not convinced any of that makes sense. At the same time, why am I explaining myself to a random vacationer in south Alabama?

She seems to read my expression and takes a step back. “It’s none of my business, is it?” She exhales a laugh. “You probably have a sick mother or sibling with cancer, and I’m the worst possible fan, prying into your personal life. I want to die. I’m so sorry.”

Now I feel guilty. “No, it’s not like that. My girlfriend is expecting, well, my fiancée actually…” I hope. “She was having some complications with the pregnancy, and I needed to be here with her.”

“Is she okay now?”

“Yeah,” I nod. “She’s a lot better.”

“But you’re still here. Are you quitting the team?”

“Ahh… still working out the details there.” My throat tightens as I say the words, and I decide I’d better go.

This woman has a weird way of getting me to say more than I want to say, and I’m not sure how much Liv would want me telling strangers about our plans.

“Anyway, looks like the cat’s gone. Enjoy the rest of your visit.”

The woman smiles, and her voice turns into something a little more sly. “Thank you so much, Mr. Bradford. You’ve been a big help.”

Narrowing my eyes, I don’t like the feeling of fingers pinching the back of my neck as I walk away from her.

I’m not sure where this is coming from, but I feel like I just made a critical error.

Two nights later, I’m sitting with Liv in an incense-scented room with yoga mats and large pillows scattered across the floor.

“Sit with your back against your partner’s chest, knees bent.” The woman at the front of the room is dressed in black yoga pants and a white shirt with bell-shaped sleeves. Her brown hair hangs in one long braid down her back, and she looks like one of those gurus with all her beads and leather bracelets. “We’re going to start with acknowledging our fears.”

Liv signed us up for our first birthing class last week. She wants to test out every method, so tonight we’re trying HypnoBirthing. I’m 100 percent skeptical, but Liv makes the point we’re both athletes. She says she wouldn’t run a marathon without training, so I’m here for whatever helps her feel ready.

“Let’s talk about FTP, which stands for fear-tension-pain.” The teacher’s voice is soothing. “When you’re afraid, your body tenses. Adrenaline spikes, and you feel pain more intensely. So our first step is to face your fears ahead of time and release them. Now speak your fear to your partner.”

Liv turns her face to whisper in my ear. “I’m afraid my stomach will keep getting bigger and bigger until the baby’s the size of a watermelon, and it’s going to tear my vag to shreds on the way out.”

“Jesus!” I hiss, tightening my hands on her arms. “Could that happen?”

“I mean, look at you. It’s like a Chihuahua mated with a Great Dane.”

“Now, partners, I want you to help your partner work through these fears and find peace.”

Our eyes meet, and all I can think about is Hendrix’s crack about her having my baby. “You’re a lot bigger than a Chihuahua.”

Liv’s eyes grow rounder, and my throat goes dry. I can’t tell if she’s about to cry, and if she does… Her eyes glisten, and all at once a laugh bursts through her tight lips.

She covers her face with her hands and leans forward, her shoulders shuddering with laughter.

My eyes fly to the instructor, who’s walking slowly around the room. A high-pitched shriek comes from my expectant partner, and the woman’s eyes narrow. A few of our classmates check us out, and I reach forward, rubbing the center of Liv’s back.

She shakes her head, laughing more, and I don’t know what to do.

“Everyone responds to fear differently.” The instructor continues walking slowly through the pairs, but when she gets to us, an edge is in her tone. “Perhaps you two would like to get some water?”

Moving quickly to my feet, I catch Liv’s hands, pulling her into my arms. She’s wiping her eyes and shaking her head, but she snorts another laugh.

I make the most apologetic face possible, doing a little wave as I lead my girl into the hall. As soon as the metal door closes behind me, she collapses into my chest.

“I’m sorry!” Her voice is high, and she looks up at me. “That wasn’t funny at all!”

As she says it, she breaks into another fit of crying laughter. I have no idea what to do right now, so I say the first thing that comes to mind.

“We’re not too far from Miss Gina’s. Let’s go for a swim. She must’ve invited us ten times by now, and I think floating in a pool might help.”

“We don’t have our suits.”

“You’re wearing a jog bra. You can just wear your underwear and take them off for the drive home.” Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I lead her out to my waiting truck.

“Are you trying to get me out of my underwear?”

“Always, Liv.” Holding the door, I help her in then run around to the driver’s side.

Minutes later, Miss Gina is greeting us at her front door in a robe, and I feel like shit again. “Were you in bed? I’m sorry, Miss G.”

“Nonsense!” She waves a hand in front of her face. “I was listening to an audiobook about a maid in a big mansion where her boss might be trying to kill her. I’ll probably be awake all night.”

“Miss Gina!” Liv’s voice is hushed. “Why would you listen to something like that when you’re all alone in the house?”

“FOMO.” Her flat response almost makes me laugh. “Everybody’s talking about it, and I couldn’t resist. If you two would like to sleep over in the guest cottage, I wouldn’t mind at all. In fact, I’d welcome it.”

Liv glances up at me, and I shrug. “We didn’t really bring anything to sleep in.”

Miss G’s lips twist with a frown. “I probably have something that would work for Liv, but you’re a special size, Garrett.”

“Wow…” I pat her narrow shoulder. “That’s the nicest way anyone’s ever called me huge.”

She instantly frowns, crying out in protest. “Garrett Bradford, you are not huge. You’re simply taller than the average man, and from what I understand, you’re very fit. Liv’s a lucky girl.”

She arches an eyebrow, and I glance at Liv.

Liv only smiles, slipping her hand into the crook of my arm. “I definitely am, Miss G.”

“Well you don’t want to stand here talking to an old blind lady all night. The pool should still be warm from our water aerobics class, but you know how to adjust the control?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Liv steps forward to hug our hostess. “Thank you, Miss G. You’re the best.”

“Just remember, you promised to bring that baby to see me when she gets here.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” I tease, but she only waves her hand as she leaves us at the ornate, wrought-iron and glass door leading out to the flagstone patio.

Liv’s sweet voice is calmer than during her laughing fit at the birthing class, still I feel like I got a little peek behind the curtain. Stuff’s brewing behind her super-controlled façade, and it’s stuff she hasn’t shared with me.

I’m ready to hold her close and get to the bottom of it.