A Different Christmas (University Park #5) Read online

  A Different Christmas

  A University Park Series Novella

  By CM Doporto

  A Different Christmas

  A University Park Series Novella

  Version 1

  Copyright © 2015 CM Doporto

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in articles, reviews, or posts.

  Published by:

  http://www.cmdoporto.com

  Cover design by Indie Solutions

  Edited by Monica Black

  Copyright 2015 by CM Doporto

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, educational facilities, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. Any trademarks mentioned herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive capacity.

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to thank my husband, son, and mom for their continued support. Lord knows I couldn’t do this without each of you.

  Special thank you to my author friend, Sydney Aaliyah, who shared some of the local interest of New Orleans with me. A big thanks to former NFL player, Sheldon Jackson, for answering all my professional football questions. Many thanks to my husband and brother who helped me make sure the lingo was correct for the football scenes. Your insight helped me make this story more realistic. Thank you to Lindsay and Rosie for answering questions regarding C-Sections and twins.

  Thanks to Michele and Lainey for beta reading this novella. Many thanks to my fan club/street team. I appreciate your dedication and time with supporting my books and getting the word out. A big thank you to all the bloggers that support my books and share my post. Your support of indie authors helps get the attention of readers we work hard to obtain.

  A round of applause to Murphy Rae from Indie Solutions for designing a beautiful cover. I love it and I know the fans do, too! Many thanks to Monica for editing this novella. I’m kind of sad this is the end of Lexi and Raven’s story. A heartfelt thank you to the reader. Without you, there would be no one to enjoy my stories. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. I hope Lexi and Raven will remain in your hearts forever and you reread their story for years to come.

  Most of all, I want to thank our Heavenly Father for providing me with the opportunity to do what I love: write.

  Dedication

  To Alessandra for staying in the oven

  a little longer so Mommy could finish

  this story.

  Table of Contents

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Chapter

  1

  Lexi

  “Lexi, they’re going to let him play!” Raven’s uncle, Rick, yelled from the living room.

  I hobbled out of the bathroom as fast as I could, my breathing labored. “Is Anthony hurt?” Staring at the TV, I tried to make sense of the chaos on the field. Anthony Lewis, the quarterback for New Orleans, was being hauled away on the back of a golf cart.

  “Yeah, he’s out.” Rick ran his hand over his hair and then replaced his cap on his head.

  “What happened to him?” Perching on the edge of the recliner, I took a few deeps breaths. Steadying my racing heart was pointless. Adrenaline coursed through my body as Raven ran onto the field. Although he’d been called in before to finish the last few plays of a game New Orleans was set to win, this time was different. His teammate was injured and now he had to step up and perform. Playing in the pros was so much different than playing college football.

  “They think he tore his ACL.” Rick stared intently at the TV.

  “Oh no.” I rubbed my belly and reclined against the chair. Being thirty-six weeks pregnant with twins made it difficult to breathe, sit, stand…do just about anything, but it would be all worth it. I couldn’t wait to meet our beautiful babies.

  “This might be Raven’s big chance.” His mother, Trish, clasped her hands together and pressed them to her mouth. She recently moved back to the New Orleans area after we bought a home. I think she wanted to be closer to her soon-to-be-born grandchildren. I didn’t mind. All my family was back in Dallas, and we needed all the support we could get. Besides, Trish was more supportive than my mom, who swore she’d be there for me. Then again, moving to another state had made it a little hard.

  “What happened?” Mimi, Raven’s grandmother, dashed into the living room, wiping her hands on her apron.

  “Raven’s going to play,” I said, not taking my eyes off the screen.

  “Praise Jesus!” Mimi squealed. “Did the quarterback get hurt?”

  “Yeah. They think he tore his ACL,” Rick quickly interjected.

  “Oh goodness, that’s horrible, but good for Raven.”

  “Come on, son. Show ‘em what you got!” Trish shook a fist in the air.

  The score was twenty-three to twenty-one with Baltimore leading. In the fourth quarter, with five minutes and ten seconds left on the clock, they needed to make a touchdown on this drive. I swooned a little when Raven got into position on the line of scrimmage. One thing was certain: I’d never tire of seeing my man on the field. He was so damn sexy.

  The center hiked the ball and Raven threw a twenty-nine yard pass, earning them another first down. We screamed and cheered as Raven advanced his team closer to the end zone with each play. On fourth and goal, we watched intently as Raven put his skills to the test. Instead of passing the ball to the intended receiver, he dived over the defensive linemen, barely crossing the goal line.

  “Holy shit!” Rick sprang to his feet. “Did you see him dive in there like it was a mosh pit?”

  “Yay, babe, way to go!” I jumped up, applauding his victory, but stopped when a sudden pain shot through my lower belly. “Ow. That didn’t feel good.” I lowered to the chair.

  “You okay?” Mimi quickly knelt by my side.

  “Yeah, I think so.” I took a few deep breaths, trying to relax. My stomach was tight and hard as a rock. “Had a sharp pain, that’s all.”

  “Take it easy. Your water can break at any time.”

  I placed my palms on my stomach, feeling the babies kick and turn as it relaxed. “They need to stay put for at least two more weeks,” I said, looking up at her. “I don’t want them to be pre-mature.”

  “Very true. So don’t get overexcited.”

  Nodding, I took a few more deep breaths and followed her advice. Mimi meant well and I had no problem listening to her. I respected her and she cherished me as if I were her own daughter. Since I moved to New Orleans, our relationship had definitely strengthened and we had a special bond.

  We continued to watch the game and I kept my excitement under control as much as possible. As the minutes counted down, New Orleans’ defensive line did their job, preventing Baltimore from scoring. We screamed when one of the players intercepted a pass with thirty-nine seconds on the clock.

  “Come on, Raven, don’t let me down!” Rick yelled.

  I clenched a small pillow to my chest as Raven took the field once more. Even though they were winning, he needed to end the game on a ba
ng and prove he was worthy of being New Orleans’ quarterback. Being a free agent didn’t hold much stability and sitting on the sidelines didn’t afford him the opportunity to showcase his talents. This was the moment he’d been waiting for.

  “Come on, come on.” Trish bounced her legs up and down repeatedly.

  “Relax. He’s got this.” Alice, Rick’s wife and Trish’s sister, patted her on the thigh. She was the calmer one in the family—the voice of reason when no one could agree on something. “He does well under pressure.”

  Raven’s brothers, Shawn and Trey, kept their eyes glued to the TV, waiting for the play to start. The clock dwindled as the players scrambled into position. The ball was snapped and Raven dropped back, scanning the field. His arm extended and he threw for a sixty-three yard pass. Jes Baxter gripped the ball, shoved a player into the sideline, and sprinted sixteen yards, earning the team a touchdown.

  “Alright, babe!” I pumped a fist in the air. “You did it!”

  “Woohoo!” Rick yelled.

  He had done it.

  He had won the game!

  Raven proved he had what it took to play pro-football and I couldn’t be prouder. His family was excited about his moment of fame, but I knew opportunities like this didn’t come around often. He’d have to do whatever it took to earn the spot for starting quarterback. And that meant long practice days and total focus. I knew he was up for the challenge. The question was, could I handle it?

  Raven’s family left our house with the exception of Mimi. She’d promised Raven she would stay with me while he was out of town, and even though I told her she didn’t have to since we lived close by, she refused to leave my side.

  Just as I crawled into bed and surrounded myself with several pillows, my phone rang. I grabbed it from the nightstand and smiled, seeing a picture of Raven and me on the screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, baby, did you see the game?” Raven’s voice was elevated about three notches, excitement pouring from him.

  “Of course I did.” I pushed myself up in to a sitting position, grunting and huffing.

  “Are you alright?”

  I let out a heavy breath. “Yeah, just trying to sit up.”

  “Damn, I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too.” My throat tightened, but I pushed the sadness away. The last thing I wanted was for Raven to worry about me. This was his night and I didn’t want to spoil it. “I wish I was there to celebrate with you. You played like a pro! I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you. I can’t believe it.” Raven let out a slight chuckle. “I feel bad for Anthony, but at the same time, I’m totally stoked I got to play. And we won!”

  “I know. That’s the best part! So, what’s going to happen next?”

  Several guys were hollering and hooting in the background, making it difficult to hear him. I listened carefully, trying to decipher what he was saying.

  “I don’t know…I still need to talk to Coach.”

  “I hope he tells you you’re going to be starting in Sunday’s game.”

  “Me, too, baby. Me, too.” His voice softened and I sensed a trace of humbleness.

  Raven had been through so much—we had been through so much. Sometimes, it seemed surreal that he had landed a contract with a pro team. After being kicked out of Park Hill University and off the football team, he thought his football career was over. But I didn’t. Raven had talent teams wanted. All it took was for one someone to give him a chance. That person was Coach Rush Winters.

  “Keep your head up. Regardless of what he tells you, you should be proud about today’s game. You made two touchdowns in the last five minutes! I mean…who does that?”

  “The Raven does,” he said with a snarky tone.

  “You got that right.” I giggled. “What time do you think you’ll be home?”

  “Unfortunately, there’s a major storm moving in as we speak, so we’re not flying out until the morning.”

  “Oh no.” I slumped against the headboard. “I was hoping you’d be crawling into bed with me in the middle of the night.”

  “I know. Me, too. But it’s safer if we wait.”

  He had a point. Then again, some of the guys liked to party after a Sunday night game. I’d seen it firsthand, traveling with him to the away games. I was even warned by some of the players’ wives to keep an eye on him. It wasn’t unusual for women to show up to these parties and infidelity was common among the players. I worried Raven might be enticed to do the same. But I had to give him the benefit of the doubt and trust he would do the right thing.

  “Oh, shit!” Raven yelled as a funnel of commotion echoed through the line. “That’s freakin’ cold!”

  I pulled my head away from the phone and winced. A thunderous roar of deep voices followed by cheers belted through the phone’s speaker.

  “Are you okay?” I waited for a few seconds, but the yelling didn’t cease. “Raven? Is everything okay?”

  “You’ve got that right.” He laughed before returning his attention to me. “Sorry, baby. I’m good. In fact, I’m better than good. I’m on top of the fucking world!” He released a loud holler.

  I laughed, picturing what was going on in the locker room. I thought about Facetiming him, but who knew what I’d see. Maybe a bunch of shirtless, hot-as-hell guys in their skin-tight pants or some with a towel wrapped around their waist. The vision in my head might seem divine to most women, but the only guy I wanted to see was Raven, and he was over eleven hundred miles away.

  “What’s going on over there?”

  “I just got doused with a bucket of ice water.”

  I laughed hard, shaking my head. “They’re proud of you!” A small tear seeped from the corner of my eye. They were celebrating his success and part of me was a little sad I wasn’t there with him.

  “They better be! I just helped them win the game.” Raven chuckled.

  “Raven, let’s talk.” A distinct voice came through the phone.

  “Hey, baby, I’ve gotta go. Coach Rush wants to talk with me.” Raven’s tone turned serious.

  “Of course. Good luck. Call me in the morning before you leave.”

  “I will. Get some rest.”

  “Okay. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Before I could say bye, he hung up. I stared at the phone for a moment before setting it back on the nightstand. What was the coach going to tell him? Praise him for a job well done? Tell him he would be starting in next week’s game? All those thoughts went through my head, but what plagued me the most was wondering what would happen after the talk with his coach. Would Raven go back to his hotel room or would there be a big party afterwards?

  I had gone with him to all the games until I hit my third trimester, when my doctor advised me not to travel any longer. Once the twins were born, it would be more difficult to board a plane, so I took advantage of the opportunity. It was exciting going from city to city, hoping he would get a chance to play. Most of the time, we went alone, but a few times, Mimi, Trish, and his uncle, Rick, went with us.

  After every game, we went to bed together. Tonight would be the first night that didn’t happen. Although he had recently played two away games, this one concerned me. Maybe because he was in the limelight and all attention was directed toward him. That was enough to make me wonder if the old Raven might resurface.

  ***

  Raven

  I grabbed a towel and quickly dried off before heading to see Coach Rush. Going to his office always made me feel uneasy, but this time, I probably didn’t have anything to worry about. That’s what I told myself anyway.

  “Hey, Coach.” I stepped inside the guest office set up for the opposing team’s coach.

  “Come on in and shut the door.” He motioned for me to enter.

  I took a seat across from him, watching as his fingers frantically moved across the screen of his phone. The guy never seemed to stop working. He was totally different from Coach Anderson. Not onl
y in looks, being short and thin, but also in the way he acted — high energy, hotheaded, and a driver.

  He stopped momentarily and looked at me. “You did damn good tonight, Raven. You’re exactly what this team needs — what I need.” He tapped out a few more things and then set his phone aside.

  “Thank you, Coach.” I gave him a reaffirming smile. “I want to do my best and prove you made the right decision to sign me.”

  He pointed a finger at me. “And that’s exactly what you’re going to do. I expect you to work hard. Get the plays down, study your opponents, and learn whatever you can from Anthony.”

  “So, he’s out for sure?” My heart skipped a beat, already knowing the answer.

  “Yep.” He shook his head. “Torn ACL.”

  “Damn, that sucks.”

  “Sure does.” He inclined his head. “That means you’re starting Sunday’s game.”

  A huge smile spread across my face. “Sweet.”

  “You’ll be getting more practice time…about seventy percent. Rich will have the rest.”

  “Awesome.” I shook a clenched fist.

  Coach stood up and I did the same, getting the impression he was done talking to me. “I’m counting on you.” He eyed me. “If you don’t perform, then I’m putting Rich in. Plain and simple.”

  “I understand. I’m ready for it.” I swallowed — hard. This wasn’t college…this was the pros and a player like me could be replaced instantly. There were no second chances. The stakes were high and there was money on the table.

  “Good. That’s exactly what Mr. Peters wants to hear.” He placed a firm grip on my shoulder. “I have a feeling you’re going to do alright.” He shot me a wide grin, his green eyes brightening against his tanned cheeks. “I have faith in you, hence the reason I brought you here.”