Summer Kisses by Theresa Ragan, Laurie Kellogg, Katie Graykowski, Bev Pettersen, Lindsey Brookes, Diana Layne, Autumn Jordon, Jacie Floyd, Elizabeth Bemis, Lizzie Shane

what’s wrong,” Derrick told her. “It sounds like you have a case of the ol’ baby blues.”
    She raised a questioning brow, prompting him to gesture toward the book titled A Mother’s Guide to Newborns sitting on the coffee table. “I looked through it when you were in the other room taking care of business. It says new mothers are often overworked and deprived of sleep. It makes sense—little sleep together with all those hormones and emotions—excitement and joy one moment and then fear and anxiousness the next. It’s a wonder you moms survive this stage at all.”
    She wiped her eyes. “Are you for real?”
    He wasn’t sure how to answer the question, so he didn’t.
    “Why aren’t you married?” she asked. Then she waved her hands in front of her as if erasing the question altogether. “Don’t get me wrong, I already know you’re far from perfect.”
    Although he wasn’t sensitive when it came to name calling or character bashing, her statement did make him frown.
    “Well, you did lie on your donor application and we’ve already determined that you can be pushy and overbearing,” she said between sniffles. “But you seem like an okay guy overall, so what’s the deal?” She hiccupped. “Were you married before? Do you have a fiancée waiting for you back at the Malibu home your brothers mentioned?” She plopped down in the cushiony chair facing the couch and lifted big fluffy pink slippers onto the ottoman. “Out with it. What’s really going on here?”
    Holding Ryan close, Derrick took his time lowering himself to the edge of the couch, thinking about how he should answer the question. Under any other circumstance, he wouldn’t bother, but she was the mother of his son, a son he wanted to help raise. This was his chance to get to know Jill. He couldn’t blow it now. “I guess you could say I am married to football,” he said, knowing his reasoning might sound lame, but it was the truth. “I’m nearly thirty years old and so far my life has revolved around the game. Football gave me a chance to be close to my dad when he coached Pee Wee football.” Derrick took in a breath at the realization because it was the truth. With so many siblings, it wasn’t easy to get his father’s attention back then. “When some of my friends were getting into trouble in high school, football gave me a thrill like nothing else could. Playing in college and then in the NFL ended up being the icing on the cake. And,” he added thoughtfully, “I guess football has kept me busy, too busy to think about much else.”
    She crossed her ankles. “Lots of famous football players have families.”
    “True,” he said. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel if I found you and you were pregnant. But the moment I saw you standing behind the officer—” He looked down at Ryan. His eyes were open and he was staring at him, seemingly mesmerized. Derrick brushed his finger against the palm of Ryan’s tiny hand. “The moment I realized you might be carrying a child that was a part of me…I felt something I’ve never felt before.” He paused as he tried to formulate the words so he could better explain. “Let me put it this way—when I’m playing in a big game and I scramble around guys twice my size and then set and throw the ball across the field with pin-point accuracy, it’s like drinking a glass of cold fresh water after a day in the hot desert. It’s heaven. It’s indescribable.” Derrick marveled at Ryan’s small fingers wrapped around his finger. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that the moment I laid eyes on Ryan in the hospital I felt that same feeling—only it was different because the euphoric feeling didn’t go away after the crowd stopped cheering, so to speak. Holding Ryan and spending a little time with him, knowing he’s a part of me, has done something to me. It has made me think differently about life.”
    He lifted his shoulders in a helpless