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  Hello, gentle reader. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank-you for reading my story. I love writing them, but does a writer really exist without readers? I want to write stories that entertain and enthrall you, which is why I’m dying to know what you think!. Please let me know what you think of my story by using one of the following methods so that I can better write the kinds of stories you want to read!

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  Other Books By Julie Bevan

  Submission Hold

  My Football Romance – Opposites Attract

  My Tennis Romance – Game, Set and Match

  My Hockey Romance – Phantom Assist

  My MMA Romance – The Beginning

  Love On The Rebound – A Basketball Romance

  Julia Bevan

  Chapter One

  TJ

  “Daddy, you’re doing it wrong, you need to do it like this!” Rose then proceeds to demonstrate for me the proper way to hold a teacup. Apparently, using your pinky finger is vital. I manage to get my pinky into the tiny teacup holder and take a sip.

  “So, like this?” I ask, as I look at my daughter for approval. She doesn’t really give it though. Instead, she cocks her head to one side and scrunches up her adorable nose.

  “You look a little weird, but if that’s the best you can do…”

  I have to laugh at that. How could it not look weird? I’m a grown-ass man trying to enjoy a teddy bears’ picnic with my daughter. The cups Rose brought are her favorite, but they are more teddy bear and little girl size, not full man size. Still, I’m doing the best I can. I decide I need a little bit of support.

  “Hey, Brown Bear, what do you think of my tea drinking form?”

  Brown Bear looks at me with neither approval nor disapproval reflected in his button eyes. It’s always hard to get a read on what he’s thinking, but, nonetheless, I’ve always liked Brown Bear.

  “Brown Bear thinks you’re doing a good job, Daddy,” replies Rose as she pours some tea for some of her other animals.

  “And what about you, Floppy Bunny?” I ask the nearby stuffed rabbit with some trepidation. Floppy Bunny and I are not exactly on the best of terms due to a past incident in which I may have run over him with my car. I tried to deny it, but the tire tracks are still visible on his bunny face. It was kind of an open and shut case, I must admit.

  “Floppy Bunny still isn’t talking to you, Daddy,” explains Rose, with a sideways glance. I look up at the sky in mock exasperation.

  “Will Floppy Bunny ever forgive me?” I implore Rose. She shakes her head.

  “You did run him over,” she points out.

  “He was in the middle of the driveway though, wasn’t he?” I say in my own defense. Rose, being a smart seven-year-old and not wanting to admit her role in the event, decides to change the subject.

  “If you’re tired of your tea, you can have a beer now. I won’t judge,” replies Rose.

  Changing the subject with the promise of beer for her daddy. I’m not sure why Rose is so smart, but she’s a sharp kid. She must have gotten it from her mother.

  Her mother. How could a woman be so smart and yet so cold at the same time? Rose’s mother had been my first true love when I had started playing professional basketball in Europe. To this day I can’t forget about her. She wasn’t that tall, which made us quite the couple, as I am six foot two. However, she was gorgeous with large brown eyes, shoulder length brown hair and full, plump breasts. The perfect Spanish senorita. The first time I laid my eyes on her I had been hooked. What could I do? I was a fresh-faced pup who had just graduated from Portland State University. No professional team in the States had shown any interest in me, so I had taken my basketball dreams to Europe. It had been totally overwhelming for me as I had never travelled anywhere before, and that includes Canada, for crying out loud. Spain was like, well, it was like a different country, you know? And there I am, and there she is, and it was like how a match explodes into flame when you strike it. From the beginning, it was a torrential affair, but Gabby got pregnant almost right away. Did you know that condoms are only about 98% effective? That’s something we both learned pretty quickly …

  I gently put my teacup down beside Brown Bear and reach into our picnic basket. After a moment of fumbling around, I’m soon holding a semi-cold can of Timber Beer while I consider my daughter. She actually resembles her mother so much it’s hard for me to not look at h
er without remembering. Brown hair framing those large, brown Spanish eyes, just like her moms’. We had tried to make the relationship work when Rose had been born; at least I think we did. I know I had tried, but maybe I didn’t try hard enough. I had been travelling all over Europe hooping it up while Gabby had suddenly been a young mother on her own. Maybe it’s wrong for me to blame her. Maybe it was too much, too soon. Whatever it was, she just wasn’t ready, and then she was gone. To this day I don’t think Rose has gotten over it. How could she? She was only a child. I’m a grown-ass man, and it still hurts me.

  I crack open my beer and look around the green campus of Portland State U. A lot has changed in the six years since I’ve been gone, but what hasn’t changed is the beautiful green grass with its many tall trees.

  “Are you having a good time, Sweetie?” I ask Rose. She nods her head positively.

  “It’s pretty and quiet here. I like it,” she says as she serves Floppy Bunny some kind of imaginary treat.

  “You know that Daddy used to go to school here?” I ask her.

  “I know. You never stop talking about it,” she says matter of factly. Kids can be so unknowingly brutal in their honesty sometimes. Do I really talk about my glory days at Portland State that much? Maybe I do; my daughter certainly thinks so, anyway.

  “Hey, aren’t you TJ Cunningham?” asks a voice from behind me. I look up and see what looks like an excited freshman standing over us. When our eyes meet I watch as his face brightens as he confirms my identity.

  “It is! You’re TJ Cunningham! I used to watch you play on television. You were great! The best point guard the Vikings ever had!”

  I smile appreciatively and take a quick glance at Rose. I kind of hope she hears this fact, that her dad was a big deal, confirmed by someone else. However, my daughter seems to be momentarily lost in her own little world and is consumed by the task of cutting up a piece of imaginary cheese.

  “Thanks,” I reply to my young fan. “It’s great to be back.”

  This comment seems to confuse my young friend.

  “Wait, what? You’re going to be playing for the Vikings again? Is that possible? Isn’t your eligibility up?”

  I shake my head.

  “No, I’ve been invited to the Pumas’ training camp, and I think I have a good chance at making the team. I’m just here to enjoy a teddy bears’ picnic.”

  I swear I can almost see a light bulb appear over my young admirer’s head as he puts it together. It’s then that I think he looks around and sees Rose and her assembled stuffed companions. He had initially been so star struck that I don’t think he had seen them at first.

  “Ah, that makes sense,” he replies. “It is a nice day for a teddy bears’ picnic, isn’t it?”

  For some reason, unlike the earlier praise for my amazing collegiate basketball career, Rose seems to hear this.

  “It is indeed. It’s lovely,” replies Rose. “It’s lovely?” Where did she get that from? Probably from my brother. He never misses a chance to teach my daughter an odd turn of phrase. However, it’s usually zombie related, so this is actually a pleasant surprise.

  My young fan is momentarily surprised at Rose’s response. I would say delightfully so, even. I swear Rose can charm anyone when she wants to. I’m definitely going to have my hands full when she becomes a teenager …

  “Uh, anyway, I don’t want to interrupt your picnic, but do you mind if I get a selfie with you?” he asks.

  “Sure, why not?” I reply. My friend quickly leans in and snaps a shot. It’s hard to believe that we’re really not that far apart in terms of age. However, I feel so much older than him. Having parental and real-world responsibilities will do that to you.

  “Thanks, man, I really appreciate it,” he replies before taking off. “Good luck with the Pumas too. I hope you make the team!”

  “Thanks!” I call out after him. Feeling pretty good about myself, as who doesn’t like being praised by a fan, I turn my attention back to my daughter. Somehow, in the blink of an eye, she’s managed to get a hold of a doughnut. Whoa, Daddy fail! I need to put a stop to these shenanigans right away.

  “Hey, you can’t eat that yet! That’s dessert!” I say as I remove the doughnut from her tiny grasping hands.

  “But I want it!” she implores as she looks up at me with her big brown eyes. One day, I realize, Rose is going to be able to use those big brown eyes to get just about anything she wants. However, I’m her father, and they’re not working on me in the arena of doughnut nutrition. They can work in other areas, but I’m like a rock on this point.

  “You know the rules, young lady. You have to eat some real food before you eat sweets. At least eat some cheese and carrots.”

  I look down at Rose’s plate and see that she hasn’t touched any of her real food yet, and she doesn’t look like she’s about to start. I gaze at her with a questioning eye.

  “What are you waiting for?” I ask her. “Start eating.”

  Rose picks up her water bottle and holds it directly in front of me.

  “It’s empty,” she says simply. I inspect her water bottle closely and see that she is, indeed, correct.

  “What happened to all of the water?” I ask her. I could have sworn I had filled it up not twenty minutes ago. There’s no way she could have drank all of it.

  “I decided to water the grass,” she replies. Water the grass? Ugh, like the lush green grass of Portland State needed it. I roll my eyes and take the water bottle from her.

  “I can’t eat any food unless I have something to drink,” she points out. I sigh to myself, as I know this truth only too well. I start to stand up in order to get my lawn care expert some more H2O.

  “Rose, there’s a water fountain right over there. I’m going to get you some more water. Stay here and next time, drink the water. You don’t need to give it to the lawn. They have people here that do that.”

  “Yes, Daddy,” she replies. “Here, you should take Brown Bear with you.” She picks up Brown Bear and hands him to me.

  “Why am I taking Brown Bear with me?” I ask.

  “So he can protect you,” Rose replies. Of course, so he can protect me. What better protection could there be than a bear? I should have thought of that.

  I had momentarily been a little annoyed with her for dumping her water, but I just can’t keep it up. She’s so cute, and I love her more than the sun and all of the stars in heaven. I lean over and give my daughter a kiss on top of her head before proceeding with my water mission. As I walk across the lawn, I take a look around the campus. I have so many great memories of this university. In fact, I owe my life to it. It was nearly ten years ago that I had wormed my way into an open tryout for their basketball team. No one had heard of me, but after that first day, I had everyone talking. I had made the team, and through sheer hard work and determination, I had managed to carve out quite a university basketball career. I had hopes that it would lead me to the NBA, but things hadn’t quite worked out that way. Maybe they would now. After six years in Europe, I certainly felt I was ready for the show. Time would tell.

  What I’m not ready for, however, is what happens next.

  “Ooomph!” is the sound I hear. I look around and realize that while I had been daydreaming about my past glories on campus, I hadn’t really been watching where I was going. I whip my head around and quickly grab onto the arm of the young woman I had apparently walked into. Thanks to my fast reflexes and strength, I’m able to prevent her from hitting the ground. I pull her back to her feet.

  “Wow, thanks. My savior! The mystery woman exclaims.

  “I’m not sure you can call me that,” I reply. “After all, I’m the one who kind of knocked you down.”

  The mystery woman shakes her head.

  “Not true. I was texting while walking. I think we’re equally at fault.” She then gives me a quick once-over from head to toe with her beautiful eyes. “Although you’re so big and muscly, it was a little bit like a Prius running in
to a Mac Truck.” She then gives my bicep a quick squeeze. She does it so fast that I don’t have time to flex. Nonetheless, I think she’s impressed. I laugh a little while I give her the quick once over and I have to say, I like what I see. She is about five foot seven with strawberry blonde hair and a beautiful smile. Dressed in a yoga outfit, which showcases her fit and toned body, she actually looks fantastic. In fact, she looks so good I have to force myself to look into her eyes and not at her ample breasts. Still, there’s no doubt about it, this mystery gal has an absolutely banging bod.

  “Well, it’s actually worse than that, as you not only ran into me but into my bear companion too,” I say as I hold up Brown Bear to her. I decide to show her Brown Bear right away as I feel the need to explain why a grown man is carrying a bear around. It’s all about turning a potential liability into a positive. Work with me here, Brown Bear, work with me.

  “Sorry for running into you, pretty lady,” I make Brown Bear say. She laughs. Turns out Brown Bear, in addition to his other positive qualities, has some skills as a wingman.

  “That’s OK, Brown Bear, I forgive you,” she says as she gives Brown Bear a little poke in his bear stomach. It’s adorable, although now I’m a bit jealous of the attention he’s getting. Come on Brown Bear, remember you’re working for me here.

  “Thank you, you’ve made Brown Bear feel so much better. You’re very kind.” I make Brown Bear nod his head as I say this.

  Yoga woman tilts her head to the side and seems to study me intently for a moment. I decide to comment on this.

  “From the way you’re looking at me, it’s like you’ve never seen a man with a pet bear before,” I quip.

  Yoga woman flashes the slightest smile at me before replying.

  “The fact that you even have a pet bear, not to mention that makeup on your face, leads me to believe that you must either be a father, uncle, or big brother.”

  Makeup? Oh, man, I’d actually forgotten that I had let Rose put some face paint on me.

  “I’m a father, and, by the way, what exactly did my daughter do to my handsome face?” I ask.