Intercepted by Love: Part 2 (Playing the Field #2) Read Free Page A

he feeling better after his fall?”
    Andie put her hand out to stop her mother’s torrent. “It didn’t go well, Mom. Cade isn’t who he said he was. His last name is Prescott, not Preston, and he’s a professional football player.”
    “Why would that be bad?”
    “You haven’t seen the news, have you?” Andie bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. “He got someone pregnant, and she caught up with him today.”
    “Oh, my. I’m so sorry.” Mom wrapped her arms around Andie. “I was wrong. I’m usually not wrong about these things.”
    “I know, Mom. Unfortunately this time, I definitely seized the wrong moment.” Someone rang the doorbell, and Andie disengaged from her mother. “If it’s Cade, I don’t want to see him. Don’t invite him in.”
    “Sure, I’ll tell him you’re not feeling well.” She walked toward the door, as Andie shut herself and Gollie in her father’s room.
    He raised his arm, beckoning her to his side.
    “Oh, Daddy! I hurt so bad.” She fell onto the bed beside him.
    His good arm hooked around over her shoulder, and he pulled her into an embrace, holding her as she sobbed.
    She’d made the right choice to send Cade away. Her family needed her, and she loved them. It was time for Cade to learn that blood was thicker than water. She could never respect a man who’d skipped out on his own flesh and blood, even if that child had not been planned.

Chapter Three
    F ive months later

    “ M om , I’m home,” Andie unlocked the front door and smelled smoke. “Mom!”
    She ran into the kitchen. A pot had caught fire on the stove, but her mother was not around. Andie grabbed a bin of flour and dumped the contents on the fire, putting it out.
    “Mom, where are you?” She opened the window and rushed from the kitchen. “Mom? Where’s the dog?”
    Her heart pounding, Andie hurried to her father’s sickroom.
    Mom was sleeping in the bed with Dad, holding onto him. She sat up with a start, wide eyed and her nose scrunched. “I smell smoke.”
    “I put it out already.” She grabbed her mother’s shoulders. “You’re exhausted. You must have fallen asleep. Where’s Gollie? She would have smelled the smoke and woken you.”
    “Oh, I forgot about her. I let her out.” Mom glanced out the window, rubbing her eyes. “Did you see her?”
    Poor Mom. She really was exhausted.
    “Don’t worry. I’ll go look for her,” Andie said. It was still light outside since it was mid-July, and the sun took longer to set, especially at their northern latitude.
    “I have to cook dinner.” Her mother yawned.
    “No, don’t. I’ll cook or call for takeout.” Andie bent over the hospital bed and kissed Dad. “You doing okay?”
    He barely nodded, but his eyes twinkled with pleasure at seeing her. As an only child, she’d always been close to both parents, but since she and her father studied the same field, archaeology, she was naturally the apple of his eye.
    Too bad he hadn’t recovered his speech, but at least he had more movement on his paralyzed side. He was able to sit in a wheelchair and control it with a joystick, but he still required around-the-clock care. Meanwhile, Andie had had to take on a second job, waitressing at the local pizza joint, to help with the bills.
    “We can’t afford to eat takeout, sweetie.” Mom patted her back. “Have you thought about taking that Hollywood job?”
    “I don’t want to leave you and Dad.” Andie squeezed her father’s hand, heartened that his grip was stronger. “Who’ll come home and find the kitchen smoking if I leave?”
    “We don’t want you to leave either, but this is a lifetime opportunity.” Mom put her arm over Andie’s shoulder. “Let’s talk about it while we cook.” She looked toward her father. “You agree, don’t you, that Andie should take this job.”
    Dad raised his hand with a thumbs up. Okay, so the parents had talked about this and agreed, but Andie wasn’t going to let them push her into it.
    About