Susan Phillips - Nobody's Baby But Mine

A book in the Chicago Stars / Bonner Brothers series, 1997

Dear Reader,

The night before our youngest son went off to college, I sat at the bottom of the stairs looking at his pile of belongings, and I cried my eyes out. I wasnt ready for this part of my life to be over. The years slipped away, and I remembered how Id yearned to have a baby. In that moment, the seeds for NOBODYS BABY BUT MINE were planted.

Find a cozy corner, a comfortable chair, and come with me on a very special journey filled with love and passion. Youll meet an endearing woman whos smart about some things and confused about others, along with a strong, sexy heartthrob of a man wholl take your breath away. Youll also meet a married couple whove lost sight of what they mean to each other.

NOBODYS BABY BUT MINE delivers lots of sizzle, but youll find tenderness too, along with laughter, and maybe even a tear here and there. Curl up in your favorite chair and lose yourself in the adventures of these maddening, mismatched, but ultimately endearing lovers.

Happy reading,

Let me get this straight, Jodie Pulanski said. You want to give Cal Bonner a woman for a birthday present.

The three offensive linemen, who were spending the November evening sitting in the back booth at Zebras, the DuPage County sports bar favored by the Chicago Stars football players, all nodded at once.

Junior Duncan gestured toward the waitress for another round. Hes going to be thirty-six, so we wanted to make this extra special.

Bull,Jodie said. Everybody who knew anything about football knew that Cal Bonner, the Stars brilliant quarterback, had been demanding, temperamental, and generally impossible to get along with ever since the season started. Bonner, popularly known as the Bomber because of his fondness for throwing explosive passes, was the top-ranked quarterback in the AFC and a legend.

Jodie crossed her arms over the form-fitting white tank top that was part of her hostess uniform. It didnt occur to either her or any of the three men at the table to consider the moral dimensions of their discussion, let alone notions of political correctness. This was, after all, the NFL. You think if you get him a woman, hell ease up on all of you, she said.

Willie Jarrell gazed down into his beer through a pair of thickly-lashed dark brown eyes. Sonovabitch been kickin so much ass lately, nobody can stand being around him.

Junior shook his head. Yesterday, he called Germaine Clark a debutante. Germaine!

Jodie lifted one eyebrow, which was penciled several shades darker than her brassy blond hair. Germaine Clark was All-Pro and one of the meanest defensive tackles in the NFL. From what Ive seen, the Bomber already has more women than he knows what to do with.

Junior nodded. Yeah, but, the thing of it is, he doesnt seem to be sleepin with any of them?

What?

Its true. Chris Plummer, the Stars left guard spoke up. We just found it out. His girlfriends have been talking to some of the wives, and it seems Cals not using them for anything more than window dressing.

Willie Jarrell spoke up. Maybe if he waited until they were out of diapers, he could get turned on.

Junior chose to take his remark seriously. Dont say things like that, Willie. You know Cal wont date em till theyre twenty.

Cal Bonner might be getting older, but the females in his life werent. No one could remember him dating anyone over the age of twenty-two.

Far as anybody knows, Willie said, the Bomber hasnt slept with anybody since he broke up with Kelly, and that was last February. Its not natural.

Kelly Berkley had been Cals beautiful twenty-one-year-old companion until shed gotten tired of waiting for a wedding ring that wasnt ever going to come and run off with a twenty-three-year-old guitarist for a heavy metal band. Since then, Cal Bonner had been concentrating on winning football games, dating a new woman every week, and kicking his teammates asses.

Jodie Pulanski was the Stars favorite groupie, but although she hadnt yet turned twenty-three, none of the men suggested that she offer her own body as Cal Bonners birthday present. It was a well-known fact hed already rejected her at least a dozen times. That made the Bomber Public Enemy Number One on Jodies personal hate list, even though she kept a collection of blue-and-gold Starsjerseys in her bedroom closet, one jersey for every Stars player shed slept with, and was always eager to add more.

What we need is somebody who wont remind him of Kelly, Chris said.

That means she needs to be real classy, Willie added. And older. We think it would be good for the Bomber to try someone maybe twenty-five.

Sort of dignified. Junior took a sip of beer. One of those society types.

Jodie wasnt known for her brains, but even she could see the problem with that one.I dont think too many society types are going to volunteer to be a mans birthday present. Not even Cal Bonners.

Yeah, thats what we was thinking, too, so we might have to use a hooker.

But a real classy one, Willie said hastily, since everyone knew Cal didnt go for hookers.

Junior gazed glumly into his beer. Problem is, we havent been able to find one.

Jodie knew some hookers, but none of them were what shed call classy. Neither were her friends. She ran with a group of hard-drinking, party-loving women, whose single goal in life was to sleep with as many professional athletes as they could.What do you want from me?

We want you to use your connections and find somebody for him, Junior said. His birthdays coming up in ten days, and we got to have a woman for him before then.

Whats in it for me?

Since all three of their jerseys already hung in her closet, they knew theyd have to go out on a limb. Chris spoke cautiously. You got a particular number youre interested in adding to your collection?

Other than number eighteen, Willie quickly interjected, eighteen being the Bombers number.

Jodie thought about it. Shed rather screw over the Bomber than find him a woman. On the other hand, there was one particular number that she wanted real bad. As a matter of fact, I do. If I find your birthday present, number twelves mine.

The men groaned. Shit, Jodie, Kevin Tuckers got too many women as it is.

Thats your problem.

Tucker was the Stars backup quarterback. Young, aggressive, and sublimely talented, he had been handpicked by the Stars to take over the starting position when age or injury prevented Cal from getting the job done. Although the two men were polite in public, both were fierce competitors, and they hated each others guts, which made Kevin Tucker all the more desirable to Jodie.

The men grumbled, but eventually agreed that theyd make sure Tucker did his part if she found the right woman for Cals birthday present.

Two new customers entered Zebras, and since Jodie was the bars hostess, she got up to greet them. As she made her way to the door, she mentally sorted through her female acquaintances, trying to come up with one of them who would qualify, but she drew a blank. She had a lot of female friends, but not a single one of them was classy.

Two days later, Jodie was still mulling over the problem as she dragged her hangover into the kitchen of her parents home in suburban Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where she was temporarily living until she got her Visa paid off. It was almost noon on Saturday, her parents were gone for the weekend, and she didnt have to be at work until five, which was a good thing because she needed time to recover from last nights partying.