Looking to Score (The New York Nighthawks Book 5) Read online

  Looking to Score

  The New York Nighthawks

  Fiona Davenport

  Copyright © 2022 by Fiona Davenport

  Cover designed by Elle Christensen

  Edited by Jenny Sims (Editing4Indies)

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Looking to Score

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Looking to Score

  From USA Today bestselling author Fiona Davenport comes a single dad, age-gap, sports romance with a kicker who’s looking to score the perfect wife to go with his instant family.

  Roan Ellis never expected to take custody of his cousin’s daughters, but that didn’t stop him from opening his heart and home in their time of need. When his lawyer warned him that their dead-beat dad’s sister wanted custody, he vowed to do whatever it took to protect the girls.

  Then he met Ava Cromwell and realized she was nothing like her brother. She loved the girls as much as he did…and he wanted to be more than just a co-parent with her. He was determined to win her heart.

  1

  Roan

  “Cassidy! Slow down, sweet cheeks, you’re going to—oomph.” Somehow, I managed not to fall backward onto my ass when my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter came running and threw herself into my arms. “Hello, to you, too,” I wheezed, trying to catch my breath.

  “Hi, Daddy!” she squealed as her little arms squeezed me tight. “Guess what?”

  “What?” I settled her on my hip as I rose to my feet and walked to the baby jumper on the other side of the family room. My nine-month-old, Daisy, was bouncing to her heart's content. She clapped and smiled at me, showing off her single tooth.

  “I got a new pack-pack for school!” Cassidy announced, her chest puffing up with pride.

  “Hey there, sweetheart,” I murmured to Daisy, then bent over to place a kiss on her fuzzy head. “A pack-pack, huh?” I asked, turning my attention back to Cassidy, who was squirming with excitement. “You don’t start school for a few months yet, sweet cheeks.” And it was coming up way too soon for me. I quickly understood why parents had such a hard time when their kids started preschool. They stopped being babies and became little kids who would grow up too fast.

  I’d always assumed I’d get married one day and have kids, but it had seemed far in the future. I was at the height of my career as a kicker for the New York Nighthawks. At thirty-two, I probably seemed ancient in this sport to most people, but traditionally, kickers had a much longer career in professional football.

  Even when my cousin, Carrie, asked me to be the guardian for her daughters should something happen to her, it never crossed my mind that I would actually end up a single father. We hadn’t been all that close, but we’d stayed in touch, and I saw her at some holiday gatherings at my parents' house. Especially since they both still lived in my hometown in Upstate New York. We were really the only family Carrie had left. According to my mom, her ex-husband’s family was nothing but trouble. And her ex was the worst—an addict, a drunk, and a conman.

  My sisters were only eighteen at the time, so I was the most logical choice, and it hadn’t hurt that I was loaded. I’d agreed, assuming it was just a formality and nothing would come of it. But five months later, I received a call from my cousin’s lawyer informing me that she’d passed away. Apparently, she’d been battling breast cancer and hadn’t told anyone.

  Suddenly, I was faced with either breaking my promise—which would make me no better than her ex—or becoming a parent overnight. I chose the latter. I was terrified, but the moment the case worker showed up on my doorstep, and I looked into the pretty hazel eyes of those little girls, they had me wrapped around their tiny fingers. I knew instantly they were my daughters.

  It was a tough adjustment, but my twin sisters were amazing. As soon as they graduated high school, they moved into the guesthouse of the home I bought out on Long Island to share the job of nanny—between college classes. One of the main reasons I’d chosen this place was because of the guesthouse. It gave them their own space, but they were only a minute away if the girls needed them.

  My girls and I had been together for three months, and every day, I loved them more and was so grateful to be their dad. I made sure we talked about their mom so they wouldn’t forget her. At some point, Cassidy seemed to realize that we didn’t talk about her father and asked me if I was her daddy. I tried to explain the situation, but I wasn’t sure if she really understood. And it didn’t matter because then she asked if I would be her daddy. I wasn’t too proud to admit that I got choked up and nodded. Then I nearly let a few tears slip out when she hugged me and said, “I love you, Daddy.”

  “It’s not really for school,” Iris said with a laugh, bringing me back to the present. My sister stood from the couch, and I chuckled when I saw that she was covered in stickers. “She’s too big for a diaper bag, so I got a backpack for all the stuff we haul around, especially to play dates.”

  “Smart,” I replied. “Auntie Iris sure looks pretty, Cassidy,” I whispered to her conspiratorially. “Did you do that?”

  “Yes!” she shouted and clapped again. “So pretty!”

  “Nice job, sweet cheeks.” I winked and gave her another hug before setting her on her feet. “Want to help me with dinner?”

  Rose, my other sister, strolled into the room and opened her arms wide as she crouched down. “Run hug!” she bellowed. Cassidy screamed with delight and took off, then she collided with her aunt, and they both went tumbling backward in a heap of giggling limbs.

  “Rose and I are headed to the school for a freshman thing.” Both girls had applied for and been accepted into an early admission program, so they’d started classes a few weeks ago. “Are you sure you’ll be okay tonight?” Iris regarded me doubtfully, and I frowned.

  “Hey,” I grumbled. “I’m their dad. I can take care of my girls.” In fact, since preseason training hadn’t started yet, I was around most of the time. They were just busting my chops as annoying little sisters like to do.

  “We’ll see,” Rose snickered from behind me.

  I rolled my eyes and waved at them as I picked up Daisy. “Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Iris gaped at me. “That’s not fair. You don’t do anything…ever. You’re like a monk.”

  “Monks don’t have kids,” I stated. Thin argument, Ellis. Paper thin.

  “Whatever,” she huffed. Then they both flitted around to kiss all of our cheeks and say goodbye.

  After making dinner, we played hard in the backyard until it began to get dark. I gave both girls a bath, then we snuggled up on my bed and read stories while Daisy had another bottle. When bedtime came, Cassidy protested as I carried her to her room, but the minute I laid her on her bed, she was out. Daisy had fallen asleep as well, so I put her in her crib in the next room.

  Armed with both monitors, I grabbed a shower and crawled into bed where I collapsed in an exhausted heap. Team workouts had nothing on chasing and playing
with two energetic munchkins.

  The ringing of my cell phone woke me the next morning, and I pried one eye open to look at the time. “Shit,” I muttered when I saw it was after seven and the house was silent. Either a miracle had happened and Cassidy was still asleep, or she was roaming the house by herself. It was too quiet for that to mean anything except trouble.

  My phone continued to ring, and I picked it up as I climbed out of bed. “Hello?” After answering, I padded silently into the hall and down a few doors to peek into Cassidy’s room. I sighed in relief when I saw she was still asleep but was even more annoyed at Thom.

  “Roan? Are you there?”

  It was my lawyer, Thom, and I waited until I was back in my room to speak, keeping my voice low until I shut the door. “Hey, Thom. What has you calling me at the ass crack of dawn? Someone better be dead because my girls are still asleep, which means I should still be asleep.”

  “Sorry, but I didn’t think this was news that could wait until a better time to call.”

  My heart skipped a beat as fear flitted through me. I’d filed a petition to adopt Cassidy and Daisy shortly after they arrived. “Is there a problem with the adoption?”

  “I don’t think so,” he hurried to assure me. “This will just be a small bump in the road since you are clearly their best option. ”

  I gritted my teeth, annoyed that he, like most other people, seemed to think the only reason my girls should be with me was because of my wealth. “So what’s the problem?”

  “Someone wants to file for custody of Cassidy and Daisy.” His voice was hesitant as if he was bracing himself for an explosion, which would have happened if my daughters’ rooms hadn’t been just down the hall.

  “What the fuck, Thom?” I snarled.

  “It turns out, Carrie’s sister-in-law…let me see…oh, right, Ava Cromwell, remained close with your cousin.”

  “Sister-in-law? Cromwell?” My temper flared. “Are you telling me that Carrie’s deadbeat ex-husband has a sister who wants to try to get custody of my daughters?”

  “Um, yes. But the good news is that according to her attorney—that’s who I just got off the phone with—she was originally planning to ask for full custody, but once she found out you had them, she decided to go for joint instead.”

  “The judge won’t seriously consider it, will he? Everyone in town knows the Cromwell reputation.”

  “I’m not sure what the circumstances are,” Thom said, clearing his throat. “But I can’t guarantee the judge won’t at least consider a petition if she files one since she’s their aunt. Obviously, you have the means to fight this, but custody battles can get messy., What I recommend for now is that you consider letting her visit the girls. It will show the judge that you’re acting in their best interest and give us time to figure out how to handle the situation.”

  “Visitation?” I supposed that wasn’t too bad. At least I’d be able to supervise the whole time. And depending on how it went, I might be open to more visits. Considering this chick was a Cromwell, though, I didn’t think that scenario was very likely. “Fine. Set it up.”

  “Alright. Um…I should warn you. Just to be prepared, of course. It’s highly likely that this is a scheme to get money from you. She’s probably just looking to score. Especially considering how easily she decided to go for joint custody instead. It would be a better opportunity to get money from you if you’re both responsible for the girls’ well-being.”

  The thought had already crossed my mind. But I had another question. “Why now? Why didn’t she try three months ago?”

  “I asked her lawyer the same thing. He was cagey about it, but I had the impression that she couldn’t afford him until now. Just keep your eyes and ears open while she’s around the girls. Custody won’t be an issue if you can show that she is unfit to be around them. If you can prove that she’s only there to try to extort money from you…”

  I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, frustrated as fuck with the whole situation. Then the monitor squealed, letting me know that Daisy was awake and ready for a bottle.

  “I don’t have time for this bullshit,” I grunted. “Just set it up for next week, and we’ll go from there.” I hung up and spun around as I shoved my phone into the pocket of my pajama pants.

  My girls needed me.

  2

  Ava

  As I was refilling coffee for one of my regular customers, my cell vibrated in my apron. Scanning the restaurant for my boss, I slumped my shoulders in relief when I looked at the food pass-through window and saw him working at the grill. We weren’t allowed to use our phones at work unless we were on a break, but I needed to keep mine with me this morning because I was expecting the most important call of my life.

  I hurried over to the coffee machine and put the pot on the burner before heading toward the bathroom. I yanked my cell from my apron pocket, a knot forming in my stomach when I saw my lawyer’s number on the screen. Ducking into a stall, I accepted the call. “Hello?”

  “Good morning, Miss Cromwell.”

  My fingers trembled as I locked the door behind me. “Do you have news?”

  “Mr. Ellis is willing to let you see Cassidy and Daisy.”

  Tears filled my eyes as I whispered, “He really said I could come see the girls?”

  It had been two long months since I’d seen my nieces. The only thing I’d been able to find out back then was that the girls had gone to someone in Carrie’s family. I had wanted to go after them the minute I heard about her death—which thanks to my jerk of a brother wasn’t until an entire week later—but one of my coworkers had convinced me it was better to wait until I had all of my ducks in a row. She’d warned me about how ugly custody battles could get and that hiring a great lawyer was the only way to win if things got bad. Since she was newly divorced and had managed to get full custody of her kids, I figured she knew best.

  “Yes, and with less resistance than I expected.” There was a rustling of paper in the background. “I’m hopeful that his quick acquiescence is an indication that he will be amenable to sharing custody with you.”

  The tears spilled down my cheeks. “How soon can I see them?”

  “When can you make the trip to Long Island?”

  Sunday was my next day off. I had back-to-back shifts—dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow—and I was on the schedule for Friday and Saturday night. Luckily, I had covered shifts for all of my coworkers over the past few months, so I had plenty of people to ask to do the same for me this weekend. If I was going to make the two-hour drive out there, I figured that I might as well make the most of it. I’d find a cheap motel, try to set up some interviews for jobs out there, and check out neighborhoods to figure out where I could find a relatively inexpensive apartment.

  If I wanted to make the joint custody thing work, I needed to be closer to where they lived. That was going to be tough to accomplish since Long Island was one of the most expensive places in the country, but if Carrie’s cousin didn’t make me go to court, then maybe I’d get some of my retainer back and could use that for a deposit.

  “I can drive up right after my shift tomorrow.”

  “I figured you’d say something like that. I’ll send you the address and follow-up with Mr. Ellis's attorney so he knows to expect you.”

  Scraping together the thousands of dollars I’d needed to hire Mrs. Poole had taken a lot of overtime and cutting back on anything but the necessities, but she’d proven to be worth every single penny. It had only taken her a day to discover the girls were with Carrie’s cousin in New York, and two more to get permission for me to see them. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

  “I’m just doing what you paid for, and very well at that.”

  “Maybe but thank you anyway.”

  “You can thank me by making my job easier. Be amicable to Mr. Ellis while you’re with the girls,” she urged. “Let him see how much you love your nieces. Show him that you’ll be an asset when it comes t
o caring for them.”

  “I’ll do my best,” I promised before ending the call. When I headed back into the dining room, I was relieved to see that my boss was still at the grill. Although I’d only been gone for a few minutes at most, I hurried to check on my tables. I couldn’t afford to lose my job. Not until I found one closer to the girls.

  I powered through what felt like the longest shift ever, and then I found coworkers to cover me over the weekend. With that done, I headed home to pack since I wanted to leave straight from work.

  I was so excited to see my nieces that I barely slept all night. I had to down a ton of coffee to make it through my shift. As soon as all of my final tables were cashed out, I changed out of my uniform and hit the road.

  With traffic, it took me almost three hours to get to the address my lawyer had given me, but I felt as though I had driven to a whole new world with the sprawling estates lining the road. My junker car stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the Rolls Royces and Aston Martins that passed me, and I was on the receiving end of a lot of suspicious looks.

  I wouldn’t have been surprised if I was stopped by security before I made it to the house. It didn’t matter to me, though. I would happily suffer any embarrassment if it meant I got to see Daisy and Cassidy.

  When the navigation app on my phone finally told me that I had arrived at my destination, I heaved a deep sigh of relief. The driveway I turned into—with the gate already open for me—led to a house that was so big and fancy, it could have been used to film a movie or something. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I climbed out of my car and slammed the door shut behind me. My knees shook as I walked up the steps, and my fingers trembled when I reached out to push the buzzer.