Page 26

26

CREW

I hadn’t been nervous telling Parker, Matthewson, and their husbands about my relationship with Knox. I knew they’d accept it. The only hiccup I’d anticipated would have been because we were teammates, and keeping the team and the relationship separate could get tricky. But seeing as Parker and Rockland had been teammates when they first got together, I also knew it would be hypocritical of them. I just felt as though telling them was the right thing to do because the more days Knox and I spent together, the harder it was for me not to touch him in public, or just have the biggest grin on my face when he was in the room.

However, thinking about telling my family was causing me a lot more stress.

The thought of them not accepting me for who I was had been turning my stomach the more I considered it.

I’d never known them to have any disdain for the LGBTQ community, but my mother was a hardcore bible thumper, so I wasn’t sure how she’d react. I knew she wanted me to get back with Mallory now that Mal was back living in Harvest Ridge, but even if I wasn’t with Knox, I would never rekindle things with her. While Mal was a terrific person, she had broken up with me once I’d gotten drafted, and her reasoning had been that I would be on and off the road all season, with only a few months off in the wintertime. That hadn’t changed. Plus, I was all the way in Oregon now.

My father … Well, I didn’t know him all that well, honestly, since most of my life he had been on the road. I had the most hope for my brother and his family because Finn was the best brother in the world. He was the deputy sheriff in Harvest Ridge, and somehow still managed to be the most grounded person I knew. He’d always had my back, even when I didn’t ask for it. Even when I probably didn’t deserve it. If any one person in that town could be counted on not to flinch when I told the truth, it was him.

The eggs on my plate had gone cold, but I wasn’t all that hungry.

Knox stood at the counter in joggers and his Seawolves long-sleeve, making a protein shake with berries in my blender. When he caught my eye, he arched a brow. “Why does it look like you’re all up in your head? What’s up?”

I set my fork down. “Tomorrow’s a road trip.”

“Yeah, to Raleigh.” We were headed to North Carolina to take on the other expansion team for the first time this season.

“Right.”

He poured his shake into his cup and waited for me to continue.

“What if we didn’t go with the team?” I suggested.

“Okay … Why?”

“I was thinking maybe we could fly to Knoxville, rent a car and drive to Harvest Ridge.”

“You want to go home.”

It wasn’t a question. He already knew.

I nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I keep waiting for the right time to tell my family about us, but I don’t think there’s ever going to be one, and I don’t want to do it over the phone.”

He pushed off the counter and walked over to the table, sitting across from me with his breakfast in hand. “Then let’s go. I’m with you.”

“You’ll come?”

“Yeah. Of course. I’m assuming you know how we’ll get to North Carolina from Tennessee?”

“Well, I don’t know for sure, but I’m thinking we have to take a red-eye to Knoxville tonight or a flight out first thing in the morning because the drive to Raleigh is probably at least eight hours. Or maybe we could fly from Knoxville into Raleigh.”

“Think Parker will be cool with it?” my boyfriend asked.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

I’d been pacing the hallway outside our manager’s office for five solid minutes before Knox finally grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” he muttered under his breath as we strode through the doorway.

Parker looked up from his laptop, eyebrows raised. “What now? Somebody tear a hamstring jogging up the stairs?”

“Nothing like that.” I shoved my hands in my hoodie, trying to stay calm.

Knox stepped up beside me. “It’s about our travel for the upcoming road trip.”

“Okay?” Parker leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his broad chest.

I took a breath. “We were hoping to get permission to fly into Knoxville instead of Raleigh.”

Parker tipped his head slightly. “Knoxville?”

“Yeah. From there, we’d drive to Harvest Ridge. My hometown,” I added quickly. “We’ll be in Raleigh before the team call. It won’t interfere with anything.”

Skip’s eyes moved between us. “You going home to tell your folks about Knox? ”

I nodded. “I would like to.”

Parker held my gaze for another beat. “Then go.”

I blinked. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, just don’t fuck around. I want you in Raleigh ready to play.”

“You got it.”

“We appreciate it.” Knox squeezed my shoulder and we left. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

I huffed. “You didn’t feel like throwing up the whole time?”

He smirked. “Nope. But maybe that’s just because I’m not the one going home.”

We’d caught the six a.m. flight out of Portland with a layover in Dallas, and by the time we landed in Knoxville, I couldn’t tell if I was anxious or just straight-up dreading everything ahead of me.

The drive to Harvest Ridge wasn’t long—maybe forty minutes—but every mile we put behind us made my pulse climb higher. I kept one hand on the wheel, the other tapping against my thigh, trying to keep my nerves from boiling over.

When we passed the red water tower with “Welcome to Harvest Ridge” painted in chipped white letters, I felt like I’d swallowed a rock. I wasn’t ready to face my parents yet.

So instead of heading to the house, I pulled into the lot of the Ridgeview Motel. The place hadn’t changed. It was sun-bleached, with paint peeling around the windows and a soda machine out front that probably still didn’t work. A faded vacancy sign leaned in the window like it had been there forever, which it had.

“I just want to shower. Regroup for the night and then head over in the morning,” I said as I killed the engine. It was almost five in the evening and I didn’t want to impose on dinner even if I was their son. Plus, it had been a long day and I needed a clear head before I dropped the bomb on my folks.

“Whatever you need,” he replied, already climbing out to grab our bags.

The reception office was barely more than a counter and a wall of room keys hung from hooks. A woman in a floral sleeveless blouse looked up from behind the desk, her glasses perched low on her nose. Her eyes narrowed for half a second, then brightened.

“Well, I’ll be. Crew Stratton?”

“Hey, Miss Connie.” I offered a polite smile.

“You’re back in town?” Her gaze drifted to Knox, then back to me. “Visiting family?”

“Yes, ma’am. Just a quick trip before we head to Raleigh for a few games.”

She passed over the check-in form and a pen. “Still playing ball?”

“Absolutely. I’m with Portland now.”

“Oh, that’s right.” She nodded. “My nephew says y’all are gonna take the whole damn thing.”

“We hope so.” I grinned.

When I checked the box for two beds, her eyes lingered just long enough to make my neck itch.

Knox didn’t say anything. Just stood there, calm as ever, while I worried if Miss Connie was about to start a small-town gossip train and it would get back to my mom that I was in town.

“I hope y’all or my Braves do.” She reached behind her and grabbed a key. “Room twelve is upstairs and at the end of the row.”

I signed the form and took the key. “Thanks, Miss Connie.”

Outside, Knox and I walked toward the stairwell as gravel crunched under our shoes as we crossed the lot.

“I picked two beds,” I stated.

“I know.”

“Not because I wanted space.”

He looked over. “You don’t want to give them a reason to talk and get back to your parents before you talk to them.”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“I understand.”

Once we got upstairs, I unlocked the door and pushed it open. It was the opposite of what we were used to when traveling. The team usually put us up in nice digs, but this little motel had worn and outdated carpet, and the TV was bolted to the dresser.

“I’m going to take a quick shower.” I set my bag on the bed closest to the door.

“Need a hand with that?” Knox asked with a smirk.

“Yeah, actually. I could use the release,” I deadpanned.

“Well damn. If you’re gonna make it that easy.”

We headed toward the bathroom. The alcove barely fit the two of us shoulder to shoulder, and when I opened the door, we both paused.

The tub was narrow, the curtain half off the rod, the tile cracked along the back, and the faucet was already dripping.

He leaned in, chin nearly brushing my shoulder. “You sure we’re both fitting in there?”

“Guess we’re about to find out.”

Instead of answering, he reached for the hem of his shirt and peeled it off.

I followed, pulling my own over my head, then stepped out of my shoes. We didn’t talk as the rest came off. We stepped under the water, elbows knocking, knees brushing.

“You’re huge,” I muttered as he turned sideways to let me under the spray.

Knox smirked and reached for my hardening dick. “You say that like it’s a problem.”

Once we got out of the shower, I went to my bag, unzipping it and rummaging through the smaller pocket. “Shit.”

Knox looked over, towel still around his waist. “What?”

“I forgot my toothbrush.”

He grabbed his shirt off the bed, shaking it out. “There a store nearby?”

“Yeah. Dixie Mart. Just down the road.”

“I’ll go with you.” We got dressed and headed back out into the Tennessee heat.

The Dixie Mart looked exactly like I remembered with white siding and a cart return that had been bent sideways since high school. Inside, it was cool and smelled like fried chicken and lemon cleaner. I grabbed a cheap toothbrush, a few bottles of water, and we each got sandwiches and chips from the deli.

And that’s when I saw her.

Mallory Wade.

She was coming around the end of the last aisle, maybe ten feet away, pushing a cart with one hand. A little boy sat in the front with light brown hair that curled slightly at the ends, cheeks flushed pink from the heat, and a box of animal crackers clutched in both hands.

Our eyes locked.

“Crew,” she breathed.

My throat went dry. “Hey.”

Her gaze drifted to Knox, then back to me. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Just got in a few hours ago.”

She adjusted her purse that was slung over her shoulder. “Well. Welcome home.”

My gaze dropped to the boy. He wasn’t squirming or fussing, just sitting there with his snack. Then he looked up at me.

And I froze.

I knew those eyes.

Because they were mine.