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I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t even sure I could speak with the huge lump stuck in my throat, but I eventually managed to croak out a “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

We stood there staring at each other, until I realized that she probably wanted some privacy .

“I’ll get going.” I thumbed behind me, in the direction I’d come. “But I guess I’ll be seeing you later.”

“We’re all looking forward to it.” She smiled.

“Good, I’m glad.” I took a step back. “Um—are you going to tell Millie you saw me here?”

“No, I think you can cover that one off when you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” I said, pulling my baseball cap on as she turned to the headstone, and I left her alone.

W e won the first game in the series three runs to two. Jupiter had gotten the only home run.

Now we needed to hang on to the lead and get another two wins in the bag to take us through to the League Championship Series. Every single one of us came off the field buzzing with a quiet confidence, which no one wanted to jinx by celebrating too loudly.

Even Coach stayed quiet for once, letting us get changed without one of his signature lectures about what we could have done better, and where we’d messed up.

I finished showering to find the locker room almost silent, thick with anticipation for tomorrow’s game.

There was no hollering, or cheering, no play-by play of the evening.

Even the usual wisecracks were missing. Some of the guys were quietly talking among themselves, others were sitting on the benches texting their friends and family.

Like Lux, I planned to get dressed as quickly as possible and head out.

He was seeing Radley, I was meeting Millie.

Though unlike Lux, I doubted he was worrying about meeting her mom, he’d already experienced that.

I was also hoping Millie’s mom hadn’t gone back on her promise not to rat me out for visiting her dad, because then she’d wonder why, and I’d have to tell her.

I was as good at lying to Millie as I was at keeping a secret.

I hadn’t spotted her during the game. I knew she’d been in one of the private suites with Radley, so I had yet to see her wearing my shirt.

The moment I rounded the corner and clocked her in it, my heart thudded.

It may have stopped beating altogether for a fraction of a second, because that’s exactly how she looked— heart stopping .

And then a smile broke across her face as she spotted me, and in that moment I could believe I’d died and gone to heaven.

My gaze was so focused on Millie, I didn’t notice her brothers rolling their eyes and holding in a scowl, looking just as Hulk-like as they had when they’d burst into the apartment.

It also took me a second to realize the older guy with slightly balding hair, and standing to the side wearing a sports jacket, must be Doug.

Doug looked safe .

It was the only word I could find to describe him.

Safe. Unobtrusive, harmless, even. The total opposite of the pictures I’d seen of Millie’s dad, whom her brothers definitely took after.

But I guess that’s what happened when your previous husband toured the world hunting down bad guys and putting himself in danger every day.

You found someone who would stay alive.

“Tan, this is my mom, Kirsten, and her boyfriend, Doug.” Millie smiled nervously, rubbing her hand over her belly. “Mom, Doug, this is Tanner. And you know my brothers.”

I held my hand out, waiting to see if she’d give away our secret.

“Please call me Kirsty,” she said, after a beat that brought me out in a cold sweat.

“Mrs. Robinson…sorry, Kirsty. It’s great to meet you finally. Millie’s told me a lot about you.”

“And we’ve heard a lot about you too.” She smiled, stepping to the side to allow me to shake Doug’s hand too. It was exactly the handshake I expected him to give.

“And it pains me to say it, but well done on tonight’s game. You played well, Millie’s dad would have enjoyed it.”

“He’d have said it sucked,” shot out Josh.

“Don’t be an asshole,” Millie snapped back as quickly.

“Enough,” countered Kirsty, and from her tone, I could tell she’d done it a thousand times already today. “Do you have siblings?”

“I do.” I nodded. “An older brother and sister, and a twin sister.”

“Mom, Tanner’s twin is Holiday Simpson.”

Kirsty blinked hard. “The actress?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

I’d never been insecure about Holiday being way more famous than me, because I was talented enough in my own field for it not to matter.

But I suddenly had a taste of the medicine Lucas and Riley drank, where they always complained that people only talked to them once they found out who their famous siblings were.

The scowl Millie’s brothers had been wearing immediately disappeared, to be replaced with an expression much more welcoming.

“Holiday Simpson’s your sister ?” spluttered Matty, his cheeks turning ever-so-slightly pink.

“Yup.” I grinned.

“She was awesome on SNL . She’s really funny.”

“I’ll tell her you said that. She’ll be pleased to hear it.” I didn’t add it would be because I was way funnier. Not only was I the favorite child, I was the funniest too.

Josh’s head snapped between Millie and me. “Did you go?”

“No, it was too late, we had to fly down here the next morning, and Millie gets super tired.”

“Bummer. That would have been awesome to sit in the audience.”

“Yeah, we were bummed to miss it, but she’ll host again.

” I nodded, feeling absolutely no shame for what I was about to do.

I might not hand out her number to anyone, but Matty and Josh were a different story, and I’d do anything to get Millie’s family to like me.

“We’ll go next time. But, she has the premier of her movie next month, why don’t you come up to New York and stay over?

If I recall, you know where we live.” I grinned, wider still when Millie rolled her eyes.

But Matty didn’t seem to notice, neither did Josh.

“The new Scorsese one?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, man. Count us in, thanks.”

“Oh my god, you’re so pathetic,” grumbled Millie. “The entire ride here you vowed to give Tanner a hard time, and the moment he flashes something you want you’re kissing his ass.”

“If I remember correctly, you begged us to go easy,” snapped Josh. “I believe you threatened us with pain. We’re simply responding to your wishes.”

Pulling Millie into me before she could counter the argument, I kissed her head. “It’s all good. Holiday would be happy to give you tickets and I’m happy that we can all be friends. Right?”

“Sure.” Matty held his hand out for me to shake. “Welcome to the family, bro.”

“ Unbelievable ,” muttered Millie.

Kirsty and Doug were talking among themselves, so I used the opportunity to tug Millie away to the side.

“You’re invited to the premiere, too, you know.”

“Thanks.” She laughed, her smile softening. “You played so good tonight, it was an awesome game.”

“It’s because you were wearing this,” I whispered, my fingers brushing the hem of her shirt— my shirt—and resting on her belly. “You look so good wearing it.”

“No, it was all you.”

“Will you come tomorrow too?”

She nodded. “You bet. Radley and I will be here cheering you on. There’s no way we’d miss it.”

Right then, in that moment, with Millie by my side, I truly couldn’t ever see us losing.