Page 18 of Knox (Comeback Duet #2)

“Hi, bud! Perfect timing. There are some special people I’d like you to meet. These are Knox’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Singleton, and his brothers and sisters.”

Grady moved closer to Archer, the shyness I hadn’t seen in a long time returning. “Hi,” he mumbled.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Grady,” Mom said in her kind teacher voice.

Mallory finally made it to us, and we repeated the introductions with her and Archer.

“Looks like you two have a huge cheering section tonight,” Mallory observed.

“Yeah, don’t let us down.” Avery smirked, but I ignored her.

We all chatted for a few more minutes before Crew and I went back to the clubhouse.

“How was breakfast?” he asked as we stepped into the tunnel, our cleats echoing against the concrete.

I shrugged. “It was fine.”

He lifted a brow. “Just fine?”

I let out a breath. “Yeah, it was fine. Just would have liked it if you’d been there.”

“I didn’t know I was supposed to go too.”

“You weren’t supposed to do anything. I just thought today was sort of a big deal, and you’d want to be there.”

Crew slowed, and a few teammates passed us. “You said they had mentioned getting breakfast, but it didn’t sound like there were any set plans, and you didn’t actually invite me.”

“Yeah, but I thought it was sort of implied.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Obviously, it was a misunderstanding. But I’m not going to feel bad about going to see Grady. I’ve been out of town for almost two months and only have a few days at home with him.”

“I’m not asking you to feel bad.” I pulled off my hat and ran my hand through my hair. “A lot was going on, and your focus should be on Grady. I guess I felt like today was a big deal with the home opener and meeting my family. That’s all.”

“It is a big deal, and I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

Deep down, I knew he hadn’t avoided meeting my family on purpose. He was trying to balance everything in his life, but a part of me was still trying to figure out how I fit in with him and Grady.

Dating someone with a kid didn’t come with a handbook explaining how to handle these sorts of situations. I was doing my best to go with the flow, be supportive, and not take things personally. But sometimes it was hard not to feel as though I was on the outside, trying to find a way in.

Crew grabbed my practice jersey and tugged me toward him. His mouth met mine in a passionate kiss that instantly put a stop to the swirling thoughts in my brain.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine. “Love you. Now, let’s get ready to kick some Atlanta ass. We’re not just winning for us today.”

As easy as that, things felt right again.

The next morning, I stood in the kitchen going over my mental checklist to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. The pancakes were on the griddle, bacon was crisping in the oven, a platter of fruit had been cut up, and the scrambled eggs were staying warm in a covered pan until it was time to eat.

Since brunch the day before hadn’t gone exactly as I’d planned, Crew and I decided to invite my family over for a do-over. Mallory agreed to have Archer bring Grady over so he could join us, and I could hear Crew at the door talking to them in the entryway.

A few seconds later, Grady came sprinting into the kitchen. “Hi, Knox!”

“Hey, G.” I wiped my hands on the kitchen towel and scooped him into a hug. “Hope you’re hungry. I made pancakes.”

He grinned. “With chocolate chips?”

“Is there any other way to eat them?”

“Mom puts blueberries in them because she says fruit is healthy.”

Crew and Mallory had an amazing co-parenting relationship, but every once in a while, something like this popped up where a casual comment didn’t match up with what happened in the other household.

“Uh … blueberries are actually the best way to make pancakes,” I backpedaled. I was just testing you to see if you’d name the healthy option first.”

Grady looked at me like I grew a second head and wiggled out of arms to go play with his toys.

“Wow, you nailed that save.” Crew’s voice dripped with amusement as he kissed my cheek. “Skip might have to make you a closer.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled.

“What time is your family supposed to get here?” He popped a piece of melon into his mouth.

“Any minute now.” I removed the last of the pancakes from the griddle. “And I think everything is ready.”

“The food looks great. Guess we won’t have to serve the donuts I bought just in case you burned everything.”

“Your faith in me is inspiring,” I deadpanned.

The knock on the door came a minute later, and I rushed to answer it. “Hey, everyone. Come on in.”

The condo instantly felt too small as a crowd of Singletons poured into the entryway, and we all hugged.

“Ella, come play dinosaurs with me,” Grady called out when he spotted my sister.

I looked at my mom and lifted a brow.

She chuckled. “She shared some of her cotton candy with Grady at the game last night, and she instantly became his best friend.”

“We’re getting ready to eat, buddy, but you can play dinosaurs after breakfast,” Crew explained.

Grady’s face fell but he got up and started toward the kitchen. “Okay.”

His disappointment didn’t last long as he got in his chair with Avery and Ella sitting on either side of him.

“This looks wonderful.” Mom beamed.

“Thank you, son. I can’t wait to dig in,” Dad said, taking a seat at the long dining table we rarely used.

“There’s no way you made all of this.” Noah piled his plate with enough eggs and bacon to feed more than one person.

“Yeah, everything actually looks edible,” Owen added, drenching his stack of pancakes in maple syrup.

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’ve lived on my own for years. Meanwhile, you two still live close enough to swing by Mom and Dad’s for a free meal whenever you want.”

“Does your boyfriend have to put up with your jealous side too?” Noah shot back with a smirk.

“Knox doesn’t have anything to be jealous about when it comes to me. He knows he’s the only person for me,” Crew remarked.

I leaned over and gave him a kiss. He smiled into it, unbothered by the chaos that came with having all of us siblings together.

“Ugh,” Avery groaned. “There should be a no PDA rule when we’re eating.”

“Seriously. Some of us are trying to keep our food down.” Owen pretended to gag.

“All of you knock it off,” Mom cut in. “Your brother made us a lovely meal. Let’s eat it before it gets cold.”

I made a face at them while Mom and Dad looked down at their plates, causing Crew to laugh and shake his head.

For the next hour, the condo was filled with more food, overlapping conversations, animated battles between Grady’s T-Rex and Ella’s stegosaurus.

Crew stayed close to me, answering my mom’s questions about his childhood in Tennessee and laughing at my dad’s jokes.

He charmed everyone just like I knew he would.

At one point, Mom pulled me to the side and whispered. “I can tell he’s a good one, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy. That’s all a parent wants for her children.”

I kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom. He really is special.”