Page 9 of Knox (Comeback Duet #2)

Knox

It had been a week since Mallory woke up, and every day her condition had improved. Today when we walked in, her cheeks had a little more color, her eyes were focused, and she looked stronger as she sat up with minimal assistance.

“Hi, Mommy!” Grady rushed to her bedside.

She smiled wide. “Hi, monkey.”

Crew joined his son next to her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “You look good. How are you feeling?”

“Better, but therapy was a little rough this morning.” Her eyes met mine. “Hey, Knox.”

“Hey, Mal.” I stepped in to hug her. When she found out that I had been the one who took care of Grady while Crew was at the hospital, it seemed our relationship became stronger.

We weren’t just connected through Crew anymore.

Instead, I was part of the team that wanted to make sure Grady was loved and cared for.

Debra and Hank watched our interaction but didn’t say anything.

In fact, Debra rarely spoke to me any time I came to visit Mallory.

Nothing was ever said about why she acted as though I didn’t exist, and I wondered if she had an issue with Crew and me dating or if it was something else.

I did my best not to let it bother me since the only people whose opinions mattered were my boyfriend, Mallory, and Grady.

Grady climbed up beside his mom with a book in hand, being careful of her cast and the various wires and tubes she was still connected to. She wrapped her good arm around him and rested her cheek on the top of his head.

After a few minutes of letting the two of them cuddle, Crew cleared his throat and said, “I think we need to talk about what happens next.”

Mallory looked up, a hint of concern on her face, but it was Debra who spoke. “What do you mean?”

“Well, if I play this season, I’ll be leaving for spring training in three weeks,” he explained, still facing Mallory as he spoke. “We need to figure out what the plan is. What you’ll need when you’re released. Who will be there to help you.”

Mallory’s brow furrowed. “ If you play? Why wouldn’t you?”

He shrugged. “We don’t really know what recovery is going to look like for you yet.”

“Speaking of that,” Hank interjected. “Your mother and I were talking, and we think it might be best if you and Grady come back to Tennessee. At least for a while.”

Mallory blinked slowly, and her arm tightened around Grady. “Tennessee?”

Debra nodded. “Just until you’re fully recovered. You can stay in your old room, and I’ll be there to help. You could rest and focus on healing.”

Crew’s jaw clenched, and I reached for his hand, knowing it would kill him to have Grady move away.

“What do you want to do, Mal?” I asked. We were all trying to help her in whatever way we could, but ultimately, the decision was hers to make. All eyes focused on her.

“I really don’t think getting on an airplane or driving across the country any time soon will be good for me. I want to stay here.”

Debra balked, clearly not expecting her daughter to say that.

Mallory continued. “I appreciate you offering, though. Grady and I just got settled, and I don’t want to uproot him again, or take him away from his father.”

“But Crew will be on the road for days at a time,” Debra argued, looking at him.

“But I’m also home for half the season,” he clipped.

“We’ll have to figure something out,” Mallory said firmly. “Maybe it’s my chance to get to know some of the families on the team or something.”

Crew gave her a small nod. “Whatever you need, we’ll take care of it.”

Mallory looked down at her son, who was flipping through the pages of his picture book. “I know I won’t be ready to be alone with him all the time, but I want Grady to be with Crew as much as possible.”

“I’ve been thinking about options,” he advised her. “Knox and I can continue to take care of Grady while you’re here, and we’ll work on finding a live-in nanny who will be ready to start when we leave for spring training. We can also find some home healthcare options for you as well.”

“A live-in nanny? I’m not sure. I want to do as much as possible for Grady on my own.”

“Of course,” he agreed. “We can make sure whoever we find lets you take the lead, but they’ll be there and available for whatever you need.”

She smiled. “That would work. You two have done so much for me and for Grady. I owe you big time.”

“Hey, you’re family,” I said, taking a little pleasure in noting that in front of Debra. “We’ll always be here for you.”

“If you’re staying in Portland, then I’ll stay too,” Debra announced. “At least until you’re able to be on your own.”

Mallory smiled at her mom. “Thank you.”

“Okay.” Crew let out a breath. “Sounds like we have a plan. We’ll start looking for someone and once we have a few solid picks, we’ll have you make the final decision.”

Mallory leaned back on her pillows. “Sounds good to me.”

Three days later, we started interviews.

Crew had reached out to an agency recommended by one of our teammates whose wife had their fourth kid this off-season.

It didn’t take long for them to send us a list of fifteen applicants.

After reviewing resumes and conducting phone screenings, we invited eight candidates to meet with us in person.

Crew and I headed to Mallory’s house. Since that’s where the chosen candidate would be staying, it seemed like the right place to do the interviews. We got Debra and Hank to take Grady to the park for the afternoon.

“I feel like we’re drafting a player for our team,” Crew muttered from the couch while reading through the questions we’d prepared.

I chuckled. “We are, and this one’s responsible for your kid.”

He groaned. “No pressure or anything.”

The first candidate arrived ten minutes early, carrying a tote bag full of activities and a binder containing reference letters.

On the surface, she seemed polished and professional, but it felt as though she was trying too hard.

When Crew asked how she’d handle a child going through big changes, she launched into a clinical explanation about emotional trauma that sounded good but lacked compassion.

The second person was friendlier, but had less experience. She stumbled over a few answers and admitted she wasn’t sure how she would handle a situation where Grady refused to get dressed or eat breakfast.

The next two we eliminated right away. One asked if we really monitored Grady’s screen time, as she checked her phone twice during our conversation. The other was clearly there for a paycheck and didn’t even pretend to like taking care of children.

“At this rate, we aren’t going to find anyone,” Crew grumbled as we waited for the next interviewee to arrive.

“Don’t give up hope yet. We still have three to meet.”

A few minutes later, Archer Harrison walked in.

He was tall and built like he could play on the field with us, but had a calm presence about him that immediately put me at ease.

When we first went through the list, I’d done a double-take at his name because somewhere deep in the back of my mind, I was holding onto the idea that the job came with certain gender expectations.

Crew had called me on it. “Don’t be so quick to judge. You know how people make assumptions about gay athletes and whether they should play or not. Let’s not turn around and do the same thing here.”

I remembered that conversation as Archer shook our hands. He didn’t bring a bag of tricks or a list of credentials, but he came across as friendly and confident, which I preferred anyway.

“We have a few questions for you,” Crew began as we sat at the dining room table. “First, how did you start working as a nanny?”

Archer smiled and settled back in his chair. “It started as a part-time job in college. I was majoring in early childhood development and needed flexible work hours. I ended up loving it.”

“What did you like most?” I asked.

“Probably the one-on-one connection. In this job, you’re not just keeping a child safe or entertained, you’re playing a role in their growth and development.”

“Do you have any career goals beyond childcare?” Crew inquired.

Archer nodded. “I want to go back to school and eventually become a child psychologist. But grad school isn’t cheap, and I’m trying to save up before I take that next step. In the meantime, nannying keeps me in a similar field and will hopefully help prepare me for that future.”

The longer the interview went on, the more I thought he was a solid possibility. When the door closed behind him, Crew looked at me.

“I liked him.”

I nodded. So did I.

The next woman, Roxie Monroe, was warm, bubbly, and talked about her years working as a preschool teacher before deciding to switch to in-home care.

She was sweet and reminded me a bit of my mom.

She seemed like the sort of person Grady would warm up to quickly too.

So, she moved to the top of the list with Archer.

Our last candidate was Jenna Rhodes. She had a background in occupational therapy, and most of her responses centered around routines, structure, and helping children build independence. Given all the changes Grady had been through lately, I knew routines and structure were important for him.

Once the final interview ended, Crew flopped onto the couch and exhaled like he’d just caught a game that went into extra innings. “Who are your top three?”

I grabbed the pad I’d used to take notes. “I’d go with Archer, Roxie, and Jenna.”

“Those are my top picks as well. I’ll call them and set up a time for each of them to meet Mallory at the hospital.” He leaned over and kissed me. “Thanks for helping with all of this. Not sure I would have gotten through these interviews without you.”

“Of course.”

The next day, Crew left for the hospital to introduce the final three to Mallory. I stayed at the condo with Grady, hoping the meetings would go smoothly and Mallory would feel like one of them was the right fit.

A couple of hours later, my phone buzzed with a message from Crew:

Mallory picked Archer

I stared at the text for a moment, then smiled to myself. He was the same choice I would’ve made.