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Chapter Nineteen

C orie

“Hold still,” Sloane commands. I freeze where I’m sitting on a stool in front of the bathroom mirror. My back is turned, so I can’t see it. I have no idea what my best friend is doing to me.

“Not too much,” I warn her. “I’m just me, Sloane.

If that’s not enough, then so be it.” I want to make a good impression, don’t get that twisted, but at the same time, I don’t want to pretend to be a different version of myself.

We’ve been doing enough pretending the past few months.

We don’t need to add more to my list of infractions.

“Babe, we’re doing this for you and no one else. I want you to feel confident and sexy when you walk into that suite with your boyfriend’s family. This is the first time you’ll be meeting them.”

“But I’m not meeting them as someone important to him,” I counter. Saying the words makes my chest ache.

“One day, you will,” she reassures me. “There.” I turn toward the mirror and grin. “See, I told you it wasn’t too much.”

Standing from the stool, I pull my best friend into a hug. “Thank you, Sloane. I don’t think I’d be able to walk into that suite today without you there with me.”

“They’re just people, Corie.”

“People who are important to him.”

“ You’re important to him.” My phone pings, and she reaches for it, glancing at the screen before handing it over. “Told you.”

Knox: Deep breaths, Corie girl. I know you’re freaking out right now, but I promise you everything will be just fine. Stay in the suite after the game, and I’ll come up to get you.

Me: Cool as a cucumber over here, QB. Good luck today. I’ll be the girl in the Beckett suite, in the Reynolds jersey, cheering you on.

Knox: We’re going to fix that jersey thing real soon, baby.

“Damn,” Sloane mutters from over my shoulder.

I lock my phone screen and turn to face her. “Stop reading over my shoulder,” I scold, with absolutely no heat in my tone.

“You would have told me anyway, and how else am I supposed to gloat if I don’t get full confirmation that you are important to that man? My guess is you’re just as important to him as every other person who will be in that suite tonight.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch.”

“Nope. And the jersey thing?” She waves her hands in front of her face like a fan. “So hot.”

I nod my agreement because she’s right. Knox wanting me to wear his jersey… I don’t know…. It’s like a level of commitment for a player that most women would dream of, and here I am, my dream man, desperate for it to happen.

“That’s why I got you something.” Sloane smirks as she steps out of the en suite bathroom into my bedroom and returns with a small gift bag.

“Where did you get that?”

“I had it shoved down in my bag.” She hands it to me. “Open it.”

“It’s not my birthday.”

Sloane rolls her bright brown eyes at me. “I know that. This is probably more for Knox than it is for you, but it’s also part of the confidence I was telling you about.”

Anxious to see what she’s talking about, I sift through the tissue paper and pull out what’s inside. In my hands is a black bra and panty set. “You bought me lingerie?” The material is silky smooth, and I can’t help but rub the fabric between my thumb and forefinger.

“Oh, my dear Corie. It’s not just any lingerie.

” She takes the matching set from my hands and holds it up.

The bra band is embroidered in Rampage yellow to say Beckett .

She holds up the silk panties. The front says Property of , and on the back, there is an embroidered number 10. Knox’s number. All in Rampage yellow.

“I’m not sure I know what to say.” The pieces are beautiful, and the embroidery is tasteful. “Where did you get these?”

She shrugs. “I made them.”

“What?”

“Yeah, Mom has a new embroidery machine, and she showed me how to use it.”

“Please tell me your mom didn’t help you?”

Sloane tosses her head back in laughter.

“She didn’t. I did a few projects for my classroom.

We made bears with numbers on their ears for counting and some ribbons with each of the kids’ names to hang on the bulletin board.

I bought them online for a good price, and Mom helped me.

By the time I was done, I was a pro and thought of this. ”

“What made you think of it?”

“You mentioned how Knox wanted you to wear his jersey. I know you’re staying with me tonight.” She winks. “So I thought this might be a little something to cheer him up since you’ll be proudly wearing the Reynolds number one to the game.”

“This is… perfect.” I pull her into a hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, we need to finish getting ready, or we're going to be late.” She hands me the bra and panties. “Go get dressed.” She waggles her eyebrows, and her laughter follows me out of the bathroom into my bedroom.

“You're fidgeting,” Sloane whispers. We reach the door of the suite, and she turns to face me. “Are you ready for this?”

“There’s no backing out now.” Squaring my shoulders, I push my nerves aside and enter the room. The sound of the door opening pulls everyone’s attention. All eyes are on us as the door closes with an audible click.

I wave and smile brightly. “Hi, I’m Corie, and this is my best friend, Sloane. I’m Landry’s sister,” I explain. They know who I am. Knox assured me that he told them all we would be here.

“Come on in, ladies,” Knox’s sister, Everly, says.

I recognize her from the photos he has around his house.

I also know who his parents are, so the other two must be Reagan and Tyler, his aunt and uncle.

He has pictures of all of them, but it’s still hard for me to keep them all straight without meeting them in person.

Everly and his parents are different. There are more pictures of the five of them around his place.

“I’m Everly, Knox’s sister. This is my fiancé, Matt.” She steps forward, and I’m expecting a handshake, but instead, she pulls me and then Sloane into a hug.

“She’s going through a hugging phase,” Matt teases his fiancée.

“She’s preparing for the wedding.” He smiles at her as if she’s the only woman in the room.

Knox said he was a good man and perfect for his sister.

My first impression is that I agree. He’s smitten. “Nice to meet you.” He, too, hugs us.

“Not just me,” Everly teases him. He steps back and grabs her around the waist, pulls her back to his front, and wraps his arms around her.

“I’m Emma, the youngest sister.” She smiles and also pulls me into a hug.

“Welcome. I’m Kendall, Knox’s mom.” She also hugs us and steps back.

“I’m the dad. Ridge,” his dad says, pulling us both into a hug.

“I’m Reagan, this one’s sister. This is my husband, Tyler. We’re glad you could join us.” She hugs us, and then her husband steps forward and does the same.

I glance over at Sloane, and she’s all smiles and gives me a slight what do you do?

shrug.

“We’re used to this suite being packed, so it’s nice to have some extra bodies with us today,” Kendall says.

“Thank you for letting us watch with you. I told my brother and Knox we would have been fine in the stands.” I mention Landry first, hoping my words don’t scream your son wanted me here .

“They insisted,” Sloane chimes in.

“Well, we’re glad they did.” Reagan smiles. “There’s tons of food, and we have wait staff assigned to each suite if you want to order something off the menu. They’ll bring it to you.”

“Babe, she’s Landry’s sister. I’m sure she knows the drill,” his uncle Tyler says.

“No, actually. This is a first for me,” I confess.

“What? Really?” Everly asks in shock.

“Yeah, I’ve been away at college for the last four years, and this is too much space.

It’s just Landry and me, so it would be a bit much for Sloane and me to sit up here.

We’re usually in the stands, but with the weather, Knox and Landry decided this is where we needed to be.

” I’m rambling, and I’m scared as hell that I’m going to give too much away, so I clamp my mouth shut.

“You know big brothers,” Sloane teases. “He’s technically my brother from another mother since Corie and I have been best friends since kindergarten. He thinks he knows best and usually won’t take no for an answer.”

“Well, we’re glad they both insisted. Come, take a seat. The game’s about to start.” Knox’s mom, Kendall, grabs my hand while his aunt Reagan takes Sloane’s and leads us to seats.

“This is incredible,” Sloane says. You can hear the excitement in her voice.

“I’ve been in here when the stadium was empty, but this… with the crowd and the players on the field, it’s a completely different experience.”

“I thought you’d never been in a suite?” Everly asks.

Great, now his family thinks I’m full of lies. Technically, I am, but not about this. “Not to watch a game. I started working for the Rampage this season. I’ve been inside, but never to watch,” I explain.

“Got ya. That makes sense. Well, I’m glad you get the full experience.” Everly smiles.

We make small talk, and Knox was right. His family is incredible. They literally welcomed us with open arms, and it feels like I’ve known them forever.

The game is tied, and the Rampage have the ball.

We’re all on our feet watching, holding our breath, waiting to see what’s going to happen.

The ball is snapped, Knox falls back, and within seconds, he’s launching the ball down the field, and it falls right into Landry’s open hands.

My brother takes off running, and we’re all screaming and yelling, cheering him on.

Landry lands in the endzone for a touchdown with ten seconds on the clock.

I watch with tears in my eyes as my big brother and Knox bump chests, and then all the Rampage players on the field do some kind of victory dance. Once they’ve finished, Landry taps at his chest with his fist and points toward the suite.

I don’t realize I’m crying until I hear Kendall ask if I’m okay. I wipe at my tears. “I am. I’m so proud of him, and our parents would be, too.” The words are barely out of my mouth before she pulls me into another hug.

“They are,” she says, her voice cracking. “They’re proud of both of you.”

“Thank you,” I say, stepping out of her embrace.

“Now, what do we do?” Sloane asks. She’s vibrating with excitement from the win. It was definitely a nail-biter.

“We usually hang out here. Knox comes to see us when he can get showered and escape the media,” Ridge explains.

“Do you mind if we wait with you? Landry will likely assume that we will and will probably be with him.” I also want to see your son.

“Absolutely,” Ridge tells us. “You all are welcome to join us after. We usually go to dinner after the home games.”

“Oh, we don’t want to intrude.”

Kendall waves her hand in the air. “The more the merrier. Landry and several of the other guys have joined us many times. A few always join us if they don’t have families in town or a home to get to.”

“Thank you for the invite. I’ll talk to Landry and see what he wants to do.”

“It’s settled, then.” Ridge laughs. “We know Landry likes to eat.”

We all laugh because he’s right. My brother has a love addiction to food. He’s not picky. I’ve never heard him say he doesn’t like something. Maybe when he retires from the league, he can be a food critic who travels worldwide.

Matt, Tyler, and Ridge recap the game while the six ladies sit and talk about everything from Everly’s wedding to where everyone wants to go to dinner to everyone’s careers. The conversations are easy, and I can see a lot of Knox in his family. I’m glad I came.

Finally, an hour later, the door to the suite opens, and Knox and Landry stroll in with Reid, Baker, and Foster on their heels. They all seem to know each other and say their hellos.

“Well, how was suite life?” Landry asks, pulling me into a hug.

“Good game, and it was a fun time. Thank you for organizing.” I hate giving him the credit, but I’ll make it up to Knox later.

“Thank Knox, it was his idea. I just ran with it.” Landry shrugs.

“What did I do?” Knox asks, joining us after saying hello to his family.

“The girls being here was your idea.”

“Better than being out in the rain.” He points over his shoulder to the field. “Are you all ready to head to dinner?”

“Is that a real question?” Landry asks.

“We better head out before Landry starves to death,” Tyler teases.

“Hey, I earned it. Did you not see what I did on the field today?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Reid grumbles. “Let’s go.”

The room clears out, and I watch as Sloane starts a conversation with Landry about the last play. Knox and I are the last two to step out of the suite. With his hand on my hip, he leans in and whispers. “You look beautiful, Corie girl.”

I smile at him over my shoulder. “Thanks, Sloane worked her magic.”

“It has nothing to do with your hair or makeup or that you’re wearing the wrong name and number on your back. It’s just you.”

“Reynolds is my name, you know,” I tease him, brushing off the compliment.

“It won’t be forever,” he says, squeezing my waist before stepping away just in time for his dad to turn and ensure we’re following them. “We’re coming, old man,” Knox teases.

His dad grins and shakes his head as he tosses his arm over Kendall’s shoulders. We follow them out of the stadium.

I ache to kiss him. To wrap my arms around him and tell him, Good game , but I refrain. There will be time for me to do that later at his place, away from prying eyes. Still, I can’t resist leaning into him and whispering, “Good game, Quarterback.”

Knox smiles. “Thanks, baby.” He lifts his hand as if he’s going to reach for me, and quickly drops it. The look he gives me tells me we’re on the same page. This situation is not ideal, but we’ll handle it like all the ones before it, and count down the minutes until we’re alone.

I’m glad that Reid, Foster, and Baker are joining us.

I’ve been around the group of guys well enough to know they’ll carry the conversation.

Not only that, but it’s sure to be a good time anytime they all get together, and coming off a win after a touch-and-go game like it was tonight, they’re bound to be fired up.