Page 6

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K night parked in Bryanna’s driveway and beamed as he watched his pregnant sister waddle her way off the porch toward him. Nugget followed right behind. Sliding out of his truck, he embraced her into a hug before tossing Nugget into the air and making her giggle.

“Congratulations, Bryanna. I’m happy for you. Now I have this beautiful niece. What do you want to call me? Your favorite uncle, the world’s best uncle, the best uncle of Serenity?” he mused as Nugget laughed.

“Uncle Knight,” she informed him, laughing.

“That’s it? Uncle Knight? Why don’t we add Uncle Knight, the best uncle ever?” he teased.

“Because Uncle Leo, Uncle Chase, Uncle Michael, Uncle Shadow, Uncle Ryder, Uncle whiskey and Uncle Taco might get their feelings hurt and I love them,” she told him as she peered down at her shoes.

“I see. I forgot you have uncles on the mountain. Uncle Knight it is. As your new uncle, I hope it means I can bring you a gift?” He watched as Nugget’s eyes widened and she glanced back at Bryanna.

“It’s not my birthday or Christmas,” she informed him sadly.

He set her down and knelt in front of her. “It’s an Uncle Knight got a niece present. Because I want you to know how much you mean to me and I’ll always be here for you.” He stood and reached for the brightly colored gift bag.

Bryanna nodded at Nugget, letting her accept the present. Nugget set the bag on the ground and pulled out an electronic pad with fluorescent markers. “Oh, Uncle Knight, I wanted one of these,” she exclaimed as she showed Bryanna. “It’s the light up board I can draw on and it makes pretty designs and colors!”

Bryanna laughed. “What do you say to Uncle Knight? Pick up the tissue before it blows down the street and you may take it inside and unwrap it. We’ll be in shortly and plug it in for you.”

Knight pulled another gift bag from the seat before wrapping an arm around Bryanna and walking up the steps. When they entered, he handed her the bag. “It’s for you and Saint. I hope you have many happy years together.”

Bryanna smiled as she moved to the couch and waited until her daughter removed the tablet from the box. “Do you want to wait until it’s charged or play with it now? I can plug it in at the kitchen table.”

Nugget’s expression dimmed as she considered her options. “I want to play with it now.”

Bryanna went to rise when Knight stopped her. “I’ll get it. Nugget lead me to your kitchen and show me where I can plug this in.”

The little girl hopped up and grabbed his hand, propelling him into the area.

“Excuse me? What about the box and the paper? Do we leave it all over for someone else to pick up?” Bryanna gently reminded Nugget.

“No, Mama.” She appeared torn between Knight and what her mother asked her to do.

“How about I set everything up while you care for the mess? Then, by the time I’m finished, you can play with it,” he coaxed.

The little girl nodded enthusiastically before grabbing the box and the tissue to throw away. Knight set the tablet on the table and opened the brightly colored markers, setting them beside the new gift.

“Thank you, Uncle Knight,” Nugget exclaimed as she sat and chose the neon purple marker and began to draw.

“You’re welcome,” he replied before returning to the living room and sitting across from his sister.

“Open it,” he encouraged her, nodding at her present.

Bryanna pulled out a silver picture frame with an engraving saying, ‘Our Family.’ She smiled. “Thank you. We’re planning a recommitment ceremony soon. When we do, we’ll take a picture of all of us and I can put it in here.”

“Good.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gift card for a major hardware store and handed it to her. “When you said you purchased a house and with a new baby, I figured you might need to make some improvements. Where’s Saint?”

“He’s with the team. They’re at the facility holding a meeting.” She informed him as she folded the gift bag. “Do you want to grab your bags? I’ll show you your bedroom.”

“No need. A buddy of mine has a friend in Seattle. I found a condo in Seattle. I’m renting it until I find a house.” Knight laughed as they listened to Nugget squeal as she brought her new toy to life.

“Oh, I hoped you planned on staying a few days here. We need to catch up. What do you plan on doing now for a job? Have you given it any thought?” she asked.

“I’m taking a month off to get the feel of everything and learn Seattle a bit. I asked Saint if Serenity Securities planned to hire anyone,” he confided.

Bryanna brightened at his idea. “Then you’ll be around here more and I’ll see you more often.”

“Yeah.” Knight agreed. “You said the family grew since I last saw you. Give me the news of Serenity.”

“Catherine and Leo now have a baby girl named Grace. Samantha and I announced our pregnancies. Kassie and Chase surprised us with the news they’re having twins and adopted a baby girl, Tori. Catherine and Leo discovered they’re expecting again,” she said as she placed her hand over her tummy.

“Geez. Can the team handle Leo going through another pregnancy? Did he jump her the moment after she delivered?” Knight laughed as he recalled Saint telling him about some of the insane things Leo ordered the team to do during Catherine’s pregnancy. “Never mind. I take it back. I don’t think working with a psychotic man fits into my plans.”

Bryanna giggled. “You should’ve seen how the team took the news. They’re happy for them, of course, but I heard mutterings about committing Leo or placing him in the lower level of the facility until Catherine gave birth. Shadow married Avie. You haven’t met her yet. The team hired a new guy, Patch. Lizzy and Michael took in a foster child. Oh, Tess and Taco got engaged. We almost lost her when Avie’s ex shot her. She’s suffering from some spinal damage and using a wheelchair.”

“Wow. Serenity sounds more chaotic than ever. How awful for Tess. What’s her prognosis? Did the library ever lift the ban against Leo entering?” he asked.

“No. When word of Catherine’s pregnancy spread through thetown, the library sent a certified letter to Catherine and Leo requesting him to stay away.” Bryanna chuckled. “Leo took it badly and Catherine soothed him by explaining since they recently gave birth, he already gained all the knowledge needed to handle everything. Tess, on the other hand, she’s coping.”

Knight rolled his eyes. “Catherine must have the patience of a saint. I hope things improve for Tess.”

“Are you hungry? I can fix something for you to eat or take you to Ty’s for lunch. Nugget’s headed over to LJ’s for a movie day with the Serenity gang.”

“How about I take you out? I’m in the mood for a nice steak,” he suggested.

“Fine. I’ll let you take me out. Kassie set Tess up with a work table in the kitchen. Before you leave, we’ll see what she’s created for meals. We can send you with a few take-home ones. They’re delicious and already prepared; you pop them into the oven.”

“Sounds great. I’m still learning. Gabby always loved cooking. I can make a few things, but not enough to say I’m competent. I guess I’ll have some free time now.” Knight gazed at the floor.

“Let me cajole Nugget away from her new toy and get her shoes on and we can leave,” Bryanna changed the subject.

He nodded as the lump grew in his throat. Every time he imagined he came to terms with his soon-to-be ex-wife, some innocent thought, like coming home and finding her in the kitchenpreparing him dinner, sent him stumbling, and his heart stopped beating for a full minute before it recalled its job.

“Uncle Knight, we’re ready,” Nugget called as she ran into the room, carrying her backpack and a pillow.

Bryanna drove to Samantha’s house and he watched as the two women exchanged hugs before his sister returned to her vehicle. Happiness for Bryanna filled him as he realized she found a secondary family in Serenity. The women seemed to embrace her into their inner circle and it appeared as if Samantha and she bonded over their pregnancies.

“Let’s eat. I’m starved,” she exclaimed when she slid into the driver’s side.

Knight glanced out the window, watching the scenery pass by. A short time later, Bryanna pulled into a parking spot in front of the restaurant.

As they entered, Ty greeted his sister and shook Knight’s hand as she introduced them. He led them to a table and a few minutes later, a waitress returned with a healthy snack for Bryanna while they waited on their meals.

As he watched his sister devour everything in sight, amusement filled him as her eyes lit up as the waitress set a dessert menu on the table.

“How can you get excited over a dessert menu when you’re a baker?” he teased.

Bryanna shook her head. “Pregnancy defies all logic. For the first few months, I couldn’t bake in the bakery because the smell made me nauseous. When the second trimester hit, I fixated on anything with carbs and sugar. I woke Saint at 0400 in the morning for orange sherbert and ginger snaps. When we didn’t have them, I made enough for the entire town.”

“I’m happy for you,” Knight whispered. “I always believed they say things to glorify pregnancy, but you truly have taken on a soft glow. You and Nugget appear close, too.”

“Thank you. Let’s address the elephant in the room. How’s things with you?” Her forehead wrinkled in concern.

“It’s tough. But I’m adjusting. Living life alone feels a hell of a lot better than living with a cheater.” Knight wiped his mouth with a napkin and set it on the table. The mention of his marriage suddenly spoiled his appetite.

“When do you finalize the divorce?” she asked softly.

“The end of July. It feels as if it can’t get here fast enough,” he breathed out. “I want it finished. Then, I can get on with my life.”

“Have you heard from Gabby? She stopped calling me.” Bryanna searched the menu.

“No. I imagine I won’t see her until we finalize the divorce,” he admitted.

“What happened? You could’ve knocked me down with a feather when you told me about the divorce and that she cheated.” Bryanna gazed at him. “Gabby never gave me an inkling of her being capable of doing such a thing. I’m honestly disgusted at her after knowing how our father cheated on our mom and lived a double life.”

“I returned from my deployment. Things grew tense between us every time I spun up. I planned to return home and confront her about it. I found her in our bedroom with another man when I walked in.” Knight glanced around the restaurant, refusing to meet his sister’s expression. If he showed his feelings to Bryanna. She’d hunt Gabby down and demand answers, but he didn’t know how to feel if he discovered her responses.

“What did she say?” she asked surprised.

“Nothing. I asked how long she cheated and she said since I knew everything, I should know,” he lowered his voice.

“What the heck does that even mean? How can you know anything when you served your country halfway around the world,” she bit out angrily.

“We don’t need your blood pressure skyrocketing. I’m doing fine. It’s an adjustment, but I survived and I’m ready to move on,” he assured her.

“Knight, you’re not even divorced. Don’t you want to sort out your feelings before getting involved with anyone else?” she asked.

“I guess my feelings for her aren’t as deep as I believed. She barely crosses my mind these days. Gabrielle and I turned into nothing but a huge mistake. We enjoyed a few good times together, I admit. But the moment she slept with someone else, it outweighed even my best moments with her,” Knight murmured. “How about we check out the community kitchen and stop by your bakery? I’ve got a craving for almond cookies, and I know my sister didn’t let me drive all this way without sending me home with her famous cookies.”

Bryanna grinned. “Come on. I believe I might find some already boxed up in my kitchen. You’re lucky I love you,” she teased.

Knight sent her a grin as he helped her scoot out of the booth with her expanding belly. He didn’t feel lucky, because it reminded him his sister remained the only person who felt anything for him.