Page 131 of Trust Me Always

His dad laughs loudly, and Brady shoots him a small glare that has both my and his mom’s attention, though neither of us says a word. I certainly don’t point out that Bebe’s Brews is not, in fact, on the way home from where I know they buy their firewood.

“Let’s eat.” Tisha claps.

And so we do.

We pile our plates high, and everyone laughs when I skip over all the protein options and go straight for the giant waffles in the middle.

They ask us about school, and Brady talks about the team’s strategy for next week’s game.

“What a lucky straw you boys drew getting your second bye week Thanksgiving weekend!” Tisha says. “And the fact that Noah’s got a Sunday home game that weekend is like icing on the cake.”

“I know, I can’t wait.” Brady leans back, holding his belly. “I’m beating Noah’s ass at the turkey competition this year,” he says.

His dad laughs. “It’s crazy you guys are already taking over the traditions we had while you were all growing up. Makes me feel a bit sentimental to think about. I missed more than I’d have liked over the years.”

“Good thing you retired this summer, then. There are still so many memories to be made.” Tisha reaches out, squeezing his hand, and he leans her way, kissing her cheek.

“We never felt like you weren’t around, Dad. We were proud of you, and you were always home for the important things.” Brady’s words leave me feeling soft.

I watch the exchange with a smile, catching Brady staring at me from the corner of my eye.

“You know you guys can still change your minds and come out to the beach house.” I say this knowing it’s already a done deal. All the parentals booked a weeklong cruise for the holiday.

“And be the only people there over thirty?” Ben smirks. “I think not.”

“I mean, you really should have said over fifty, but I get it.”

Brady and Tisha laugh, but Ben puts his hand over his chest, feigning hurt. It’s such a Brady response, I can’t help but break theserious façade I was shooting for, my amusement joining in as I look from the man beside me to his dad.

“Man, Brady might not share your features, Ben, but you’re basically twins with all your mannerisms. I swear he’s one hundred percent you while looking nothing like you.” I grin.

Ben nods, a tender smile on his lips as he glances across the table at his son. “He is, isn’t he?” The pride in his voice is evident, and a warmth washes over me.

I turn to Brady. “I wonder if the cycle will repeat itself, and it will be the same way if you have a boy.”

“It will,” Brady says, a sureness in his tone. “He will be exactly the same.”

The expression on Brady’s face is one of pure gratitude, a deep-seated love only the luckiest are blessed with between father and son.

Ben’s smile says the same as he holds his only son’s gaze, his arm now wrapped around Tisha’s shoulders, but there’s a tension around his eyes as they move from Brady to me and back to his son. There’s a question within them that, at first, I don’t think he’ll ask just as his mouth begins to open. “Brady…have you never told her?”

Brady tenses, and so do I.

“Uh, I mean…no?” His son clears his throat.

His dad’s brow furrows, and Brady pushes on.

“Just another thing that’s never come up,” he mutters, and my head yanks his way.

Another thing?

“But the others know.” His mom joins the conversation, and now my stomach twists with a sudden anxiousness.

“The boys, yeah.” Brady stares at his dad a moment before looking to me. “There’s no reason,” he starts to tell me, a nervousness to him I’m not used to. “There’s just never been a reason to mention it. The guys really only know because we went through a box of shit in the garage when Dad paid us to clean it out onesummer. Chase found one of Mom’s memory books and it had a picture of her and dad on their first date.”

Reluctantly, I sneak a peek at his parents, not really following as I settle my gaze back on Brady. He looks to his dad for help.

But I can’t stand the sight of that helpless expression on his face, not when he’s the surest, most confident man I know. So I take us back to where we’re most comfortable.

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