Page 46 of Knox
“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.
