Page 55 of Knockout (Whiskey Dolls 2)

Marcus turned to look at me, his brows creeping up his forehead. “But you still brought him here? Isn’t it a little early to be doing the whole ‘meet the family’ gig?”

My face cracked in a huge smile; first because, like me, Marcus got that all of us were our own rag-tag family, and second because he seemed almost worried I’d made a move that waswaytoo early in the game. He was looking out for me, my sweet boy. It was just one of the many reasons these kids held such a large piece of my heart.

“It’s good, don’t worry. We might have just started dating, but we’ve known each other for a while now. He knows all about you guys and this place, and he wanted to meet you.”

He gave me a curious look. “You talk about us?”

I leaned over and bumped his shoulder with mine, noticing, not for the first time, just how big he’d gotten. His shoulders were already broader than mine. He was already taller than me and outweighed me by at least a good twenty pounds of muscle. He was going to be a powerhouse once he came of age.

“Of course I do. Like you said, we’re family. Everyone who’s a part of my life in any meaningful way know about you guys.”

He turned to look back out across the distance, quiet in thought. It was obvious he was working his way up to something, so I resumed my earlier position, eyes closed, head tilted back to let the sun kiss my face, giving him the time he needed to form the words he was so clearly struggling with.

Finally, he spoke into the quiet, and at his question, I smiled up into the bright, sunny day. “How do you know if a girl wants you to ask her out?”

“Ah, I see,” I started playfully, turning my attention back to him. “There’s agirl. That’s why you’ve been all pensive and broody lately.” At his bewildered expression, I rolled my eyes and tried again. “You’ve been moody for weeks. And when you aren’t moody, you’re moping around like a sad little puppy.”

“Am not!” he protested rather defensively.

I curled my lips between my teeth, biting down to keep from laughing, because he so totallywas. “All right, so you haven’t been mopey. Moving on; tell me about this girl. What’s her name? What’s she like? Is she pretty? Smart? What are her extra curriculars? Is she going to college?”

Marcus’ eyes grew comically wide. “Whoa, Ms. Layla. How about you give me a second to answer a question before moving on to the million more you got?”

I reined in my excitement, clasping my hands in my lap and pulled in a deep, calming breath, trying to get my delight under control. “Okay, I’m good. Totally chill. Start talking.”

“Well,” he started, his eyes casting down almost bashfully, “her name’s Elle. She’s in the same grade as me, and she’s super smart and like,reallypretty.”

He shot me a look when I momentarily lost control and my squeal bubbled up before I could stop it. “Sorry, sorry.” I held up my hands in surrender. “I’ll calm down. Please, carry on.”

“So, we were assigned together as lab partners, and it was going really great. She’s crazy funny, and we were laughing all the time. I thought she was flirting with me, you know? She even asked if she could come over here one day after school to work on a project we were assigned. Then the next day she just...I don’t know. She just got cold on me. Like a switch flipped. I don’t know what happened.”

“Hmm. That is strange. What did you say when she asked if she could come here?”

He looked away, his eyes casting back to his lap, but this time I got the distinct impression it was due to shame, not shyness. “I kinda brushed it off and suggested we go study at a coffee shop or somewhere else.”

I felt my brows pull down in a frown. “Why did you do that? She knows where you live, right? What was wrong with coming back here?”

He made a face like I’d just said something stupid. “Come on, Ms. Layla. You know why. Sure, this place is cool and all, no one else I know has their own basketball court and stuff, but it’s not like, ahouse, know what I mean? I don’t even have my own room. I gotta share with another kid.”

It was as if a lightbulb suddenly switched on inside my head. “So, you were embarrassed for her to see where you live,” I said gently. Marcus dropped his head even farther, his shoulders slumping in on themselves. “I could be wrong, but I think I might know the issue.”

He looked up at me, eagerness swimming in his gaze. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. When we—and by ‘we’ I mean all girls in general—like a guy, likereallylike him, we want to be a part of his life, and not just the pieces we get on a regular basis. This Elle girl, she gets to see you at school and in class, but that means there’s a whole other part of your life she’s missing out on.

“If I had to guess, that’s what Elle was doing when she suggested you guys come here to work on your project together. She wanted to be with you on your turf. She opened a door, hoping you’d read between the lines and take things to the next level. I think she probably saw your refusal to let her in as slamming that back in her face. You shot her down because you were embarrassed for her to see where you live, butshejust took that as you being embarrassed of her.”

“But I’m totally not!”

“I know that, but let me fill you in on a little secret. Teenage girls are as far from rational as a human being can get. It doesn’t make sense to you, but in her eyes, that was you telling her she wasn’t good enough. But the real problem here, what I’m most concerned with is howyousee yourself.

“Marcus, honey, let me tell you, homes come in all different shapes and sizes. Sure, this isn’t a typical house like your friends at school live in, but that’s not what makes ahome. You said it yourself, all of us here are a family. Has Tessa or any of the other councilors, or, heck, even me, ever made you feel like you don’t belong here?”

“No,” he muttered sullenly.

“And the other kids...you’re all tight, aren’t you?” I waited for him to give me a nod, already knowing the answer to that question without having to ask. “You’re friends with all of them, and the older kids look out for the younger ones. You guys make sure they don’t get picked on, you protect them just like big brothers or sisters would. Am I right?”

He continued with the muttering. “Yeah.”

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