20. Go Gentle On Me

Almost two months later, Knox found himself at Thanksgiving dinner at Violet and Trace's house. Sage's parents and grandmother had arrived yesterday and were staying until Saturday.

It'd been almost three months of dating and he felt things were going well with him and Sage. Better than he could have imagined.

"Are you ready for Nonna?"

"I am," he said. "I guess."

Sage had been picking on him for weeks about her grandmother. That she was the tough one of the family, but if she accepted you, you were golden.

He had to admit that he was slightly nervous about not being good enough.

"Whose is the extra car?" he asked.

There were two in the driveway. Last time he was here Trace and Violet's vehicles were in the garage. Sage had said her parents and grandmother were driving together and that was it.

"I'm not sure," she said. "It's a Connecticut license plate. Your guess is as good as mine."

They got out of his truck, and Sage grabbed the appetizers she'd put together. He asked if he could bring wine or anything and had been told no, it was all covered.

He'd never had a big Thanksgiving dinner. Not a loud one either but had been warned he might need earplugs here.

They went up the porch and through the front door and into the back and he bumped into Sage when she stopped.

"Surprise," a stunning tall blonde said and rushed toward her. "And I brought the wine."

"Kate!" Sage said, turning and handing him the box full of snacks as she went to hug the former model. Damn, he didn't even recognize her.

She was the talk of their school back in the day, but she wasn't in school all the time either. Sage had told him Kate ended up home schooled when her career took off.

"Oh my God, I've missed you," Kate said. Then pushed back and moved over to him. "I'm Kate, but you know that. Everyone knows me. I want to know about you."

"You know about Knox," Sage said. "And you said you weren't coming."

He shook hands with Kate while Sage took the food back and put it on the table. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you too."

"Everyone knows about Kate," an elderly woman said. Small with white hair pulled back at the base of her neck. She had an apron on and he knew beyond a doubt this was Nonna and she'd taken over the kitchen at Violet's.

"You must be Sage and Trace's nonna," he said, moving forward. "I've heard a ton about you. You're the one I have to impress. Go gentle on me."

There was a round of laughter to that statement. He heard Kate whisper, "I like him already."

"Mom and Dad, I don't know if you remember Knox. I don't believe you met him, but he's in at least two of my yearbooks. Knox, Frank and Sophia Mancini."

He shook hands with Sage's parents. "You need to impress us too," Frank said.

"Stop it," Sophia said. "Knox isn't like the last one."

He lifted one eyebrow at Sage. "The last one?"

"We all have exes," she rushed out to say. "Mine was almost two years ago. You know that. In the past. Everyone moves on. I have."

He knew there had to be more to that than anyone was letting be known and he wondered if that would make it harder for the rest of the family to let him in.

Though Trace and Violet had no issues. He'd been out with them a few times in the past few months. He'd even been helping Trace with a book on a bunch of construction questions. More like electrical ones and the best way to murder someone. He'd been slightly terrified and uncomfortable and Sage had laughed and said Trace wouldn't do anything like that.

He didn't know how much he believed it. The guy had been to war. He knew he'd killed people in that time. And though it wasn't the same, there were things you just couldn't forget or get out of your mind.

"I'm glad to hear that," Nonna said. "He was nothing but a loser. Kate and I, we were going on a road trip if we found him."

"Okay, everyone," she said.

"I'll save you," Trace said.

"Thank you," Sage said to her brother. "Do you have an announcement for us? Did you sign some big network deal?"

This was news to him. It wasn't like she was joking either.

"Well," Trace said. "Negotiations are underway with our lawyers, but it looks like everything will be finalized soon. The first of the year they are going to be filming a mini series on my first thriller series."

"Wow," Knox said. "Congrats."

Trace's parents were hugging him, Sage ran over and did the same. Kate slapped his arm for not telling her.

"That's great news, Trace. If anyone deserves it, it's you. You've worked so hard for it. Too bad they didn't want to do one on the series based out of Mystic."

"I'm still working on it," he said. "I hope that is next. I don't normally have a series this long, but I'm finishing up the last book. It won't be released for another six months. The TV series won't air until the end of next year most likely. We'll see how it goes. If the reception is good, my agent will push for this series. I'd love nothing more than for Kyle to be on TV."

"Kyle?" he asked. Knox assumed that was the main character.

"Kyle was Trace's best friend in the service," Sage said. "He lost his life in the same accident that injured Trace. This series, he made Kyle his main character."

"I really brought him to life. I never thought I could."

"Kyle had a love interest that he's been crushing on for years," Kate said. "Do we find out if they get the happy ever after in the final book? How about that, Violet?"

There was more laughter there. "What am I missing?" Knox asked, looking around the room.

"Kyle's sidekick was based on me," Violet said. "Even had my birth name. Did Sage tell you about my background?"

"Briefly," he said. "I know your parents changed your name to hide your identity when you were younger, but it's fine now. You talk to your parents all the time and they are in Vegas."

It was a wild story, but he supposed not much wilder than some people would think of the drama he'd lived just coming at different angles.

"My birth name was Maria Violet."

"I knew the girl was Italian when I first met her," Nonna said.

"One hundred percent," Violet said. "Just like Trace. So that means our children will be too."

"Whenever that happens," Nonna said. "I'm not getting any younger. I'd like to see a great-grandchild."

"You're going to live forever, Nonna," Sage said.

"I'm making homemade rolls, Sage. Relax, you don't need to suck up."

He knew Sage's grandmother was joking. Or he thought so. Everyone was laughing but Nonna. She hadn't cracked a grin yet.

"We want you to be happy," Trace said, smirking. "Maybe Violet has an announcement to make too."

It was comical as all the heads in the house moved quickly to Violet.

"Thanks, Trace," Violet said. "Yes, I'm pregnant. I'm due early May. We wanted to wait to say something until I was out of the first trimester and then with everyone gathering for the holiday we figured what was a bit longer."

There were hugs going around, and lots of jumping around too.

"We're going to be aunts," Sage said, hugging Kate.

"We are," Kate said.

"Does anyone know at work?" she asked. "I'm going to be upset if other people know before family."

"No," Trace said. "We've kept it quiet. We told Violet's parents this week since they couldn't make it for the holiday. They will come out next week for a quick visit."

"I'm going to tell everyone on Monday," Violet said. "I was lucky that it"s been easy sailing. No one has noticed much. This works out well, as Jasmine will be back right around the time I'll go out. I don't want her stressing that she needs to come back earlier."

"But if you need to be taken out earlier for any reason you're doing it," Trace said. "We talked about it."

"I am and am not concerned. I come from sturdy stock," Violet said. "But everyone will understand. It's babies galore. Jasmine in February, Dahlia in March and Poppy in April. I can't wait to see if Poppy is having a boy like Jasmine and Dahlia."

"I didn't tell you that," Sage said to him. "Dahlia found out two weeks ago she was having a boy too. And she got engaged the same day."

"Are you going to find out?" Kate asked. "You can't make me wait."

"Sage says she likes surprises," Knox said. "She'd probably wait."

"Nope," Sage said. "Never for something like that."

"I'll find out," Violet said. "Trace isn't one for surprises. He has to know."

"Good thing," Nonna said. "Or I'd be going with you to the appointment and making sure they at least tell me."

"I wouldn't put it past you, Nonna," Violet said.

"You love me," Nonna said. "You let me take over your kitchen."

"She didn't have a choice," Sage's mother said. "And she's smart enough to not argue with you."

"It's fine," Violet said. "I'm just glad you could all come this year."

Sophia started to help Sage get the snacks out on the table.

"Can I get you a beer?" Trace asked. "Now that all the announcements are out of the way, unless anyone has any more, it's time for football, beer and food."

"Nothing here," Knox said. "I'm all for those things."

"Where is Francine?" Sage asked Kate as the wine was poured. Kate had opened up the bottle and was pouring.

"Who is Francine?" Nonna had asked. She was in the kitchen but had good enough hearing to shout that question out.

"A friend," Kate yelled back.

Nonna snorted and turned around to look at them across the room at the kitchen getting snacks. "I know what kind of friends you've got, Kate."

"That's right, Nonna. She's a bedmate friend," Kate said.

His jaw dropped. It was obvious Kate was gay. He knew it now, the whole family did, but he didn't expect Kate to be so blunt about it. Maybe Nonna didn't believe in it. Or had an issue.

But the elderly woman finally smiled. "About time you just shouted it to the world instead of hiding. You be you, girl."

"Aww, Nonna," Kate said, moving into the kitchen. "I love you. Did you want to meet Francine?"

"I don't want to meet any bedmate. I want to meet soulmates only. Those are the rules. Sage knows that."

And there went his jaw one more time.

Sage gave him an elbow. "I warned you."

"You did, but I guess it's turning out better than I thought it would."

She leaned over and kissed him. "Nonna, you're embarrassing Knox. He's not used to loud family holidays."

He'd told her that it'd always been him and his father and grandparents or him and his brother and mother. No one more. Unless his mother had a live-in boyfriend at that time.

"Then he better get used to it," Nonna said. "Now I've got work to do, I'll be in soon and we can watch the game."

"Then it gets loud," she said. "Thankfully the Giants aren't playing."

He pulled Sage next to his side and whispered, "Thanks for inviting me."

"I wouldn't have wanted you to be alone, but more than that, I wouldn't want to be anywhere other than with you."

He'd known for a solid month he was in love with Sage but was finding it harder and harder to keep those words to himself and wondered how much longer he could pull it off.