22. Great Big Brother

The next morning, Sage rolled over and noticed that it was still dark in Knox's room.

She turned and looked out the French doors and saw the snow coming down harder than it was when they went to bed.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" he asked.

"Did I wake you?"

"No," he said. "Just lying here thinking about what to do with my brother. The snow won't stop until later tonight. He'll be lucky to get a flight out Sunday night. He'll have to call our mother today."

"It's the right thing to do," she said. "Or she might be worried."

"I'm sure. I don't want to parent him. He's an adult. I'll gently bring it up. If I can figure out a way to charter them back to Virginia I will. Trying to get them back to Logan isn't going to work. I don't think there will be any flights until late and I'd never bring them and leave them without knowing for sure."

She didn't even want to think about the cost of a private flight. It wasn't her business. How or who Knox spent his money on wasn't her concern. She'd never been one of those women that worried about that stuff. She'd like to think she took care of herself and that was all that mattered.

"I said it last night and I'll say it again. You're a great big brother. You could try to get them a flight out of Connecticut or Rhode Island."

"I could, but I'm sure it's going to be as crazy. I'll have that conversation with them at some point."

She turned and picked her phone up and saw it was barely six. She snuggled back in some more.

"You've got enough food and we've got power," she said. "They are safe and that should be everyone's only concern."

"It is," he said. "I'm glad I stopped at the store. They ate two frozen pizzas last night."

"You had half of one too," she said, nudging his shoulder with hers.

"You had one slice," he said.

"I'm not a huge fan of frozen pizza and I wasn't that hungry. The boys seem to feel like this is an adventure."

His brother and Mark were laughing when they got into Knox's last night and talking about how cool it was and the stories they could tell their friends.

Knox all but rolled his eyes and said he wasn't thinking it was so cool while he was racing to get them and worried they'd be stranded.

Then he showed the boys the rooms after Sage was introduced, and told them they could wash their clothes since they only had one other outfit, which was dirty and they'd worn it yesterday.

Knox had brought down a few more sweatshirts for them to wear, but he was bigger than them both when it came to jeans, though he handed over some sweatpants too.

Sage had stayed in the kitchen and put the food away. She'd make some sauce and meatballs later today. It was a good day for it and she was positive the three guys were going to put away a lot of it.

"They are too young to see or feel the worry like I did," he said.

He pulled her close and put her under his arms.

"They weren't dressed for winter in the Northeast either," she said.

"Don't even get me started there. I get it. They flew in for the game and didn't want to bring jackets thinking they wouldn't wear them much. But they should have at least checked the damn weather forecast."

"Not much that can be done now," she said. "I know he's your brother and you'd do anything for him even though you aren't close."

"I would," he said. "I'm glad he knew he could call me."

"It has to be a hard relationship," she said. "Knowing that your brother contributed to your parents' marriage ending."

He sighed. "I used to think that but don't anymore. Their marriage would have ended at some point regardless. She was never going to change her actions and it was only going to be a matter of time before my father had the proof he needed. I think it was harder for him to know he'd been played and then made to look like a fool."

Sage knew that feeling all too well but wouldn't say that.

At this point, Knox knew she had an ex and it didn't end well. He knew that her ex had worked with her too. Even knew that her family wanted to hunt the guy down when it ended.

Knox hadn't asked once for more details and she was glad about that. They hardly ever talked about their pasts other than when they were in middle school or him with his father.

It was probably for the best for now.

She was learning that Knox had opinions and she was afraid that those opinions of his mother and others who cheated would carry over to her.

She didn't cheat. Never that.

But being the other woman, however blinded of that she was, he might not understand.

She didn't understand it either.

Feeling like a fool and being looked at that way was almost worse than the heartbreak.

But as she'd said so many times, she was putting it behind her.

She had to be because for the past month or so she knew she was in love with Knox, but she hadn't said a word.

The fact he went racing out of Mystic as fast as he had yesterday to get his brother only showed what a great person he was.

A caring one that put those in his life first.

"You don't know any of that because you didn't talk to your father about it, did you?"

"No," he said. "As I told you, things were just starting to get on track with us when he died."

"You can't carry that with you forever," she said. "I'm willing to bet he wouldn't want you to feel that way."

"No," he said. "He wouldn't."

She rolled and put her head on his chest. "If there is one thing to take away from that, it should be that you need to let those you love in your life know because you don't know what tomorrow will bring."

"You're right," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "But saying the words isn't easy either if you fear they aren't returned."

She laughed. He was staring into her eyes and she knew he was talking about them.

"One of us has to take that step," she said. She kissed his chest a few times waiting to see if it'd be him, but he remained silent. "It's been me so far so maybe it needs to be again. I love you, Knox. I've loved you for a month or more. But watching everything you did for Blaze and his friend yesterday just reminded me again what a great human you are."

He let out a breath and hugged her tight to his side. "Thank God you said it first," he said. "I love you too. I have for more than a month also."

"But have been afraid to say it?" she asked. "Why?"

"You have to ask that?" he asked, laughing. "I've said it before—we don't have a lot in common. I always feel you're way out of my league. I did years ago and do more so now."

"Stop," she said, grinning and pinching his arm. "How many times do I have to tell you that isn't the case? Are you always going to make me take the first step?"

"I'll try not to," he said. "It will be easier now knowing that you love me."

She could see a faint grin on his face. "I do," she said. "As long as you believe it."

"I do," he said. "I should get up. I'll try to go clean some of the driveway out before it piles up again."

"You're going to snow blow?" she asked, throwing back the covers with him.

"No," he said. "I'm hooking the plow up to my truck and just pushing the snow out. I've got an agreement with my neighbor across the street. I can push a few piles up on his lawn to get out if I plow his for him at the same time."

"That's nice of you," she said. "Did you offer that or did he ask for it in exchange?"

"I offered," he said. "It seemed only right. I don't have any room on the side of the garage to push it with the landscaping. Or not enough. Where are you going?"

"In the bathroom with you. I thought we could shower together and I'll make some breakfast. I doubt your brother will be up any time soon, but it's not like I'm going anywhere. Might as well make myself useful."

"A shower together sounds like a useful thing to do," he said.

They got into the bathroom and he went to the water closet and she started to brush her teeth.

They swapped out so she could pee and then when she came out, he was shutting the water off on the sink and turning it on in the shower.

They climbed in together and rather than fool around, both cleaned up fast, getting a few touches and gropes in for fun, then got out to dry off.

The minute they did, the power went off but then came back on.

"Was that just a flicker?" she asked.

"Nope," he said. "The generator kicked on. The power stayed on longer than I thought it would."

"So everything is working like normal?" she asked. "It's not just for a part of the house?"

"It's the whole house," he said. "I got one big enough for that. I've got enough gas too. I doubt it's going to be out for long, but who knows?"

When the two of them were dressed, she said, "I'll just make eggs and toast for you. I don't want to run too many things."

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm not. But eggs and toast is great and probably what I'd do. Or maybe I'd take some of Blaze's Frosted Flakes. I haven't had them since I was a kid."

She'd laughed when she saw that box while putting it away. She wasn't sure who they were for and didn't want to ask.

They went downstairs and kept quiet knowing the boys were still sleeping down the hall.

Knox turned the TV on low and put it on the local news to see the weather update.

"Doesn't look like it's stopping for quite a while," she said, sighing.

They were calling for two feet today and a foot had already fallen last night.

"No," he said. "And that will make it harder for power workers to get to whatever caused it to go out."

"Guess your brother might need to fess up to where he is," she said, grinning.

"Yeah. He won't get out of here until late tomorrow, maybe not even Monday. There is no hiding this."

Knox turned the coffee maker on, she got out a pan and some eggs and he popped a few pieces of bread in the toaster.

They quietly went about getting their breakfast ready and then eating while the TV played on low in the background.

"Anything you want me to do while you're out there?" she asked.

"Nope," he said. "I'll plow the driveway out and hit the guy's across the street for him. It will be one of many, but it's better to do it in stages than all at once. Then I'll clear my deck off upstairs. Once that's done I can clear the patio below."

She kissed him and watched him walk out to the garage. The minute the garage door was shut, she went looking and found a shovel, bundled up in her jacket, hat and boots, and brought it upstairs to take care of the deck for him.

When he came back in the house thirty minutes later, she said, "The deck is done. I mean more has fallen on it, but I figured I'd do that and get my workout in."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah. I was going to clear the patio too, but my arms feel like rubber."

"Thanks for doing that. It won't take me long to deal with the patio. Normally I let it go for a bit, but this is just too much to let build up."

Part of the patio was covered and the rest was pavers and some lawn. She assumed he only took care of where the pavers were.

She turned when she heard a door close and assumed one of the boys was up. Had to be Mark because Blaze was in Knox's father's old room and had a bathroom there.

Twenty minutes later, both boys came down the hall in sweats that Knox had given them last night with Knox's sweatshirts. They were big on the boys, but no one seemed to mind much.

"Morning," she said. "What can I get you to eat or drink?"

"Coffee is good," Blaze said. "You don't have to wait on us."

"It's fine," she said. "I made eggs and toast earlier for Knox. He's cleaning off the patio but has plowed the driveway."

"So it's going to stop soon?" Mark asked.

"Afraid not," she said. "They are calling for another two feet today."

"Crap," Blaze said. "Guess we are here for a while."

"It seems it," she said. She poured them both a cup of coffee and handed it over, then got the creamer out and made another pot. She figured Knox would want one when he came in. "Do you think you should let your mother know?"

"Yeah," Blaze said. "I'll call her around nine. When I'd be leaving. She's going to be pissed."

"I talked to my parents last night," Mark said. "They are very grateful for Knox coming to get us. I sent them a ton of pictures of the snow."

It was the look in Mark's eyes. "Have you ever seen snow before?"

"I have," he said. "But nothing like this. I'm from Georgia and going to school in Virginia. We get snow once in a while but nothing that lasts."

"Maybe you can go make a snowman and get one hell of a selfie with it," she said laughing. "Eggs and toast or Frosted Flakes? How about both?"

"Knox has Frosted Flakes?" Blaze asked. His face was lit up so much she couldn't help but laugh.

"He said he got them for you," she said, grinning.

"I haven't had that since I was a teen," Blaze said. He was rubbing his hands together.

She went and got two bowls down and the cereal with the milk. "Here you go. I'll make eggs and toast too."

"At least we still have power," Mark said.

"The generator," she corrected. "The power went out over an hour ago."

"What a weekend adventure," Mark said. "This is cool."

"It is," Blaze said. "Though I'm sure it'd be better staying here in the summer."

It was the wistfulness in the younger man's voice that she'd pass onto Knox. Just because Knox couldn't get the relationship he wanted with his father didn't mean he might not be able to have one with his brother.