13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

Grady

“You sure you don’t want some help?” Astrid says, hovering over me like I’m about to do something wrong.

“I’m grilling chicken and hot dogs. How can I fuck that up?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs as Penn wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest. “I just don’t like standing around not helping.”

“If I asked you to stir the pasta salad, would that help ease your anxiety?”

She wriggles free of Penn and darts to the fridge. “Absolutely.”

Penn and I laugh at my sister. “I swear, you’re more nervous than I am.”

Astrid brings the bowl of pasta salad over to the counter. “I just want everything to be perfect for you,” my sister says affectionately. “I know you want this and—”

“I’m working on it, Astrid,” I cut in, glancing nervously toward the door. I don’t want to risk my mother overhearing the reason for this dinner before I can tell her myself. That is, if she hasn’t already found out from the rumor mill. The past few weeks have been insane and the last thing I wanted was to tell her this news over the phone.

I know Scottie’s mom and grandma know, but I wanted to have more answers for the questions my mother will inevitably have. Astrid’s already reprimanded me for keeping this from Mom, but between trying to get Scottie to open up to me and Chase to stop fighting me at every turn, my head has been a mess.

“Have things gotten any better?” Astrid asks, stirring the pasta as Penn nurses a beer from his perch on a stool at the island. Bentley and Lilly are watching some show called Bluey that they’re currently obsessed with in the living room.

“Yes, with Chase at least.”

Astrid’s face lights up. “Well, that sounds promising.”

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

Penn clears his throat. “Melissa just pulled up.”

Astrid and I turn to look out the front window just as our mother shuts her car door, walking carefully up to the front porch with a casserole dish in hand.

I quickly rinse my hands in the sink and nod toward Astrid. “I’m gonna go talk to her before Scottie and her family get here.”

“Good luck!” my sister calls out as I make my way to the front door.

I open it just as my mom approaches and steps onto the porch. “Hey, Mom.”

She beams, perching up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “I have to say, this invitation was a pleasant surprise. It’s usually your sister who’s coordinating our family dinners.”

“Well, I might have had an ulterior motive,” I admit, leading her inside.

Her brows arch. “Is that so? ”

“Yeah. Follow me.” I lead her down the hallway, dropping off her casserole dish in the kitchen as we make our way to the den, a state-of-the-art game and movie room I insisted on when I built this place. “You might want to sit for what I’m about to tell you.”

My mother lowers herself into one of the recliners, eyeing me cautiously. “You’re scaring me, Grady.”

Running a hand through my hair, I say, “No need to be scared, but I do have some news that’s going to surprise you.”

“Okay…”

“I’m going to be a dad,” I blurt out, watching as the shock ripples across her face, her jaw dropping.

“What?”

“I’m having a kid in September…with Scottie Daniels.”

That has her eyes widening even further. “Your friend Scottie from high school?”

“Yeah, Mom. We, uh, reconnected back in December, and then she moved back to Carrington Cove last month. She found out she was pregnant just after she moved back, and now…”

“You’ve known this long and you didn’t tell me?” she says, placing her purse on the floor beside her chair and giving me that motherly scowl of disappointment.

“Well, I’ve only known a couple weeks, but…yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I knew you’d have questions, and I didn’t have any answers to give you.”

“And now?”

I blow out a breath, suddenly feeling like a kid who just got in trouble. But I’m not. I’m a full-fledged adult who’s about to have a kid of his own. So, I lay it all out there. “Now, I’m still figuring things out. I’m nervous about all of this change. I’m excited to be a dad but also scared I’ll fuck up. And I’m frustrated because I want a relationship with Scottie, but she’s made it clear she doesn’t even want to try. I don’t know if we’re going to be living together, if she’s going to keep working and we’ll need daycare, or anything about what our life is going to look like—because the only life I see is the one where she’s my wife.”

My mother’s hand flies to her chest as I continue. “Her son is on the baseball team too, which makes our situation even more complicated, but he’s finally starting to come around. And I just…”

She stands from her chair and walks over to me. “Breathe, Grady,” she says gently, and I do, since I’m nearly out of breath after my word vomit. “Now, do you think she feels the same about you?”

“I do, Mom. I can fucking feel it.”

Smiling, she pats me on the shoulder. “Then do what you’ve always done and keep working for what you want. Put in the effort, even when it’s difficult.” She shakes her head as she crosses her arms over her chest. “I have to say, I always thought you had a thing for her back in high school.”

I rub the back of my neck. “I did, but…”

“Baseball was your focus.” She nods. “I know. And now?”

“She’s my focus, Mom. Her, her son, and our kid. I want a family, and today she’s coming over with hers so we can all get to know each other better. I’m trying to be patient, but it’s hard. I don’t want her to choose me because I’ve pressured her to. And her ex did a number on her. But this girl…” I look across the room and it all becomes so clear. “She’s always seen me for me, not my skills on a pitching mound or how much money I have. We’ve had a connection since we were kids, and seeing her again just made me realize that my feelings were real— are real.” I take in a deep breath. “She’s the one, Mom.” Lowering my voice, I admit, “I think she always has been. ”

“If there’s one person in the world who deserves this, it’s you, Grady. It’s time for you to live your life for yourself and your happiness—not just for baseball.” She smiles up at me with tears in her eyes. “I was always afraid that you would end up resenting the game when you realized what it could cost you.”

“Like a family?”

“Yes.” She nods softly. “Part of me always wondered if you’d ever have this, and now… Well, I can selfishly say I’m grateful to be welcoming another grandchild into our lives, but mostly…” She cups my face, making me feel like a boy again who needed her comfort in times when I doubted myself. “I’m so happy for you, Grady. You’re going to be an amazing father.”

“Even though mine wasn’t around?” I whisper, voicing one of my biggest doubts.

“Especially because of that. You know what it felt like not to have that type of presence in your life, so be the man you wish you had to look up to.” I nod, choking down the lump forming in my throat, knowing that she’s right. “And since you’ve told me your news, I guess it’s time to tell you mine.”

“You have news?”

Fighting to contain her smile, she says, “Yes. I met someone. His name is John. We’ve been talking online, and he lives in Castle, about an hour away. We’ve discussed him moving here. He works remotely, and I don’t want to leave Astrid without my help, and now you might need my babysitting services as well, so...”

“I want you here for more than just watching my kid, Mom.”

She chuckles. “Good to know.”

“Does he treat you well?”

“Yes, he does.” The blush that graces her cheeks tells me that I probably don’t want to know all of the reasons for that answer .

“Then I can’t wait to meet him.”

“And I can’t wait to see Scottie again and welcome her into the family.”

I pull her in for a hug, inhaling deeply, grateful that even though I only had one parent growing up, she was the one I had. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, Grady. And I can’t wait to watch you be the dad you never had.”

I follow my mom back to the main part of the house, and I see Astrid chewing on her thumbnail as we enter the kitchen.

“I take it you knew about my newest grandchild?” Mom asks her.

“I did, but only because he told me at Lilly’s birthday party.”

My mom turns to me. “I was there!”

“I know, Mom, but…” Before I can finish, the doorbell rings, which means Scottie is here. I point a finger around the room to all of my family members. “You’d all better be on your best behavior. Remember, I’m trying to win this woman over.”

Penn shakes his head, Astrid smirks, and my mother pats me on the shoulder as she moves for the front door. “Don’t worry, Grady. We’re not the most obnoxious bunch of knuckleheads you could have for a family. It could always be worse.”

***

“You need to join the gardening club,” Scottie’s mom, Lisa, tells my mom as we all sit around the table, gorging ourselves.

When I asked Scottie what she was craving, she told me barbecue chicken wings, and as I watch her devour them across the table, licking her fingers, I’m happy that I was able to make her happy .

The sight of her licking her fingers might also prevent me from standing up from my chair anytime soon, but it was all fucking worth it. Both of our families are getting along well, the food turned out great, and the woman carrying my child looks even more beautiful than the last time I saw her.

Things are all headed in the right direction.

“Katherine Sheppard has been trying to get me to join her club for years, but I have a black thumb, ladies. Not a green one.”

Lisa groans. “Darn.”

Gigi, Scottie’s grandmother, chimes in. “And don’t bother asking Scottie either. The only time she ever touched grass was when she was kicking it up while running around on a softball field.”

Scottie stops eating for two seconds long enough to realize her name was mentioned. “What?”

“Nothing, dear. Get back to feeding my next grandchild.” Gigi waves her off.

Scottie glares at her grandmother but goes back to eating. She said that her nausea has finally started to subside, and since then, she’s called me three times to bring her something she was craving. Luckily, no orange popsicles again, but I haven’t fucked up since that night, so I’d say I’m getting better at this.

“Oh!” My mother exclaims, turning to Scottie. “You’re due in September, right?”

“Yes…”

“Does that mean you’ll still be playing in the Carrington Cove games, Grady?” my mom asks.

Scottie mumbles around a mouthful of food. “They still do that?”

“Some kids at school were talking about that,” Chase interjects. “What is it? ”

“Every fall, the town hosts a weekend-long competition where teams fight for bragging rights and the Cove Cup. Each team is sponsored by a local business, and the winning team’s sponsor gets to display the cup proudly for the next year,” I say as Penn snickers beside me. “Dallas won last year, and I had every intention of trying to strip him of his title, but if Scottie has the baby before then, well…”

“You could still compete,” Scottie says to me.

“I could, but I’m sure I’d rather be with you and the baby.”

We stare at each other while our family looks on, but this woman is crazy if she thinks I would leave her alone with a newborn to go run around town fighting for a piece of plastic that doesn’t mean nearly as much to me as she does.

Penn clears his throat, breaking the moment. “You know, you could always be on my team this year instead of being captain of your own. That way if you can’t make it, it’ll be easier to fill in for you.”

Astrid pats Penn’s cheek. “I’m going to be on Penn’s team this year too. We talked about having one for the bakery and one for Penn’s business, but it doesn’t make sense to manage two teams.”

I nod in agreement. “I think that sounds like a good option for me too.”

Penn leans over the table now, smirking. “Plus, then all three of us could gang up on Dallas and knock him off his throne. He’d be livid.”

The gleam in his eyes speaks to the competition between brothers. “That’d just be the cherry on the cake, wouldn’t it?” I ask.

“Can I be on the team?” Bentley asks around his corn on the cob.

Astrid pats him on the back. “Not yet, baby. You’re not old enough.”

He swats her away. “I’m not a baby, mom. I’m eleven.”

“Chase is old enough though, isn’t he?” Scottie asks.

I clear my throat and look over at Chase. “He is. I’m sure Penn could use the manpower if you’re interested.”

Chase shrugs. “Yeah, I’m in.”

“The best part of the games for me is the shirtless men,” Gigi chimes in as Scottie and her mom both roll their eyes. “Do you play the games with your shirt off, Grady?”

“Jesus, Gigi. Can you not?” Scottie shakes her head.

Gigi just waves her off. “If you’re not going to appreciate the fine specimen of a man that knocked you up, then this old broad will.” She pushes a bowl of chips toward her granddaughter. “Just keep growing that baby, Scottie.”

Scottie’s mouth drops open as I stifle my laughter. Astrid giggles, and Lisa and my mom share a look.

“Hey, I’m more than just a baby factory, you know.”

“Mom, please don’t refer to yourself as a baby factory.” Chase grimaces as he takes another bite of his hot dog.

Lilly decides to chime in at this moment. “Where do babies come from?”

The whole table goes silent as Astrid’s eyes bug out and then lock onto mine.

“Uh…”

Chase nearly chokes on his hot dog, Penn stifles his laughter behind his fist, and all three of the matriarchal women sitting at the table share a look before Gigi pipes up. “Well, Lilly, you see… First, you need a handsome looking fella who has a package that intrigues you…”

“Mom!” “Gigi!” Lisa and Scottie shout at the exact same time as the rest of us old enough to know what sex is lose our composure.

Fuck. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard.

“Lilly, you and I can have this conversation later,” Astrid finally says, deflecting my niece’s curiosity for the time being .

Lilly simply shrugs. “Okay. I’m done now, so can I get up from the table?”

“Yeah, me too,” Bentley says.

Astrid nods. “Yes, but please clear your plates,” she says as the kids get up from the table.

“Chase? Do you wanna see my uncle’s backyard? He’s got a soccer goal back there for me to practice on when I come over.”

Chase stands from the table, shoving the last bite of his hot dog in his mouth as he mumbles, “Sure.”

Scottie glances at me. “You put up a soccer goal for him?”

“Yeah. He doesn’t have space for one at Astrid’s, so I put one here.”

“He has a backstop back there too,” Astrid adds, a pleased grin on her face. “You haven’t shown that to Chase yet, have you?” She directs her question to me.

Staring at my sister, I say, “No. Haven’t gotten that far yet.”

Scottie eyes me from her seat. “I might never get my son to leave this place now.”

Everyone chuckles before standing from the table, leaving the two of us alone.

I shift in my chair, turning to face her. “How was the food?”

Leaning back, she rubs her stomach. “So good. Thank you for this. And I’m sorry about my grandma. She lacks a filter and I forget that other people don’t know how to react to her sometimes.”

“She’s a hoot, Scottie. I can see where you get your sense of humor from.” Scooting closer, I continue, “I’m happy to have everyone here.” I reach forward and place my hand on her stomach just as our eyes meet. “And I should be thanking you.”

“For what?” Her reply comes out as a whisper.

“All of this,” I say, gesturing around my house full of people I love, full of family .

“I haven’t done anything, Grady.”

I stand from my chair, towering over her as I tip her chin up so she can look me in the eyes. “You’re giving me a life I’ve always wanted, Scottie.” Leaning down, I press a soft kiss to her lips, taking her by surprise. I don’t push for more, just lips on lips, reverence and gratitude expressed physically. “I never thought I’d have this.”

When I stand back up to full height, her eyes are still closed, lifting open slowly before bouncing back and forth between mine. “Grady…”

I take her hand and help her stand. “Come on. Let’s go out back and watch the kids play.”

For the next hour, the ladies sit on the back porch and talk among themselves as Penn and I play with the kids. Chase pitches to Lilly and Bentley, and Penn shags balls from the grass as the kids hit them.

“Anybody want a refill?” I ask before going into the house, eager for another beer myself. Once I get everyone’s requests, I enter the kitchen through the French doors from the patio. I open the fridge to grab the drinks, and when I close the door, I find Lisa, Gigi, and my mom all standing on the opposite side of the kitchen island, staring at me.

“Uh, do y’all need something?”

Gigi doesn’t beat around the bush. “I wanna know how long it’s going to take for you to wear down my granddaughter,” she says.

“Okay…” I draw out the word, momentarily stunned.

“If I have to watch her eye fuck you one more time, I’m going to throw her on top of you myself.”

Setting the drinks on the island, I brace myself for this conversation. “I don’t think that will be necessary, and honestly? It will probably just piss Scottie off even more, so let’s not.”

My mother nods. “I’m seeing it too, which is why we all decided to come in here and say something.” She looks at Lisa and Gigi.

“Are y’all trying to meddle in our lives right now? ”

Scottie’s mom nods, smiling. “Of course. That’s what mothers do. I once read a book series where the mom meddled in all her sons’ love lives, and I don’t think I’ve ever read something more relatable than that. In fact, she then taught her daughters-in-law how to meddle. It’s our duty to teach the future generations, so if you have a girl, just know she will learn this talent as well.”

I rub the back of my neck. “I don’t know whether I should feel supported or scared.”

“I know my daughter, Grady, and she’s scared,” Lisa says. “She never was until she had Chase, but being a mother changes you in so many ways that a man will never understand. I don’t think I have to tell you that my daughter became jaded and scarred by the man she had a child with before. But you’re not him, and she just needs to see that.”

I blow out a breath and shove my hands in my pockets. “I’m trying.”

“Well, try harder,” Gigi says sharply.

“Look, I know you’re all invested in this, which I’m not sure is a blessing or a curse at this point,” I say, narrowing my eyes at all three of them. “But Scottie and I have to do what’s best for us and I don’t want to push her before she’s ready.”

Lisa rounds the counter, standing right in front of me. “Just don’t let her push you away, Grady. Please.” There’s a hint of desperation in her voice and pleading in her eyes. “I know I sent you away that morning you showed up looking for her, but she asked me to. Now, after seeing you two together…” She shakes her head. “You’re the kind of man who can show her what real love is.”

“I won’t give up on her,” I say, even though I have no control over the woman. All I can do at this point is keep proving she can trust me, keep getting her to give in to my touch, and try to be involved as much as she’ll let me.

“You both deserve a second chance at happiness,” my mother says. “And this baby deserves you two together—not because that’s what’s expected, but because you two were meant for each other.”

Fuck, I feel that too .

“What’s going on?” All four of us spin our heads in the direction of the French doors where Scottie stands, assessing us with her gaze.

Lisa reaches for the drinks I placed on the counter. “Just helping Grady take the drinks out. He only has two hands, you know?” Holding four cans in her arms, she moves around her daughter and heads back outside.

“Subtle, Mom,” Scottie mutters.

“I was just headed to the bathroom!” my mother exclaims before scurrying down the hall.

Scottie turns to Gigi, placing her hands on her hips. “And you? What’s your excuse?”

Gigi smirks at me, wiggling her eyebrows. “I was just telling Grady that if you don’t want to go on that road trip with him, I will.” She takes a chip from the bowl on the counter, pops it in her mouth, and heads back outside.

“Jesus,” Scottie says under her breath, pinching her nose as she moves further into the kitchen.

“You told your grandma about the road trip?”

Her head lifts and her eyes connect with mine. “Yeah. I wanted to make sure her or my mom would be home so Chase had supervision if I decided to go.”

Moving closer to her, I pull her into me, loving the fact that our child rests between us when I do. “And what did you decide?”

She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “I guess it would be kind of fun. ”

I want to fist pump the air, but refrain. “Kind of fun? What kind of fun?”

Rolling her eyes, she pushes against my chest, creating space between us. “Don’t get any ideas, Grady.”

Before she gets too far from me, I pull her back into my chest. “I promise to make it fun, Scottie. For both of us.”

Her throat bobs as she swallows. “And how do you propose to do that?”

Lick your pussy until you scream. Suck on your nipples until you can’t take it anymore. Bury myself inside of you and stay there for as long as you’ll let me . Lay next to you and laugh until we can’t keep our eyes open anymore.

“By asking you questions about parenthood.”

Her lip quirks up. “That’s your idea of fun?”

“I need the truth about what to expect, Scottie,” I say, not wanting to scare her with my honest thoughts. “I feel like these books are fucking sugarcoating things and I don’t like to be unprepared, remember?”

“Yeah, I guess there are things about babies that you just have to learn through experience.”

“That’s how I feel, but you have that experience, and I don’t.”

Sighing, she steps away from me. “Fine, I’ll answer your questions as long as you let me pick the playlist.”

“You can’t play NSYNC the entire time, though,” I plead, making her laugh.

She rubs her stomach and then grins at me. “Oh, Grady. You have no idea what you just agreed to.”

Yeah, I do—because I just got this woman to agree to stay with me for forty-eight hours straight—so I’m pretty sure she’s the one who has no idea what’s about to happen when we’re alone, and I can’t fucking wait to show her.