Chapter 17
Knox was strolling down the executive hall of the stadium after dropping off the check for his fine when he ran into Sienna. Or more accurately, her belly ran into him as she exited a door.
“Hey, Knox,” Sienna said with a big grin on her face. “I bet PR is loving you right now.”
Knox frowned. No, he was pretty sure he was persona non grata with them right now. “I don’t think so, considering I just had to pay my fine.”
Sienna held out her phone. “Your viral moment racing up to Quinn has hit six million views. I heard your jersey sold out this morning too. You have brought a whole new level of women fans to our team if you follow our socials.”
“That’s great. Quinn never knew much about football so if it feels like they can get involved and learn because of her, that’s worth every dollar of my fine.”
“Oh! That’s so sweet!” Sienna said, reaching out and clutching his arm tightly as her eyes zoned out and she took shallow little breaths.
“Are you okay?” Knox asked her, worried that he’d need to call an ambulance.
“Crap, crap, crap,” Sienna panted. “I thought the stomach pain was indigestion, but I don’t think this is indigestion. I think I’m in labor.”
“Will!” Knox yelled loudly, causing Will to run out of his office at the end of the hall.
“What is it?” Will asked as he jogged down the hall.
“I think Sienna is in labor.”
“Oh, honey. How do you feel?” Will asked her, coming up to support her.
“Like I really want to scream and hit things because I feel like I’m coming apart.”
“Yeah, that’s labor.” Will looked at his watch. “Okay, this is a Fade Blue delivery route.”
“Screw your delivery route! Just get me to the hospital and get me drugs. This hurts!”
“I have to call your mother,” Will said, running back down the hall to get his phone.
“Ugh! I’ll get to the hospital myself.” Sienna began to walk by him, but then her face tightened and she grabbed her stomach in pain.
“Yeah, we’re going now.” Knox reached down and picked her up in his arms. “You were always my favorite babysitter. Don’t tell Sydney.”
Knox strode down the hall, leaving Will to run after them trying to think of everything he needed to do. “Do you have a bag?” Knox asked as he got into the elevator.
“It’s in Ryan’s car. Ryan! Oh gosh, I need to tell Ryan.”
“Will, can you call Ryan?” Knox asked as they exited the elevator.
“Do we take New Circle Road or Man O’ War to the hospital?” Will asked, clearly a wreck.
Knox rolled his eyes and helped Sienna into the front seat of his SUV and then used voice assistance to call Ryan.
“Hey, Knox. What’s up?”
“Ryan!” Sienna screamed and then grunted.
“Sweetheart? What’s going on?” Ryan’s voice was full of concern.
“She’s in labor,” Knox answered for her. “I’m driving her to the hospital. I think Will is still in the parking lot trying to decide which road to take.”
“It’s eleven in the morning. You take New Circle.”
Knox looked over and shared a little smile with Sienna. “Will, take New Circle and meet us there.”
“Don’t forget to bring the bag,” Sienna called out as Ryan suddenly began yelling at people in the background.
“I’ll call my mom and have her figure out who can pick up Ash from school and meet you at the hospital. Drive safe, Knox. You have my family with you,” Ryan ordered.
“I will,” Knox promised.
The drive wasn’t long, but it seemed like it.
By the time he pulled up, two nurses were standing outside with a wheelchair.
They frowned when he emerged from the SUV.
“Are the Rose sisters and Miss Marcy coming?” They were notorious for bribing the nursing staff with sweet treats to get the best rooms and inside information on new babies.
“I’m sure they’ll be here any minute,” Knox told them as they helped Sienna out of the SUV and into the wheelchair.
“Let’s get you the good drugs,” one of the nurses told Sienna. “And make sure you tell Miss Marcy we did so.”
Sienna promised and off they went. Knox had just parked when sirens sounded in the distance and Ryan’s FBI cruiser turned into the hospital parking lot. He was out of the car with Sienna’s bag in hand before Knox could reach him.
“Why aren’t you with my wife?”
“They’re giving her the good drugs in hopes of your grandmother giving them a pie,” Knox told him. “I figured you didn’t want me in the room while they helped her change and gave her an exam.”
“True,” Ryan blew out a breath as they began walking into the hospital. Out of the corner of Knox’s eye, he saw Will pull in. “Thanks for getting Sienna here, Knox.”
“Of course.”
“I’m surprised you’re this calm under pressure. I guess that’s what makes you a good quarterback.”
Knox nodded. “An eight-pound baby coming at me versus a three-hundred-plus-pound lineman makes it easy to stay in control.”
“I’ll remember that when you have kids,” Ryan teased. “But, seriously, I owe you. Let me know if you need anything,” Ryan called out as they got off the elevator and the nurse whisked him away to be with Sienna.
Knox took a deep breath in the silence. It was nice to relax for a split second before the elevator opened and Will, Kate, and Landon rushed in. Knox’s phone rang and he stepped away to take the call.
“You’re due at the children’s hospital in thirty minutes. I put the presents in the back of your car,” Maeve’s cut-to-the-chase voice said over the phone.
“Already here.”
“Which one went into labor?” Maeve asked calmly.
“Sienna.”
“Score.” Maeve’s voice remained even, but he could hear the excitement in it.
“I placed a bet for today. Now I can get that limited edition comic I’ve been wanting.
Also, remember you have an interview with that sports night show at three o’clock.
I have your office set up for it. You need to be home by two-thirty. ”
“Got it. Oh, Maeve, I know this is short notice, but there’s one more thing I need you to do for me today.”
“Just text me the details and I will get it done.”
Knox thanked her and then began welcoming everyone to the waiting area, until he had to leave to visit the children’s hospital.
Knox noticed a lot of the nurses were pointing and whispering as he walked to his car to get the presents for the kids.
He found out why when he made it to the children’s wing.
“Mr. Everett, that was the most romantic thing ever,” a nurse said, holding out a printed picture of him in the stands with Quinn. “Could you sign this for me? Your girlfriend is so lucky. And both of you volunteer here!”
“I’m the lucky one.” Several nearby nurses sighed in response.
Two hours later, Knox was back at labor and delivery when the real interrogation started. “Knox,” Mrs. Marcy Davies called out, patting the seat next to her and the Rose sisters. “Come tell us about this woman you’re dating. Your mother has said great things about her.”
“Why do you ask him?” Ahmed asked. Ahmed was a badass soldier turned grandfather and dog dad.
Nemi, his forty-three-pound, rust colored Vizsla was strapped to his chest in a baby carrier.
No one at the hospital dared tell him dogs weren’t allowed anymore.
They used to but he’d glare and they’d piss their pants, and the janitors told them they were done cleaning up after them.
Now the nurses kept dog treats at the front desk for Nemi.
“I am The Ahmed. I can get you everything you need to know, which is probably more than pretty boy here knows.”
“Don’t be a Negative Nancy just because you’re going to lose the bet,” Miss Lily scolded. “I’m sure Knox knows plenty about her. Don’t you, Knox?”
Knox swallowed hard. He thought he knew a lot about Quinn, but did he know the level of information that Ahmed could find out? No. Could anyone find that out?
“I like to think I do, ma’am.”
“Tell us how you met.” Miss Marcy said it sweetly, but it was a demand.
“We met in college. It was my third year and her fourth. She was my assigned tutor for advanced coding,” Knox told them.
“Is that when you started dating?” Miss Daisy asked.
“No, ma’am. I think we were both interested, but she would have been fired for dating someone she was tutoring and I knew she needed the money from that job to finish school.
Then we ran into each other here at the hospital for Holt’s bachelor night.
We were all here volunteering and there she was, after all these years.
I knew I couldn’t let my second chance go by without shooting my shot, and here we are,” Knox explained.
“And where are we?” Miss Lily asked.
“Dating?” Knox answered.
“Are you sure? You don’t sound too sure,” Ahmed pressed.
“I’m sure. She’s my girlfriend.” Knox was confident in that answer.
“But are you her boyfriend?” Damn Ahmed and making Knox question everything.
“No more mind games, Ahmed. Did I hear she works for Nico?” Miss Violet asked, redirecting the line of questioning.
“Yes, and she worked for Sebastian before that,” Knox answered, knowing this for sure.
“Nico is such a handsome young man. I’ve thought he’d look really good with Faith, but I think the age difference would cause Nabi to have a heart attack,” Miss Violet said, looking to her sisters and Miss Marcy who all nodded their agreement.
“Faith is only twenty-two. She has a little more time. But there is definitely someone meant for Nico out there,” Miss Marcy said as if she already knew who.
“Well, I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have an interview,” Knox said, glancing at his watch. He didn’t need to leave the hospital for another thirty minutes, but he knew it would take that long to actually say goodbye.
Ten minutes later, Knox had been able to say goodbye to the Rose sisters and Miss Marcy and was slowly inching his way to the elevator. A nurse hurried from behind the desk and rushed over to Miss Marcy and the Rose sisters. Baked goods were given to the nurse.
“I guess that means Sienna has had her baby,” Colton said to Knox as all eyes turned to the double doors leading to the labor and delivery rooms. “Cady is hoping to meet your girlfriend soon.”
“That would be great. I’m sure Quinn would love that.” Knox took another step toward the elevator just as the double doors opened.
Ryan stood holding a bundle in a yellow blanket.
No one made a sound and everyone leaned forward to make sure they didn’t miss the announcement.
Ryan ran a finger over a pudgy cheek as the baby blinked up at him.
The love between the two was visible. Ryan swallowed hard, the emotion getting to him.
“May I introduce y’all to our daughter—Mazie Parker. ”
Everyone oohed and aahed and Knox took the moment to escape. Keeneston was growing, that was for sure.
Knox checked his phone and saw no texts from Quinn. He shot her a quick text to let her know he had a 30-minute interview at 3:00 but was free after that if she needed to be picked up.
The drive to Keeneston was one of his favorites. He loved how the city seemed to melt away into farmland. Buildings turned to crops and people disappeared, being replaced with horses and cattle. He instantly calmed as the rolling hills came into view.
He turned into his house to find Maeve standing at the front door. “You’re two minutes late.”
“I know. I got caught at the light. What do I need to know?” Knox walked up the stairs and Maeve handed him a new shirt.
“Put this on for the interview. I’ve set it up in your office.”
Knox went to his bedroom, changed, brushed his hair and teeth before meeting Maeve in his office. A framed photograph that wasn’t there before sat at just an angle that the camera could see it, but it didn’t look as if it had been purposefully placed there for that purpose.
“Where did you get this?” Knox looked down at the picture and smiled.
“It showed up on social media after you and Quinn became a couple.” Maeve gestured to the photo from college of Knox and Quinn.
It was a snapshot from the school. They’d captured him and Quinn walking across campus one time.
His arm was slung around her shoulder and they were laughing.
“I called the college and had them send the digital file. I also had one printed and framed for Quinn. It’s in the basket in the kitchen. ”
“Maeve,” Knox asked, playfully. “Did you bet on me in the app?”
Maeve just shook her head. “I don’t bet on a sure thing. Now, you have ten minutes until your interview. Do you need anything else?”
“In a hurry?” Knox teased.
Maeve reached into her pocket and pulled out his business cell phone. “In a hurry to hand this torture device back to you. Do you have any idea how many calls I had to field today? I am peopled out.”
“Thanks, Maeve. I know that it bothers you. Just turn the phone off. They can leave a message.”
Maeve sighed in relief as she powered down the phone he only used for business. “Don’t forget guys' night is tomorrow.”
“And you have the day off. I remember. Thanks for all you do, Maeve.”
Maeve looked uncomfortable at the praise, but gave him a little wave goodbye as he pulled up the video interview.