Chapter 8 #2
“They aren’t really here. Not really following you. You’re fine, Daisy. Get a grip,” I whispered to myself, wishing away the past.
I took my time, wandering back, trying to restore some of that fun I’d tried to have before the Brewsters rudely interrupted my night.
But I stopped short of our row. A woman was sitting in my seat, facing Knox like she belonged there, her hand resting on the back of his chair as she talked, patting his shoulder here and there.
His smile at her was too casual, too familiar.
Jealousy spiked before I could stop it. But I didn’t have a claim on him, didn’t want one or need one—I thought.
The memory flashed from our trip to Bozeman with Ivy and Colt, at that stupid bar, and the drink I’d thrown over his head like an idiot because I didn’t like seeing him talking with a couple of women who had no business touching his arm they way they were, and he’d let them.
Didn’t matter that he was just being nice to some fans of Maddox’s that night. The feeling hit just as raw and hard now.
I stepped up beside him, arms crossed, my weight shifting onto one hip as I stared down my nose at the two of them. It took everything I had to control myself.
Knox startled and looked up, his gaze catching mine. Whatever he saw there had him straightening immediately.
“Daisy—” he started, then gestured at the woman beside him. “This is my sister, Beatrix.”
“Oh? Oh!” Heat flooded my face so fast it was almost painful. Up close, I could see it now. Her features were much more petite than Knox’s, but with similar eyes and nose.
Beatrix greeted me with a bright smile, and jumped up and hugged me. “Daisy! I’ve heard so much about you.”
I shot Knox a look over her shoulder that promised we’d be discussing that later. He shrunk in his seat with a sheepish grin.
Beatrix stepped back, her eyes dancing with amusement. “So, what are we calling this?” she asked.
“Uh. This?”
“You and my brother. Friends? Lovers? Something in between?”
“Christ, Bea,” Knox warned.
“What?” she said innocently. “I’m just asking.”
“Ignore her,” he muttered.
“I absolutely am not ignoring her.” I grinned, finding my footing again now that my heart had stopped trying to climb out of my chest. “I’d also like to know what we’re calling this. But friends will do, for now.”
Beatrix clapped once, delighted. “Oh, I like her.”
Knox dragged a hand down his face. “I’m going to regret telling you we’d be here tonight.”
“Too late,” she said cheerfully. “I’ve already made it worth it. And I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends, too.”
“My sisters would adore you. I think you and Poppy are about the same age in college,” I mentioned.
“We’ll all have to plan a big outing. Maybe this summer, Maddox and I can drive up for a visit.”
“There’s been an open invitation for a while now,” Knox added.
We talked a minute more, but with the game going on, we were clearly distracting people in the aisle. She eventually headed back to her own section with her friends, throwing us one last knowing look and a wave.
I slid into my seat, still a little warm from embarrassment.
“She’s very sweet,” I said.
“She is,” Knox agreed.
“I didn’t see the family resemblance at first.”
“Yeah?” His mouth quirked. “I noticed your glare. Glad you didn’t have a beer in your hand to throw at me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’ve already apologized a couple of times for that little incident.”
“Maybe. But I’m noticing a pattern of jealousy here.”
“There is no pattern.”
He nuzzled into my ear, voice dripping and sensual. “Lucky for me, I like a spirited woman.”
“My sisters call that being grumpy and moody all the time.”
“I can think of a few remedies for that.”
Laughter burst from my chest, something only he had the ability to draw out.
The game continued. Somewhere along the way, I stopped sitting so rigidly.
Stopped holding myself so tightly together.
Leaned into him and his warmth and his after shave, embracing the possibilities of what this could be someday between us.
For once, there was no one watching. No expectations. No weight of responsibility pressing in from all sides. Simply me and him, enjoying a night out together. Fine, it was a date, a friendly one. And I hated how easy it was to like it.
By the end of the game, the Frostbite had won, Maddox had a couple of goals, and the crowd buzzed as people filed out into the concourse.
Knox guided me to exit through the crowd, often with his hand at the small of my back.
At one point we cut away, though, toward a section of the arena that appeared a little more exclusive than the rest. He ushered me right into The Frostbite Club, part sports bar and part club with blue and orange neon lights.
We ordered beers and talked. At one point, he sat forward, elbows on the table. “Tell me, I’m curious. What does the year ahead look like for caring for the orchard?”
His genuine interest intrigued me. “Well…” I filled him in on the winter pruning and oil sprays to keep the moths away.
How we wrap the trunks of dwarf trees to protect them.
In the spring, we’d set out more pest traps and monitor for diseases, treating if necessary.
Of course, we watered in the heat of early summer, but stopped by August so the trees would form terminal buds.
And finally, it ended with the harvest in the fall.
“I keep track of everything in the journals at the orchard cottage, just like Dad did. The seasons come and go, each with a flow to it, one that I count on like clockwork. I can’t really see myself ever living anywhere else,” I finished.
He started asking another question, when Maddox found us, pulling Knox into a quick hug with slap on the back before turning to me with a grin. I got pulled into his arms, too, knocking the breath out of me with his strong cologne.
“Jesus, Maddox. Let her go,” Knox commanded.
“Didn’t wear my jersey, sweetheart? I’m offended,” the player teased with full bravado. Knox growled. “Come on, just getting back at you for what you did to me in high school when you knew I liked Stacy Sheffner.”
“What did you do?” I cocked my head at Knox.
“Forget it. Doesn’t matter. And don’t you dare tell her,” Knox warned.
“One day, I’ll totally fill her in.” Maddox grinned under a beard and mustache. I could see it now why both men could easily be mistaken for each other.
“Daisy meet my brother.” Knox gestured between us.
“He forgot to add his more handsome, more talented brother. So, you’re the woman Knox has been telling us all about.”
My eyes slid to Knox immediately with a roll of them.
“Maddox,” he warned. By his red face, he might actually regret bringing me now.
“What? I’m just confirming she’s yours. Otherwise, I’ll make my move.” He seemed intent to get under Knox’s skin.
“Don’t you dare,” Knox got his back up even though they were clearly ribbing each other.
I chortled. “I’m right here, fellas. I’ll pick who’s mine, thank you very much.”
All of a sudden, two more people approached our table, older and familiar in the way they carried themselves even before Knox turned.
“Mom and Dad?” His eyes widened, brows hitting his hairline. I straightened instinctively. “What are you doing here?”
“Beatrix texted you were in town. We had to come see our boy,” his mother explained.
Knox made introductions that I was entirely unprepared for. “Daisy, this is Gerald and Brenda.”
“Call me Mom.” She brought me into her arms like she’d known me longer than five seconds. “We’re huggers in this family.” I had gathered that.
Gerald shook my hand with a curve to his lips that reminded me too much of Knox’s. “I hope you were pleased with the deal our produce manager worked out for you.”
“Yes. Thank you so much,” I quickly stated.
“Anything for our hero,” he said, slapping Knox’s back.
My eyes landed on Knox when no explanation came as to why his father would call him a hero. I caught the flicker there, though, something that momentarily took him off guard, that he tried to hide. I noted it to ask him about it later.
Beatrix suddenly joined us, too. Just one big happy family here—and me. It would be hard to be uncomfortable among this merry group. Gerald bought a round of drinks and appetizers. They all settled into an effortless conversation. Very natural. Plenty of inside jokes, teasing each other easily.
I watched them all interact: the way they cared for each other, the way they listened. Everything about them felt grounded in love, admiration, and respect. Exactly what a family was supposed to be, in my opinion.
Tightening creeped into my chest. I hadn’t experienced the feeling of true family in a long time. Yes, I had my sisters, but when we got together, we all knew who was missing, a part of us we’d never get back, empty chairs at the dining table, the holes in our hearts that would never heal.
My eyes landed on Knox, laughing with his siblings as they looked up to him, his mother’s hand on his arm like she couldn’t help but touch her son. His father gazing upon his oldest with approval.
I swallowed hard, blinking past the sting in my eyes, unsure why I’d get so emotional over this. Maybe it wasn’t entirely about what I’d lost or comparing families. But about what I’d been too afraid to want again—a whole family.
I wasn’t sure what scared me more—that I couldn’t have it, or that Knox might be the key to achieving it.