Page 16 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

“Thanks, Aunt Ally. You and Uncle Zack are the best.”

“It’s our pleasure. Come in, come in.” She motions us inside. “Zane, you can take Zoey’s suitcase to Lily’s room.”

Dad nods and heaves it up the stairs.

“Where’s Zack?” Mom asks Aunt Ally.

“He had an emergency with one of his cases. But he should be here soon. He wants to see you guys before your flight. Are you hungry? Kara sent me a new chocolate chip cookie recipe she tried and swore it’s heaven on Earth. She was one thousand percent right.”

“Well in that case, yes please,” Mom says with a laugh.

We sit at the kitchen table with the cookies, which are indeed heaven on Earth. I’m not ashamed to have three.

“It’s so exciting, isn’t it?” Aunt Ally says with a bright face as she bites into another cookie. “Living in New Zealand for a little while. The place is absolutely gorgeous. Zack and I thought about visiting after we were married, but Evie derailed our plans. You can’t imagine how nauseous I was in my first trimester.”

“That darn Evie,” I joke.

Aunt Ally chuckles. “But with the kids out of the house now…maybe we’ll go on a trip after Kade is placed in a healthy and secure permanent home.”

“Thankfully, Zane and I have had our fair share of traveling because of his book tours,” Mom says. “We never imagined we’d wind up in New Zealand, though! I’m super excited, but I’m also sad because I’ll miss my little munchkin to death. It’s bad enough I don’t get to see Brock every day. Thank goodness for video chat.”

“You don’t think he’s ready to come home?” Aunt Ally asks with concerned eyes.

Mom releases a heavy breath. “Honestly? I don’t know. My parents tell me he’s doing so well, and his therapist is very pleased with his progress. But I don’t think he’s ready, and the last thing I want is to push.”

“No, of course not. You need to go at his pace.”

Mom swallows and nods.

“Why do you have so many steps?” Dad grumbles as he plops down next to me and reaches for two cookies. “That was a workout.”

Mom playfully pokes his ribs. “You need to work out more.”

Dad rubs his forehead. “It’s no joke. I used to be so active when I was younger.”

“I know. I stole starting QB from you, remember?” Mom teases.

Dad laughs. “I’ll never forget, because that was what brought us together.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.” She leans over the table and kisses his cheek. He gazes at her in a way one can only describe as unconditional love.

“Like I told Zoey, Zack and I want her to feel at home here,” Aunt Ally says to my parents. “We want to make her stay as comfortable and easy as possible. Even though you’re with family, Zoey, you can still get homesick.”

“Thanks.”

The front door opens and Uncle Zack walks in. As soon as he sees the guests in the kitchen, his face lights up and he hurries inside. “Hastings family!”

“Hastings family!” we say back. It’s kind of a joke in our family.

He kisses Ally, then hugs Dad, Mom, and me. “It’s so good to see you all,” he says with a large smile as he sits down. “How are you?”

“We’re great,” Mom tells him. “Looking forward to the next few weeks, though we’ll miss the kids terribly.”

“I hope I get inspired,” Dad admits. “Honestly, it’s scary to start a new series. You never know if your readers will connect with it.”

Mom reaches for his hand and squeezes it. “I know they’ll love whatever you write because you’re super talented and write from your heart.”

Dad gives her a loving smile, squeezing her hand back. “Thanks, Bailey.”

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