Page 64 of Crew
However, thinking about telling my family was causing me a lot more stress.
The thought of them not accepting me for who I was had been turning my stomach the more I considered it.
I’d never known them to have any disdain for the LGBTQ community, but my mother was a hardcore bible thumper, so I wasn’t sure how she’d react. I knew she wanted me to get back with Mallory nowthat Mal was back living in Harvest Ridge, but even if I wasn’t with Knox, I would never rekindle things with her. While Mal was a terrific person, she had broken up with me once I’d gotten drafted, and her reasoning had been that I would be on and off the road all season, with only a few months off in the wintertime. That hadn’t changed. Plus, I was all the way in Oregon now.
My father … Well, I didn’t know him all that well, honestly, since most of my life he had been on the road. I had the most hope for my brother and his family because Finn was the best brother in the world. He was the deputy sheriff in Harvest Ridge, and somehow still managed to be the most grounded person I knew. He’d always had my back, even when I didn’t ask for it. Even when I probably didn’t deserve it. If any one person in that town could be counted on not to flinch when I told the truth, it was him.
The eggs on my plate had gone cold, but I wasn’t all that hungry.
Knox stood at the counter in joggers and his Seawolves long-sleeve, making a protein shake with berries in my blender. When he caught my eye, he arched a brow. “Why does it look like you’re all up in your head? What’s up?”
I set my fork down. “Tomorrow’s a road trip.”
“Yeah, to Raleigh.” We were headed to North Carolina to take on the other expansion team for the first time this season.
“Right.”
He poured his shake into his cup and waited for me to continue.
“What if we didn’t go with the team?” I suggested.
“Okay … Why?”
“I was thinking maybe we could fly to Knoxville, rent a car and drive to Harvest Ridge.”
“You want to go home.”
It wasn’t a question. He already knew.
I nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I keep waiting for the right time to tell my family about us, but I don’t think there’s ever going to be one, and I don’t want to do it over the phone.”
He pushed off the counter and walked over to the table,sitting across from me with his breakfast in hand. “Then let’s go. I’m with you.”
“You’ll come?”
“Yeah. Of course. I’m assuming you know how we’ll get to North Carolina from Tennessee?”
“Well, I don’t know for sure, but I’m thinking we have to take a red-eye to Knoxville tonight or a flight out first thing in the morning because the drive to Raleigh is probably at least eight hours. Or maybe we could fly from Knoxville into Raleigh.”
“Think Parker will be cool with it?” my boyfriend asked.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
I’d been pacingthe hallway outside our manager’s office for five solid minutes before Knox finally grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” he muttered under his breath as we strode through the doorway.
Parker looked up from his laptop, eyebrows raised. “What now? Somebody tear a hamstring jogging up the stairs?”
“Nothing like that.” I shoved my hands in my hoodie, trying to stay calm.
Knox stepped up beside me. “It’s about our travel for the upcoming road trip.”
“Okay?” Parker leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his broad chest.
I took a breath. “We were hoping to get permission to fly into Knoxville instead of Raleigh.”
Parker tipped his head slightly. “Knoxville?”
