Page 29 of Lucky Hit

"That obvious?" I run a hand across my face as she nods. "I'm leaving tonight—like right now. Something came up. I understand if you're mad at me for missing your recital. I know how excited you were for me to be there."

"You idiot. Don’t worry about it. It's a girl, isn't it?" My cheeks grow hot as Gracie shrieks happily. She grabs my forearm and squeezes. Quite hard, I might add.

"Ow! Gentle!" She loosens her grip on my arm. I quickly move to rub at it, hoping to soothe the sting. "Yes, it's a girl. I promise the next time that I come I'll tell you all about her, okay? Promise you're not mad?"

"I promise. Trust me. I’ve been waiting for this day for ages. You’ll finally have another girl to worry about, so maybe I’ll be able to breathe freely,” she grins wickedly. "I'll get Mom to record the whole thing for you. It'll be like you're in the audience. Hopefully, she'll keep her thumb out of the way this time."

We both laugh as I help her up off the seat and wrap her up in a hug.

"Don't get your hopes up, Gray. I’ll always keep an eye on you. And before I forget, there's a pile of sticks downstairs. Make sure to give one to lover-boy tonight." She pulls out of the hug, a gentle smile on her lips as she nods. "You rock, kid. I love you."

"Love you too, big bro. Now go get your girl," she winks as we reach the house.

Following Gracie inside, I grab the takeaway box of food off the counter and meet Mom on the porch. "I love you. Please drive safely and call me tomorrow. Good luck."

After receiving one more hug, I turn my attention to Jacob. I slap our hands together and pull him close to me. I linger for a few extra seconds and lower my voice into a low growl.

"I might be able to stand you, but the minute you hurt my sister in any way, I won't hesitate to break both of your kneecaps. Got it?" I pull back and smile innocently as he gulps, nodding his head frantically. "Awesome. I better head out then. Thank you both. I'll call you guys tomorrow. Good luck, Gray. Wipe the floor with your competition."

"I will," she promises as I open the door.

I wave and head back out into the cold weather. Once I'm ready to go, I send Ava a quick text and glance briefly at Adam's response before I start the truck. I send him a simple thank you for checking on her and pull out onto the road.

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