I glanced up and found Mason watching us, his head cocked to the side in interest.
My heart skidded and then drummed loudly. I dropped eye contact like a piece of burning lava. “One game,” I allowed.
Parker darted off. Liam got to his feet and pulled Jessica with him. “Come on, I think we can actually beat those two.”
She giggled and trotted slightly behind him in her four-inch heels as they made their way to the large concrete patio that had been set up to play. The lines looked like they’d been taped on, so the court was temporary. That was sweet that Mason would think to set it up for his niece.
I pulled my thoughts away from listing Mason’s good qualities and focused on the couple before me. “When’s the wedding?”
Lottie and Jaxson glanced at one another and grinned. “We’re thinking February, hopefully after he brings home a championship ring.” Lottie bumped him with her hip.
Jaxson grinned. “We’ve got a good shot at it.” He checked his watch.
She covered his wrist. “You have plenty of time.” Turning to me she explained. “The season officially starts next Monday, but they’ve been in practices for weeks. I’m not even married yet, and I’m already a football widow.” Her eyes went big and she slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
I laid my hand on her arm. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not that fragile.” I smiled. This wasn’t the first time someone said something before thinking and then thought too hard about my feelings. I actually welcomed their openness more than having them walk on eggshells.
She moved her palm to her forehead. “I am sorry.”
I just smiled in return. “So…did you two meet through Liam?” Even though we’d grown up in the same town, I hadn’t been in the McKnight circle. My life revolved around Adam, and Mason was your typical teenage boy. We spent most of our childhood running away from home, not toward it.
Lottie giggled as she linked arms with Jaxon who wore a Wolves tee shirt and had the build of a professional football player. Funny. He was all muscles, but my tongue wasn’t dry and I hadn’t turned into a glob of hormones. Unlike what had happened to me when I was around Mason. I tipped my head as I watched him talk. He was handsome, but there just wasn’t anything there. No rush of attraction. No desire to run my hand over his biceps.
The image of me running my hands over Mason’s biceps pounded through my thoughts, and my tongue went dry.
Before I could sort through all that, Mason’s mom was at my elbow. “We haven’t seen you since the awards dinner, how are you doing?”
“I’m good.” I felt pressure to say something more, so I added, “Thanks to Mason.”
Mrs. McKnight’s eyebrows shot up.
“I mean—I’d be a lot worse off if he hadn’t saved Parker.” Perspiration gathered along my hairline. I was still in my all-black server’s uniform, and it was warm, but my discomfort came from the way his mom watched me—like she didn’t quite trust me.
Did she think I’d done something to endanger my own child? That I was somehow responsible for the accident? The wiring on my old car had cracked. The firemen confirmed the cause. Should I tell her that?
“I heard you moved in.” Mrs. McKnight nodded toward the garage.
Oh. Oooh. It wasn’t my son she didn’t trust me with. Well, there wasn’t anything for her to worry about. “Yes, it’s nice to have a place in a safe neighborhood—especially since Parker and I will hardly be here. I’m starting school tomorrow.”
“Really?” Lottie asked. “What are you studying?”
“Nursing.” I beamed. I was so proud of myself for getting to this point. It had been a long road and maybe a long time coming too. “I’m still deciding if I want to specialize.”
“You should talk to Penny.” Lottie got on her tiptoes. “She used to work at the hospital, but she found that in-home care was more flexible since she has Katie. There she is.” She pointed to her sister standing on the edge of the pickleball court. She cheered as Katie got the ball over the net, and Liam faked missing it so she got the point.
A sudden feeling of being the outsider overwhelmed me. These people loved each other and shared a history, one that I wasn’t a part of. “I don’t want to intrude on your family party. I should take Parker and go.”
“He seems to be having a good time,” Mrs. McKnight said. “I’m guessing you don’t have dinner plans?” She raised one perfectly shaped brow in question.
“Freezer pizza,” I replied, hoping it came off sounding nonchalant.
She sucked in a breath and had some sort of internal debate. Whatever part of her didn’t quite trust me, must have been overruled by her compassion. “Stay. We have more than enough food, and it’s nice for Katie to have someone close to her age to play with.”
She made it sound like I’d be doing her a favor by letting Parker play. “I don’t know.” I danced from one foot to the other.
“Grub’s on!” bellowed Mr. McKnight from the barbecue.
“Excuse me. I have to go help.” Mrs. McKnight smiled at me. “I’ll see you in the food line.”
I nodded, still not sure if she liked me or not. Maybe she was on the fence, but as a good Christian woman she couldn’t turn a hungry, single mother away.
Parker darted through the bodies moving toward the food. The McKnights folded their arms and waited for Mr. McKnight to say grace. Parker slipped his little hand in mine and turned his eyes up, looking to me for guidance as if I knew the next right thing to do.
While I’d been looking at my son, Mason had made his way over.
I stiffened as he got close, trying to keep myself from thinking all the inappropriate thoughts that had popped into my head throughout the day.
“Sorry for my family dragging you over. You can leave now while no one is looking,” he said, softly.
I could have taken his words as a censure, but it was a valid comment considering the boundaries we’d so clearly drawn.
“Lottie wanted me to meet Jaxson,” I explained.
He huffed. “She loves to show that guy off.”
My eyes trailed the couple in the line. They were so cute together, and he was so courteous of her, carrying both their plates while she piled on the food. “I can see why.”
Mason bristled.
Maybe he was upset I was looking at someone other than Adam. Shoot. If he only knew how much cranial space he’d taken up that day.
I gave him a defiant look. I’d loved Adam and been true to him every day of our marriage. But I was single now; things had changed.
“And your mom invited us to dinner.” I wanted to gauge his response before I stuck around. My feet were killing me, and the idea of eating something I didn’t make, something that smelled like a cow that had fallen—perfectly seasoned—from heaven, had a certain appeal.
“You want to stay?” he shot back, rubbing the back of his neck. He was so red in the face his skin must have been on fire.
Parker tugged on my arm. “Please? They have hot dogs.”
I rolled my eyes. All this good food and my son was wooed by a hot dog.