“What are you doing here?” I hissed, noticing it wasn’t just my mom, but everyone.
My dad waved at me before turning around and finishing his conversation with Trip’s dad, who also waved. Trip’s mom saw me and moved away from someone I didn’t know to come toward me.
She wrapped me in a hug and smiled brightly at my mom. “I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for my son.”
“Selina, do you know what’s going on?” I asked, hoping to get some insight.
“In due time. I need to make sure everything’s in order.” She patted me on the cheek and glided off.
I spotted Trip’s sister, Harley, and walked over to her.
“What’s going on?”
“Please don’t ask me, McKenna. I’m really bad at keeping secrets. Trip almost didn’t let me come because he was afraid I’d blow it.” She gave me a pleading look before hugging me and running off in another direction.
I looked at Renee and she shrugged, just as confused as I was.
Gwen came over and caught my hands. “This is wonderful, McKenna. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. You have to know it was only because Trip’s my job and I didn’t want to lose it, that I acted the way I did to you. I wish he had told me he loved you this much. This is wonderful.” With her creepy compliment apology thingy, Gwen skipped off happily.
I hummed the twilight zone theme song and Renee burst out laughing, catching Brian’s attention. He motioned for her to come over to him.
“I think those are his parents. Kenna, come with me.” She gripped my hand as she moved toward Brian, not giving me a choice.
When we reached Brian he took Renee’s hand and kissed the top of her head. “Babe, these are my parents, Joe and Barbara.”
Brian’s mom grabbed Renee and hugged her with tears in her eyes.
“You’re just as beautiful as Brian told us. Welcome to the family. Where’s your daughter?” she asked, looking around the room.
“She’s at school. You can meet her tonight when you come over for dinner,” Brian answered.
“Are you cooking your enchiladas?” his dad asked, making me laugh.
“I guess I could be persuaded,” Brian answered.
A loud noise came from the back of the house. A tiny woman in a red business suit clapped until she had everyone’s attention. “I’m going to need complete silence while we are filming. If you cannot comply, then you’ll be escorted out of the area. Do you understand?”
We all nodded and I latched onto Brian’s shoulder. “What the hell’s going on?”
He smiled and kissed me to the cheek. “Welcome to the Pappies family, sis.”
Brian, Renee, and his parents moved outside where it seemed everyone else was headed. I caught my parents talking animatedly to Trip’s parents and my head spun. Everything tilted when I noticed Robin Sands coming toward me.
“Hi, McKenna,” she said, putting her hand out.
I stared at her in awe. This was the pitcher I looked up to when she took the US team to gold. The girl who’d also been draped on the arm of the man I loved in almost every picture there was of him lately.
I snapped my mouth shut when she giggled. “I’m sorry. I’m not good with people,” I told her lamely.
“That’s not what Trip says about you.”
“Well, he’s biased. I touch him in dirty places.” My eyes went wide as Robin doubled over and laughed. “Did I just say that?”
“You did, and now I understand why he fell in love with you so fast. Come on, you’re going to want to see this.”
Robin moved toward the backyard where everyone milled around. They were on the edge of Trip’s ginormous green backyard being corralled by the tiny woman in red. A camera crew had set up a makeshift studio on his covered back porch.
Trip was dressed in a tight Batman shirt and jeans. He was looking down as they were putting the mic on him, but when I stepped out his head shot up as if he sensed me.
