Page 73 of One Last Thing Before You Go

“Your wife is…” I sigh, shaking my head, walking past him into his house.

“Involved?”

“Meddlesome.”

“Preach.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

KNOX

It doesn’t take long before Lottie’s brother’s house turns into full pandemonium. Just a few minutes after our arrival, the rest of her siblings and nieces and nephews descend upon Alejandro’s house like horsemen of the apocalypse. They bring with them chaos and destruction, but in a fun way. I love it.

As soon as Adri sees me, she wraps her arms around my shoulders in a way that shows more familiarity than my own mother has often showed me. I relax into her hold, loving how almost every member I’ve met of this family always makes me feel like part of their own.

“Knox! So happy to see you here for family dinner.” She smiles, mouthing Finally at Lottie over my shoulder. If I wasn’t supposed to see it, then Adri is definitely the least discreet person in the world.

For some reason, Lottie gives her the cold shoulder. The animosity toward Adri is obvious, but I have no idea why it’s there. Lottie hasn’t said anything…

My stomach twists as I’m reminded once again that though I have her now, I don’t really have Lottie. The walls she built between us are still up, only I have a limited pass to get over it, only allowed through at her discretion.

Before I spiral, Adri brings me back. “This is my husband Jim and my son Stephen. I have two more running around the house somewhere,” she moves and waves in the direction of a tall, bald man with a heavy build and an infectious smile on his face.

“Ah, you’re Knox?” he asks, struggling to speak from the chokehold his son has him in.

“Fucking family group chat won’t stop babbling about you.”

“Daddy. That’s a bad word!” His kid calls him out and Lottie snorts beside me.

“You’re right, buddy, sorry. Daddy is just finding it a little difficult to concentrate when you’re keeping him from having a steady flow of oxygen to his brain.” He claws at his son’s hold and carefully manages to set him on his feet, releasing him like a hellhound to join his cousins and brothers.

“Sorry about that, man.”

“It’s all good. Nice to meet you,” I laugh, greeting him with a slap on the back. “So, you’ve heard a lot about me?” I wiggle my brows at Lottie while she watches this comfortable exchange happen in shock.

“Is that Knox I hear?” I hear Daniel’s familiar voice as he walks through the front door, open once again. “Adri told us you’d be here.”

“How?” Lottie screeches. “This wasn’t planned, and we only just got here.”

He shrugs before calling out over his shoulder to his husband. “Brandon, he’s here!”

“Oooh, let me look at him.” A horror-stricken Lottie and I watch them jog up the porch steps through the open door, their twin girls on each hand.

Meanwhile, she groans, putting her face in her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening. Someone shoot me.”

I laugh and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her into my side before placing a soft kiss on her temple in an effort to calm her down. “Why are you freaking out? I’m just meeting the rest of your family—it’s not like they’re murderers or something, is it?”

She glares at me and shakes her head. “No.”

“So?” I give her a soft kiss on the lips and whisper, “Everything is going to be okay.”

“Oh my fuc—freaking. I meant freaking god. How cute are you two?”

Lottie sighs, cheeks heating.

God, she’s adorable when she’s nervous.

“Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Fight or flight?” she whispers to herself, eyes on her feet.