Page 225 of On the Breakaway

“You know,” she continues, studying me carefully, “I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”

Heat immediately creeps up my neck, and I busy myself filling up a cup of lemonade.

“He called me after your first date.”

My head snaps up. “He what?”

“He said, and I’m quoting here, I took the most stubborn woman on the planet on a date today.”

I laugh. “That sounds about right.”

“Then he told me it was the best date he’s ever been on.”

My chest tightens as my eyes drift to Grayson across the yard. He’s chasing his nephews through the yard, roaring and laughing in the most ridiculous way. I thought he looked at home on the ice, but here, in his parents’ backyard, it’s an entirely different type of comfort.

“We weren’t serious then,” I admit.

“Maybe you weren’t, but he was. He is.” She reaches over and gently squeezes my arm. “I know my son, and he’s very serious about you.”

I roll my lips together. “Yeah, I am too.”

It still feels strange to say it out loud after swearing that a serious relationship was something I didn’t want for so long. Watching Grayson kneel in the grass to scoop up Katie’s daughter, Lexie, to put her on his shoulders, I can’t help but wonder if maybe I’d never hated the idea of children. Maybe I’d only hated the idea of raising them the way I had been.

Lexie wraps both arms around his neck, squealing with excitement, and he chuckles. My mind drifts toward wondering what it’d be like if she called me Aunt Avery one day. Then I squeeze my eyes shut because I need to calm the hell down. We haven’t been together nearly long enough for that ridiculous thought.

Then, Grayson catches me watching him. His entire face softens, and he winks. My stomach does the stupid little flip it’s been doing for months, but I still roll my eyes at him. Some things don’t change.

“Glad you guys could make it,” Katie says, appearing at my side. “I know soccer is still in full swing.”

“It’s a quick trip, but I could tell it was important to him that we come. And with summer winding down, hockey will start practicing again before long.”

“Is he still upset about the Cup?”

I shoot her a look. “He’s your brother. What do you think?”

“I think he whines too much.”

I chuckle because I’ve come to learn that picking on each other is their way of showing love. “He’s bummed but determined to bring it home next season.”

“I think they like him more than they like me,” Katie says, nodding to Grayson as the kids swarm him.

“They adore him.”

“They really do.”

There’s something incredibly natural about the way he moves through the chaos. He isn’t performing. He’s simply home. Every single person gravitates toward him, and he manages all of it without looking the slightest bit overwhelmed.

Amy chimes back in, “I was just about to tell Avery how Grayson always thought everyone else came first when he was growing up.”

“He has one hell of a hero complex.” I sip my drink while they both chuckle.

She leans against the picnic table. “Even though he was the youngest, Katie refused to ride her bike without him because she was convinced he'd catch her if she fell."

Katie snorts. “He ran behind me for three blocks.”

Grayson groans loudly enough for all of us to hear as he slides in next to me. “I was five.”

“You never complained.” His mom pats his shoulder.