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“Tanner said I could hit the punching bags if I was a good listener.” Her eyes were wide with excitement as she pointed to the bags across the gym.
“Who is this adorable young lady?” T.J. asked, amused.
“This is Khloe. She’s Chase’s little sister.” I gestured to Tanner. “Tanner’s sister, too.”
T.J. stuck his hand out for Khloe to shake. “It’s so nice to meet you, Khloe.”
Her hand looked even tinier than usual inside of his. She wrapped her arms around my neck after shaking his hand. “I missed you so much, Merry. Mommy said I had to give you some space until you were feeling better. Were you frowing up?”
“I was sick, but I’m feeling much better now.”
“Yay! Can we have pancakes tomorrow?”
“I have to work in the morning, but we can absolutely have pancakes on Sunday.”
“Merry lets me help her make pancakes,” Khloe said to T.J. matter-of-factly.
“I bet you make the best pancakes.” His eyes sparkled as he looked at her with his huge smile. Khloe had the ability to make everyone happy.
Tanner held out his arms and took her from me. “Let’s go hit the bags. Let Merry finish eating.”
She waved feverishly. “Bye, Merry! See you later!”
“That is one adorable kid,” said T.J. “She loves you.”
“Merritt has that effect on people.” Shelly wrapped her arm around my hips.
“I don’t doubt that,” he said with a wink. “If you ladies will excuse me, I am going to make my rounds and say hello to everyone. There are some tables over there,” he pointed. “You don’t have to stand while you eat.”
“Thanks.” I tugged on Shelly’s elbow. “Let’s go sit.”
“I cannot believe I sounded like such an idiot!” Shelly whined when she plopped into a chair.
I shook my head. “I can’t believe it either. I’ve never seen you get like that before.”
“I’ve never been in the presence of such a beautiful man! How do you even concentrate when you’re training?” Her eyes widened. “Have you seen him without a shirt on?”
I laughed. “Yes, I have. He’s good-looking, but that’s not what I’m focused on while I’m throwing punches.”
“I’d let him throw me around that ring any day,” she murmured, her eyes following him through the gym.
“Okay, spill. What is happening with you and Brody?”
She shrugged, suddenly at a loss for words. “It’s nothing.”
“If you guys break up, I don’t think I can handle it. My mental stability relies on the two of you, so you better work your shit out.”
“We’ve just been together forever. What if he’s not who I am supposed to end up with? What if I never know what else is out there? How can I be sure if I’ve never dated anyone else?”
“Where is this coming from, all of a sudden?”
She pushed her vegetables around in her plate. “He keeps talking about getting engaged after graduation.”
“Shelly, that’s great!”
“I don’t know. I feel like we’re too young to be engaged.”
“Says who? Society? If you love each other, and you want to spend the rest of your lives together, who cares if you’re young?”
