Beautifully Knight (Jordan Knight Fanfic, Liadan #5)

Secrets and Spaghetti

-LOGAN-

The excited roar of cheers blared through the Barrett High parking lot speakers. My nerves were on edge and my heart thumped in my chest at record time.

Anxiously, I scanned the cars and people around me, but it was no use. No matter which way I turned, I didn't see my girlfriend's familiar chestnut locks anywhere.

"Hailey!" I yelled, but there was no response.

With a quiet groan, I picked up my pace and jogged to my parking spot. I had no clue where she'd gone, but a little piece of me hoped she was sitting in my truck. Maybe that's what she'd meant by "stepping away" and steering clear of "causing problems".

Regardless, I knew I wasn't going to be able to focus until I found her—and I needed to focus. Today was the summer championship game for my niece's softball team. After weeks and weeks of anticipation and hard work, it was all she and her friends could think about. I'd loved every moment of helping the girls fall in love with the sport that I loved so much. And up until five minutes ago I'd been laser-focused on the game, but now my head was with Hailey.

The second that she patted me on the shoulder while I was in the middle of our team huddle, my brain flipped like a switch. Softball was 'off' and she was 'on'. Especially after she'd made a cryptic comment about my family and "causing problems". I didn't know what the hell that was supposed to mean.

As far as I was concerned we didn't have any problems. Quite the opposite, I was growing more and more fond of the idea of finding ways to make us even more of an "us".

Whether it was sustainable or not, we were currently living in a honeymoon state that I never wanted to end.

We started our Saturdays the same happy way every week. Lovemaking and too-sweet coffee first thing in the morning. Singing and dancing in the shower to our playlist of everything from Sinatra to Santana. And finally, a little more lovemaking until somebody's phone rang and interrupted us.

Usually, it was a work-related call. A client that needed me out at a construction site or the bar or firm requesting that she come in for overtime. We always griped about the calls, but we always agreed to go anyway and we both always understood.

We played hard, but we worked hard too and that's what made us work. Unlike anybody else I'd ever dated, Hailey and I had very similar drives in every sense of the word. I cheered for her success and she cheered for mine. It was a beautiful, addictive partnership that I no longer knew how to live without. Day by day we'd turned our lives into a blissful dream and I was certain it couldn't get more perfect.

Today had been even sweeter than usual because the call hadn't come from work for once. Instead, it was Nate who'd called to ask if I could come out to help him move furniture. I hadn't hesitated to say yes and Hailey happily canceled the rest of her day to join me. She'd joked for weeks about the place where all my "farm boy" stories happened and she was thrilled to finally see it.

Thus, after getting dressed, we took Finn for a walk to the Mom and Pop bakery next door. After ordering Hailey's favorite apple cinnamon danishes, we started our road trip.

I was sure I looked like an idiot, but she'd kept a contagious smile on her face all morning and I smiled right back. It was hard not to grin while watching her eyes dance and take in all the details of the Knight family farms. Hailey made everything better—from working all-nighters in the back of her bar to giving out farm tours—I just liked being with her. She had a light that traveled with her everywhere she went and I soaked up every bit of it.

Things between us were easy. We didn't agree on everything. Truthfully, we'd already had more than our share of debates. But I liked that about her. Her passion was a turn on and I loved that I could speak my mind around her without worrying that she took it the wrong way. If she disagreed, she told me and we had a lot of fun making up afterward. I loved that independence about her.