Rachel caught my gaze as they both bent down to hug her back.
“Told you,” I mouthed to her.
“I’m Ben,” Dad said, grabbing both their hands. “Very happy you came with my son to visit us this weekend.”
“Thank you for having us,” Rachel said, her smile wide and her shoulders softer than when she’d stepped out of my truck.
“Please make yourselves at home,” Dad said, smiling at Rachel and Taylor as he held the front door open.
“Yes, bedrooms are all set for you,” Mom added, motioning to the staircase as we came inside. “Can I get you something to eat or drink? We could sit outside if you want.”
“I’ll get them settled first,” I said, squeezing my mother’s arm. “Then you can give them the full Jones tour.”
“It’s a short tour,” Dad joked. “The house looks a lot bigger from the outside.”
“It’s big inside too,” Taylor said, gazing up at the ceiling.
Had they ever been outside Brooklyn? They’d both lived in the same house since they were born, but I wasn’t sure if they’d gone on any trips or vacations. Rachel had been too busy trying to take care of her sister to think of any kind of fun or rest for herself.
I wanted to give her that, along with everything else she’d missed out on.
“Oh my God,” Rachel gasped as she pointed to a photo on the wall of me on my first little league team back in the Bronx. Even then, I was the tallest kid on the team and had to stand in the back.
“Wasn’t he adorable?” Mom said, coming up behind Rachel.
“Yes, he certainly was.” She craned her neck toward me and smiled. “Viral good looks even then.”
“Viral?” Mom asked, turning to me with a crease in her brow.
“You don’t want to know, Mom,” I said, squeezing her shoulder as Rachel’s gaze swept along the wall. “Let’s get you ladies unpacked,” I told her, pointing up the stairs.
“Did you ever take any pictures not in uniform?” Rachel mused behind me as we climbed the carpeted steps. My parents had lined the staircase with team shots of me from high school until my first professional team picture.
“I’m sure there are a few. We have plenty of time for my parents to walk you down memory lane. This was my room,” I said when we made it to the second floor, pushing the door open. “You can have my brother’s old room all to yourself,” I told Taylor, pointing to the door across the hallway.
“Even the rooms are huge.” Taylor’s eyes were wide as she stepped into my old bedroom, gaping as she scanned the space.
“Bigger than our house, right, Tay?” Rachel said, drifting her gaze around the room. “I think we could fit our kitchen in here. So this is where the legend spent his childhood.” She smirked as she looked back at me.
My posters had been taken down, but some of my trophies were still displayed on top of my dresser.
“I don’t know about legend,” I said.
Rachel heaved out a long sigh, rolling her eyes as she turned to her sister.
“When I had to write his article,” she told Taylor, “I lost count of all his awards from high school through professional baseball. I’d bet there are dozens more trophies in a closet somewhere.”
“Wow,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know that.”
“Because you only knew him from his Instagram fame.”
I bit back a smile at Taylor’s gasp as she scowled at Rachel.
“Yes, I guess a lot think my career started there.”
Taylor’s cheeks flushed as she dropped her gaze to the carpet. “Can I bring my stuff to the other bedroom and use the bathroom?”
“Sure,” I said, motioning across the hall. “Like my parents told you, make yourself at home.”
