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“What now?” I ask warily.

“Remember that pie-throwing station the kids set up for charity?”

Oh no.

“Wes…”

“I may or may not have convinced Griffin that you volunteered.”

My eyes widen. “You did what?”

Wes’s grin stretches wider. “Relax. It’s for the kids. And hey, it’s only whipped cream.”

I groan, but before I can argue, Griffin Shaw—a.k.a. the team’s prank king—grins from across the room, waving a can of whipped cream like a weapon.

“Hayes!” Griff calls out, his voice booming over the noise. “Ready to take one for the team?”

A crowd starts gathering—kids, parents, and a suspiciously gleeful Wes included. Jake’s face lights up, and even Abby looks amused. Her guard is slipping just enough for her to let out a soft laugh.

“Come on, Beck,” Wes taunts, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “Unless you’re scared…”

“Scared?” I snort, shaking my head as I walk toward the pie station. “Not a chance.”

But I’m already bracing myself.

Two minutes later, I’m wiping whipped cream off my face as Jake howls with laughter, clutching his sides.

“Mom! Did you see that?” Jake’s eyes are practically sparkling. “Beck got creamed!”

“Literally.” Abby’s laughing too, her eyes shining as she watches me attempt to regain my dignity.

“Okay, okay.” I hold up my hands, chuckling despite myself. “I think that’s enough fun at my expense.”

“Are you sure?” Wes calls out from the sidelines, his grin absolutely smug. You had quite a few super fans watching that round and begging for a repeat. I’m literally fighting them off.

“I owe you for this,” I mutter under my breath, giving him a look that promises payback.

But when I glance at Abby again, her smile is softer now. And maybe… just maybe… she’s letting her walls down.

She’s huddled around the ice cream booth with her sister Quinn and, who’s that? I squint to see the third one in the group. Darned if it isn’t Wes’s little sister Jane Archer. She’s a librarian at the public library here in Elmwood.

I rarely see her around, probably for two reasons. I know she’s shy, or maybe she just holds a gentle demeanor. But the more likely reason is that her older brother Wes keeps a notoriously strong arm on her and basically scares away any guys. Their parents are gone, and he feels a real responsibility to care for her. So far, she’s accepted it all, but when she clicks with the right guy, I figure any interference by big bro will be for naught.

As the evening rolls on, I can’t help but notice how natural it feels to have Abby and Jake here. Jake’s chatting with some of the other kids, proudly telling them how I’m teaching him to skate. My heart swells watching him—this kid is pure sunshine, and I’m already too far gone when it comes to him.

But my attention keeps drifting back to Abby. She’s smiling, but there’s a distance in her eyes. She has a guardedness that hasn’t quite faded, no matter how much time we’ve spent together.

Is she still scared?

I can’t blame her. After everything she’s been through, losing her husband so suddenly when Jake was just a toddler. I know trust doesn’t come easy. But I can’t deny that the closer we get, the more I feel like I’m tiptoeing around her heart.

And the worst part?

I’m not sure how much longer I can keep doing that without knowing if I’m just setting myself up to fall… hard.

From across the room, I hear Jake. “Beck! Look!”

His voice snaps me out of my thoughts. He’s standing near the photo booth, holding up a hockey puck that’s been autographed by almost every player on the team.