Page 29 of One Good Puck (Denver Bashers #5)

Gavin

W e finish the rest of the steak tartare and order our entrees. We’re in the middle of sipping our wine when Abby’s phone buzzes with a text. She checks her phone and smiles.

“Oh my gosh.” She holds up her phone screen and shows me a photo of Emma smiling at the camera. Her adorable face is covered in bright, glittery face paint. “Looks like Emma is having a blast at the slumber party.”

I chuckle.

She bites back her smile. “I hope that’s not annoying that I have my phone out on the table in the middle of dinner. I just like to be available in case anything happens with Emma.”

I shake my head. “I get it. I’m a parent too, so I understand completely.”

She flashes a relieved smile. “It’s so sweet how close you and Sophie are. And how much she adores you,” she says. “She told me that you surprised her and Xander by paying for their engagement party.”

“I’d do anything for Sophie. She’s my whole world. ”

Emotion flashes in Abby’s eyes. “That father-daughter bond is so special. I wish my daughter could have had that.”

She clears her throat and glances off to the side before taking another sip of her wine.

“I’m sorry for what your ex has put you through, Abby. And I’m sorry he’s choosing not to be in your daughter’s life. He’s a piece of garbage for that.”

Bile rises in my throat when I think about him. I felt the same way when she first told me about him at the skating rink. What kind of man abandons his partner and his child?

Abby’s eyes widen, and she blinks at me. I suddenly regret what I said.

I clear my throat. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. I just…” She takes a breath. “Is it terrible to admit that it’s nice to hear you say that about him? That’s it’s comforting for me to know that you think he’s a bad person too?”

I shake my head. “Not terrible at all. I can’t imagine there’s anyone in this world who would think he’s a good guy after learning that he abandoned his girlfriend and daughter.”

She lets out a heavy sigh, her shoulders sagging with the movement. “I’m sure he’s been able to charm the pants off of some unsuspecting woman. He’s good at being charming.”

She eyes her wine glass for a long moment before looking back at me. “Emma used to ask about him when she was really little. Her friends all have dads, so she’d ask where her dad was.”

My chest aches at the heartbroken look on Abby’s face.

“When she was a toddler, I could gloss over it,” she says.

“I told her that some kids have just moms, some kids have just dads, and some kids have both. It was simple, and she accepted it without question. But then she got older and got more curious. Asked more questions about her dad. And I had to break it to her that he chose to leave us…”

Her voice shakes, and her eyes are teary. She blinks quickly. I reach across the table and grab her hand in mine.

“I told her that it wasn’t her fault that he left,” Abby says. “But I’ll never forget the sadness in her eyes when she realized she’d never have a dad.”

That ache in my chest deepens. It feels like my heart is about to rip in half thinking about Emma feeling so sad…and seeing just how much it tears Abby apart to see her daughter in pain.

Gently, I squeeze Abby’s hand. “But she has you. You’re more than enough. You’re everything to your daughter. All she could ever want and need,” I tell her, just like I did when we were skating around the rink together.

She blinks quickly, the sadness in her eyes fading. Her pretty mouth curves up in a small smile. “Thank you for saying that.”

“I’ll say it as many times as I need to. As many times as you need to hear it to believe it.”

Warmth radiates in her eyes. Just then, our server comes by with our entrees, and I let go of her hand.

Abby lets out a soft laugh. “Perfect timing. A nice little break after that bit of intensity.”

“Hey. You don’t have to hold back, Abby. I’m your friend. You can talk about anything with me. I’m here for you.”

Warmth flashes through her beautiful eyes. “That means so much.”

She slices her fork into her lamb shank and takes a bite. Her eyes roll back. “Oh wow.”

I grin. “Good? ”

“So good.”

I dig into my bouillabaisse. The rich flavors of the hearty fish stew coat my tongue.

“How’s your meal?” Abby asks.

“Incredible. Here, try some.”

I offer her a chunk of prawn in a spoonful of herby broth. She moans after she takes a bite.

“That is so yummy.” She smiles at me. “You have to try some of my lamb now.”

I smile as she serves me a forkful of meat.

“That’s really, really good.”

She smiles as she chews. “Gotta say, this dinner is better than any date I’ve ever been on,” she says.

A small burst of pride goes off inside of me. Maybe it’s petty of me to feel so happy about that, but I do. I can’t help it. I’d take Abby on a million dates like this if I could.

“French restaurants aren’t a go-to first date these days?” I ask jokingly.

She smiles. “Nope. It’s been coffee or going out for a drink, which is fine. But this feels really special.”

I grin at her. “I’m glad.”

Her smile turns teasing. “You’re better than any date I’ve had too.”

The flicker of pride inside of me grows. “Is that so?” I can’t help but smile when I say it.

“Yeah. You thought of a nice place to take me. You asked what kind of wine I liked instead of just ordering for me. You haven’t sent me an unsolicited photo of your dick.”

I choke on my sip of water. Abby just laughs. Once I stop coughing, I laugh too.

Her cheeks flush red, and she makes a flustered sound. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I said that.” She nods to her nearly empty wine glass. “I always do or say something outrageous when I have a couple glasses of wine.”

I grin at her, taking in how adorable she is in this moment. And then I think back to the last time she had wine…that night we almost kissed…

Her eyes turn shy, and she bites her bottom lip. I bet she’s thinking of that moment too.

I clear my throat. “On behalf of men, I’m sorry for how much we suck.”

Her expression softens. “You have nothing to apologize for, Gavin. You’re amazing.”

I ride the high of her compliment for the rest of dinner.

“Could I interest you two in some dessert?” the server asks when he comes to collect our empty plates. “We have a delicious crème caramel and cherry clafoutis on tonight’s menu. We also have profiteroles, which are our chef’s specialty.”

Abby’s face lights up. “Those are my favorite. I wish I had room for them, but I’m stuffed from dinner.”

“We’ll take an order of profiteroles to go, please,” I tell the waiter.

“Absolutely, sir.”

He walks off, and Abby turns to me, a surprised smile on her face.

“You can eat it later,” I say.

The server comes back with the boxed-up dessert and check. I hand him my credit card, sign the check once he brings it back, and stand up from the table. Together, Abby and I walk out of the restaurant.

Once we’re out the door, she stops me with a hand on my arm.

“Gavin, I just want to tell you thank you so much again. That was such a lovely dinner. ”

Even in the darkness of the night, her eyes are bright and dazzling.

“Thank you for having dinner with me,” I say.

The corner of her mouth lifts in a sweet, shy smile. Her cheeks are pink from the wine she had at dinner.

“You’re the perfect date,” she says softly.

“So are you.”

We’re both quiet for a long moment. The air between us is thick and charged with something I feel every time I’m around Abby.

Want.

I want Abby. I want to cup her face in my hand and kiss her breathless.

Heat flashes across my entire body. Every muscle inside of me aches to pull her against me and crash my mouth against hers.

If this were an actual date, that’s exactly what I’d do. I kiss her so slow and so teasing…

“It’s getting late. We should probably head back home,” she says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I let out a breath and nod once. “Yeah, we should.”