Page 50 of One Good Puck (Denver Bashers #5)

Abby

W hen we walk into Tinsley’s Tea Room for Sam and Dakota’s engagement party, Emma gasps.

“Whoa! Look at all those cookies! And cake pops!”

I glance at the dessert table at the front of the tea room. A half-dozen multi-tiered dessert trays are overflowing with cookies, tarts, cupcakes, and cake pops.

Emma grabs my hand. “Mom, can I have a cookie? Please?”

“You have to eat a sandwich first,” I say. “And some vegetables.”

“What if I have a sandwich with vegetables in it?” she asks.

Gavin chuckles. “Smart.”

“That would be fine,” I say, smiling.

The spacious tea room is decorated to look like a fancy tea room in London.

All the chairs are plush and upholstered in cream fabric.

The tables are made of rich mahogany wood.

There are clusters of white peonies in glass vases on every table.

Baby pink striped wallpaper adorns the walls, and there’s a cool, hot pink fluorescent sign on the far wall in cursive that says, “spot of tea?”

A massive floor-to-ceiling window makes up the far wall of the tea room, with a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. It’s the end of November, and a few snowflakes are falling in the air.

I spot Dakota by the bar, talking with her mom and brother and Sam. She’s wearing a pretty, white, one-shoulder, midi dress.

Dakota waves and walks over to greet us. She hugs me and Emma, then Gavin.

“I love your dress,” she says to Emma. “How pretty!”

Emma smiles and does a twirl in her pink dress. “I match the walls! You look like a princess.”

Dakota smiles. “Aww, thank you. Liam and Layla are here. When I told them that you were coming too, they got so excited.”

Emma grins and looks around. Dakota points them out at a table in the corner.

Emma turns to me. “Mom, can I go sit with them?”

“Yeah, of course. Remember to eat a sandwich with vegetables before you have a cookie, okay?”

“I will!” she says as she walks off.

Gavin slides an arm around my waist, pulling me close. Dakota looks at us for a second before gasping. “Wait, are you two…officially a thing?”

“Yup,” Gavin and I say at once.

She squeals and hugs us both.

“Oh my gosh! I knew it! I knew it was just a matter of time before you two got together! Who else knows?”

“Emma, Sophie, and Xander,” Gavin says.

Sophie walks up to greet us, and Dakota gives her a playful smack on her arm. “You didn’t tell me about your dad and Abby making it official.”

Sophie chuckles. “I wanted you to be surprised. Thanks for letting me borrow your dress, by the way. You saved me from having to go shopping.”

Sophie is wearing a pretty, long-sleeve velvet cocktail dress in a deep forest green color.

“My closet is always open for you,” Dakota says.

“Would you ladies like a drink?” Gavin asks.

“I’m good,” Dakota says.

“I’m all set with my tea.” Sophie holds up the teacup in her hand.

“I’d love some champagne,” I say.

“Sure thing.” He kisses my cheek and walks to the bar, where Sam and Del are.

Sophie beams at me. “I’m so happy you two are together.”

“Me too,” Dakota says, playfully elbowing me. “Remember when you first moved in and I said you two were going to fall for each other, but you brushed me off?” she teases.

I smile and roll my eyes. “Okay, okay. You were right.”

The three of us head for the appetizer table. I load up on tea sandwiches and stop by the kids' table to make sure that Emma is eating more than just cookies.

I sit down at a table with Sophie and Dakota, and we dig into our food. Gavin drops off my glass of champagne and plucks a smoked salmon tea sandwich from my plate. He winks at me and walks over to join Xander, Theo, Del, Sam, and Blomdahl in a conversation across the space.

“This is such a cool place. Tea parties are so fun,” I say to Dakota.

“We’re having our wedding reception here,” she says. “ Sam is letting me do whatever I want for the wedding and the reception. I feel so spoiled.”

She beams at him across the room. He winks at her and she blushes.

“You deserve to be spoiled, Dakota,” Sophie says. “You put up with a string of jerks before you and Sam got together. And he loves giving you everything you want.”

Dakota’s grin turns giddy. “I’m really lucky.”

Sophie bumps her shoulder against Dakota. “So is Sam.”

They look at me. “Would you ever get married?” Dakota asks.

“When I was young, I thought I’d get married someday. But then I got pregnant with Emma unexpectedly, and that whole disaster with her dad happened. And the idea of getting married kind of soured on me.”

They both nod like they understand.

“But, um, I think I’d like to. Someday.”

“Maybe with Gavin?” Dakota asks, fighting a smile. Sophie’s expression turns hopeful as she looks at me.

I let out a flustered laugh. “Way to put the pressure on,” I tease.

Sophie reaches over and grabs my hand. “I don’t mean to pressure you. I just see how happy my dad is with you.” Her blue eyes turn misty. “I hope it’s not weird to say this, but I haven’t seen him this happy since he and my mom were together.”

I squeeze her hand in mine, a warm feeling coursing through me. “Really?” I ask.

She nods. “He hardly dated in the years after my mom died. For the longest time, I didn’t think he’d wanted to be in a relationship ever again. I was afraid he’d be alone forever. But then he met you. To see him open himself up to you—to see him be happy with you has been incredible.”

Warmth blooms in my chest. I pull her into a hug. “Thank you, Sophie,” I say softly. “That means the world coming from you. Truly.”

When we break apart, we’re both dabbing at our eyes. We chuckle as Dakota hands us tissues.

“Your dad is perfect,” I say. “I still can’t believe I get to be with him.”

“He feels the same way about you, trust me,” Sophie says.

For the first time since before I had Emma, I let myself think about marriage.

I look over and see Gavin walk to where Emma is sitting, a plate of finger foods in hand. She smiles and nods when he sits in the chair next to her and offers her another sandwich. She holds it up, and they toast their sandwiches together before each taking a bite.

My heart swells in my chest witnessing the bond between them. Emma liked Gavin from the get-go, but to see how comfortable she is with him now makes me happier than I could have imagined.

I walk over to the two of them.

Emma looks up at me. “Mom, I ate two sandwiches with veggies in them.”

“And some carrots,” Gavin says. “And she tried olives for the first time too.”

“Gavin said that black olives taste better than the green ones I tried, and he was right,” Emma says. “They were way, way better.”

“I’m so proud of you for trying something new. And eating so many veggies,” I say.

“Can I have a cookie and a cake pop now?” she asks .

“Sure, honey.”

She walks over to the dessert table. Liam and Layla run up to her, and together three of them grab some sweet treats.

I look at Gavin, overwhelmed by everything I’m feeling for him in this moment. How doting and protective and romantic he is with me. How caring and kind he is with Emma.

After the way things ended with my ex and a handful of dead-end dates, I lost faith in ever finding someone.

But I did. I found the most amazing man.

Emotion bubbles up in my chest. That’s when I realize I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. This all-encompassing intensity. This aching joy whenever I’m around them.

Love.

The word burrows in the deepest part of my chest, next to my heart.

Could I really be in love with Gavin? We’ve only been together for a few months. We’ve only been official for a week.

I’ve been in love before. I was in love with Emma’s dad—at least I thought I was in love with him.

It never, ever felt like this .

I push aside the thought and tell myself that I’m being silly. No way can I love Gavin. It’s too soon.

But saying that to myself feels wrong. And as I get dragged away for photos with the girls, then pulled into a million conversations, for the rest of the engagement party, I can’t help but think about why that is.