Page 112 of One Good Puck
Abby walks over to Blomdahl. “It’s okay. I can whip up some, no problem.”
Blomdahl smiles at her. “You’re a lifesaver. Thanks, Abby.”
“Yeah, thanks for saving our lives and not making us eat that gravy, Abby,” Xander says.
Blomdahl shoves him, but he’s laughing. Abby chuckles as she dumps the burned gravy down the sink, washes out the pan, then starts on a fresh batch.
She glances up and catches me staring at her. I wink, and she flashes a teasing grin.
We haven’t spent much time together today. I was busy picking up food and drinks and setting everything up for dinner, and Abby was over at her parents’ house this morning with Emma, visiting them before they took off for Grand Junction. When she came back, people were already starting to come over and prep their sides for dinner. We’ve both been visiting with guests and prepping for dinner. Every so often, we’ll exchange a look or a smile.
“Thanks again for having us over for Thanksgiving dinner, Coach Porter,” Bella says as she walks up and adds a couple more bottles of wine to the beverage setup. “All the food smells amazing.”
“Thank you for setting up the coffee bar. That was a great idea,” I say.
I look over at the carafes of coffee and the small containers of milk and sweeteners she’s set up.
“It’s my pleasure. Any time you need coffee, just holler,” Bella says.
Blomdahl walks over and slips his arm around her. “Bestcoffee in all of Denver,” he says, gazing down at his fiancée adoringly.
A loud squeal pulls our attention to the living room. We look over and see Emma and Sam’s niece and nephew, Layla and Liam, playing what looks like hide and seek.
Emma is sitting on the couch with her eyes covered, while Layla and Liam scurry off.
“Go hide! I’m counting to twenty!” Emma says. “One, two, three, four…”
Liam hides behind the couch that Emma’s sitting on, while Layla disappears down the hallway.
“I don’t have a lot of faith in Liam’s hiding strategy,” Sam says when he walks over to the coffee bar and tops off his mug.
Blomdahl and Bella laugh. Sam’s sister and brother-in-law, who are the parents of Liam and Layla, chuckle at their kids as they sip wine on the couch and visit with Xander’s mom.
I do a lap around the dining room and living room to check on all the guests and let them know there’s a charcuterie board on the dining table to snack on before dinner.
“This brie is yummy,” Sam’s sister, Caitlin, says to me when she dishes herself up a plate. “It’s so creamy.”
I nod at Ingrid and Del, who are chatting with Del’s mom, her boyfriend, and Dakota in the living room. “Ingrid and Del made the charcuterie board,” I say.
Ingrid beams at Sam’s sister. “You like it?”
Sam’s sister nods. “Best brie I’ve ever had.”
“Try it with the fig jam,” Ingrid says. “It’s heavenly.”
“Uh…we may be out of fig jam,” Camden mumbles. “Someone might have eaten it all.” He rubs the back of his neck like he’s embarrassed.
“Is that someone you?” Sophie says in a teasing tone as she elbows him.
“Damn, dude. That charcuterie board has been out a total of five minutes.” Xander laughs.
Camden blushes. “Sorry. I was hungry.”
Ingrid walks over to the fridge and pulls out a jar of fig jam. “Don’t be sorry,” she says brightly to Camden as she sets the jar on the charcuterie board. “I’m glad you liked it. I’m the only one in my family who likes fig jam, so it’s nice to see you enjoy it too.”
“Fig jam is gross,” Theo says as he brushes melted rosemary butter over the dinner rolls he and his wife Maya brought.
She gently elbows him before sliding a casserole dish of mashed potatoes into the oven to keep them warm. “I’m with your cousin and Camden,” she says. “Fig jam is delicious.”
