Page 113 of One Good Puck
Just then, the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it.” Sophie walks over to answer the door. A moment later, Ryker follows behind her, holding a pink dessert box.
“Look who came!” Sophie says cheerily.
Ryker nods at the room, that trademark serious expression on his face. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.”
She takes the box from him. “This smells sugary.”
“I made mini pies. Chocolate pecan and pumpkin,” Ryker says.
Sophie’s brow lifts in surprise. “You bake?”
He nods.
“I didn’t know you baked,” Theo says to Ryker as he walks up and hands him a beer.
Ryker thanks him and cracks open the beer. “I bake sometimes.”
“Well, we feel special that you baked for us today,” Abby says to Ryker. “By the way, your jersey is the only thing Emma has been wearing for the past week.”
Ryker cracks a small smile. “Yeah?”
Abby smiles and gestures over to Emma, who’s peering behind the couch. A second later, she jumps up and squeals when Liam pops out. They both laugh hysterically before running off together.
“Let’s go find Layla!” Emma says. When she sees Ryker, she waves. “Hi! Look! I’m wearing your jersey!”
“I see that.” He gives her a fist bump as she runs by.
Sam introduces Ryker to his sister and brother-in-law. I glance around, glad that everyone seems to be having a nice time, before opening the oven and checking on the turkey.
Abby walks over to me in the kitchen. It’s just the two of us, finally. I smile at her, happy to finally have a minute alone with her.
Chapter 44
Gavin
“Anything I can do to help?” Abby asks.
“I think we’re good. Just another twenty minutes or so until the turkey is warmed through and we can eat dinner.”
“You’re sure I can’t do anything?” She tucks her hair behind her ear. I noticed she curled it. It falls loose over her shoulders.
I shake my head. “You’ve done more than enough by making a backup gravy that saved us from eating the burned one.”
She chuckles. I glance at the reddish-brown dress she’s wearing. It’s long-sleeved and looks kind of like a long sweater, but it’s fitted to her body. And it’s a little low in the front, showing just the top of her chest.
“You look really pretty,” I say. “I’ve been wanting to tell you all day.”
Her lush lips curve up in a beautiful smile. “Thank you. This is my favorite dress to wear in the fall.”
“You look incredible in it,” I say.
“And you look very handsome.” She runs her gaze over me. I’m wearing brown chinos and a casual blue button-up.
I gesture down at the small spatter of butter on my shirt. “Even with the mess I made?”
She chuckles. “Oh, yeah.” She takes a step toward me. “But if it were only me and you here, I’d suggest that you just take off your shirt. And pants.”
