Page 16 of One Good Puck
He chuckles. “You look just like your mom. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were twins.”
I laugh. So does Emma. She shakes her head. “Nah, my hair is way longer. Almost to my waist.”
She tugs at the long braid over her shoulder.
“Oh, right. Good point.” Gavin nods like he understands completely.
I laugh again. “We get that twin comment a lot. Sorry we’re late. Traffic was a little hectic.”
“Not a problem. Come on in.”
We walk in, and he shuts the door behind us.
“Whoa…” Emma gazes around the massive foyer. “It’s so shiny in here!”
Gavin and I both laugh.
“The cleaners came this morning, and they left itsparkling clean,” he says.
I try not to gawk too hard as I take in the gorgeous stone floors. They must have cost a fortune.
I kick off my heels and turn to remind Emma, but she’s already in her socks. I flash her a thumbs-up.
We follow Gavin through the foyer toward the main part of the house.
“Your house is huge. Like, as big as a castle,” Emma says as she skips along.
“I guess it is pretty large,” Gavin says.
He leads us into an open concept living room, dining room, and kitchen. I try not to gawk again, but I can’t help it. This place is stunning. Like something out ofArchitectural Digest. And it’s beautifully designed. The color scheme of the furniture and fixtures is soft whites and creams. It’s so clean and cozy at the same time.
I take in how seamlessly each room flows into the others. The kitchen has all-white cabinets and white marble countertops. The island is massive, with six barstools along the side. The dining room is pretty simple, with just a long table made of blonde wood that’s lightly weathered. Eight cushioned and upholstered dining chairs surround it. The living room has two plush sectionals and a massive flat screen TV above the fireplace.
“Mom, can I sit on the couch?” Emma asks excitedly.
I glance over at Gavin. “Would that be okay?”
“Absolutely. Make yourselves at home.”
Emma runs over to the couch, hops on, and then lies down. She instantly sinks into the plush padding of the cushions and giggles.
Gavin walks over to the kitchen. “Want something to drink? I have bottled water, sparkling water, grapefruitjuice, tea, coffee. Oh, and some juice boxes. Fruit punch flavored.”
“Juice box,” Emma says.
“Juice box, please,” I correct.
“Juice box, please.”
Gavin chuckles and walks over to the ginormous stainless steel fridge, opens it, and grabs a juice box.
“And for you?” he asks me.
“Water’s good. Thank you.”
He hands me a bottle, then walks over to Emma and hands her the juice box.
“Emma, honey, what do you say?”
