Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Olivia did it,” Grady said. “I asked for a newspaper cake and she delivered. Pun intended.”
The Sweets of Gold owner never failed to amaze me with her creations. Neither did Grady, with his thoughtfulness and devotion to our relationship.
“Did you hear Sellers is moving back?” Deke asked Grady. I was a little confused as I listened in on their conversation. I didn’t recognize the name even though they talked about him like he was from the Beard.
“Really?”
“Yeah, he retired from hockey. His wife left him a few months ago so he decided to come home and build a place for him and his kids.”
Grady turned to me. “Holt Sellers is two years younger than me. He grew up in the Beard, and he got drafted into professional hockey after high school. He’s been playing for…what, fourteen years, Deke?”
Deke nodded. “Fourteen or fifteen. I forget which.”
“Well, the Beard will be a change of pace,” Coulter said.
“That’s for damn sure,” Grady said.
“I heard he wants to build a youth hockey facility,” Deke said.
Grady looked impressed. “I’d be on board to help with that.”
I watched him coach youth hockey sometimes, my biological clock ticking loudly whenever I saw my massive boyfriend with his hands on his knees, bending to talk to a kid on their level. Grady and I wanted to have kids someday, and I was eager to see him become a father. If we had girls, though, they’d have to become nuns. No man would ever be good enough for Ryan Grady’s daughters.
“Tiny cucumber sandwiches!” Shea proclaimed as she brought out a huge tray laden with neatly cut stacks of my favorite sandwich. Now that we were living together, it had been amazing learning all the little things about Grady, like what foods he liked and hated, that he made sure to put the cap back on the toothpaste, and more. In that time, he had also learned more about me, like my favorite finger food sandwich.
“You guys.” I looked at her and then at Grady, touched. “You remembered me saying this is my favorite.”
“I remember everything you say,” Grady said.
I laughed and cupped his cheek. “Like when I told you last week that I needed toilet paper and you never brought me any because you got distracted by a baseball game?”
He gave me a sheepish grin. “It was a good game, babe. And I brought it eventually.”
“I was asleep in bed by then.”
“Never said I was perfect.” He grinned. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m hung.”
“No.” Shea cringed and groaned. “Don’t talk about that in front of me.”
Several of her kitchen staffers came out with more plates of food, including chicken wings, roasted potatoes, and broccoli salad. Guests fixed themselves a plate and sat down to eat, and I made my way from table to table to talk with everyone.
The cake was being served when Grady called for everyone’s attention.
“Hey everyone, if I could have you look over here for just a minute. I have a present I want Avon to open.”
He held out his hand to me and I walked over to him, stunned, because the party had already been the greatest gift anyone had ever given me. When I reached him, his eyes sparkled with happiness as he looked down at a box.
It was about the size of four shoeboxes, with holes cut out of one side. My heart hammered with wonder and hope. I pulled the lid off and let out a happy yelp of surprise when I saw a brown and white bulldog puppy, its wrinkled face turning up to look at me.
“Grady! Oh, come here, you sweet thing.” I picked up the pup and everyone aww-ed in unison.
Grady cleared his throat, shifting on his feet and looking nervous. “He’s got a special collar.”
I detached myself from the soft, warm puppy to see what he meant, my heart nearly stopping when I saw something sparkling from its collar.
“Are you…what?” My gaze flew to his in shock, but I knew I would never forget this moment.
He got down on one knee as someone took the puppy from my hands. Grady took one of my hands in his, looking up into my eyes, and began to speak.
“Avon, I love you more than anything. If you’ll be my wife, I promise I’ll take care of you forever. So…” Hope and concern swirled in his eyes. “Will you marry me?”
Would I? It was the easiest question anyone had ever asked me.
“Yes,” I said softly because, in that moment, no one existed but the two of us.
He swept me into his arms, my feet leaving the ground as he spun me around. It had been Coulter who took the puppy, and he passed Grady the ring he’d removed from the dog’s collar.
“We’re keeping the dog, right?” I asked as he slid the ring onto my finger, tears of joy streaming down my cheeks.