Vanessa
“This place is incredible, Van.”
I grin over at Auden, whose eyes are shining with pride. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
“Or mine,” Lilah chimes in.”
“Or yours,” I agree with a laugh.
It’s true. If they hadn’t been here for me—Quinn and Rory too—then I wouldn’t be able to say I’m a business owner.
I wouldn’t be opening my very own art studio.
The bell over the door chimes, and I wish I could say that’s what draws my attention, but it’s not.
I felt him before that.
Gavin walks through the door, and I swear time stops. Everything else—even this studio that I’ve spent the last nine months working on—ceases to exist. It’s just him.
He runs a hand over his jaw, eyes scanning the room until they snag on me.
He smiles, and everything in me lights up.
The world snaps back into place, and that’s when I hear the girls giggling from beside me.
“What?” I ask, my cheeks heating from their stares.
“Nothing. You just look so happy every time you see him,” Auden says.
“That’s because I am.”
She grins, reaching over and squeezing my hand. “I’m glad, Van. You deserve it.” She turns to Gavin just as he strides up to us. “Hey.”
“Auden,” he says, not taking his eyes off me.
All it does is elicit another round of giggles.
“I’ll take that,” Lilah says, grabbing the bag of ice from his hand.
He doesn’t even bother acknowledging her. It’s not because he’s being rude—I don’t think he ever is. He’s just that engrossed in me.
Truthfully, I love it. It’s been that way since the beginning, and I still haven’t gotten tired of it. I doubt I ever will.
“Now that they’re gone…” Gavin says once Auden and Lilah have hurried away. Then he grabs me by the waist, tugging me to him so quickly I gasp. “I can do this.”
Then he kisses me like he hasn’t seen me in years, when he ran to the store just fifteen minutes ago to grab more ice for our party.
I didn’t want to make a big to-do about the opening, but Auden and Lilah insisted. When Gavin backed them up, I gave in.
Now that we’re here, I’m glad I did it, and not just for this moment as Gavin’s lips move over mine.
It’s being able to share this with so many people I love.
“Can you please stop mauling my sister?”
We break apart, and I smile over at Reed, who is scowling at his teammate.
“Reed, be nice,” I tell him.
“I am being nice, trust me.”
I believe him. While he’s supportive of me and Gavin and everything we’ve built these last few years, he still doesn’t care for our public displays of affection.
I would be annoyed by it if I didn’t find it so sweet. We’ve grown close since my relationship with Gavin became public, and if this is what that means, then I’ll take it.
Gavin just laughs. “Don’t you have a kid to catch?”
“What? I don’t—”
Almost as if Alana heard him, she starts to run through the shop, and then Reed’s off, chasing after her.
“She’s grown so much,” I say, watching my niece as she darts away.
“She has. You should have seen her the other day when he brought her to the rink. She was adorable on those skates.”
He smiles fondly, and it’s not just because he loves Alana like I do. It’s because at the beginning of the season, Gavin announced he’s retiring. I know he’s excited for whatever the next chapter of his life looks like, but he’s going to miss the game, too. He’s been doing this for so long, it’s almost like he doesn’t know anything else. It scares him, but it gives him purpose, too.
As much as I’ll miss seeing him on the ice, I’m kind of glad he’s hanging up his skates. It means more time with him, and that’s always my favorite.
“Speaking of adorable…” He presses a kiss to my cheek. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
I laugh. “Yes, many times, but I still love hearing it, so go ahead and say it again.”
“You look beautiful. I always loved this dress.” He leans into me, his nose brushing against my cheek as he says. “And as good as it looks on you, it looks better on my floor.”
That same blush from before steals up my cheeks at his words. This is the dress I was wearing the night we met, and the floor is exactly where it ended up.
I’m hoping that’s where it’ll land tonight, too.
“I’m proud of you, you know,” he says. “You’re doing something amazing here, and I can’t wait to see this place packed to the gills with little artists learning from you. You deserve it all and more.”
Suddenly, tears sting my eyes, and I blink them away quickly. It’s my studio opening, and my makeup looked incredible this morning. I can’t cry, even if I really want to.
“Thank you,” I say softly, though it feels so silly when what he just said was so moving. “I love you.”
He smiles like it’s the first time I’ve ever said it, something he always does, and it makes my heart pound.
“I love you too, Nessa. Always.”
I don’t doubt him. Not one bit.
This thing? We’re for real. We’re always.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Want more Seattle Serpents?
MATCH PENALTY is coming on April 23, 2026!
Missed Auden & Hutch?
Read out BODY CHECK now!
Want more hockey?
The Carolina Comets series is now complete and available in Kindle Unlimited!
PUCK SHY is now available!
