“I love you.”
“Warrior, you know what that does to me.”
I grinned against his mouth. “Think there’s time before everyone gets here?”
“I’ll make time,” Cope growled against my mouth.
And he certainly did.
50
SUTTON
Music driftedout of Cope’s meticulously hidden speakers and into the party. I couldn’t help but grin as I heard the strains of an old-school Tim McGraw song. As if I didn’t have enough proof that Cope loved me, his letting me play my country proved it, even though it was his least favorite kind of music.
Thea bumped my hip with hers. “Now, that is the smile of a happy woman.”
My cheeks heated. “It feels like it would be impossible to be any happier.”
Thea’s eyes glistened in the sunlight. “No one deserves that more than you.”
I pulled her into a tight hug. “Please, don’t make me cry. If Cope sees me crying, he’s going to get very cranky.”
That had Thea laughing as she released me. “Fair enough.”
As I stepped back, I took inventory of the dessert table. Linc had paid for caterers to kit out the barbeque, and while he’d returned to Seattle after the first day of camp, he’d gone all out for the party, eventhough he wouldn’t be here to enjoy it. But I’d asked if I could handle the desserts, and he’d grudgingly agreed.
Thankfully, Thea and I had gone all out, too. There were cookies in the shapes of pucks, sticks, and little hockey players, complete with the Seattle Sparks logo. But the cupcakes were the real showstoppers. We’d done the hockey player Oreo ones Frankie was so fond of, strawberry-lemonade ones with little, pure-sugar lightning bolts coming out the top, and triple-chocolate ones with all the different players’ numbers on them.
And it was a good thing we’d made a lot because they were going fast. As we stepped up to the table, Frankie turned around, his face full of cupcake. “What’ll it take to get you to dump Reaper and marry me?”
Marcus chuckled and picked up a cookie from the table. “It really would be the smarter play.”
I shook my head. “Stop stirring up trouble, or I’ll ban you from the dessert table.”
Marcus shoved the cookie into his mouth, holding up both hands as he walked away. “I didn’t say a word,” he mumbled around the cookie.
“Smart man,” Frankie called back. “Cause this shit is fire!”
“Watch your language,” Evelyn hissed, walking up as if she had radar for someone breaking her rules.
Frankie’s brows rose. “What’s wrong with fire?”
Evelyn’s jaw clenched. “Not that word, the other one.”
Frankie just looked confused.
“The s-one,” she spat.
“Lady, that’s not even a curse.”
Evelyn glared at me. “This is what you would have our children exposed to? And all this”—she gestured wildly around—“sugar?”
I stared back at her for a long moment. “Evelyn, look around you. Everyone’s having a good time…except you. Maybe you just need to relax for a second and try to have some fun.”
Frankie slung an arm over her shoulders and lifted a cupcake for her to take. “One bite. It’ll change your world.”
Evelyn clamped her lips closed and shook her head, making some sort of noise in the negative.
