Page 121 of Miami Ice

I relent and take the card from him, touched by his kindness. “Thank you. I will make this place very Christmassy for you.”

“Of that I have no doubt.” Then he turns to Sofia. “You and Aaron each have a set of keys to this place, right?”

“Yes,” she answers just as Lucy walks up to her.

“Mommy, can we have treats?” she asks.

“Yes, we’ll have some in a few minutes,” she promises.

“Okay, Mommy,” she says. Then she looks up at me. “After we have treats can I get Elsa hair?”

I grin down at her. “Yes, I will do Elsa hair.”

She runs toward me, wraps her tiny hands around my leg, and I reach down and stroke the top of her dark hair.

“Thank you, Georgie!” she says before scurrying off.

“Back to the keys,” Beckham says. “You can leave one set of keys in the drop box but give the other set to Georgie. That way she can come back here with all her Christmas cra—stuff.”

“Sure,” Sofia says. “Just remind me before you leave. Now this is weird because you’re already dating and not fake dating, so this is the last piece of advice I’ll give you. I’m going to text you those pictures right now and you should get them up on your socials. Let the team see that you’re having a very homey Thanksgiving with your girlfriend.”

“Yes, boss,” Beckham says, flashing her a grin.

Before long, he has headed back into the living room to play with the girls, and I retrieve my phone out of my purse and follow Sofia into the kitchen.

“May I help you with anything?” I ask.

“Oh no, I’ve got this,” she says. Then she smiles softly at me. “I’m so happy you and Beckham are dating. You’re exactly what he needs, Georgie. I’m thrilled it’s real.”

I smile back at her. “Sofia, I can tell you he’s exactly what I need, too. He’s made me see myself in a whole new light. He listens to me. Supports me. Tells me what I need to hear. I’m a better person already because of him. I truly mean that.”

Her gaze locks on mine. “I can tell you do,” she says softly. “I’m just so happy someone saw past that stupid facade he’s put up for years to see the Beckham I know and love. But what makes me happier? That that person isyou, Georgie.”

Suddenly I’m overwhelmed with gratitude on this day we give thanks. I’m thankful that Sofia happened to go to the craft show. That she approached me with this crazy idea that brought Beckham into my life.

My gaze shifts across the open space to Beckham, who is sitting on the sofa with Stella in his lap as they watch cartoons on TV. Lucy is cuddled up beside him, and my heart melts upon seeing how much his nieces love him—and how much he loves them, too.

I smile to myself. Once again, I can’t help but think that he’s going to be a great father someday.

I feel Sofia’s gaze on my profile, and I turn to find her staring at me.

“He loves those girls,” she says softly as she places a pecan pie on the countertop. “He does Connectivity Video Chats with them all season long. And he reads them a story once a week for bedtime.”

“He does?” I ask as Sofia opens another cabinet and takes out a stack of dessert plates.

“He does. Not what you’d expect from the partying hockey player, but that is his core. He loves his family. He’s fierce about that. And I suspect he’s pretty fierce about his feelings for you, too.”

I have a feeling greater than butterflies in my stomach.

It’s more like hummingbirds taking flight, their wings flapping manically as I think about Beckham’s feelings for me.

Lucy pads into the kitchen and heads straight up to Sofia. “Mommy, can I give Uncle Becks a turkey cookie?”

“A turkey cookie?” Beckham calls out. He rises from the sofa, taking a moment to put Stella down, and strolls into the kitchen. “Does it have gravy frosting?”

“Noooooooooo!” Lucy shrieks with laughter.

“Does it taste like meat?” he continues, scooping her up.

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