Page 171 of Miami Ice

So even if the Manatees wanted to punish Beckham, they didn’t do it. Beckham talked to Coach Rivershon late last night, explaining why he didn’t seek permission first, and Coach accepted his reasoning and said there would be no consequences forthcoming from the team.

I also know Scarlett let her voice be heard, because I got a text from her saying she made her opinion very clear—both as a person and as a social media professional—on how Beckham’s absence should be handled.

I owe a lot to her,I think.Hopefully someday I’ll be able to repay her for everything she did for Beckham last night.

“Your situation turned out exactly the way it should have,” I say, taking some lobster and pasta and winding it around my fork. I take a bite, and my eyes widen. It’s buttery and lemony. Decadent.

And oh-so-good.

“Beckham, this is delicious,” I say, smiling at him.

He takes a bite and appears to be considering my feedback as he tastes it. “Damn. I did do good, didn’t I?”

“You did excellent. This is so yum,” I declare, going in for another bite.

Beckham takes a piece of warm, crusty sourdough bread and dips it into the sauce, and I follow suit. I could easily eat my weight in sourdough if I can dip it in this sauce, it’s so addicting.

It’s the perfect meal for a Christmas Eve dinner for two.

Which I feel lucky to still have after my parents found out about the accident.

They freaked out about the fall and the hospital stay, and poor Ella had to bear the brunt of my decision to not have them come over until tomorrow, but my sister stood firm, giving me time to rest.

And have the Christmas Eve alone I wanted with Beckham in the first place.

We finish dinner, and then I tell him it’s time for presents.

“Sofia said this is how your family does it. A very nice dinner, then open presents, and then dessert and coffee.”

“Wait. You asked Sofia about our Christmas traditions?” Beckham asks, looking surprised.

I nod. “I remembered you saying you hadn’t had a lot of Christmas Eve celebrations because your parents run their inn and Sofia and Aaron usually spend Christmas in Atlanta with his family.”

Sofia confirmed this for me. The family will get together after Christmas, usually during the first home series Beckham has, and then spend an extended period of time with him. Like this year, Beckham’s parents are closing their inn the second week of January and spending the whole week down in Miami. Sofia and Aaron will come back with the girls, too.

But normally Beckham spends Christmas alone.

“I wanted to give you a special Christmas Eve,” I say. “At least that’s what I had planned before I fell down the stairs.”

“Georgie,” he says, “you’rehere. You’re going to beokay. This is already going to be the best Christmas I ever could have asked for.”

A silence falls between us, and love for this man fills my heart.

“But it means everything to me that you wanted to do this for me,” Beckham continues, his voice low.

“I wanted you to feel the magic of Christmas.”

Beckham swallows hard before speaking. “I do feel it, Georgie. Now more than ever. I love you so much.”

I smile softly at him. “You deserve that kind of Christmas Eve every year. And I’ll make sure you have it because I love you so much.”

Beckham leans over and kisses me, and I put my hand to his face. “Except next year, we’ll have dessert. Originally, I had planned to make chocolate peppermint mousse this morning. Obviously being in the hospital kind of messed up those plans.”

“I might have taken care of dessert when Jordan and Ella were over here earlier,” Beckham says slyly.

“Oh, did you?” I ask eagerly.

“I did.”

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