Page 166 of Suck My Puck

“Sam! My man!”

Xander shouting pulls our attention back to the mainpart of the coffee shop. We walk over to a table in the back where the guys are sitting and say hi to Sam.

“You should take a minute to rest,” Braden says as he pulls out a chair for me.

I tell him thanks and sit down, happy to take a breather.

Sam smiles at me. “Congrats on the grand opening, Bella. What a turnout. By the way, this is the best coffee I’ve ever had.” He takes a sip from his cup.

“Thanks. I still can’t believe it.”

Del turns to Sam. “So is it official?”

Sam nods and runs a hand through his wavy blonde hair. “Yep.”

The guys cheer and smack his shoulders.

“Welcome to Denver,” Del says.

“You’re gonna love being a Basher, dude,” Theo says.

Sam chuckles. “Thanks.”

Sophie turns to me. “Sam just got traded to the Bashers.”

I smile at him. “Oh, how cool. Congratulations!”

He tells me thanks.

“We’re gonna be unstoppable with you,” Xander says.

Del nods. “Our defense will be unbeatable.

Sam’s cheeks redden. “I hope so.”

I look up and see Dakota walk in. She gazes around for a second before spotting us and rushes over. She leans down and gives me a hug and tells me congratulations on opening my coffee shop.

Her brown eyes are wide as she gazes around. “There are so many people here.”

“It’s all because of these guys,” I gesture to the crowded table. I’m smiling so hard, my cheeks hurt. This has been the most amazing day thanks to Braden and my friends.

“Where’s Lauren?” Dakota asks.

“She was here earlier with Lance, but they left because baby Alice was getting a little fussy with all the noise.”

Just then, I notice Del frowning at Dakota. “What’s that on your hand?” he asks, his tone hard.

Dakota’s smile fades as she glances down at her left hand. “Um…”

We all look. When I see a sparkly diamond on her left ring finger, I gasp.

“Are you engaged?” I ask.

She bites her lip, a nervous smile on her face as she nods.

“Jake proposed?” Sophie asks, her voice pitchy with surprise.

Dakota nods. She holds up her left hand. The whole table is quiet as we stare at her ring.

---