Holiday Games

Tara smiled. “I am happy. Happier than I ever thought I’d be.”


“And speaking of all things happy,” Jenna said, “I have a few wedding details. Well, actually they’re not wedding details so much as they are the fun stuff before the wedding details. We have final dress fittings on Thursday night, and the bachelorette party trip is this weekend. Just in case any of you forgot, which I’m hoping you didn’t.”

“I definitely didn’t forget,” Liz said. “I’ve been looking forward to that trip for months.”

“Me, too,” Savannah said. “I can’t wait.”

“Everyone’s coming, right?”

“I will not be coming to the bachelorette party,” Jenna’s mom said.

“Aww, Mom, you know you’re welcome to come.”

Kathleen gave Jenna a smile. “I’ll be babysitting my adorable grandson this weekend so Tara can go. Besides, I’ve done my partying. You girls can go have some fun drinking and carousing. I’ll be happy to have Sam all to myself.”

Liz took out her phone. “By the way, I’m going to be out of town Monday through Thursday, but I’ll be back Thursday afternoon.”

Alicia nodded and grabbed her phone. “Are we doing the fitting at the bridal shop on Thursday? And what time?”

“Yes,” Jenna said. “At six thirty.”

“No problem.”

“Six thirty works for me, too,” Liz said. “My flight gets in at three.”

“What are we synchronizing our phones for, ladies?” Gavin asked as he walked in to get a beer. “Planning epic world domination?”

Liz laughed. “Sort of. Wedding stuff.”

“No, pre-wedding stuff,” Jenna corrected. “Dress fittings and the bachelorette party.”

Jenna turned to him. “Speaking of, care to share the details of the bachelor party with me?”

Gavin shot Jenna an enigmatic smile. “Nope.”

“Damn you, Gavin.”

He grinned at Jenna, screwed the top off his beer, then shot Liz a look. “You aren’t going to get drunk and dance naked on the table at a bar, are you?”

“I don’t know. Will you come rescue me if I do?”

“Sure. As soon as I get video.”

She shook her head. “And all this time I thought you were my protective knight in shining armor.”

He walked by and kissed her cheek. “How foolish of you, wife.”

Good thing she knew he was joking.

It was also a good thing he wouldn’t be at the bachelorette party. She intended to have a very good time.

***

Gavin reentered the living room, where all the guys were gathered around the television watching the game. Mick’s team was playing Denver today in San Francisco. Cole would be playing the Monday night game, so he actually got to be at the house for Sunday dinner.

“Mick’s arm looks strong,” Jimmy said to Ty as Gavin took his seat on one of the chairs.

“It does,” Ty said as they settled in to watch Mick take the offense after Denver scored a field goal.

There was a round of hysterical laugher coming from the kitchen.

“I can’t believe you waded in there,” Ty said. “What’s going on?”

“Wedding stuff. Something about the dresses and the bachelorette party.”

“Oh. Jenna’s kind of excited.”

Gavin took a long pull of his beer. “Yeah, I can tell. I hate to break it to you, but I think she’s more excited about the bachelorette party.”

Ty laughed. “I’m not surprised. There’s a lot of stress with the wedding. She needs to get away and unwind.”

“So you’re not worried about her finding some hot male stripper and running off with him?”

Ty shot him a look. “Uh . . . no. After all, she has me to come home to.”

Gavin snorted, then directed his attention back to the game. After a while, the women came in to watch. Gavin made room on the oversize chair for Liz, who draped her legs over his.

At halftime, the Sabers were still ahead, and Gavin headed outside with the rest of the guys. It was a decent day, so they all shot some baskets, then grabbed more beer and lounged near the fire pit.

“We’re set for the weekend,” Ty said. “We have the trip to Vegas lined up.”

“Cards and booze,” Gavin said. “I’m ready.”

Garrett grinned. “I’m giving Alicia a hard time and telling her we’re club hopping at strip joints.”

Cole shook his head. “Bet she’s loving you for that.”

“She didn’t seem fazed by it. All she said was to remember she’d be doing the same thing.”

Cole laughed. “Got you on that one, didn’t she?”

“Hey, just remember, whatever my fiancée is doing will be the same thing your fiancée will be doing.”

“Huh,” Cole said, frowning. “Good point. Not sure I like the idea of hot, sweaty men rubbing all over my woman.”

“I don’t think there’ll be any strippers,” Gavin said. “That just doesn’t seem like something Jenna would be interested in. But I’ll check with Liz and see if I can find out what’s actually going on.”

“You really think Liz is going to tell you anything?”

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