“Sam and I met when I was studying to be a pastry chef at a local cooking school,” she said slowly. “He’d moved to Park City looking for the next boomtown. He worked at the local restaurant where I interned on the pastry line. And we…got serious pretty fast.”
Marshall didn’t interrupt, just nodded slightly.
“When I told him we were going to have a baby, he panicked. I wanted to get married but he said he wanted to go to Vegas.” She gave a soft laugh. “I really thought he was going to scope out chapels and such for a quickie wedding. But he got a job in a casino and…never came back.”
“Ooh.” He angled his head in sympathy. “That’s rough.”
“He said he’d come back, then said he’d visit. He does, once in a while. He calls on most birthdays and at Christmas. He sends the occasional check, but he’s married with a child and one on the way.” She looked down, hating that she’d fallen for someone who just didn’t love her enough to stick around and be a man, a father, and a husband. “I used to be angry about it, but now I’m just… grateful I got Benny out of the deal. He’s my whole world.”
“With good reason,” he said, a look of admiration in his eyes. “You’ve raised him alone?”
She shrugged. “Technically, yes. But you met my family at the dog event last Christmas. My mom and aunt, my grandfather and cousin—we’re a pack. Benny’s been well-loved and I’ve been emotionally supported. We live in a big house on the Snowberry property where I grew up, like my mother and grandfather.”
“Very historic and grounding,” he said. “And great for Benny. I think family is so important. My mom died three years ago and…” His voice grew taut. “That’s why I left Pennsylvania. I’d moved her to Pittsburgh, and she lived with Olivia and me. With her gone, I had to start over.”
She searched his face, the obvious and unspoken question hanging between them. “I thought I heard Olivia say something about joint custody once? Her mother is…”
“Her mother is…Bianca.” He said the name as if it stung a little. “We met when I was with the Steelers. She was…wild. Gorgeous. The kind of person who makes every room tilt sideways when she walks in. I was mid-career, riding high on success, and honestly, too dumb to see what she was really after.”
Gracie stayed quiet, letting him continue.
“She got pregnant about three months after we met,” he said. “I was scared out of my mind, but I was also thrilled. I always wanted to be a dad. I thought maybe that would make everything make sense.” He gave a humorless laugh. “So I did what seemed right. I married her.”
“You were trying to do the honorable thing,” Gracie said, part of her wishing Sam had that much respect, but part of her grateful he didn’t.
“Yeah,” he said. “And for a while, I thought it might work. But when Olivia turned four, and I retired from the NFL, well, I guess the thrill was gone. Bianca started disappearing—nights out that turned into weekends, and long absences with ‘friends’ I’d never met. When I caught her cheating, it was almost a relief. At least then I knew.”
Gracie’s breath caught. “Marshall…”
“She filed for divorce, took a hefty settlement, and made it clear she wasn’t interested in the whole co-parenting thing. We have joint custody on paper, but she makes just about zero effort to see Olivia. Kind of like your ex.”
She looked skyward. “Some people shouldn’t be parents, but I have to say—Olivia is a gem.”
“So’s Benny,” he said. “But thank you. Credit to my mother, honestly, who did double duty as grandmother. It’s harder now, without her, but Olivia is…everything.”
For a long moment, Gracie fought the urge to reach across the table, to take his hand, to tell him how impressed she was. But she wasn’tthatcomfortable. Instead, she just smiled.
“She’s lucky to have a dad who loves her so much.”
“I’m lucky to have her,” he said. “She runs rings around me intellectually, though.”
“Welcome to my world,” Gracie joked.
“To single parents of Mensa candidates.” He lifted his mug for a toast. “A special challenge.”
She met his mug with hers just as their gazes locked. For a long moment, the tea shop seemed to quiet, the lights and people and scent of herbal teas all disappeared as her entire focus sharpened on this man.
“I guess we have a lot in common,” she said, surprised at how tight her voice was. “Being a single parent is very hard, no matter what kind of family or village you have.”
“Olivia seems to think so,” he said. “She’s always encouraging me to contact you, but…”
Gracie waited, her brows rising. “But…”
“Well, I still feel like I blew into town and put a damper on your business.”
“You kind of did,” she joked, “but we’ll survive.”
“It’s not exactly great for mine to be across the street from the world’s most desirable cream puffs.”
