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Gabby smiled. “Everything here is good for you. And, of course, there’s no cheese.”
Rosie, Ari, Lyssa, and especially Paige, the most pregnant of them all, smiled gratefully. Gabby cut the treats into pieces to share, arranging them on plates the waitstaff had brought.
With one taste of the savory pastry, Paige groaned. “Oh my. That is sooo delicious.”
Murmurs of appreciation sounded all around. “Thank you so much for thinking of this,” Lyssa said to Gabby as Cal tried swiping a piece off her plate. She swatted him. “These are only for those of us who are pregnant. You don’t get one.”
Once again, the group burst into laughter.
But the Mavericks were a harder sell. Pushing the bigger box to the center of the table, Gabby introduced the delicacies. “This is a cheese blintz.”
Sebastian snorted. “If it’s vegan, how can it have cheese?”
If he thought he could shoot Gabby down, he was wrong. Gabby Harrington had always held her own around strong men. She simply smiled and said with a slight drawl, “It’s vegan cheese. You have heard of that, right?”
“Isn’t that an oxymoron?” Daniel said in a dry tone.
Gabby wasn’t fazed. “You’d be surprised at the vegan and gluten-free products we have these days. And more are arriving all the time. This one is made with nuts. And it’s delicious.” Her gaze challenged them all.
Even Cammie, who didn’t know them well, understood the Mavericks would never back down from a challenge.
Troy leaned his elbows on the table, clasping his hands. “I’ve got dibs on a cruller, so don’t any of you even think about it. Gabby’s raspberry crullers tingle the tastebuds.” He broke into a grin. “And the fudge glaze is to die for.”
Beside her, Dane was grinning, while Ava kept silent, though a sneaky smile played on her lips. The Mavericks were going down.
Dane reached for Cammie’s hand under the table, squeezing her fingers before he pulled away. He couldn’t know what his touch did to her. And she’d made sure he never guessed.
Having been the first to question Gabby, Sebastian had to take the cheese blintz.
Gabby had baked muffins, croissants, crullers, cinnamon rolls, pound cake, zucchini bread, Danish pastries, and more. Each Maverick chose only one, while most of the ladies decided to share. There were no duplicates. Gabby was a smart cookie, not wanting them to think any one treat was a fluke.
Just as Sebastian had been the first to choose, he was also the first to take a bite, his mouth pinched as though he might have to spit it out. But he chewed thoughtfully. And took another bite. Finally, he looked at Gabby, his coffee-colored eyes gleaming. “Gabby, where have you and your delicious goodies been all our lives?” He held out the fork for his fiancée, Charlie Ballard, to try. “You’re going to love this, sweetheart.” Of course, she did.
Daniel cast a sideways glance at him, as if he suspected Sebastian of trying to pull a fast one.
Then his eyes went wide as he tasted the zucchini bread. “Wow!”
The boys were bouncing in their seats. “Can I, can I, can I?” they cried in unison.
Gabby looked from Rosie to Ari, who both nodded, smiles stretching across their pretty faces. Then she held out the box. “Pick whichever one you want.”
Noah chose a frosted cupcake. But Jorge wanted to taste his mother’s vegan treats. Rosie gladly shared.
“I never thought I’d say it,” Evan admitted, a huge bite missing from his cinnamon roll, “but vegan and gluten-free—at least the way you bake, Gabby—are amazing. I second Sebastian. Where have you and your treats been all our lives?”
And every Maverick chimed in with praise.
Dane smiled broadly as he took in his sister’s joy. Cammie knew Gabby didn’t lack self-confidence. But these were Mavericks—assured, powerful, assertive men who would obviously balk at her specialty. It had been a test, and she’d passed like a gold medalist racing over the finish line and knowing she’d run her best time ever.
“You—” Matt pointed a finger at her. “—are unbeatable.”
Gabby’s biggest challenge, however, would be Fernsby. And that day was coming.
Two servers arrived, each carrying a massive tray of drinks, hot chocolate for the boys, nonalcoholic Irish coffees for the pregnant ladies and Cammie, and full-bore Irish whiskey and dark roast coffees for the rest.
The Mavericks were soon to learn that Ava and Gabby could outdrink them as well as outplay them.
With her first sip, Cammie groaned. “This is ambrosia.” She closed her eyes to relish the coffee concoction, made with an alcohol-free extract rather than whiskey.
Opening her eyes again, she found Dane staring at her, his Irish coffee in midair. She laughed. “Are you waiting to make sure I thought it was good before you tried yours?”
His eyes as blue as the sunny sky, he smiled and drank. And she could breathe again.
