Page 4 of Pucks, Lies, and Sticktape

“Hi, Donna,” she managed shakily. “Listen, I’ll be honest, I don’t know what’s happening or what’s going on, but your son just saved me from my stalker and… and…” Her voice broke completely, and the tears came hard and fast, ugly and unrelenting. “I don’t know who he is, what’s happening—all I know is that I’m scared because some stranger just gave me the keys to his car that costs more than what I make in an entire year, and told me to wait outside, and… and…”

“Matthieu’s gonna pound someone,” Katie’s voice cut in triumphantly, but Donna shushed her quickly.

Jeannie shook her head, trying to gather herself. “I don’t want him to get in trouble for helping me.”

“Then find a way to help him back,” Donna urged, her voice both soothing and firm. “Start honking the horn. Get him out of whatever mess he’s getting himself into. I know his agent called, and he was really upset, but…”

Jeannie sniffled, wiping at her tear-streaked face.Honking the horn.That was something she could do. Something simple. Something normal in a moment that felt anything but.

She slammed her palm down on the steering wheel, the car horn blaring in the quiet street. Once. Twice. A long, desperate honk, followed by another rapid series of short bursts. Her hands shook, but she kept pressing, willing him to hear her. “I’m so sorry to worry you all…” she murmured brokenly.

“Not at all, sweetie,” Donna soothed. “I’m glad you called. You’re my eyes and ears for my headstrong sweet boy. Are you in Seattle?”

“Yes, ma’am. Are you?”

“No. We’re in Minnesota.”

A startled laugh escaped Jeannie—half hysterical, half disbelieving. “Well… okay, then.”

Another sharp honk. Another. And then?—

The diner door exploded open with such force that it nearly came off its hinges. Matthieu stormed out, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with a fury that made Jeannie’s breath catch. His arm shot out, his finger extended in a silent, obscene warning to whoever stood behind him. His chest rose and fell with barely restrained anger, his massive frame practically vibrating with tension as he stalked toward the car.

Jeannie sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers tightening around the phone.

“What?” Donna and Katie’s voices chimed together, frantic.

“He’s coming,” Jeannie whispered, her heart hammering. Then suddenly, fear surged through her veins. This man—this stranger—had just turned her world upside down in a matter of minutes. Was she safe with him? Was she making a mistake? She was alone. Vulnerable.

Her voice was barely audible when she asked, “Can I trust him? Am I safe?”

A pause. Then Donna’s voice came soft, sure. “You can trust him,” she said gently. “He’s a sweet boy. And if you’re scared, just ask him about Feller.”

Jeannie’s grip on the phone tightened. Matthieu was getting closer, his expression unreadable, his presence overwhelming.

Feller?

“What? Oh my gosh, okay. Here he is,” Jeannie blurted out in a rush, almost locking the doors of the expensive car against himat the last second as he yanked open the passenger side door, slid in filling the space, and glanced at the radio.

“Hey Mama…”

“Hi baby,” his mother said lovingly. “You’ve got a scared friend with you. Do you need help, or do you want to tell me what happened?”

Jeannie’s angel looked at her, Matthieu, and his grim features softened slightly, but there was a wariness in his eyes that couldn’t be unseen.

“I’m fine, Mama. You know how I hate a bully.”

“I do – are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

Jeannie barely heard herself respond. Her hands were trembling, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to contain the panic clawing at her chest. The adrenaline from the confrontation still surged through her veins, making her pulse hammer in her ears. She hadn’t even processed what had just happened when she felt movement beside her.

She turned sharply, her gaze locking on the man in the passenger seat.Who was he? Why was he still here?Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as she wiped at her damp cheeks with the back of her hand, only for him to casually reach into the glove box.

Jeannie stiffened, panic flaring—was he grabbing a weapon? Was she in danger?

Her breath hitched as he pulled out a handful of crumpled Taco Bell napkins, the motion so natural it was almost unsettling. Without a word, he held them out to her.

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