Page 13 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

“Zach-Attack,” she whispered, making Kenneth jump because he hadn’t even revealed the little nickname he’d given his son. “I will see you tomorrow, buddy. You be good for Daddy, okay?”

“See ya,” Zachary smiled at her, and she booped him on the nose. His son’s chortle warmed his heart as he rose to his feet to see her out. Walking her to the door, he paused.

“I’ll come knock on your door in the morning.”

“Sounds good,” and then she paused, looking up at him. “I know I should be asking so many more questions – and probably need my head examined for this, but please don’t be some weirdo or closet freak. I’m trusting that you said you can handle all of this, that you mentioned that we’d be part of something greater, that you said not to worry about money… because I worry a lot about money, and I’m kind of a penny-pincher.”

“That will be a nice change,” Kenneth replied quietly and felt a small smile touch his lips as he looked at her. “I promise I can take care of us financially. You won’t have a thing to worry about.”

“I worry…a lot.”

“I can take care ofa lot.”

“I worry like…five-figures a year,” she pressed, squinting her eyes at him pointedly, and he laughed. Heaven help him, he actually laughed easily and grinned at her skeptical expression.

“I can take care of at leastseven figures a year– do you need to know more details than that to stop worrying?”

“Seven… seven numbers complete with commas?” she exclaimed in a hushed whisper, her eyes widening. “Seriously? Oh wow, my fake husband makes bank.”

“Yeah, he does… fake wife,” Kenneth teased quietly and met her gaze. “We’ll be all right. I promise – just hold up your end tomorrow, and I’ll handle the rest.” He watched Jamie carefully, noticing the way she hesitated before speaking, her fingers curling slightly against her palm as if gathering the courage to say the words out loud.

“I will,” she nodded, her voice soft. Then, she looked at him shyly, her lashes lowering before she glanced back up. “Do you know the amount of relief there is coming off my shoulders right now? I can’t imagine not stressing about the bills or worrying if they are going to offer overtime this week or not. Thank you for telling me because, yeah, that helps—and I hate to admit that. I’m not a money-driven person, but I do like to eat.”

There was a quiet vulnerability in her voice, one that tugged at something deep inside him. She was independent, proud, and trying her best to hold everything together. He respected that. And yet, hearing her admit that she struggled, that the weight she carried was more than she could handle alone, made him want to reach for her, to shoulder some of that burden himself.

“Thank you for being honest with me—and being yourself. I like to eat as well, you know,” he replied, smirking in an attempt to lighten the moment. She needed reassurance, and he wanted her to know she didn’t have to pretend with him.

A small smile curved her lips, but there was still a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

“If you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask it,” he continued, voice steady. “In fact, if you want to make a list of questions, I’ll be happy to answer all of them.”

She exhaled softly, as if his words had offered her just enough comfort to ease some of her nerves. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “See you in the morning, Jamie.”

She nodded in return, then looked away, her steps quiet as she walked down the hallway to her condo. Kenneth watched her go, his chest tightening with something he wasn’t ready to name.

Even after she disappeared inside, he lingered. His jaw tightened, his hands settling on his hips as reality sank in.

“What am I doing?” he muttered to himself, exhaling a disbelieving laugh. His head shook as the absurdity of the situation hit him. “I don’t even have her phone number or know her last name.”

With one last glance toward her closed door, he sighed and stepped back inside his own place. He needed a distraction—badly. Zachary would be waiting for him, likely already picking out a book for their bedtime routine. That, at least, was solid and predictable.

By the time he had tucked his son into bed, readGoodnight Moonfor what felt like the hundredth time, and listened to Zachary’s sleepy murmurs fade into even breathing, Kenneth felt like he should be exhausted, too.

But hours later, he found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, his arm tucked behind his head. His mind wouldn’t settle.

Jamie.

The way she looked at him, and the way her voice softened when she let down her guard for just a moment lingered in his thoughts, unsettling him in a way he hadn’t expected. This was supposed to be simple—an arrangement. But something about her was anything but simple.

And that, more than anything, was what kept him wide awake.

4

JAMIE

“Okay, you got this girl,”Jamie whispered to her reflection in the mirror and, fighting down the waves of panic within her. She was agreeing to marry someone who was practically a stranger – for all the wrong, but slightly right, reasons.

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