Page 19 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

This was going to befun.

* * *

An hour later, they were seated in a cozy booth tucked away in the back of the restaurant Kenneth had chosen. The low hum of conversation and the clinking of silverware against plates filled the air, but Jamie was hyper-aware of the dynamic at their table.

The waiter had just set down their meals, and Zachary, nestled between them like a tiny human barricade, was already preoccupied with the Hot Wheels he had smuggled in from the car. The little car zipped along every available surface—the table, the seat, her leg, Kenneth’s thigh—never ceasing its endless race as the boy juggled bites of food between vrooms and screeches.

Kenneth took a deliberate bite of his burger, chewing thoughtfully before muttering under his breath, "Snack cake?" His voice carried the same gruffness as before, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes. Curiosity. Amusement, maybe. Jamie recognized it and felt it settle in her chest like warmth spreading outward.

She shrugged, popping a fry into her mouth and nodding. “I was reading the room, and you had people looking at you,” she explained, reaching for another fry. “If this job you’re going to is so worried about image, then having someone catch you on TikTok or Snapchat faking a marriage with a perfect stranger wouldn’t look good… now, would it?”

Kenneth paused, watching her carefully.

“People were checking you out,” she continued, holding his gaze. “You’re recognizable to fans, and it’s going to be everywhere that the great hockey player Kenneth Salas got married… they just won’t know the reasons behind it.”

He exhaled through his nose, a subtle sign of reluctant agreement. “Nope,” he hesitated before looking at her again. “I’m telling my coach tomorrow. I was going to tell him today, but instead, I called in sick… so I’m sure they know something’s up.”

“I’m sure,” she murmured with a knowing smile.

He studied her for a long moment, then inclined his head slightly. “Thank you for watching out for me, for protecting my image.”

Jamie smirked, leaning in just a little. “It’s my job as your wife,” she teased, but the words hung between them longer than she intended. Her grin faded. “You know I’m going to ask questions, cross lines that shouldn’t be crossed, all in an effort to know where I stand.”

Kenneth didn’t flinch. “I told you to make a list of questions.”

“And I did.”

“Okay—shoot.”

Jamie exhaled slowly, tilting her head. “What’s wrong with Dahl or Ken Doll…?”

His jaw tightened slightly. “My ex-wife called me that as her pet name to mock me—and yes, I was picked on as a child.”

She made a mental note of that but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she softened her voice. “Can you tell me about one of your happiest moments?”

Something in Kenneth’s face shifted, the hard lines of his expression melting into something almost unguarded. Jamie marveled at the transformation. He might play the grump, pretend to be some mean hotshot player, but this man folded like a deck of cards when it came to his son.

Buddy, I found your Achilles’ heel.

“The moment he was born,” Kenneth admitted, setting down his burger and reaching out to ruffle Zachary’s hair. The little boy looked up, his big, adoring eyes locking onto his father like he was the sun, the moon, and every star in between.

“The moment I held him, I knew things would be different,” Kenneth continued, his voice thick with emotion. “And I was so glad for it. He’s my joy every morning, my happiness every evening, and my everything in between.”

There was such pride in his voice, such raw love, that Jamie felt like an intruder on something deeply personal. It was staggering. This man would do anything for his son—and today, he had proven it.

“And your worst moment?” she asked gently, knowing she was prodding at a wound not yet healed.

Kenneth inhaled slowly, his fingers still resting lightly against Zachary’s head. “When I had to tell him about my ex choosing someone else,” he whispered, his voice low, filled with quiet pain. He turned to look at Jamie, something vulnerable was in his gaze. “Don’t press for more right now… I’ll answer, but later.”

“I understand,” she said softly, her eyes flicking to the little boy beside them. She shifted gears, directing her attention to Zachary. “Zachary, what’s your best moment ever?”

“Today!” he declared, his little hands clapping together excitedly before he grinned up at her. “I got a new Mommy who loves to play cars.”

Jamie’s breath caught.

Oh.

“Eh, I really do…” she started warily, sneaking a glance at Kenneth, whose lips were twitching with silent laughter. “But I gotta warn you—I like trucks, not cars.”

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