Page 20 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

Zachary gasped, his eyes flicking to his father who just shrugged innocently and then went back to her in astonishment. “Trucks?”

“Big ol’ monster trucks that roll right over little bitty cars,” she growled playfully, wiggling her fingers toward him on the table. He squealed in delight, dodging her ‘monster hands’ with giggles. “Why be some little cool-lookingcarwhen you can be theultimate monster truck? Go anywhere, do anything.”

Zachary turned to Kenneth with wide eyes. “Daddy, can I get a new Hot Wheels?”

“A monster truck?” Kenneth lifted an eyebrow, amused.

“Yes.”

Before Kenneth could answer, Jamie smirked. “You can have one of mine.”

Both of them turned to her in surprise.

“I used to collect them when I worked at a Dodge dealership for a little while,” she explained. “I’ve got several Hot Wheels still in the packaging—and they can be yours, Zachary.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” she smiled warmly. “What other mom is lucky enough to be able to play monster trucks with her new stepson?”

Zachary’s eyes practically sparkled. “This is great…”

Jamie laughed, reaching for another fry. “Maybe in a few months when things get settled, we can get a little sandbox. Run our trucks through the sand, make a river for them to splash through…”

“Coooool…” Zachary breathed in wonder.

Kenneth chuckled, shaking his head as he looked at Jamie, something almost unreadable in his gaze. It was gratitude, yes—but something else lingered there, something softer, deeper.

“Thank you,” he whispered across the table.

Jamie met his gaze and nodded. No other words were needed.

“We’ll figure this out one step at a time,” she murmured. “You take care of me, and I’ll take care of you both. Best deal ever.”

“Best deal ever,” Kenneth echoed, but there was a note of something unspoken in his voice, something Jamie couldn’t quite place.

Not yet, anyway.

5

KENNETH

Well,today did not go as planned – and Kenneth wasn’t exactly upset about it either. Jamie saw things differently, noticed things that he hadn’t, and made steps to protect both him and Zachary when they weren’t looking by creating a distraction. The woman worked a room, was playful, outrageous, and seemingly easygoing with his son… and he couldn’t be more relieved.

And that kiss?

Ha! That was hardly what anyone would call a kiss, which told him just how naïve his little wife was. She thought she was being the aggressor in the relationship when she grabbed his shirt and kissed him. What she didn’t know is that by doing something like that, she’d revealed her hand. She played the part of a wild card, but he knew better.

Then he got fired this morning. He was cut from the team the moment he said the word ‘trade’ – and escorted by security out of the building. Yeah, that was a nice touch. Instead of grumbling or resisting, he simply got his things and left.

It was time for a new start for all of them.

He’d been a fool to walk Jamie to her door last night – but he’d been so confused by his own thoughts that he needed a little space to himself. It really didn’t help any of it. The separation only made him wonder what she was up to. Instead, he walked over to her condo, knocked, and when she opened the door in a tank top and shorts – his brain short-circuited.

“Get ready. We’re heading out.”

“Oh? How long do I have?”

“Ten minutes – and pack a bag.”

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