Page 26 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

“Good night,” he whispered.

“Good night.”

She lay there for several minutes and then hesitated – before rolling over.

“Uh, hang on…” Kenneth began, and she shushed him.

“I normally sleep with a body pillow, and frankly – you’re a body, a heckuva body all warm and snuggly, but I need something,” she whispered quickly, tossing an arm over his stomach and a leg over his knee. “Don’t make this weird.”

“Jamie…”

“Shhh. Sleeping.”

“You’re all over me.”

“And you like it – now shush,” she replied, setting her head on his shoulder and sighing happily. “Okay, maybe there is something to being married. My pillow is usually cold, and you are so toasty.”

He chuckled softly and tentatively wrapped his arm around her as well.

“That’s new,” she volunteered, opening her eyes – and he immediately removed his arm like he’d been burnt. “No, I like it. My pillow doesn’t hug me back, and that’s nice. Put your arm back.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he whispered again, relaxing under her cheek. “Sweet dreams.”

“You too, Snack Cake.”

And again, he chuckled softly, and she smiled.

Yeah, this might be really nice indeed.

7

KENNETH

A week later…

Yawning,Kenneth was running drills with several other players while they were still waiting for part of the team to arrive. The roster was a secret, and it was like unveiling a gift each time a new player arrived. You never knew who it was going to be, but so far, he had yet to be disappointed.

And his new bride was a force of nature.

They went to the zoo with Zachary. Stopped at a food stand and ate French fries with meat piled on top while sitting at a picnic bench like it was nothing. Toured the shops in the old city, went to pull taffy, fed the birds near the river, and took photos of Zachary sitting atop a cannon at the fort that overlooked the river just like a bunch of tourists.

Today, Jamie was taking Zachary to a farm to pick blueberries and see some baby rabbits. Apparently, she was searching the internet for things to do nearby and hitting the jackpot. The woman seemed to thrive off lists and was always ‘go, go, go’… so hockey practice today felt like a freakin’ vacation – but he couldn’t say no.

All of that – in between hunting for a place to live.

Kenneth finally had to put his foot down yesterday evening. He insisted on stopping at a dealership to buy two vehicles. If they were going to run around like this as a family, it would be better to have their own instead of calling a cab or requesting an Uber. He wanted to park in his own garage, relax in his own home, and make things cozy. The realtor had been amazingly understanding about things, and today, he signed on a house, offering cash, with the condition to close this week.

Jamie hadn’t seen the house yet, but the moment he walked in – he knew this was the one. After the dealership incident, he knew she would be fine with his decision. She was an angel with Zachary, and his son adored her.

And she wasgrateful.

Heaven help him, Jamie wasgratefulfor everything. She always looked surprised at the littlest things that seemed commonplace to him. They needed a vehicle, so they went to get one, and she lingered at the back of the showroom looking uncomfortable, holding Zachary’s hand. He picked out a large truck for himself with blacked-out windows and a full cab – something different. He didn’t want another sleek muscle car. Things had changed, and so had his tastes – and he waved Jamie over.

“What do you want?” he’d asked, and she nearly tripped over herself, stammering in shock. “Pick one, and let’s go.”

And that’s when he knew things were so different. It wasn’t just how she asserted herself at the oddest times or how she tried to take control of a situation by making sure it was best for Zachary, but these moments that set her apart from anyone else. Her eyes had been so bewildered, stunned, and full of regret when she whispered to him.

“I can’t,” Jamie mumbled and looked uncomfortable. “Look, my credit is crap, and things were bad before we got married…” she was wringing her hands nervously – and he grabbed them, holding them in his. It always caught him by surprise how delicate she felt because she seemed larger than life to him sometimes.

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