Page 39 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

“Thanks for not getting upset about Kenneth offering up the couch to me. His ex-wife would have been really upset, and you’re really good for him. I’m glad he found you.”

The words caught Jamie off guard, lodging somewhere deep in her chest. She turned slightly, just enough to glance over her shoulder. Kenneth had just walked into the room, his broad frame silhouetted in the low light as he bent to break down an empty box. It was such a simple movement, but to Jamie, it felt symbolic—like he was discarding more than just packing materials. Maybe he was shedding pieces of a life that no longer served him, quietly making space for something new.

She swallowed hard, her throat tight.

“Thanks,” she managed softly, though it felt inadequate.

Her gaze lingered on Kenneth, on the way his shoulders moved beneath his shirt as he worked. She wondered—not for the first time—what kind of woman his ex-wife had been. What kind of pain he must have carried, or still carried, from that relationship. It was hard to imagine someone like him, calm and capable, being with a woman who would make a guest feel unwelcome… and yet, he had. He’d chosen her, married her. Stayed.

For Zachary? Maybe.

Probably.

A knot formed in her chest at the thought. She wanted to ask him, to understand, to lay his past out like puzzle pieces and make sense of it. But she didn’t. Not tonight.

Digging into his history wouldn’t bring them closer. It would only stir up things that didn’t belong in this fragile beginning they were crafting together. Their connection was new, raw, and real, and she didn’t want to weigh it down with ghosts of a marriage that had already ended.

No, this was their fresh start—an opportunity to build something different. Something stronger.

She could wait. If the day ever came when Kenneth felt safe enough to talk about it, she would be there. She’d listen. Not to judge, not to compare, but simply to know him better.

As far as Jamie was concerned, the previous Mrs. Salas was a shadow in the past—one that didn’t belong in the light they were trying to create. There sure wouldn’t be another one after her. Not if she had any say in it.

She looked back one last time at Kenneth, still busy with the box, unaware of the quiet storm of emotion he’d stirred in her heart. Then she turned and walked softly down the hall, her mind full, her heart fuller. Yes, this marriage was going to be better than the last one – and she was determined to make it so.

Jamie padded quietly down the hallway, her footsteps soft against the floor as she made her way back to their room. Her heart was beating faster than she wanted to admit. The quiet hum of the house after a long day seemed louder now, stretching out the moments and forcing her to feel every second of anticipation.

The door clicked shut behind her, and she moved into the bathroom, drawing in a breath as she reached for the scented soaps Kenneth had gifted her earlier. She wasn’t used to this—being seen or cared for in such delicate ways. The soaps were floral, gentle, utterly feminine, and as she lathered the bubbles across her skin, she felt a strange sort of giddiness blossom in her chest like she was being celebrated. Adored.

Still, as calming as the hot water was, she rushed just a little, her nerves playing a tug-of-war in her chest. Part of her wanted to hurry—what if he was waiting? What if he expected something? But another part… the tender, careful part of her that wanted everything to be right, lingered. Because if they were going to cross that invisible line—if tonight was the moment—they couldn’t just leap and hope. She didn’t want a fall that ended in bruises. She wanted something soft to land on. Something real.

Toweled dry and wrapped in a fresh wave of sweetness, Jamie brushed her teeth and did one last check in the mirror. She tilted her head, adjusted the soft satin strap of the nightgown he’d chosen for her, and let herself breathe. The fabric hugged her curves like a whisper, a blend of elegance and vulnerability, and she felt beautiful.

Nervous.

But beautiful.

The house was quiet when she opened the bathroom door, and she let out a breath.Still nothing.That meant Kenneth was probably still in the living room talking with Boucher. That was fine. It gave her space, and maybe—just maybe—it gave him a little more time to decide if he wanted this, too. She resigned herself to a quiet night, ready to crawl into bed and collapse into sleep, when she turned the corner and froze.

Her breath caught.

Kenneth was sitting cross-legged in the center of their bed, dressed down in a T-shirt and shorts, casual and completely at ease—but it was the tray in his lap that made her eyes sting unexpectedly. Two snack cakes sat neatly on a plate beside a single glass of wine, and her heart turned over.

Her voice came out soft, warm with affection. “What’s this?” she asked, unable—and unwilling—to hide her smile.

“Well,” he said with a low chuckle, the kind that always made her stomach flutter, “there’s this girl I really want to impress…”

“Oh yeah?”

“She’s really special and keeps mentioning snack cakes…”

“Officially a fav…” she added, trying not to grin too widely.

“But I thought she might be nervous,” he continued, his eyes meeting hers with such gentleness that it unraveled her.

“She is,” Jamie whispered, her heart tightening with the admission. Saying it made it more real—how much this moment meant, how much she was putting on the line by being here with him like this. Dressed in the nightgown he chose. Everything about this was intimate. Tender. Exposed.

“So, while I thought ‘wine and cake’ don’t mix… but then it dawned on me that in a way - neither do we, but we work perfectly somehow. Maybe I’m trying too hard and just need to recognize a blessing when I see one – and I do. I see you, Jamie.”

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