Page 43 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

I’ll put on Spongebob Squarepants and meet you in the garage, Snack Cake.

And she did.

But it didn’t stop there – and Kenneth was well aware of what a blessed man he was.

What about two in the afternoon – at practice.

Sure.

November.

Thanksgiving at Acton’s house?

We can steal a few moments?

Thanksgiving ain’t done until dessert is served.

Sometimes, she would be texting someone, look up and give him a little smile… and he knew there was a dirty message from his wife on his cell phone when he got back to his locker. Other times, Jamie would give him a slow wink just to let him know she was thinking about him, and then she was back to normal like nothing had happened.

He never realized marriage to someone could be this good or marriage to your best friend could be indescribable. And to think that someone like her had been living next to him, unknown, for years. He couldn’t imagine life without her in it anymore and realized today that he hadn’t even thought of Candi once since he’d last seen her in court.

Good riddance, too.

Jamie was like a breath of fresh air that he didn’t know he desperately needed – for both of them.

At that thought, he turned to look at Zachary who was playing with a hockey stick and sitting in the penalty box, close enough but contained, where he felt like he was part of the team. The guys were great about him, and Jamie was always watching, waiting, holding her phone as if she was poised to get an impromptu photo for the internet.

The team was all here now. They were learning their places and how to function as a team together with very few changes – which was great. And even better, the Wolverines supported and pushed the idea of family, teamwork, and being a part of this environment. The kids were welcome at practice so long as they didn’t cause a problem or try to get on the ice.

Kenneth’s heart was still thundering in his chest, the adrenaline of a hard-fought practice pulsing through every muscle in his body. Sweat trickled down his temple beneath his helmet, and his breath came in steady, deep pulls as he stood on the ice, gliding slowly in circles while his thoughts raced far faster than his skates ever could.

He was thinking about her.

The way Jamie smiled at him from the stands. The way her eyes lit up when she saw him skating. The way her laugh wrapped around his soul and made the world tilt just a little more in his favor. It never failed. No matter how brutal the drills or how long the hours were, seeing her there—waiting, watching, loving—made it all worth it.

“And I think we’re done for the day…” Coach Starnes called out, slicing through his reverie with a voice full of authority. “I want you to bring that same gusto to the ice next week when we have our first game – you got me?”

“Yes, sir!” Kenneth shouted in unison with the team, the echo of pads being slapped and sticks clacking against the ice filling the rink. The camaraderie was real—he loved these guys—but right now, his mind was only on one thing—or rather, oneperson.

Instead of trailing off to the locker room like the rest of the team, Kenneth cut sharply toward the boards, heading straight for her. He didn’t care that he was drenched in sweat or that his uniform reeked of hard work and long hours—none of that mattered. Not when she was right there, just feet away. Not when he had a chance to see her, to say hello, to maybe hold his boy for just a moment.

He tore off his helmet as he skated closer, gripping it in one gloved hand, and then—there it was.

Her eyes met his.

And just like that, something inside him lit up. A spark so potent it felt like lightning had struck the center of his chest. The whole world stilled. The noise of the team, the squeak of blades on ice, the calls and laughter around him—all of it faded. It was just Jamie now.

I love that woman,he thought fiercely, feeling a flutter in his chest that had nothing to do with exertion and everything to do with the aching, all-consuming feeling rising inside of him.I really love her with everything that I am. This is so much more than anything I’ve ever felt before.

“Well, hello there,” Jamie greeted him, her voice soft but flirty, and then—thatwink. The one that always managed to knock the air right out of his lungs.

“Pink,” she said casually.

He blinked. “Pink?”

“Seashell pink – with ribbons that tie on the side,” she replied, her smile full of mischief.

Kenneth almost choked.

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