Page 54 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

He didn’t back down from a fight.

Not when it mattered.

Not when it was personal.

He squared his shoulders and turned toward the locker room. Because victory wasn’t just on the ice, it was in showing up when it mattered most – and if Jett didn’t want to discuss things with him, then maybe it was time to bring in ‘the big guns’.

Jamie.

* * *

That night, after Zachary had finally drifted off to sleep, Kenneth stood at the edge of his son’s bed for a long moment, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest. There was something grounding in that quiet, something steady and warm about the way Zach clutched his stuffed dinosaur under one arm, his lashes resting softly on his cheeks. Kenneth smiled faintly, brushing a hand over the boy’s messy curls, and eased out of the room with a sigh.

He closed the door quietly behind him and leaned against the frame. The house was dim now, shadows painting long strokes across the walls, and the hush felt like a weight pressing into his chest. The kind of silence that didn’t calm—it only reminded him of everything left unsaid.

He rubbed the back of his neck, hesitant. How did someone even start a conversation like this?

Talking to your wife about another couple's failing marriage was not exactly romantic pillow talk. It was the kind of conversation that made things tense, that could derail a perfectly good night—the kind of night where he wanted to hold Jamie close and get lost in her laughter, her warmth, her scent. But he couldn’t shake the image of Jett earlier that evening; jaw clenched, eyes stormy, words bitten back too late.

Kenneth had seen regret before. He’d tasted it. And whatever was happening with Jett—whatever wasfesteringunder the surface—felt like something dangerous. Like a crack in the ice that could spread if they ignored it too long.

He was still lost in thought when Jamie stepped into the room.

She appeared like a vision in the soft golden light of the bathroom doorway, one hand on the frame, the other on her hip. She wore lingerie he’d never seen before—black lace and deep red satin that clung to her in all the ways that made his brain short-circuit and his blood rush south. His heart skipped a beat. His breath caught in his throat.

And then she froze.

“What’s wrong?” Jamie’s voice rose in panic, her playful pose collapsing. “Is this not what you’re looking for? Do I have TP stuck to me…?”

Kenneth blinked, startled back to the present, and immediately shook his head. “No… oh gosh, no.”

His voice cracked, and he did a double take, because—goodness. She looked incredible. His jaw worked for a moment before words caught up to the thought. Jamie was amazing—every single day. Wildly unfiltered, genuinely kind, and heartbreakingly beautiful, especially when she didn’t even try to be. She was the kind of woman who threw herself on top of his son to tickle him until they both laughed so hard they snorted. Who kissed Zach good night like he was her own flesh and blood. Who loved with everything she had and never looked back.

Kenneth felt the twist of guilt and love churn in his chest.

“Jamie,” he started softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed and resting his elbows on his knees. “One of the guys on the team is having a tough time with his wife—and he’s one of the ones that married to take the job.”

She stilled. “Like you.”

He nodded. “Like me.”

Jamie padded into the room, her footsteps soft against the floor. “And it’s not going so great.”

Kenneth shook his head, the tension in his shoulders tightening further. “Not like this,” he said honestly, looking up into her eyes. “I know what a miracle this is and how lucky I am…”

“How luckyweare,” she corrected, her voice a quiet balm as she sat beside him and slid her hand into his. Her thumb brushed over his knuckles. Warm. Reassuring.

Kenneth swallowed hard, overwhelmed again by how deeply she got him. “It’s Jett. I don’t think he and his wife are… together. He said something tonight about regret and got really mad after it slipped.”

Jamie winced. “Regret? Karen’s a sweetie, but they are very different.”

“But so are we,” Kenneth replied gently. He turned to face her, eyes searching hers. “I think if they can talk, reach each other, or…”

“You are such a sweet man, aren’t you?” Jamie whispered, touching his cheek. The affection in her gaze nearly undid him.

Kenneth flushed, glancing away. This was all too vulnerable. Too tender. It felt like emotional territory he wasn’t supposed to be walking into—especially not about someone else’s marriage. But it mattered. Itallmattered. The team. Jett. His family. This woman beside him.

“Sometimes you can’t help everyone, Snack Cake,” she murmured. “No matter how hard you try.”

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