Page 9 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

Liar.

“Riiiight,” he drew out and frowned. “Look, can I come in? It’s kind of an emergency – unless your husband or boyfriend is home?”

“I’m not seeing anyone – and sure not married. I’m kind of a mess in my own life right now. Why would I drag down someone else?”

“Oh,” he uttered and did a weird doubletake, looking at his son.

Ah ha… got ya.

“Do you need me to babysit your kid or something? He’s adorable and looks like a sweetheart,” she began easily tossing him a nervous smile before holding out her hands to the little boy, regardless of her shirt… and he dove toward her, chewing on his finger. He was so sweet, so cuddly, that she melted.

“C’mon, little fella,” she crooned easily like it was natural. “You just come with me,” she began and turned away, leaving Kenneth at the door, still talking. “I had a horrible day and could use a cookie. Do you want a cookie too?”

The boy’s eyes widened as he nodded, smiling at her and still chewing on his index finger – and her heart just melted.

“Um, can we talk?” Kenneth said behind her, seeming uncomfortable – and that probably should have sent up a red flag in her mind, but she was a woman and cuddling Kryptonite in her arms after having a good emotional cry.

“Sure,” she said distractedly, yanking a box of Toll House cookies out of the cabinet with one hand as she smiled at the boy. “Do you like these? These are my favorites…” and handed him a chocolate chip cookie and then took a bite of one herself before addressing Kenneth. “Go ahead. You can talk over my buddy Keebler, who is speaking loudly right now – What’s the frequency, Kenneth?”

And he grunted, half-chuckle and half-something else… surprise, maybe?

“R.E.M. fan, huh?”

“Music fan,” she replied simply, taking another bite as he walked inside her apartment finally and closed the door behind him. “I’m getting stuff all over your kid’s clothes, shoveling cookies in my mouth for comfort, and not in a great mood as my piggy toe is sticking out of my pantyhose. When I mentioned it was bad, I meant horrific. So, if you could do me a huge favor and just say whatever it is so I can get this day over and start job hunting all over again, that’d be great,” she finished in a droll voice.

“You’re looking for a job?”

“That’s what usually what happens when you quit or get fired.”

“You don’t put up with much, do you?”

“My tolerance level forbiscuitsis pretty low, but my magnitude for everything else is epic. Again, whatcha need?” she asked, taking another bite of cookie.

“I need you to marry me.”

No preamble.

No warm-up.

Just toss the bomb and watch the detonation happen… and it did. Her cookie stuck in her throat. Lodged firmly. Her eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief, and a few crumbs flew out at her attempt to cough.

Graceful, I know.

She couldn’t breathe, and ‘Death from Keebler’ wasn’t on her list of things to do in this world before passing.

“Did you hear me?” Kenneth said curiously. “I need you to marry me - tomorrow.”

Oh my gosh, he wasn’t joking… and I’m choking?

Yep.

She was choking all right, pointing at her throat, and she put the little boy down on the counter, frantically moving for a cup to get some water. Anything to push this dough-ball-of-chocolatey-sweetness past the point of no return. This was a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ moment – she loved her cookies, and they were going to put hersix feet under.

Toll House was her poison.

“Are you okay?” Kenneth asked as it suddenly clicked, moving to her side as Jamie looked at him frantically, clawing at her throat, shaking her head. And to her absolute horror (completely with a feminine awakening within her that was just as startling), Kenneth grabbed her by the waist, and he turned her around at the counter, taking a stance behind her, and she grabbed the counter to keep from faceplanting into the sink because she was unbalanced. His arms encircled her, her backside firmly lodged against his pelvis in a way that made her guardian angel do a somersaults as Kenneth put his fists together just under her bra line, in the middle of her ‘Frappuccino shower’ from earlier in the afternoon, and practically rammed her in the gut moving his fists in an upward motion, pulling her back against him, against his jeans.

*Cue the trumpets*

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