Page 46 of Pucking the Single Dad
The bowling alley was a sensory assault of cosmic lighting, divorced-dad rock, and the overwhelming smell of nachos and broken dreams. Half the team was already there, their chaos contained to lanes 6 through 12.
Kelly spotted us first, nearly dropping her radioactive-orange bowling ball. "FINALLY! Derek, you owe me fifty bucks! I told you they'd go public before playoffs!"
"We're not—" I started.
"We're together," Serena interrupted smoothly, sliding under my arm like she'd been doing it for years. "Sorry to keep you all in suspense."
My brain short-circuited at the word 'together.' Serena's hand found mine, squeezing once—play along.
"About fucking time," Derek muttered, then quickly covered Finn's ears. "I mean, about fudging time."
"I know the F-word, Uncle Derek," Finn said patiently. "Mom used it when she burned cookies."
The evening became a masterclass in public intimacy. Serena cheered for my bowling like I was performing neurosurgery instead of throwing gutter balls. I kept finding excuses to touch her—hand on her back, fingers throughhers, tucking her hair behind her ear. Every contact felt like completing a circuit, electricity sparking between us.
"You're about as subtle as a brick to the face," Theo announced, materializing with Maria attached to his side like a gorgeous barnacle.
"Subtlety is for people without custody battles," Maria said, stealing someone's beer. "Besides, the PI Sarah's parents hired has been taking photos from the arcade section for twenty minutes."
We all turned. A man in a cap suddenly became fascinated by the claw machine.
"How did you—"
"Theo's guy has been tailing him for three days," Maria explained. "We've got surveillance on the surveillance. Very meta."
"My guy also got his credit card records," Theo added casually. "Dude's got concerning internet purchase history. Lots of night vision equipment and a disturbing amount of beef jerky."
"Is that legal?" Serena asked.
"Is anything Theo does legal?" Maria countered.
"I resent that. Some of my activities exist in legal gray areas."
"That's not better," I pointed out.
"Look," Theo got serious, which happened about as often as solar eclipses. "Sarah's parents want to play dirty? We'll play dirtier. Coach already wrote a statement about your 'exceptional balance of professional and parental responsibilities.' Threeteammates' wives are providing affidavits about your home environment. The team lawyer—"
"The team has a lawyer?" Serena asked, surprised.
"The team has several lawyers. Hockey players make poor life choices." He gestured vaguely at himself. "Point is, you're not alone in this."
The support hit me like a check into the boards. I'd spent two years building walls, convinced that needing help was admitting failure. But here was my team, my chosen family, ready to fight for me and Finn without being asked.
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll stop being a martyr-complex wrapped in hockey gear," Maria suggested. "Also, say you'll kiss Serena because the PI's definitely recording and we should give him something good."
"Maria!" Serena protested, but her cheeks were pink.
"What? It's strategic." Maria's grin was pure evil. "Unless you've been practicing already?"
The gala kiss hung between us, unspoken but radioactive.
"Dad and Miss Serena kiss all the time," Finn announced, returning from his third trip to the snack bar. "I saw them in the kitchen yesterday."
We absolutely had not kissed in the kitchen yesterday.
"Finn—"
