Page 14 of Pucks, Lies, and Sticktape

He jumped wildly as he heard a loud pop and saw Jeannie flinch before she paled. “What was that?”

“A mousetrap.”

“Seriously? Those are inhumane…”

“You think I don’t know that?” she snapped, looking green around the gills. “I tried the humane ones, and they didn’t work.”

“Whaddya mean ‘they didn’t work.’”

“The tar paper one I tried first,well… ‘Mickey’ was too strong and got away… and much too big for the catch and release box.”

“Wait, what? How big is ‘Mickey’?” he asked – and stared at her in shock as she held up her hands. “Mickey is…a rat? That’s not a mouse, but a rat. We’re leaving.”

“Don’t judge me…”

“Not judging,” he shot back in disbelief, picking up her suitcase and pulling the backpack off her shoulder. “This is me, not judging you, but rather telling you that as my wife, you’ll pick whatever you want, wherever you want, and you’ll never have to live on a mattress on the floor again.”

“Fake wife,” she muttered under her breath and nearly collided with him as he came to a stop and turned around, looking at her in dismay. He was barely twenty-five years old as of last month and wasn’t ready to be tied down. He wanted to have fun, live his life, and celebrate the fact that he got paid to play a game he loved.

“We haven't even left for Quebec yet,” he whispered, searching her eyes and feeling dread in his chest, hot and heavy. “If you are scared, talk to me. If you are nervous, let’s take a moment and figure it out – but the last thing I want to do is for you to be miserable when all I’m trying to do is help and ultimately making me miserable, and I mean that in the best way possible.”

They stood there looking at each other with the hum of the window unit buzzing in the distance – and Matthieu fought back a shiver.

“I want to be your friend. You seem like a nice person; let me be one in return to a person that I believe is worthy of having some kindness thrown your way,” he said softly, his eyes searching hers. “If you want to skydive off a plane, say the word, and we’ll go. If you want to go skiing, again tell me. If we’re going to make this work and seem believable then we’ll need communication – and there might be a day that comes where you say ‘No more’… and I would honor that as your friend,” he whispered. “I’m trusting you to share my world, my life, and become a friend – can you give me the same chances in return, knowing we live different lives and come from different worlds? It’s not me judging, Jeannie – I swear it – it’s me wanting to provide better for someone I am choosing to place value in. Does that make sense?”

Her bright eyes glistened as she stared at him. It was that little wobble to her chin that was almost his undoing… only for her to hold out a hand to him, to shake. It was so darn cute that he couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips and shook his head.

“We’re pretending, remember?” he whispered and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “Thank you for jumping into this adventure with me.”

“Thank you for picking me to tag along.”

He straightened up, looked at her, and nodded. “Let’s go – and we can tell the office on the way out that you’re moving. I’ll pay out the remainder of your lease… oh, and where was the trap?”

“In the bathroom – why?”

“I’m gonna leave your stalker-buddy a present at his doorway. What floor is he on?” he chuckled, grimacing at theidea of touching some vermin-infested carcass the size of his hand. He heard Jeannie’s laugh as she put a hand on his shoulder, nudging him forward away from Mickey.

“Leave it, and let’s go.”

“As you wish,wife,” he shot back playfully and shared a smile with her.

An hour later, after dealing with the fiasco at the apartment manager’s office, Matthieu was ready to go inside and kick off his shoes. Fallon had called, verifying the details, and emailed him the contract, the houses, and other information he might need – and it was kinda nice to be listening to what his agent said with Jeannie there beside him.

Matthieu pushed the door open and turned slightly, waiting for her to step inside before following. He wanted to see her reaction—to watch the moment awe settled across her delicate features.

The apartment wasn’t extravagant in size, but it was refined, every inch exuding quiet luxury. Plush furnishings, rich wooden floors, and soft lighting created a warmth that contrasted with the cool, modern lines of the high-rise. But none of that compared to the view.

Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the endless stretch of ocean beyond, the moonlight kissing the waves, turning them into liquid silver. The city lights sparkled in the distance, a contrast of chaos and serenity. The first time he’d stood in this very spot, staring out at that horizon, he had felt something deep in his chest—an ache, a longing, and then, a quiet satisfaction. He hadmade it. He had reached a place where he could breathe. And now, he wanted that for her.

Jeannie stepped forward, her movements slow, reverent. She didn’t say a word at first, only stood in the center of the living room, eyes wide, lips parted in stunned wonder. The glow of the city reflected in her gaze, making her look even more ethereal. He watched her, drinking in every shift of emotion on her face—the disbelief, the amazement, the yearning she might not have even realized she was revealing.

He stepped up behind her, close enough that his breath stirred the strands of her hair as he lowered his voice to a murmur, intimate and filled with something deeper than just words.

“Keep that same feeling in mind when we look at the houses,” he breathed. “I want you to be amazed and happy existing there.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, tinged with awe. “That’s incredible…”

His lips quirked into a small smile. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

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