Page 10 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

Hallelujah!

“You can’t die…”

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

I know, right?!she thought, panicking,but maybe THIS is the way to go? Doing a full-clothed Heimlich maneuver against the hottest man in creation with your backside getting all cuddly with his front side. Dang, I wish we were both naked right now – except his kid is here – and that would be awkward, but then again – you know what? … So is choking!

“I need your help…”

Keep helping me! Keep helping me!

“Gimme…a… chance…” he grunted with each thrust under her abdomen, and she wasn’t sure what was more impressive – the way the cookie shot out of her, making an arc across the breakfast bar, the feeling of those hands being so aggressive, or the way he felt standing behind her.

Hallelujah!

That first drag of breath in her lungs said it all as she audibly sucked in wind hard enough to hear an audible whoosh, and then heard his chuckle behind her.

“Wow,” he began.

“Wow,” she repeated, but for more than one reason.

“Wowie! Wow!” the little boy sitting on the counter beside her with rinkside seats to everything clapped his hands in excitement and joy, not knowing what just happened.

“Oh yeah, Zachary?” Kenneth began, rubbing her upper back with one hand as the other filled the glass with water, handing it to her as she drew in gulping breaths, everything hitting her at once.

She could havedied.

She could have choked to death here in her kitchen, and that would have been the end-all, be-all of crappy days. Her horrified eyes met Kenneth’s soft, dark, gentle ones as he nodded slowly.

“You’re okay. It’s gonna be okay. I promise…” he said quietly, as if he knew she was on the edge of breaking down all over again. That was scary for anyone, much less someone who already had a traumatic day followed by a bomb lobbed across the bow by this gorgeous man who’d saved her life.

“Yes,” she whispered, looking at him, simply grateful to have a second chance at whatever life tossed her way. His eyes widened for a moment before he hesitated and then seemed to let his shoulders slump as if the stress was leaving him at that simple word.

“I really need this, and I know we’re strangers, but…”

“You helped me. I will help you.”

“It’s not the same.”

“I know, but I also know we’ve both lived here for three years and haven’t said two words to each other in passing… so if it’s urgent for you like oxygen was for me – then I’ve got your back because you just had mine,” she said hoarsely, trying not to think of all the details floating in her mind of just how much her back was enjoying what just happened while her body struggled to continue existing in this world.

“We should talk,” he hesitated, “so you know the details of why.”

“Sure.”

“How about you come over so I can give Zachary his dinner – and you can eat with us.”

“I’m not keen on swallowing anything right now in solid form.”

“Do you like soup?” he smirked, giving her a lop-sided smile.

“I am a soup-fiend,” she replied, meeting his smile warily, realizing that if she agreed to do something as crazy as marry a stranger, her neighbor, then maybe she really did need to know the details… because marrying him made her a stepmom to this boy.

Whoa boy.

“Soup and talking sounds perfect,” she added, feeling nervous and grateful.

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