Page 38 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

“It is,” Kenneth replied, already moving it aside with a sweep of his hand. “Zach is five and still really little, so I prefer to have a net in place to keep him from falling out of bed—but when he gets much older we won’t need that. But it still has a certain ‘cool’ factor, doesn’t it?”

He smiled down at Zachary, who looked up at him like he hung the stars. Jamie’s heart clenched. There were moments you didn’t forget. This was going to be one of them.

“It moves easily, and when he’s going to bed, instead of having a bed guard—he can have a hockey goal that will do the same thing,” Kenneth said, voice softer now as he turned to her. “We can remove it later on if it becomes an eyesore.”

She shook her head slowly, still drinking it all in.

“No, it’s fine—I just forget that we’re part of a different community now,” she murmured. Her voice sounded far away like she was still catching up emotionally. “You don’t need files copied, mailings organized, meetings set up, or PowerPoints made for you—and it’s easy to forget that we’re in a completely different universe.”

Kenneth stepped closer, his gaze steady. “We are what we make our family—hockey is just an extension of that.”

“Exactly,” Boucher added, nodding, before he bumped knuckles with Zachary, then Kenneth, and—after a moment’s hesitation—with her too. It made her smile.

Jamie pulled out her phone, brushing a piece of hair from her face. “Let’s get a few photos so I can begin creating a few promos for the team,” she said, already clicking away, capturing the scene. The boys, the bed, the joy. The first moments of home.

* * *

Hours had passed in a blur, the kind of day that left her physically aching and emotionally threadbare. Jamie rubbed the back of her neck as she tiptoed down the narrow hallway of the new house, stepping over stray toys and around half-unpacked boxes that lined the walls like forgotten memories. Zachary’s bedroom was dimly lit by a soft nightlight. He was fighting sleep the way only a tired child could—whimpering, restless, too worn out to stay awake but too overstimulated to drift off.

She knelt beside his bed, brushing a lock of hair off his flushed forehead. “Shh, Zachary. It’s okay,” she murmured softly, tucking the blanket around his small frame. His fingers curled around hers instinctively, a silent plea for comfort. Jamie stayed like that for a moment, letting the weight of the day settle. A move. A new job. A new town. And now, this house that barely felt like home yet. She pressed a kiss to Zachary’s forehead, whispered good night, and gently slipped her hand free.

Jamie knew she was lucky that they’d taken to each other so easily.

Out in the living room, Boucher stood awkwardly beside the couch, surrounded by stacks of boxes and furniture still wrapped in moving blankets. Jamie offered him a weary smile as she handed over a folded pile of sheets and a couple of extra blankets. They were mismatched—one covered in cartoon whales, the other a faded gray—but they’d have to do for now.

“Here. Couch is all yours tonight,” she said, her voice softer now that Zachary was asleep.

“Thanks,” Boucher said, taking them with a nod. There was a heaviness to his expression that mirrored her own fatigue. It was more than just the exhaustion of the day—it was the weight of uncertainty. He looked like he hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in a week.

The silence between them stretched for a beat, not uncomfortable, but contemplative. Jamie looked around the cluttered room and sighed. The chaos didn’t feel quite so isolating knowing they weren’t alone in it. Kenneth was putting away a few last-minute boxes – which is why she had sheets for Boucher.

“House is still a wreck and full of boxes,” she muttered, half to herself.

Boucher gave a low chuckle. “I wish mine was. I can’t catch a break.”

Jamie leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, as she watched him start to make up the couch. “You’re still trying to find a place?”

“Yeah,” he replied, dragging a hand through his hair. “Hitting every roadblock you can imagine – and then some.”

“You know, if you need anything, all you have to do is say the word.”

“I know – Kenneth said the same thing. He’s always been an amazing friend, and it’s good to see him again, and it’s nice to see the both of you happy.”

Jamie nodded, sympathy tugging at her chest. She knew what it was like to be juggling too much with too little support. They were all just trying to find their footing as the team came together. Once the season really took off, there would be practices, meetings, and games all the time.

According to Kenneth, the only players who had managed to make the move without disaster had been the guys who'd rented or purchased a condo—Acton and Lafreniere. Jamie could imagine them now, sitting in their clean, organized spaces, not tripping over boxes or digging through bags to find a toothbrush. She let out a quiet laugh, the sound tinged with disbelief.

“Apparently the only ones who had an easy time with the move were those who opted to take condos instead—Acton and Lafreniere.” Boucher muttered, giving a half-smile, already flopping down onto the now-covered couch. “And Savage hit the jackpot,” he added, shaking his head. “His wife had a place here she inherited.”

Jamie let out a low whistle. “Must be nice.” She just stood there a moment longer, taking in the quiet, the warmth of the space slowly beginning to seep in despite the chaos.

“Right?”

“Get some rest, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night – and Jamie?”

Jamie paused at the hallway, one hand on the entryway. “Yeah?”

---