Page 6 of Puck, Marry, Thrill

Kenneth felt the burn of his frustration rise again. “Terry, look, man, I’ve got a lot going on, and?—”

“They really want you, Ken,” Terry interrupted, his tone almost pleading now. “I think it would be great for Zachary to be among other families, other children, and people who have the same interests. Can you imagine flying on a private jet to out-of-town games and getting to take Zachary with you? They’re all about family—hockey, the Stanley Cup, a team atmosphere. What better way to raise your son than in a wholesome place where he’ll be welcomed?”

Kenneth felt the pull of the idea, the warmth of the fantasy tugging at his heart, but the reality was still too sharp to ignore. His responsibilities as a father came first, and no amount of money or opportunity could change that.

“Let me think about this…” Kenneth said quietly, his gaze softening as he looked at Zachary, who had moved to the counter, his little hands busy with a pile of toy cars.

“Think quickly because they are moving fast,” Terry said and paused. “And she was sleeping with the captain.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“No. I’m sorry, but I thought you knew.”

“I didn’t.”

“I don’t mean to push so hard, but seriously, think about their offer… okay? Oh, and I need to know what size Zachary wears?”

“What size?”

“Yeah, they are so big on families – they will be sending him a teddy bear and his own hockey jersey with your number on it, in his size. Isn’t that sweet?”

Kenneth swallowed and looked at his son.

“A fresh start, a nice chunk of change, a new environment that puts family first… all for a little piece of paper. I mean, if you think about it, it could be someone you can tolerate who knows Zachary. Heck, just marry his nanny and do this for the both of you.”

“Lemme call you back,” Kenneth said hoarsely, his voice rough with the weight of something he couldn’t yet name.

“Sounds good,” came the soft reply on the other end of the line, and then the call ended with a quiet click that somehow echoed louder in his ears than it should have.

He stood still for a moment, the phone still in his hand, staring at the dark screen like it might offer him answers. But it didn’t. It never did. His chest felt tight like he’d been holding his breath without realizing it, and now he wasn’t sure how to let it go. His thoughts spun out fast—chaotic, loud, overlapping—and yet outside, the room remained silent, painfully calm in contrast.

A slow breath dragged out of him as he slid the phone into his pocket. He moved toward the food laid out before him, trying to go through the motions, to pretend like everything was normal. Making up his plate—something so simple, so automatic—felt strangely foreign now. His hands moved, but his mind was elsewhere, caught in the storm of too many emotions all crashing into each other.

When he went back to practice on Monday, the first thing he was going to do would be to talk to Mark, the center for the team that slept with his ex-wife. Just knowing that she slept around with his teammate hurt and embarrassed him - but apparently she was also sleeping with the captain of the team now, too?

He never thought of himself as a prideful person, but everyone had their limits… you know? It made him feel terrible, like a lesser man, because he couldn’t keep his wife happy, and she actually had the nerve to look to his team to select her next lover.

Eh…um… correction: Lovers.

Yeah, he had to make a change but doing so would require more than one.

A wife.

Marriage.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” he whispered, staring at the food – and promptly lost his appetite. “Zach-Attack, buddy, are you hungry?”

“Pway?” his son asked, giving him a charming smile and holding up a car.

“Yeah, we’ll play in a minute. Do you want to go for a walk with Daddy?”

“Yeah!”

“C’mon, buddy. Daddy needs some fresh air – and a miracle.”

2

JAMIE

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