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11

KENNETH

Jamie was killing him in the best ways possible – and he couldn’t get enough of her. Every time he turned around, she was giving him a side-eyed glance, a knowing smile, or blatantly rocking his world with the weirdest text messages. In fact, he had to stop checking his text messages in the locker room because it just made for a very awkward silence when he reacted.

I bought baby oil and a blow-up pool…

Sweetie, I’m at work.

And I’m at home missing you.

I miss you too.

I’ll put on Spongebob Squarepants and meet you in the garage, Snack Cake.

And she did.

But it didn’t stop there – and Kenneth was well aware of what a blessed man he was.

What about two in the afternoon – at practice.

Sure.

November.

Thanksgiving at Acton’s house?

We can steal a few moments?

Thanksgiving ain’t done until dessert is served.

Sometimes, she would be texting someone, look up and give him a little smile… and he knew there was a dirty message from his wife on his cell phone when he got back to his locker. Other times, Jamie would give him a slow wink just to let him know she was thinking about him, and then she was back to normal like nothing had happened.

He never realized marriage to someone could be this good or marriage to your best friend could be indescribable. And to think that someone like her had been living next to him, unknown, for years. He couldn’t imagine life without her in it anymore and realized today that he hadn’t even thought of Candi once since he’d last seen her in court.

Good riddance, too.

Jamie was like a breath of fresh air that he didn’t know he desperately needed – for both of them.

At that thought, he turned to look at Zachary who was playing with a hockey stick and sitting in the penalty box, close enough but contained, where he felt like he was part of the team. The guys were great about him, and Jamie was always watching, waiting, holding her phone as if she was poised to get an impromptu photo for the internet.

The team was all here now. They were learning their places and how to function as a team together with very few changes – which was great. And even better, the Wolverines supported and pushed the idea of family, teamwork, and being a part of this environment. The kids were welcome at practice so long as they didn’t cause a problem or try to get on the ice.

Kenneth’s heart was still thundering in his chest, the adrenaline of a hard-fought practice pulsing through every muscle in his body. Sweat trickled down his temple beneath his helmet, and his breath came in steady, deep pulls as he stood on the ice, gliding slowly in circles while his thoughts raced far faster than his skates ever could.

He was thinking about her.

The way Jamie smiled at him from the stands. The way her eyes lit up when she saw him skating. The way her laugh wrapped around his soul and made the world tilt just a little more in his favor. It never failed. No matter how brutal the drills or how long the hours were, seeing her there—waiting, watching, loving—made it all worth it.

“And I think we’re done for the day…” Coach Starnes called out, slicing through his reverie with a voice full of authority. “I want you to bring that same gusto to the ice next week when we have our first game – you got me?”

“Yes, sir!” Kenneth shouted in unison with the team, the echo of pads being slapped and sticks clacking against the ice filling the rink. The camaraderie was real—he loved these guys—but right now, his mind was only on one thing—or rather, one person .

Instead of trailing off to the locker room like the rest of the team, Kenneth cut sharply toward the boards, heading straight for her. He didn’t care that he was drenched in sweat or that his uniform reeked of hard work and long hours—none of that mattered. Not when she was right there, just feet away. Not when he had a chance to see her, to say hello, to maybe hold his boy for just a moment.

He tore off his helmet as he skated closer, gripping it in one gloved hand, and then—there it was.

Her eyes met his.

And just like that, something inside him lit up. A spark so potent it felt like lightning had struck the center of his chest. The whole world stilled. The noise of the team, the squeak of blades on ice, the calls and laughter around him—all of it faded. It was just Jamie now.

I love that woman, he thought fiercely, feeling a flutter in his chest that had nothing to do with exertion and everything to do with the aching, all-consuming feeling rising inside of him. I really love her with everything that I am. This is so much more than anything I’ve ever felt before.

“Well, hello there,” Jamie greeted him, her voice soft but flirty, and then— that wink. The one that always managed to knock the air right out of his lungs.

“Pink,” she said casually.

He blinked. “Pink?”

“Seashell pink – with ribbons that tie on the side,” she replied, her smile full of mischief.

Kenneth almost choked.

His mouth went dry, and his heart tripped over itself as her words sank in. His gaze dropped to her sweater, the modest one she always wore like a proper mom, like someone who didn’t beg for attention. But now? He knew better. That sweet little outfit was nothing but a distraction—because beneath it was something playful and sinful, something meant just for him.

She gets a thrill out of wrecking me, he thought. And she knows exactly how to do it.

“I love pink…” he murmured, his voice hoarse with wonder, his eyes helplessly glued to her lips.

And then she bit her bottom lip, just barely, but enough to make his knees weaken. That smile she gave him wasn’t just flirtation—it was a promise, a dare, and a memory of every moment they’d shared when no one else was watching.

“I know you do,” she whispered, her voice dropping to that smoky hush that always made his pulse spike. She was looking at him like she saw through every layer of bravado and right down to the man underneath. “Can I get a photo of you on the ice?”

“Me?” he repeated, stunned.

“You look incredibly sexy right now,” she said, stepping closer.

Kenneth almost stumbled back out of habit, expecting the usual cringe or complaint. Candi—his ex—used to grimace at his sweat, his gear, and the smell of hard work. She made him feel like his life, his passion, was a burden. But Jamie?

Jamie stepped closer.

She inhaled —on purpose—and let out the softest sigh of contentment.

“I love that you smell like a man – my man,” she whispered, her voice dripping with affection and heat.

And that was it.

The helmet slipped from his hand. His stick dropped to the ice with a thud. He didn’t think—he moved . In one sweeping motion, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, right there on the rink in full view of everyone.

The kiss wasn’t gentle.

It was claiming. Desperate. Deep and rough around the edges, like the ache in his chest had finally found release. She melted into him, arms winding around his neck, and for one perfect moment, nothing else existed. Just the taste of her—peaches and something warm and right—and the overwhelming truth of how much he needed her.

Whistles rang out. Someone catcalled. He could vaguely hear the coach yelling, “Y’all break that up!” and somewhere, Zachary was shrieking with laughter. But Kenneth couldn’t tear himself away.

She’s everything, he thought as he pulled back, breathless.

Her face was flushed, her eyes dreamy, and that smug little smile that always made him weak was curving her lips.

“We’ll finish this later,” he said roughly, his voice low with promise.

“Heck yeah, we will, ya’ big yummy Snack,” she breathed back, leaning closer. “I’ll be washing your back tonight.”

He groaned softly, unable to stop the full-body shiver that ran through him. “You’re killing me,” he whispered, dazed. “I’ve gotta go in the locker room with the other guys – and I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“If someone asks why you’re all hot and bothered - tell Acton he’s sexy,” she said with a shrug like it was nothing.

“ Never ,” he laughed, but then paused. “Wait - do you think he’s sexy?”

“Ugh, no, but he looks like a freak who might laugh if you teased him about it. Now, where’s my picture?”

“Where’s mine ?” he asked, dropping his voice to that intimate rumble he knew made her blush.

“On your phone,” she replied saucily.

His eyes widened as laughter burst from him again. He’d been teasing—but the thought that she might’ve actually sent him a photo? Of her seashell pink underwear? It made his head spin and his heart gallop.

“I…” he started, the words I love you sitting right there on the tip of his tongue.

But then he faltered.

A strange wave of nerves hit him. Not because he didn’t mean it—he meant it with everything he had. But because it was big . Too big for this noisy rink and the smell of sweat and ice and rubber.

“I’m grabbing Zachary and heading out on the ice – get ready to get your picture, Sweetheart,” he said instead.

And then he did just that.

He skated over to where his son stood, little arms outstretched, eyes wide with excitement. Kenneth scooped him up and perched him on his shoulder, their laughter echoing together.

“Hang on to Daddy, buddy,” Kenneth said softly, his voice catching just a little in his throat. He wasn’t sure if it was the cold air or the swell of emotion, but he knew this moment – this simple, ordinary moment – was one he’d remember for the rest of his life.

His eyes were locked on Jamie as he spoke as if some magnetic pull wouldn’t let him look away. She stood just outside the rink, her hands clasped together in front of her, her hair a tousled mess from the wind, damp from a flurry that had caught them all earlier. Beautiful. Radiant. And entirely unaware of the way she unraveled him with every soft smile, every glance that lingered too long.

“Your hair is all wet,” Zachary announced. His voice, innocent and full of concern, pulled Kenneth back into the moment. He looked down to see those intelligent brown eyes so like his own, blinking up at him. “I don’t want to fall down…”

The words hit Kenneth square in the chest, full of excitement, trust, and love, and he swallowed hard. Even if his kid was scared of falling, he trusted him implicitly.

“I won’t fall, kiddo. You’ve got me.”

Then came the pleading, the joy of a little boy who was learning what it meant to feel safe, and cherished, and unafraid. He hefted him on his shoulders, listening to Zachary’s excitement and laughter while Jamie snapped her photos.

“Daddy, do a circle! Skate in a circle…”

Kenneth chuckled, the sound low and filled with warmth. He brushed a wind-tossed curl from his son's forehead and nodded.

“Only if you hang on, buddy,” he replied with a smile, looking up again—always, always looking for her.

And there she was. Jamie.

He didn’t know how she did it—how she could be so still and yet command his entire world. How her presence could stretch across the ice and wind its way through him, wrapping around his heart like a lifeline.

Kenneth’s smile deepened as Zachary squealed in delight, clinging tighter to his neck. They spun gently, his skates gliding carefully over the smooth surface, and Kenneth couldn't stop marveling at the transformation he'd seen in his son. Zachary had always been a quiet child, cautious and sensitive, his world a little too big and a little too uncertain after the chaos of the divorce. But now—now he laughed. Now, he wanted circles. Now, he wanted more.

And it was because of her .

Jamie hadn’t just been good for him—she had breathed new life into both of them. She'd brought laughter back to their home. She filled the empty corners of rooms that had once felt hollow. Her presence was like a soft rain after a long drought. Healing. Necessary. Unavoidable.

Kenneth felt his chest ache, his emotions coiling tight beneath his ribs. The odds of two strangers finding each other like this—by chance, bound by a piece of paper, it was absurd. A fake marriage — a solution born out of desperation and timing with a touch of madness.

But it hadn’t stayed fake for long.

He was in love with her. Fully, deeply, painfully.

And he wanted her to know.

Not in passing. Not in a moment of weakness. But truly know —in her bones, in her heart—that this wasn’t pretend anymore. Not to him. Not when she looked at him, and the world stopped turning for just a second. Not when she laughed, and he felt like a man reborn. Not when he lay awake at night, longing not for her body—but for her heart.

Her thoughts. Her dreams. Her fears.

This had to be more than attraction. More than stolen moments and nervous glances. He didn’t want to be a placeholder, didn’t want to be some temporary comfort. He wanted to be her future. Her partner. Her safe place.

But what if she didn’t want that?

The thought pierced him. The idea of Jamie smiling at him, loving his son, helping him rebuild... only to walk away tore at something raw and bleeding inside him. He remembered those first few months after Candi left—the silence of the house, the relentless self-doubt, the fear that he was too broken to ever try again. But this? Jamie ?

Losing her would be worse. It would destroy him.

And Zachary.

They were both tethered to her now, helplessly and completely. She had come into their lives like a gift they didn’t know they needed—and now he couldn’t imagine a day without her.

Kenneth blinked hard against the sting in his eyes as he swung around, positioning Zachary in front of him. He gently placed his son’s tiny sneakers on the ice, careful to keep him balanced. The little boy laughed, holding tightly to his gloved fingers, and Kenneth guided him forward slowly, proudly.

Then he looked up.

Jamie was still watching them, her expression unreadable—but her eyes were soft, shining, and for just a second, he let himself hope.

He was madly in love with his wife.

Heaven help him, he had it bad .