Page 53 of The Fake WIfe Playbook

He reaches for my hand, and it’s as if we’ve had a meeting of our minds and hearts.

This feels real.

Tooreal. But it doesn’t keep mr from falling further into him.

25

FINN

A DAY WITH TWO THINGS I ADORE THE MOST

Boarding isa penalty called when a player checks or hits an opponent violently into the boards (the walls around the rink), especially if it’s dangerous or from behind. And I’m like a bull in a china shop, filled with an abundance of adrenaline and energy because it’s my day with the Stanley Cup!

I body-slam Kate’s door like I’m busting into a playoff game. There’s no mercy.

The sun’s not up, but it’s my day with the Stanley Cup, and I have the adrenaline of a golden retriever on espresso.

“Eyes open, princess. Stanley says good morning!” I shout, already laughing.

There are some muffled groans from under the covers. A thud. Possibly a curse. I can’t wait a minute longer. I nudge the door open with my foot and step into the room like a hero returning from battle—barefoot, dressed in my Championship T-shirt that’s wrinkled, and my hair is still damp from the world’s fastest shower.

And in my arms? Lord Stanley. In all his ridiculous, glorious, silver glory.

Kate has managed to sit up in bed, and she’s blinking like I’m ahallucination. She’s got that soft, confused morning face that kills me every time.

“Is that…real?” she asks, voice scratchy.

I lift the Cup like I’m presenting a damn Oscar. “Realer than my GPA in college.”

She stares.

I beam. “Meet my new best friend,” I tell her, dead serious. “He might be cold, high-maintenance, and shaped like a wedding cake, but I think you two will get along.”

I drop her coffee—triple shot oat milk latte, her usual—on the nightstand like an offering, then lean in and kiss her temple. She still smells like sleep, dryer sheets, andme.

I love that she smells like me, and she’s still wearing one of the one-hundred Championship T-shirts I now own.

“No time for pants,” I say, eyeing her legs. “You’re already dressed like a champion.”

She groans and flops back on the bed. “It’s 6 A.M.”

“Exactly. We only get this day once. The Cup waits for no one.”

“Youpromisedyou wouldn’t wake me up like a psychopath,” she says, but she’s smiling.

“I lied,” I reply impishly.

Kate's laughing into her pillow, and that’s when I know today will be perfect. She lifts the pillow and aims it at my head. I deflect it easily because I have the reflexes of a ninja.

I turn to her and hold out a hand. “Come on. Let’s go make terrible choices.”

“We already did that!” She snickers. I’m doomed because the way she looks at me makes me feel like the only man in the world.

I chuckle. I love her sense of humor. She’s becoming accustomed to our married life, and it makes me happy. The fact that she makes jokes about our unconventional beginning is a bonus.

I also love the fact that she’s coming with me on today’s adventure. I’m not quite sure how the day will unfold, but I’m sure it will be memorable.

Kate stands and downs the coffee like it’s a challenge, throwing mea look over the rim that says, “Buckle up.”Sheskips to the shower with that championship swagger I swear she’s been hiding since we met.