Zero Pucks (Punk as Puck #1)

by E.M. Lindsey

I’d made my choices that night. Just because my brother pushed my buttons didn’t mean this was his fault. It was hard to tell him that when he was busy marrying the woman who dumped me while I was still in rehab though.

She and Killian were getting closer by the day, and it didn’t take me long to realize she knew how to have her fiancé back. Same face, different name.

“Fuck it,” I muttered to myself. “I’m going to go make a mistake.”

“US education has failed you.” “It’s failed most of us, babe.”

“I’m married?” I groaned. “That’s incredibly unlikely. Definitely not legal.” I turned my head to glare at him. “What would you know, you fucking Canadian.”

“Tucker. Why am I cooking you a fancy dinner?” I perked up. “Um. Well….I may have invited Amedeo over to eat, and I don’t want to give my future ex-husband food poisoning, so I volunteered your services. Also, you can’t stay. You have to make us food and then leave right after.”

Having some beefy hockey players on my side was not the worst position I could be in if Bryce knew my exact location and decided to show up.

“Whoa, what? Hold your fucking balls.” “It’s hold the phone,” I corrected. He ignored me.

“Okay,” Jonah said, leaning back and cupping the side of his mouth like he was telling a secret, “the truth is, I’m illegally blind. If I get caught, they’re going to arrest me. And if I get convicted, they’re going to force me to take my eyes back and make me see again! So keep your voice down.”

“Another water, please. And—” I turned to Amedeo. “Babe. You want something else to drink?” He blinked. “Me? I’m babe?” “You’re babe,” I said with a tiny smile.

“You don’t look fine. You look like you need a—” A tongue in his mouth. A good, distracting orgasm. A cuddle, maybe? Anything to take that expression off his face.

We were two ships passing in the night who turned around and passed by each other again. But we weren’t destined. Right?

“Look, I kind of have this thing about me where I have zero chill at all. When I see something I want, unless it’s an actual crime, I usually go for it.”

“I want you. You figured that out, right?”

“Are you alright?” “Yeah. I am now.” Because of me? That couldn’t be possible. But his tone was so…warm. So relieved.

If he let me, he’d never know another day where he was lonely, or unappreciated, or unloved.

I’m not the kind of person who gives his heart away because I have no self-control. If I’m falling for someone, it’s for a reason.” “A-and…and are you?”

“You’re quiet.” “Reading,” I said. “Mm. Smut?” “Yeah. Real dirty shit. Lizard dick porn.”

I sighed. “Well, it’s not lizard dick porn. It’s my contract.” He perked up. “To be Team Daddy.” “If you fucking start that, Jonah, I will trade you.”

“I want to learn the game so I know what I’m doing when I cheer you on. I’m pretty sure I was yelling in excitement when you got in trouble the other night.” I grinned. God, I liked him so much.

I wanted to know his tender spots so I could soothe them. I wanted to see where all his scars were so I could make sure no one ever reopened those wounds.

On my better days, I could probably be called an advocate or whatever. But mostly, I just wanted to live my life. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to eat Hot Cheetos and sit on the couch all day and scratch my balls like every other douche bag hockey player on his off time.

“There aren’t words for the way it feels. It’s just…there. Every time I see you, you make me happy.”

And Amedeo loved me as I was. I wasn’t a meal ticket. I wasn’t a bridge to fame or notoriety. I was just…Tucker. The guy with no legs and one eye, who coached blind hockey and sometimes got goals on his sled team. And Deo wanted that. Deo was into it. The weird little fucker. God, I loved him so much.

And I knew that whatever I’d felt for Delia back then, if I hadn’t gotten in the accident, we would have ended in a messy divorce and me paying millions in alimony. I wasn’t the one losing in this whole thing. I’d won so much I almost felt sorry for my brother.

Former husband, current boyfriend, and my happily ever after.