One Pucking Surprise (One Pucking #2)

Chapter 1

Zach

Wyatt drags Chloe over, throwing an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. “Zach, Lainey—best man, maid of honor. You two are going to be spending a lot of time together.”

Chloe beams, clearly pleased. “With our best friends working together, this wedding will be perfect. You two make the ultimate team.”

Lainey offers a tight, polite smile. The kind that says she’d rather be anywhere but here. She’s practically gift-wrapped in control issues, tied with a bow that reads, Handle with caution.

The rose-pink dress she’s wearing doesn’t help my resolve—fitted in all the right places, the silky fabric hugging her tall, willowy frame with an elegance that feels entirely unfair.

Her long blonde hair falls in loose waves down her back, soft and touchable, like it’s made to catch the light just right.

But it’s her eyes that demand attention—striking blue, sharp with focus, and flecked with a guarded determination.

Her smile may be warm and polite, but those eyes could slice through steel when she’s annoyed.

And annoyed is her default setting around me.

I’d have to be blind not to notice Lainey, but any stray appreciation gets buried under the pile of color-coded schedules she’s been shoving my way.

She’s treating this wedding like a military operation, and I’m her least cooperative soldier.

I respect attention to detail—in small doses—but this? I’d rather wing it and call it a night.

I raise an eyebrow. “We already are spending a lot of time together. Isn’t that right, Lainey?”

Her lips pull into a flat line. “Only because you keep ignoring all the plans I send you.”

“Oh, I read them. I just don’t see the need to treat a wedding like it’s the final play in the Cup.”

Chloe stifles a laugh, nudging Lainey gently. “Maybe you could meet him halfway? A little flexibility wouldn’t hurt, right?”

Lainey sighs, glancing at Chloe like she’s betrayed her. “Flexibility and Zach? I don’t think those two words belong in the same sentence.”

Wyatt laughs, planting a quick kiss on Chloe’s cheek. “Alright, we’re leaving you two to figure this out.” With a wink, he guides Chloe away, but not before she gives me a playful warning look.

“Try to play nice, Zach,” Chloe calls over her shoulder, her tone teasing but carrying a hint of seriousness.

I watch them disappear into the crowd, leaving me and Lainey standing alone in the middle of their engagement party, locked in a silent stare-off.

The room is buzzing, the kind of lively energy you’d expect when half the city is still talking about our Stanley Cup win. Last week, the LA Knights closed out Game 7 with a comeback no one saw coming, and the champagne hasn’t stopped flowing since.

But tonight? Tonight isn’t about hockey. It’s about Wyatt and Chloe and this party they’re throwing like it’s the wedding itself.

Lainey crosses her arms, fixing me with those sharp blue eyes that seem to catalog my every move. “You’re not taking any of this seriously, Zach.”

I grin, feeling a buzz from my drink. “Just because I’m not living and dying by your color-coded schedules doesn’t mean I don’t care. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Barely,” she mutters, glancing away like she’s mentally calculating all the things she’d rather be doing.

I step closer, lowering my voice. “Would it kill you to relax for once?”

“Relax?” she snorts, shaking her head. “Relaxing is what got you in trouble to begin with.”

I laugh, not even mad. “Touché. But I think my track record’s still pretty solid.”

“Maybe,” she says, her eyes narrowing. “But this wedding is important, and I’d appreciate it if you could at least pretend to care.”

“Oh, I’m pretending all right.” I smirk, giving her a quick once-over that makes her cheeks turn a shade pinker than her dress. “And you should try it, too. Relaxing, I mean. Might be good for you.”

Her lips part like she’s about to fire back, but then someone calls her from across the room. She glances over, her expression tightening, and excuses herself.

As she walks away, I can’t help but grin. She’s frustrating, sure, but there’s something about that fire in her that keeps me… intrigued. And the more she tries to keep things under control, the more I want to mess with her just to see her break out of that perfectly constructed shell.

Then something unexpected catches my eye.

Lainey strides toward the bar with a determination that makes me curious. She exchanges a few words with the bartender, then knocks back a shot of something amber-colored without hesitation.

Whoever called her over must have said something to her.

Before I can blink, she signals for another. The second shot disappears just as quickly, and I catch the tiniest scrunch of her nose as the burn hits her.

She’s quick to collect herself, her polished exterior snapping back into place like it never faltered. But for that moment, I saw something—something unguarded, almost defiant.

I watch as she sets the empty glass down and spins on her heel, her sharp gaze scanning the room like nothing happened.

Interesting.

A few hours and several drinks later, the band switches to a slower song. Couples sway under dimmed lights, the party softening as the night wears on. I’m on my third—or maybe fourth?—drink, the kind of buzz that makes everything feel a little warmer.

And then I see her again.

She’s dancing with Jasper, Wyatt, and Chloe’s son.

He’s grinning from ear to ear, his small hands clutching hers as she twirls him in a careful circle.

They’re laughing, his tiny steps tripping over hers, but she doesn’t care.

She steadies him; her smile lighting up her face in a way that stops me cold.

For a moment, I just watch. She’s unguarded, focused on Jasper, her laugh soft and free. It’s a side of her I didn’t think existed—and I can’t look away.

“Hey Jasper. Mind if I cut in?” I ask as I approach, flashing him a grin.

Jasper looks up at Lainey, his face lighting up. “Okay!” he says before darting toward Wyatt and Chloe.

Lainey plants her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at me. “Seriously? You’re taking me from an eight-year-old?”

“Come on, it’s tradition. The best man has to dance with the maid of honor.”

“You just interrupted my dance with the ring bearer.”

“He’ll forgive me,” I say with a grin. “Besides, I’m pretty sure he’s more excited to dance with his parents now.”

She shakes her head, exasperation flickering in her eyes. “I didn’t think dancing was in your playbook, Mr. Best Man.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Miss Maid of Honor.” I hold my hand out, challenging her with a smirk.

She huffs a laugh, clearly debating whether to let me win this one. Finally, with a reluctant sigh, she slips her hand into mine. “Fine. One dance.”

At first, she’s stiff, her movements as precise as a drill sergeant leading a march. Her hand barely rests in mine, her other on my shoulder like she’s keeping me at arm’s length—literally.

“Relax,” I say, leaning in slightly. “You look like you’re bracing for impact.”

Her eyes narrow. “It’s called proper form.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Lainey, we’re not in a ballroom dance competition. Nobody’s judging your tango skills.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “And I suppose you’re an expert now?”

“Oh, absolutely.” I give her a mock-serious look. “You didn’t know? I moonlight as a dance instructor in the off-season. ‘Two-Step with Zach’ is very exclusive. Clients wait months for a lesson.”

That earns me a surprised laugh, soft and genuine, and it catches me off guard for a moment. “Two-Step with Zach? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You’d be surprised. I’ve got moves.” I slide my hand a little lower on her back and gently guide her into a slow turn, adding a playful dip at the end.

Lainey stumbles slightly, gripping my shoulder tighter as she comes back up. “Okay, that was borderline embarrassing—for both of us.”

“It was flawless,” I correct, grinning down at her. “You just lack vision.”

She shakes her head, laughing now, and it’s the kind of laugh that makes her eyes crinkle at the corners. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously charming,” I counter smoothly.

She groans, still laughing. “You were doing so well until then. Why do you have to ruin it?”

I shrug, smug. “Can’t help myself. It’s part of the package.”

For the first time all night, she seems to relax, her body softening as she follows my lead. The stiffness is gone, replaced by something lighter. The sound of her laugh lingers between us, warm and contagious, and I can’t help but smile.

“There,” I murmur, my lips close to her ear. “You’re actually enjoying yourself. Was that so hard?”

“Don’t get cocky, Darling,” she retorts, her voice brisk, but there’s a spark of amusement in her eyes.

“Too late,” I reply, my hand sliding lower on her back. “It’s part of my charm.”

“You’re impossible,” she mutters, but her tone lacks real heat.

Her gaze meets mine, and for a heartbeat, it feels like the rest of the world has disappeared. I take the opportunity to drop the suggestion I’ve been mulling over.

“You know,” I murmur, “we could make a deal.”

She tilts her head, curious but cautious. “What kind of deal?”

“You want things handled a certain way, right? How about I take on what Wyatt really cares about—his tux and the bachelor party—and you handle everything else? That way, you don’t have to chase me down every other day.”

She hesitates, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile. “So you’ll actually make sure Wyatt gets a tux and has a proper bachelor party?”

“Scout’s honor.” I tighten my hold on her hand. “You get control over all the details, and I get to keep my sanity.”

Her eyes light up. “No more ignoring my schedules?”

“Not if I don’t have to,” I tease. “Consider this a truce.”

She lets out a quiet laugh, and I can tell she’s genuinely relieved. “Deal. But if you let Wyatt show up in jeans, I’m holding you personally responsible.”