CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

A while later, Matty lay in the crook of Antoni's arm, eyes closed, smiling at the feeling of Antoni's fingers gently dragging through his hair as he read aloud.

A yawn caught Matty by surprise and he tried to muffle it but Antoni paused, laughing. "Am I boring you?"

"No! I like this story!" Matty protested. "Just getting sleepy."

"Yeah, it's late," Antoni agreed, pulling his hand away to tuck a bookmark between the pages of the hardcover. "And it was an eventful day."

"It was. Good though." Matty craned his neck to look Antoni. "I hope so, anyway."

Antoni brushed his fingers across Matty's jaw. "It was good. The wedding was—was different than I expected. I felt a little strange about it at first, but I think this will be good."

"At least we know our sex lives won't be a problem," Matty pointed out.

Antoni laughed, his gaze warm and his lips curled up a little in a smile. "No, definitely not. I think we have that part covered."

"And we're good at looking out for the kids together."

"We are."

"I think we get along the rest of the time too."

"We do." Antoni's face was soft. "I have to say, you've been the perfect fake husband so far."

"Well, it's only been like six hours so I haven't had much time to screw it up. I'll just have to keep giving it 110 percent," Matty said, grinning.

"You're not gonna screw it up." Antoni said, then chuckled, shifting to set the book on the nightstand. "Honestly, I've never understood that phrase when athletes use it in interviews though. What does that even mean? No one can do more than 100 percent."

"Sometimes it feels like it," Matty said with a shrug. "You're a runner and you work out regularly. You must have had those moments where you know you've squeezed out a little extra effort. Maybe it's not for long but for a few seconds you've pushed past where you thought your limits were."

"Hmm. Okay, I can understand that. I've definitely done that in my running or weightlifting. But Matty, you don't have to push past your limits for me when it comes to this—this marriage, right?" There was a weird, serious note in Antoni's voice so Matty shifted so he could look him in the eye.

"I know that. But I'm gonna do my best for you and the kids."

"I know you will. I wouldn't have agreed to this otherwise, and really, I don't think you're capable of anything else." Antoni reached out and put a hand on Matty's chest. "You have such a big heart. That much was obvious from the second we met."

"I guess I don't know how to be any other way."

"Good. Because I don't want you to change. But I also don't want you to get hurt by any of this."

Matty swallowed a little thickly, because while he'd always wanted to find someone who cared about him getting hurt and wanted him to know he didn't need to change, he definitely hadn't found that with Courtney.

She'd acted like what Matty did was never good enough. Who he was wasn't good enough. And he'd tried and tried and it was never enough.

Antoni made him feel like he was enough. At first, Matty was pretty sure Antoni had thought he was a little too much, but only because Antoni hadn't understood why Matty wanted to do those things for him and the kids.

Why he wanted to make their lives easier.

And maybe he was a little too much sometimes but it seemed like Antoni understood and liked that now. Knew that it came from a good place.

"You ready to sleep?" Antoni asked when he didn't reply.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I think so."

Antoni reached for the light but he paused, eyes narrowed. "Wait, was it true what you said to Judy about snoring?"

Matty laughed, glad that Antoni's question had broken the awkward tension. "It's not all of the time but yeah, my nose has been dislocated or broken a few times so it's a little wonky."

Antoni studied his face. "It doesn't look wonky."

"Yeah, I got lucky. They did a good job resetting it so it looks fine from the outside. It's kind of a mess inside though. I'll probably get surgery after I retire. But tonight I can put some of the nose strips on. They look funny but they do help."

"Sure, if you don't mind. I'll probably sleep like the dead but it's—it's been a long time since I've shared a bed with anyone. Well, except for the kids. River and Eli crawled in with me sometimes when they had a hard time sleeping at first. But they didn't snore."

"No problem." Matty threw the covers back and got to his feet. "I should, um, go take my partial out too."

He always felt a little funny about it. Most people thought about dentures as being for old people but, well, there were plenty of hockey players with them too.

"Partial?" Antoni tilted his head.

"Uhh, fake teeth," Matty explained, tapping the two in question. "I don't wear them during games but I always put them back in during interviews and when I'm off the ice. I can't sleep with them in though. It's bad for my gums."

"Oh yeah, do what you need to do," Antoni said with a yawn. "I might pass out before you get back though."

A small part of Matty actually hoped he would but Antoni was still awake when he climbed into bed. Matty settled on his side, facing Antoni.

"Let me see," Antoni said.

Hesitantly, Matty smiled.

"Aww, you're cute," Antoni said, smiling back sleepily. "It reminds me of when Eli had two top teeth missing at the same time when they were little."

"You don't mind?"

"Nope." Antoni reached out and took his hand. "It's kind of endearing. It suits you, somehow."

Matty laughed. He wasn't so sure about that but he leaned in and kissed Antoni's forehead anyway. "I think you're loopy from lack of sleep."

"Maybe," Antoni said with another yawn. "God, why am I so tired?"

"Because you worked a full day, got married, then had an epic wedding night," Matty teased, rolling away to turn out the light on his side of the bed.

"Oh right. That." Antoni yawned a third time, loud enough his jaw cracked. "Wait, epic?"

"Well, I thought it was pretty epic," Matty admitted.

There was silence for a moment and Matty thought maybe Antoni had already fallen asleep but then there was a whispered, "yeah, it was," and Matty had to pull him close and kiss the top of his head.

"You know what? I'm glad we got married," Matty said.

Antoni was silent a moment before he reached out and squeezed Matty's fingers. "That's good. I wouldn't want you to regret this."

Antoni awoke to someone kissing his forehead.

"Wake up, sleepy."

"Nnngh," Antoni managed, mashing his face into the pillow. "Too early."

"It's noon."

"What?" Antoni sat up, blinking until Matty came into focus. "Noon? How did … holy shit. I haven't slept that late since college."

"It's okay. We don't need to be anywhere."

Antoni rubbed his eyes, his brain still struggling to shift into awake mode. "Kids okay? You should have woken me."

Matty gave him an amused look. "They're at your parents' place, remember? They wanted us to enjoy the weekend together. A stay-at-home honeymoon. Or did you forget we got married?" he teased.

"Uhh," Antoni said. "Maybe a little bit?"

"Harsh." Thankfully, Matty didn't look upset.

"Look, when I'm sleeping that deeply, I'm lucky if I remember my own name when I wake up." Antoni said thickly, rubbing his hands across his face. He glanced down at his hand. Yeah, he was still married alright.

That hadn't been some kind of weird but surprisingly great dream.

Antoni might have been full of nerves at city hall yesterday but this morning he was feeling pretty good about things. What that meant long-term … well, he wasn't thinking about that.

Because for now, he was married to Matty and they were more than compatible in the bedroom and yeah, life was pretty fuckin good.

Antoni pulled the ring off, playing with it. "Wearing this still feels weird. Not in a bad way. I'm—I'm not used to it yet is all."

Matty smiled. "It'll take a little while but you'll adjust. I'll have to take mine off for games and practice. I really need to get a chain to wear it on or something."

"I think I have one you could use," Antoni said. "I don't wear it much anymore. For a while, Reese went through a grabby phase where he yanked on it all the time and I was afraid it would break or he would try to eat it or something. But you could use it if you want."

Matty beamed. "Yeah, that would be nice."

Antoni turned the ring over, inspecting it more closely. He frowned when he spotted something on the interior.

"Hey, there's an inscription inside. It says: when you know, you know." He huffed. "Well that's … cryptic. Thanks, Mom and Dad."

"Huh." Matty inspected his ring. "It's on mine too."

"I wonder what it means."

Matty smiled. "Guess we'll have to ask them about it sometime. Hey, do you want waffles?"

"Uhh." Antoni brushed his hair out of his eyes. Damn he was overdue for a haircut. "Sure. I can help though …"

"Mmm, nope. They're already made." Matty lifted a tray off the dresser. "See?"

"Oh. Okay. Wow. This is some full-service marriage here, huh?"

"I like taking care of people," Matty explained. He put the tray on the bed beside Antoni.

Antoni smiled. "I know you do. Just tell me if there's anything I can do for you. Because I want to. I want to be good to you, Matty."

"I'll tell you," Matty promised. "But c'mon. Enjoy the waffles and sausage before they get any colder."

So Antoni reached for the smaller plate. "Thanks for this."

After the first bite of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, he sighed happily. "God this is amazing. At the risk of being greedy, is there maple syrup though?"

Matty rolled his eyes. "God, you're so Canadian."

"It's important to our culture," Antoni said primly.

"Apparently. Here." Matty handed over a pitcher, then settled on the bed beside him.

"Were you around for the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist?" Antoni asked, liberally drizzling it all over the waffles. There. Perfect.

"The what?"

"The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist," Antoni repeated, cutting himself another bite. "Thousands of tons were stolen from a storage facility in Quebec."

"This has to be made up," Matty said. "You're like … pranking me or something."

"I'm not! I'm not!" Antoni said laughing, though he could see why it might seem like it to an American. "I swear! The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers has a strategic reserve of maple syrup."

"Strategic reserves … like … oil reserves?"

"Pretty much. Although our reserves are a lot tastier." Antoni took another huge bite. Yum.

Matty grinned.

"Okay," Matty said, though he still sounded dubious. "So there's storage facilities and what … maple syrup gangs snuck in and stole it?"

"No, I think it was an inside job or something. But for like months or a year or whatever, they siphoned it out of the barrels or something and shipped it to Vermont and New Brunswick where they sold it."

"Wild. How much money can you get for maple syrup though?"

Antoni snorted. "I know you don't have to worry about your budget but have you seen what those little bottles go for at the supermarket?"

"Yeah, okay. Fair."

"I don't know the exact number, this happened like ten years ago or something but it was around eighteen million dollars' worth, I think."

"Eighteen million!" Matty yelped. "Jesus, I know what I'm doing after I retire."

"Selling maple syrup on the black market?"

"I was thinking more like legal production but maybe. I mean, we've got four kids to put through college."

Antoni gaped for a moment.

"Uh, we are in Canada," Antoni pointed because he needed a minute to process the fact that Matty assumed he'd been contributing to the kids' secondary education. "Not the US. University isn't cheap here but it's way more affordable than in the United States."

"True. So I guess can stick to the legal stuff."

Antoni laughed, but quickly sobered. "It's not like I expect you to pay for their college."

Matty scoffed. "Try to stop me."

"But what if we … I mean …" Antoni swallowed.

"I told you, I'm taking care of those kids no matter what, Antoni." Matty's voice was soft but firm. He held up his hand, indicating his ring. "This means I'm in. All the way."

"One-hundred-and-ten percent?" Antoni asked weakly.

Matty grinned, his expression turning soft and light again. "Yeah, 110 percent."

After the delicious breakfast, they showered together, making out shamelessly while they jerked each other off. Antoni helped Matty do the dishes and when the kitchen was clean, Matty leaned against the counter.

"So what do you want to do today?" he asked. "I am totally on board for doing nothing but if you wanted to go somewhere, we could. Around Toronto or, hell, it wouldn't even have to be that close. I know guys who use private jet services. We could probably go somewhere like New York or Montreal or Chicago or whatever overnight, if you were okay being away from the kids."

Antoni winced. "Honestly, I'd rather not. I wouldn't want to be too far away if they needed me."

"No worries." Matty's smile was easy. "I'm okay with going back in the bedroom."

The waggle of his eyebrows made Antoni laugh.

"Tempting. I feel like I should be doing something though," Antoni admitted. "I'm not used to having free time. I swear I used to have things I did for fun before but …"

Matty gave him a lopsided smile. "Well, we could play tennis, then lift a few weights, if you want."

"Sure, that sounds fun."

"Really?" Matty looked delighted. "Do you play?"

"Tennis?" Antoni shrugged. "It's been a little while but yeah, definitely. Bethany played in high school and college and she taught me. We used to go to the local park and play. Though the more kids she had, the harder that got."

Which he definitely understood now.

Before the accident, he'd semi-regularly played racquetball at the gym and had gotten into pickleball, so he wasn't totally rusty. Although he felt a sharp pang of missing Bethany as he thought about playing tennis again, it would be nice to get back to it.

Matty clapped his hands together. "Yeah, c'mon, let's do it. I've got rackets and balls around here somewhere."

It was a crisp, cool autumn day and Antoni enjoyed the crunch of leaves under his feet as they crossed the yard to the newly resurfaced court.

Antoni wasn't surprised that Matty was good at tennis. Aside from Matty's general athleticism and fitness, he had a ferocious backswing and a pretty accurate serve. Antoni scrambled to catch up.

Matty won the first couple of games but Antoni won the next as he got into the rhythm of it. They had agreed to a ‘best of three sets wins the match' rules at the beginning but after Antoni won two of the three sets, Matty begged him for a rematch.

"I haven't played in a while," he protested. "I'm warming up."

"I haven't either! I think you're a sore loser," Antoni teased, bouncing the ball in his left hand.

"Totally," Matty grinned.

"Fine, best of five?" Antoni countered.

"Deal."

Matty won the next set, crowing triumphantly about it and running around to Antoni's side of the net to kiss him in celebration.

"I'd watch a lot more tennis on TV if all sets ended this way," Antoni teased, a little breathless after the toe-curling kiss.

"At the rate hockey players in the league are coming out, we're probably going to start that trend for pro sports first," Matty said, smacking his butt before jogging back to his side of the court.

"Hey now! I better not catch you making out with your opponents!" Antoni called out. "We're married, or have you forgotten already?"

Matty grinned, then shuddered. "Eww. Trust me, I'm not getting my lips anywhere near Luke Crawford or Dallas Sutton."

"Are there other guys you do want to kiss?" Antoni shot back.

"Nah. Just you, baby." Matty winked.

Antoni pointed his racket at Matty. "Right answer, mister. Now, are you ready to go?"

Matty palmed his cock. "Oh yeah."

Antoni snickered.

Matty was such a sweetheart and a gentleman most of the time that Antoni tended to forget he was also a horny athlete who'd spent his entire life in locker rooms with what Antoni had to imagine was an innuendo-laced environment.

"Save it for later!" Antoni teased. "I've gotta beat you at tennis first."

Matty squawked, sounding like an outraged bird. "Whatever! Bring it!"

They battled their way through the final set and to Antoni's complete and utter shock, he came out victorious.

He whooped with delight and ran around the net to kiss Matty. "This victory celebration is fantastic," he said when he pulled back, lips tingling.

"Me too. Even if I lost." Matty sounded disgruntled, which Antoni shouldn't have found as endearing as he did.

Laughing, they gathered the tennis balls and walked back to the house, Matty's arm draped over his shoulder.

"So, you know nothing about hockey but you smoked me in tennis," he said mournfully. "How is that even possible?"

"I didn't smoke you. I got a couple of lucky bounces at the end there," Antoni protested.

The truth was, Matty had made playing look easy. Antoni had fought for every win. He was drenched in sweat and he felt shaky from exertion.

"Weights?" Matty said hopefully as they hung the rackets in the garage.

"Fuck no." Antoni groaned. "Not if you want me to be able to move tomorrow!" He could hold his own but it had taken everything out of him to do it.

"Oh, fine, weights tomorrow. Instead, I'll get some electrolytes in you, make you a protein shake, then we can do the steam shower and I'll give you a massage after." He waggled his eyebrows playfully again.

"Deal."

After a surprisingly tasty shake and a horrible electrolyte replacement drink that was gross but necessary, Matty kissed him hard then said, "Race you to the steam shower!"

Antoni laughed, stumbling along in his hurry to get in there too.

After some soaping up and a lot of making out, Matty helped Antoni dry off. He looked content and relaxed and it made Matty smile as they dressed.

Matty sweet-talked Antoni into getting horizonal on the couch and they napped for about an hour.

When they finally woke, Matty was content to lie there with Antoni in his arms but his stomach reminded him it was getting close to dinner time.

"I'm going to cook for you this time," Antoni said firmly. "How do you feel about chicken parm?"

"I love it but I try not to eat too much fried stuff," Matty said with a frown. "The team nutritionist kinda frowns on it."

"No, no, you've gotta put it in the oven," Antoni insisted. "God, do you think I have time to fry chicken with four kids around? Or that it wouldn't end up with someone going to the emergency room?"

They both shuddered.

"True. Doesn't the breadcrumb coating get soggy on the bottom though?" Matty asked.

"Not if you cook them on a rack. C'mon, I'll show you."

Antoni showed Matty how to pound the meat and rolled his eyes every time Matty made jokes about that, though clearly, he knew they were hilarious and refused to admit it.

Antoni mixed together the breading ingredients, then pulled out stuff for sauce.

"I have a good sauce recipe," Matty protested.

"And I have Italian grandparents," Antoni countered. "Look, I mean it. I can cook ten things well and this is one of them. You sit and watch."

"Can't I stand and watch?" Matty asked hopefully.

"No, because you won't keep your hands to yourself!" Antoni protested.

In retaliation, Matty bullied his way close, pinned Antoni to the refrigerator, and kissed him senseless until Antoni playfully pushed him away.

By the time the chicken was in the oven, Matty couldn't wait to get his hands on Antoni.

Antoni made a few mumbled noises of protest but when Matty pulled back to see if he really meant it, Antoni hauled Matty close and got his hand down his pants.

When Matty's cock was leaking at the tip, he asked, "Can I fuck you?"

Antoni let out a strangled groan, spinning to face the counter. He pushed his pants down to puddle around his ankles and shot Matty a look over his shoulder that made him nearly trip over his own feet.

"Yeah?" Matty said, running his hands along Antoni's back and pushing up his shirt to stare at his body. Wow, he was beautiful.

"C'mon, hurry up," Antoni begged.

Matty laughed, letting his cock graze Antoni's hip. "I need to get lube first."

Antoni fumbled for something on the counter and shoved it toward Matty. "Use this."

Matty stared at the bottle of olive oil for a moment before his heart took off, rabbiting like he'd done blue line sprints.

"Fuck, that's weirdly hot," he said hoarsely, fumbling the bottle in his hurry to get the lid off.

"Good, now get in me."

Matty groaned, slicking his fingers with the greenish-gold liquid. The scent of it teased his nose as he slipped a finger into Antoni.

He was so responsive, groaning and rocking his hips to meet Matty's careful thrusts and when Matty was knuckles-deep with three fingers, Antoni shot him a heated look over his shoulder.

"I mean it. Get in me."

With shaking hands, Matty poured a little more of the olive oil on his palm and slicked his cock. As Matty aligned himself, he had a wild thought that he'd never cook with the stuff again without remembering this moment but then he was buried in Antoni's tight heat and he stopped being able to think at all.

He started out slow but Antoni urged him on until Matty was fucking him with short, hard thrusts, curled over Antoni's back, panting against his shoulder. He wrapped his slick hand around Antoni's cock, working him over, until Antoni shoved his hand away.

"No. You come first. I want to try something."

So Matty put his back into it and when he came, spots swam in front of his eyes.

What Antoni wanted to try apparently involved bending Matty over the counter and drizzling olive oil down his crack.

Matty shuddered when Antoni ran slick fingers along his entrance and teased at his opening. "Not gonna go inside you," Antoni whispered when he tensed. "Just want to fuck you like this."

Matty wasn't sure what he meant until Antoni slotted his dick between Matty's ass cheeks and began to thrust.

They both groaned.

Antoni began with a slow glide, making the most amazing noises as he rocked his hips back and forth. It wasn't long before he sped up and when Matty clenched around him, Antoni released a strangled gasp. "Fuck! I'm not gonna last."

Matty grinned, forehead pressed to the cool stone counter, enjoying the way Antoni's hard cock slid between his cheeks, grazing his sensitive opening, and the little gasps Antoni made every time Matty tightened up.

"Do it. Come all over me," Matty urged.

With a few more desperate thrusts, Antoni shuddered.

"Oh my God." Antoni slapped his hand weakly on the stone surface as he came, spattering hot cum up Matty's back and pulling away to finish on his ass. "Matty. Fuck!"

After, they both slid to the floor, boneless, and Matty let Antoni lay his head on his thigh. He ran his clean hand through Antoni's sweaty hair while Antoni smiled dopily up at him.

"You lied to me."

"What?" Matty asked, alarmed. "What do you mean?"

"You said you were boring in bed. If that's your definition of boring …"

Matty laughed. "Maybe just compared to the characters on Northdale Heights."

They only moved when they couldn't stand the beeping of the oven anymore and Matty stumbled to his feet, washed his hands, and pulled the chicken out.

They ate at the kitchen island, feet tangled together, and Matty couldn't stop grinning.

The chicken parm was slightly overbaked but still tasted delicious.

Matty tried to grope Antoni while they washed dishes but he shrieked and smacked him with a damp towel, laughing. "Oh my God, what did you do, take Viagra or something?"

Matty laughed too, pinning Antoni against the counter and rubbing their noses together. "No. I just get … pent-up. And it takes me a while to work through it. I'll calm down eventually."

"Hmm," Antoni said, looping his arms around Matty's neck, his brown eyes happy and warm. "Well, hopefully not too soon or too much. I do like you like this. I'm just a little wrecked from the tennis."

And Matty grinned because that sounded promising for their future.

They took it easy the rest of the night, watching a movie, then reading in bed. Matty fell asleep to the sound of Antoni's smooth, relaxing voice reciting the story to him.

In the morning, Matty woke to a blowjob and came with his hands threaded through Antoni's soft hair before he even opened his eyes.

Matty dozed for a while after, curled around Antoni, but to his surprise, he woke to Antoni offering him breakfast in bed.

Matty enjoyed the scrambled eggs and toast and some of the best espresso he'd ever had the pleasure of drinking.

"I should have married you sooner," Matty decided with a happy sigh as he drained the last drop.

Laughing, Antoni sat down his own cup on the nightstand. "What? How? Would you have proposed the second you saw me crying in your driveway?"

"Maybe," Matty said with a grin.

Antoni snorted but he did pat Matty's leg like he didn't hate the idea.

After breakfast, they had a lazy morning cuddling on the couch, then worked out. The sight of Antoni lifting weights made Matty too horny to think straight and he swallowed Antoni's cock down while he was still sweaty from his workout, glad Antoni wasn't grossed out by the fact that Matty found him especially sexy like that.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of sex and laughter and although Matty loved seeing Antoni with the kids, it was nice seeing this side of him too.

In the past few days, Antoni had checked his phone some, because he couldn't not worry about the kids and Matty felt the same, but for the most part it seemed like Antoni was able to relax and Matty loved that.

Antoni looked so good like this and Matty wanted him to always be so carefree and happy.

Unfortunately, reality intruded eventually and they had to prep for the following day.

Later that night, Matty fucked Antoni in their bed, Antoni's blunt nails digging into his arms and shoulders, his lashes wet as he came between their stomachs. Matty came a few thrusts later, Antoni's name on his lips, feeling like someone had turned him inside out and shaken him.

After, filled to the brim with happiness, Matty kissed Antoni's cheek and watched him smile with his eyes still closed. His heart pounded under Matty's hand and Matty wanted to say, I know, I feel that way too, but he didn't have the words to say what he wanted to, only knew that he felt something big and real growing in his chest.

It wasn't love but it wasn't so far off. Matty could see how they could get there with a little more time. So he pressed his nose into the soft space between Antoni's neck and shoulder and breathed him in.

"Yeah," Antoni said softly, lacing their fingers together. "Yeah."

For a moment, Matty wondered if he'd said the love part aloud but he was pretty sure he hadn't, so he just smiled.

They'd get there.

Matty Carlson Wed in Shocking Secret Ceremony – True Love or Custody Grab?

The recent gossip about Fisher Cats player Matt Carlson's budding new relationship with local schoolteacher Antoni Bianchi caught fire when our sources say the couple took their relationship to the next level and were married at city hall on Friday afternoon.

Pictures taken on the steps of the municipal building following the brief ceremony reveal the couple wearing matching bands on their left-hand ring fingers.

A small, private dinner to celebrate their nuptials was held at a downtown Toronto restaurant.

In attendance were Bianchi's parents and the four children he is currently petitioning the courts for custody of. No one from Carlson's side of the family was present.

Also notably absent were Carlson's Fisher Cat teammates.

Carlson and Bianchi's relationship is rumored to be new, so why the rush down the aisle?

A statement from a representative for Bill and Robin Swanson declares, "This relationship and hasty marriage are highly suspicious and the Swansons are deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of their beloved grandchildren. Since the death of their only son, Corey, and his wife, Bethany, last April, Bianchi has prevented them from having contact with their grandchildren. The Swansons want them to be raised in a traditional household and while it's clear this is a last-ditch attempt of Mr. Bianchi's to bamboozle the courts into believing he is an appropriate guardian they are certain that justice will prevail and the children will soon be reunited with their family."

No official statements from the grooms, their representatives, or the Fisher Cats organization have been made at this time.

Fans analyzing photos taken of the couple weighed in with their thoughts.

"Oh, come on," one fan commented. "The marriage might be rushed but look at the way they look at each other! Remember how terrible Carlson was in that car commercial? There is no way he could fake it!"

Others aren't so convinced. "Seems sus as hell to me. And keeping kids from their grandparents? That's cold. Carlson's SUCH an asshole on the ice. I'm not surprised to hear he'd do something like that."

Romantic private wedding? Or shady custody grab?

Only time will tell.