Page 10 of Balance

Getting them into a routine is going to be tough. There were a lot of tears and screams from the younger two. Avery quietly went into her room and was up for another hour or so reading and writing in her journals.

Nessa and Tilly finally conked out at 9:45. Good thing there’s a rocking chair in their room. I read them at least five books, gave forty million hugs, and put them in their beds another seven hundred times.

I told Morgan I needed to handle it so that they get into a routine and get comfortable and used to me. He’s not going to be home every night and, hell, I live here now. They’re going to have to just get used to me. Better to nip the disastrous nighttime routines in the bud starting now, rather than waiting until he leaves the state for away games.

I lay on top of my new bed and wiggle around into the soft, cloud-like mattress. It’s a king-sized bed, several inches larger than the queen I slept on with Bradley. My apartment here only had a twin. So naturally, I’m in heaven and never want to move from this spot.

I can’t wait to sleep sideways like a damn starfish.

There’s a soft knock at the door and I shuffle against the thick, soft carpet before opening it up.

Morgan’s standing in the hall, his hands in his gray sweatpants pockets. Goodness, even his tight, white t-shirt is clinging to every muscle on his tall, lean body. I blink back up to his eyes and he chuckles. “I figured it was time for us to talk about Brittany. I have to be out of the house by seven tomorrow and I don’t want to put it off… so.” He shrugs and nods down the hall, leading me towards the kitchen.

There are two wine glasses perched on the island and an opened bottle of red wine behind them. “Thank you,” I murmurand sit at a stool, pouring myself a half glass before offering him the dark bottle.

“So…” He takes a sip and licks a drop of the red liquid from his bottom lip. “It’s… hard for me to talk about. Brittany and I met when I was still young and dumb. I knew she only came around because of the status of us being professional hockey players. I saw her everywhere. The bars we went to, after our games – home or away, and even at my favorite restaurants. Eventually I succumbed to her wiles.” He grunts and finishes off his first glass.

“I didn’t want a relationship, but she was persistent, I’ll give her that. She ended up getting pregnant with Avery pretty quickly after we… got together. I paid for her doctor's visits and put her up in an apartment until we could do testing to make sure the baby was mine. She was basically living in a sorority house and I didn’t think it was a good place for her to live while pregnant. I was there when Avery was born and I moved them into my house until the results were in. I was already in love with that tiny baby girl, it didn’t matter if she was mine or not from the first time I held her.

“I put Brittany up in a guest room and built the nursery. I guess I felt compelled to give Avery a real family. I proposed to Brittany and she moved into my bedroom without a second thought. I hired her help while I was traveling with the team. Housekeepers, a chef, and a nanny because she told me she was in too much pain to leave the bed and attend to our daughter, even weeks to months later. And yes the results did come back that I’m the father.” He sighs and pours another glass before chugging it down.

“We got married in a massive, elaborate, over the top ceremony. She told me she’s done having kids and just wanted to go back to the life she led prior to having Avery. I told her that I would rather her be a mother, I wanted a family. Well, Iguess she’s been doing it behind my back since. We eventually had Nessa several years later, then Tilly. I knew something was up but was just… done. I checked out mentally and my children suffered for it.

“I know I never loved her, and I think she was just more in love with my money and status, too. But I love my daughters and they seemed to be doing well. I later learned that Brittany was paying off our housekeeper, chef, and nanny to take care of the kids while she fucked off on dates, sometimes longer trips when I was traveling and playing away games. Or just holed herself up in her room, drank wine, and slept all day.

“I fired all of the staff and told Brittany that I wanted a divorce when I caught her in her lies. Thanks to my lawyer for having the forethought for her to sign a prenup, she gets absolutely nothing due to proof of infidelity, a clause my lawyer forced me to add. Of course I still offered her a decent sum in exchange for full-custody. Then she packed up and fucked off to Paris after happily signing across the dotted line. If you Google my name, instead of my stats, or anything hockey-related, you’ll see the front row shows to how Brittany left me for a younger, more ‘available’ man that takes her on trips.”

I blink at him, mouth agape. “So instead of the tabloids blasting her for walking away from herfamily,andcheatingon you, they’re slamming you? Because it was apparently your fault for having to travel for your job? She knew what she was getting into when she married you. Aren’t women like her called puck bunnies?”

He snorts and coughs into his hand. “Yes.” He finishes off his glass and taps his fingers on the counter. “I was terrified of hiring staff again but I think it’s time. For the last few months it’s just been the girls and me. It’s been calm, peaceful, but also hectic.”

I purse my lips and pour the rest of the wine in my glass. “Well, I don’t mind cleaning if you’re not comfortable with adding anyone else into the house just yet as you and the girls get to know me. Plus I especially don’t want to disrupt the girls, bringing a ton of people into their newly stable home. Maybe we can talk about it in about a month or two? I just want them to be comfortable in their own home, and you, of course.”

He smiles at me and his shoulders relax. “That’s smart… thank you.”

I smile and nod. “If it makes you feel any better, my ex was myboss. The principal at my school. We had a quiet ‘affair’. No one knew we were together, living together, going on trips, wine tasting, or on cruises. Much like I had no idea he had a ton, I mean aton,of women on the side.

One of them was our neighbor in his apartment complex. She actually got out of our bed, where she was just fucking him, and tried to shake my hand and introduce herself to me. She knew all about me. My name, my job, and even where I was supposed to be that night.” I sigh and chug the wine.

“I just blinked at them and after his little friend left, he told me the truth. Told me that he just didn’t ever feel like he could be a one-woman man, that we still had a great time and that I should basically just get over it. And so, I packed up all of my belongings. I was going to stay at a cheap motel until I figured out where to live. I made decent enough money at the school I taught at, but since we lived in luxury apartments, Bradley had me pay half of the rent, utilities, food, and everything else. I had a decent savings, but never wanted to touch it unless it was an emergency.

“He fired me. Straight. Up. Fired me because I left him and he was afraid I was going to smear his name all over the city and the school. Well, joke’s on him. I hired an attorney. The school board did an investigation and eventually fired him a few months later.Thenthey offered me my job back. So I flipped them off, got in my car with all of my bags, and just… drove.”

He shakes his head and heads to the fridge to grab some water for us. Smart. I’m not much of a drinker and this wine is making my head feel fuzzy.

“Wow. Aren’t we quite a pair?” He chuckles and takes a few large gulps of water, I watch as the water drops down his chin, down onto his golden chest peeking out from his white v-neck. Just, damn.

“We are.” I croak and sip my own water. “Was there anything else we should talk about before I head off to bed?”

He shrugs. “Nothing I can think of. Did you have any questions about the paperwork? Your pay or health care coverage? Or what’s expected of you?”

I frown and send him a look. “No… You’re paying me more than enough. What about Lindahl’s again, though?”

He sighs and runs his fingers through his dark hair. I glance away from his arm muscles as my stomach and core clench. Maybe this was a mistake. A horrible mistake. Why couldn’t he just be a bored, mean housewife? “I told my lawyer to deal with it today at lunch. He said he would get it taken care of. I told him to just pay for the severance of your contract or whatever with them, no skin off my back.” He taps his hands on the counter and grunts. “Oh, and if you’ll be doing the cleaning, and cooking all of our meals, I’ll amend the contract to add in as much as I would pay a housekeeper at least, since the nanny contract does entail making meals for the girls when you’re on the clock.”

I shake my head. “I don’t need more than I’m already going to be making. Seriously. It’s more than enough. All I have to worry about are my student loans, credit card bill, my phone, and car. And gas… Seriously, it’s fine.”

He rolls his eyes and glances over to the stove to check the time. “You can’t stop me from paying you more. You’ve savedmy ass, even if I still think you’re too young and maybe over-qualified now that I know better.” He smirks and saunters to the hall towards the bedrooms. “Good night, Lillian.” I watch him walk away and I sigh as I lean against the island.

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