Page 49 of Pucking Strong

Poppy laughs. “Well, my Grace’ll fix that. Won’t you, baby cakes?”

Langley’s daughter isn’t shy either. She charges forward with another gift, talking in fast English. I’m sure Karro can’t fully understand. I would know Langley’s girl anywhere by her bright red hair. Her mother’s hair is just the same. Tess stands a few feet away, laughing and hugging Teddy.

As the little girls entertain Karro, the adults press forward. My teammates all welcome me home. Many of them shake my hand, offering their condolences. It doesn’t escape my notice how warm everyone is with Teddy. He gets hugs, while I only get handshakes. And it’s not just the players who welcome him. He knows their partners too. I hear him exclaim about how much some of the kids have grown since he last saw them, and I feel all over again the sting of his admonishment. I don’t know these men, and they don’t know me. They don’t even know what to say to me other than “welcome back” and “sorry for your loss.”

While I stand guard like a stone sentinel, gripping the back of Karolina’s chair, Teddy is surrounded, playfully shoving Novy’s arm off his shoulder and saying something that makes my teammates howl with laughter. How does he make it look so easy, so effortless?

While her men are busy laughing and teasing Teddy, Poppy steps in at my left.

“I’m sorry.” The words blurt from my mouth. “I know this was reckless. I know I’ve made work for you.”

She shakes her head. “Henrik, honey—”

“I had no other options.” Lowering my voice, I turn slightly away from Karro. “They were pushing me to put her into the foster care system.”

“I know.” She pats my arm. “Honey, I’m not mad. You did what you had to do. Now we spin it in the most positive way we can. But all that can wait a day or two, okay? I just wanted to wish you a welcome home. You need anything, day or night, the team is here for you, Henrik.”

“Thank you, Poppy.”

She smiles. “Well, I think we’ve bothered these fine airport people long enough, don’t you? Let’s get you two home.”

“Three,” I correct.

Behind her oversized sunglasses, I can see the raise of her brows. “Three?”

“Teddy is coming home with me. He’ll be living with us for now, until we figure out a plan of what to do.”

She pats my arm again. “Well, that knocks the first thing off my to-do list for our PR crisis meeting. Which is scheduled for Monday morning, by the way. I’ll expect you and your new husband in my office at nine o’clock. Don’t be late.” With that, she walks off to thank the ground crew.

By the time we get Karolina loaded into the medical transport, she’s been showered with more gifts. She now has a sparkly necklace to match the tiara, a row of colorful beaded bracelets up her cast, a pink Minnie Mouse purse, and her first official Pelly the Pelican stuffed animal, the popular Rays mascot.

Rachel Price steps in behind me as I’m handing Teddy the bags. “Hey, if you give Ilmari your keys, he’ll get your car back to the apartment so you can ride in the transport with Karolina.”

I glance over my shoulder to see Ilmari Price towering behind his wife. Making eye contact, we both nod. He retired from the League a few years ago. He was one of the few men on the team who ever understood me. I think it must come from us both being Northern European. He never minded my silences. And he speaks excellent Swedish. It was such a relief to know there was always someone I could speak to without constantly doing the labor of active translation in my head.

“I don’t want to inconvenience you,” I say to him in Swedish.

“It’s no inconvenience,” he replies in English, surely for his wife’s benefit. I’ve been doing the same thing with Teddy.

Rachel smiles, one hand on her pregnant belly. “He really doesn’t mind. We’re all headed that way anyway. Let us save you the trip back.”

I glance between them. “You’re headed which way?”

“To your apartment.” At the look on my face, her smile falls. “Wait … did Tess not clear it with you first?”

Tension coils in my chest. “Clear what with me?”

Heaving a sigh, she calls out. “Tess!”

Langley’s wife saunters over. “Hey, what’s up?”

Rachel levels her with a stare. “Tess, why do I get the feeling that Karlsson here has no idea there’s a potluck dinner happening at his house tonight?”

Tess schools her expression. “What, did Teddy not clear it with you?”

Teddy turns. “Did Teddy what? I just heard my name.”

Rachel turns to him. “Teddy, did you not tell Karlsson about the plans for the potluck dinner?”

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