Page 59 of Pucking Strong

Meanwhile, Henrik is looking at me like I’ve just grown two heads.

“Are you married? Do you have any kids?” Yep, I’m still talking, apparently.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to her employment,” says Henrik. “So long as she performs her tasks, her private life is her own.”

Hanna just laughs, flicking her blonde braid off her shoulder in a very Poppy-like way. “I don’t mind.” She turns to me. “No, Doctor O’Connor, I’m not married. And I don’t have kids. But I have a lot of experience working in pediatric nursing.”

Of course she does. And I bet birds help her wrap bandages while squirrels administer medications.

“Any hobbies?” I say, determined to dig my hole just a little deeper.

Henrik gives me the universal glare for “shut the fuck up.”

I just look to Hanna, hands folded primly in my lap.

“I’m a runner,” she replies. “Does that count? I try to run five to ten miles every day. And I love Disney World. I have an annual pass, and I run all their marathons. Well, as many as I can manage. Did you know some of them sell out in seconds? It’s very competitive.”

Of fucking course she loves Disney World. They probably just let her in without paying.

“Would you like to meet Karolina?” says Henrik, clearly trying to get his interview back on track.

Her eyes brighten. “Oh, I’d love to.”

I stay seated on the couch as Henrik leads her away. The second they cross into the hallway, they switch back to Swedish. Once Hanna enters Karro’s room and I hear the way Hanna exclaims with delight, I know it’s all over for me. The world’s most perfect Swedish nanny is about to swoop in and steal my fake family right out from under me.

Within the hour, Henrik is escorting Hanna back to the front door, shaking her hand for the fifth time, as he assures her that she does indeed have the job and he does, in fact, expect her to start tomorrow. She waves goodbye at me, still all smiles, and leaves.

Henrik stays at the door, his hand pressed flat above the lock. I consider making a run for it, but then he turns, eyes blazing. “What the hell was that?”

“What?” I feign ignorance as I rise off the couch.

“You had no right to question her like that, Teddy. She was here asmyguest. And why were you so rude?”

Dropping all pretense, I flap my arms. “I’m sorry, I guess I just find it hard to believe that you would trust your sports agent to vet an in-home nursing candidate more than me, the literal doctor of physical therapy.”

“Laura has been with me for seven years!”

“Yeah, and loyalty to the Karlsson brand means fuckingnothingwhen it comes to providing medical care to an injured child!”

He reels back. “You don’t trust Hanna to care for Karolina?”

“I don’t know! I haven’t seen her résumé. All I know is that she speaks Swedish and runs in circles around EPCOT.”

He groans, leaning against the door. “Teddy, I’m doing the best I can.”

“I’m sorry, but in this particular instance, I have to beg to differ.”

“What do you mean?”

He wants me to say it? Okay, I’m gonna fucking say it. “Henrik,doing your best doesn’t always mean doing it all on your own. When it comes to caring for another person, if you’re out of your depth, doing your best means relying on the reasoned opinions of experts. I mean, do you trust your sports agent to do your taxes?”

He sighs. “No.”

“Do you trust your sports agent to examine your prostate?”

“No, Teddy.”

“Thenwhywould you trust your sports agent to select Karro’s caretaker over me?”

---