Page 51 of Hot Puck
And now for the most unlikely woman to come into our lives. Natalie Redding is a hidden gem I refuse to disappoint.
If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make sure she’s never sorry for offering me a contract on her team. But most of all, I plan to make sure she never regrets offering to help me take care of the girls.
Nat
Today has been rough.
And I can’t lie, it is not for the reasons I expected.
This morning I had to wave goodbye to Chase and the twins when everything in me wanted to jump in the car and go with them.
Last night, after we got all the girls in bed, Chase and I sat down and discussed what he should do about the camp situation.
It took considerable effort not to take control and do whatever I could to ruin the woman who made Cassidy and Crystal cry.
I hate bullies; I grew up with the biggest one, and I know I get a little more heated when I encounter one than most people because of that. Even all these years later I still can’t shake the effect my grandfather has—had—on my life.
In the end, I knew I had to let Chase decide what to do and how to do it.
Which leaves me in the house taking care of Candace while he and the twins have a meeting with the board members of the charity that runs the camp.
The day hasn’t gone to waste despite my distraction and the times Candace needs my attention.
I’ve gotten a few Rogues things dealt with, including ironing out the few last-minute contract changes for Ryder Perry, a rookie out of Colorado we’re hoping to sign.
I also dealt with a material delivery delay due to bad weather which will affect our Rogue sportswear manufacturing line in about three weeks. We’ll shift into an alternate garment production we have the materials for and push back the release of the other.
Of course, that has an impact on our advertising and order fulfillment. I’ve shot off multiple emails to the departments involved and handed over the follow-up to Eli. Whose semi-retirement is anything but retiring at the moment.
As COO of our sportswear brand and GM of our hockey team, I’m stretched thin. More so now with the Rogues first season rapidly approaching. There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.
Something has to change.
I know it. And as much as I hate to admit it, Eli is right. I can’t do it all even though I want to.
Something will slip past me and who knows what that will mean for either company. I’ll never forgive myself if I miss something that significantly affects either workplace.
I’ve already emailed Oakley, Blake, and Cami with my concerns. We need to have a KAW meeting sooner than later so we can re-evaluate our roles. Find qualified people to pick up the slack or take on a role.
Letting either business suffer because I’m too stubborn—Eli’s words—to let go of the reins is not an option.
And if I’m going to follow through on my promise to help Chase take care of his sisters, I’ll need to cut back my hours. Juggle my time so Candace doesn’t have to go into care.
Cassidy and Crystal have places in Hannon Grove high school this coming year and I’ve checked out some daycare options for when Candace is older.
Although, I’m leaning more and more toward having an in-house daycare option at the training facility.
One both Rogue sportswear employees, and the Rogues players and org employees can take advantage of. I know we have an area of the mall we plan to break ground on next year designated for a childcare center, but we need something now.
We might need to run numbers and dates and push things around, get them moving ahead of schedule on the mall if we can. Although it makes more sense to have multiple childcare options across all our facilities in Baton Rouge.
If we find space to add a center to the arena and training complex, the mall can go ahead as planned. Pulling up a new email, I shoot myself a message to look into that later. Right now, I need?—
The metallic grind of the garage roller door opening has me straightening away from my laptop and glancing over at my phone where it’s charging on the other counter.
Chase said he’d text after the meeting. But I don’t have one, and there’s no missed call either. A quick look at the monitor shows Candace sleeping peacefully so I push off my stool and head for the door connecting the house to the garage.
I don’t even take a couple of steps when the twins come racing in, their chatter bright and excited. The sound has a breath of relief lowering my shoulders and relaxing the muscles along my spine.
