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“Okay. See you then.” I was tempted to say his name at the end, but he hung up before I could hit him with all my fierce game. Not that I should be using his first name in any kind of familiar way, obviously. That would be unprofessional. I chewed on a chilly egg and muffin sandwich that was dripping cheese onto the bumblebee on my tie, and my mind enjoyed the way his name sounded.
I made a mental note to change my tie before I went to meet him.
ChapterFive
Oliver
Today was a short practice,but the day after tomorrow we would fly to an away game, and that was still a bone of contention with Scarlett and Daisy. They’d wanted to come, but it was the middle of a school week.
At least, Jamie coming here would make them happy, my best friend and their former nanny was visiting on my dime to take care of the girls for me, and I missed him so much that I was as excited as the girls to see him. I wished the excitement wasn’t dampened by thoughts of what had happened yesterday.
And now, I was meeting the cop—Jackson, he of the pretty eyes and the surly attitude—because I’d seen something else.
I think.
Only, what I’d seen was a stupid detail, and really, had I just imagined it, or even seen anything at all? Maybe I should have talked to Joe first, but he was still unconscious—swelling of the brain, according to Lazlo, who’d answered my message at four a.m. He was close with Joe’s partner, and at least he had access to information—the hospital were waiting for the swelling to ease, but they were hopeful everything was okay.
Seemed like Lazlo hadn’t been able to sleep either.
What if it had been worse? What if that guy had shot Joe? What if I’d walked in on a murder? Would he have killed me as well? What would’ve happened to my girls if I’d gotten hurt? My will stated that Jamie would have guardianship. I knew he loved the girls, and I knew he’d agreed, but did I want to leave them the same as their mom? What if?—
“Heads up!” someone shouted, and I got a face full of wet towel, which was enough to snap me out of my worries.
“The fuck?” I yanked the towel off my face, ready to wreak vengeance on whoever had done this, only to come face to face with Cap himself, who was grinning ear to ear.
“Still got the aim,” he announced to the room, but no one said anything because there was no one there.
It was me and him. Somehow, the rest of the team had finished getting dressed and left, and I was still sitting in my cubby, lost in thought.
“Are you going home?” Charles asked, sitting in the next cubby and knocking my leg with his.
“Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking…” I shrugged.
“If you’re worried about being here, then I’ve gotta say, I really admire the way you play. You’ve got this style; it’s like classic hockey, you know? Just gritty and real.”
A small smile found its way onto my lips. I'd always taken pride in my style of play: nothing fancy, simply good, honest hockey. “I just play the game the only way I know how,” I replied.
“And it’s good, so yeah, you don’t need to worry about the hockey, if that’s what’s got you spaced out.”
Ah, this was why it was Cap sitting next to me—he’d thought I needed a pep talk. Maybe I did—maybe I needed to hear that I was doing okay, but it wasn’t that which had made me sit so quietly like an idiot.
“Sorry, just a lot on my mind. I fit here on the team.”
“You do.” He frowned. “So, if it’s not hockey stuff, what is it? Is it the girls? Clare asked me to ask you if you needed help with them over the next few days. They could always stay at our house if you’re struggling to find a nanny?”
My heart filled with happy then. I’d worried about how I would fit in with the team, but from the captain down, everyone had been so welcoming and supportive.
“Actually, their old nanny is on his way back from a work placement in Australia, and he’s stopping and staying with them.”
“Wow, that’s a long way to go to cover childcare.”
“Jamie is more than just a nanny,” I said without thinking that maybe I needed to qualify that.
“‘More than just a nanny’, eh?”
I glanced at Charles, and he was grinning.
“No, not like that. He’s my best friend, and the girls love him.”
