Team Player 2: A Sports Anthology

by Paige, Rochelle

  Law let out a snort of laughter. “She’s known for that,” he agreed. “What I need is simple. I’ve taken the next six weeks off from work to be here with them as much as I can be. There will be times I need to work in my home office, but mostly I’ll be here, and I plan to be hands on.”

  Of course, Gen had neglected to mention that little detail. I made a mental note to strangle her later. I couldn’t find fault in what Law was doing, though. I couldn’t believe it, but I realized what Gen had said was right. He had changed. Our past hadn’t, though.

  “I plan to hire a night nanny, and I’d like to have you help me with interviews for that.”

  I was reading a review of baby bottles, but that comment brought me up short. “A night nanny?” I parroted. “Why?”

  “Kellan and Lana were doing ninety percent of everything themselves, but they got a night nanny to help after the first two weeks. He said it was the only way either of them got any sleep. I’d have kept her on, but her job with them was temporary. Her contract with them ended two days after the accident, and she’d had another job lined up for over a month. Apparently having an overnight nanny for the first few months after birth is the new thing in Los Angeles. They’re in high demand.”

  “Are you thinking you want a permanent overnight nanny or another short assignment like Kellan and Lana had in place before?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m doing. Do I get someone and keep them until the kids are in school? Is it just for a few months? When do babies sleep through the night? I bought some books, but so far, I’ve been too slammed to crack one of them.”

  Yeah, I could see that.

  “How have the babies been since they got here?” I asked. “Sleep wise, I mean.”

  “Chunk sleeps for six hours at a time,” he answered, gesturing to Holden with his chin as he did. Tracing his finger down the side of Hope’s cheek, he smiled. “And this little angel manages about three if I’m lucky.”

  “She’ll sleep better once we find the right formula and bottle combination,” I said. “How about you hold off on hiring anyone else for now? I can’t help wondering if some of Hope’s discomfort stems from all the changes she’s been through. Babies are far more intuitive than we realize. Let’s give her time to settle in and get used to the two of us being her primary caretakers.”

  God, that sounded weird. I’d never imagined that Law and I would work together at anything much less taking care of children.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

  I lifted my left shoulder. “I knew what I was signing on for. Right now, the most important thing is getting them both on a schedule. It might exhaust us for a while, but it will be worth it. The best thing for them is stability.”

  “If you’re game, then so am I.”

  “It’s a plan then.”

  We lapsed into silence for a few minutes while I researched the bottles and formula. It didn’t take long for me to get an idea for how I thought we should proceed.

  “Would you be okay with switching the bottles and the current formula out? Everything I’m reading says an organic milk-based formula is the closest to breast milk. What the pediatrician recommended rates highly, but it isn’t organic. And this bottle system should help with Hope’s gas.”

  As I spoke, I held out my phone so he could see it. “If it makes her feel better, I’m all for it. She’s always been a firecracker, but the crying she’s been doing for the past few days isn’t normal for her. I’ve called her pediatrician every day, and the nurses just keep telling me it’s the trauma of losing her parents.”

  The devastation in his expression was staggering. He was mourning the loss of his friends, and the babies were mourning the loss of their parents. Both things broke my heart.

  “Do you have any of Lana or Kellan’s clothes here?” I asked.

  His brow furrowed as he shook his head. “No. Should I?”

  “For Hope, I think Lana’s scent, in particular, would soothe her when she has a bottle. They were skin to skin while she was breastfeeding, so she’d associate that smell with mealtime.”

  “Then I’ll go to their house and get something right now.”

  “Great. If we can stop at Walmart while we’re out, I can run in and get the bottles and formula.”

  His entire face shut down between one second and the next. “No. You’ll stay here with them. I’ll go alone,” he snapped.

  Well, shit. I’d wondered when the uptight asshole would make an appearance. He hadn’t gone far. Hello, Mr. Hyde. I’d prefer Dr. Jekyll, thank you very much.

  “Fine,” I said, my tone cold.

  Picking up the pen, I started to write what he needed to pick up at Walmart.

  “Addison. Fuck. Look at me.”

  I gritted my teeth as I set the pen down and looked at him. “Yes?”

  “I’m not trying to be an asshole,” he said. “I just… I can’t put the kids in a car. Getting them here was one of the worst experiences of my life. It’s not something I want to repeat anytime soon.”

  “What bothered you about it?” I asked, curious.

  I noticed the tic in his jaw when he looked away. “Their parents died in a car accident. I’m fucking terrified something could happen to them, and it would be my fault, t—” He halted, not finishing his sentence. “I don’t want to do anything that could hurt them.”

  That I understood perfectly. Children were a huge responsibility, and it could feel overwhelming. Hell, I had my own nerves about working with Holden and Hope. There was no half-assing it where babies were concerned. They were the priority at all times. Anyone who didn’t understand that had no business being responsible for their fragile lives. Whatever Law’s faults were, they didn’t include treating the babies as an inconvenience.

  “I’m happy to stay here with them while you go out, take care of getting some of Lana’s clothes, and stop at Walmart.”

  After he deposited the kids and me back in the living room, he exchanged cell numbers with me in case of emergency before he left the house. It was almost a shame that he put on a shirt before he left.

  Taking care of two wiggly infants was difficult for just one person but not impossible. I got into a rhythm of holding one at a time by alternating them between the baby swings and my arms. Eventually, I settled them both into the swings. Their angelic faces were so sweet in sleep it melted my heart to a puddle of mush. Pulling out my phone, I went to my music app and chose one of the five light classical playlists I’d made over the previous several days. Law’s aunt Caroline had taught me many years before that certain sounds soothed children. I’d always had the best luck with the gentle nature sounds like streams or light rain, classical music, and talk radio. It had to be boring talk radio, though, stuff like the news. Even the most alert children drifted off when NPR was on. The trick was not falling asleep myself.

  To combat the music, I opened the Fruit Ninja app and started a game. As I played, a text popped up.

  Law: How are they doing?

  I looked over at the clock. He’d been gone for exactly thirty-two minutes and was already checking on them. It was kind of sweet.

  Oh, hell. There was no kind of about it.

  Me: They’re both sound asleep in their swings.

  I took a quick photo and sent it to him.

  Law: It’s rare that they’re both asleep at the same time. Glad to see that.

  Law: I got four of Lana’s shirts and a bottle of her perfume. Also grabbed a few of Kellan’s shirts, one of their bed pillows and a throw blanket from the couch.

  Me: That’s perfect.

  Law: Okay. On my way to Walmart then.

  He texted again fifteen minutes later.

  Law: I’m getting six bottles and two cans of formula. Do you think that’s enough?

  Me: More than enough. If she doesn’t like either you’re going to be stuck with it.

  Law: I can donate anything unopened.

  Me: That you can.r />
  Law: I’m going to check out now. I’ll be back in about twenty. Do you want anything? I pass McD’s on the way home.

  The mention of food made my stomach growl. I’d been too nervous about dealing with Law to eat anything earlier in the day.

  Me: No McD’s but I’d say yes to pizza or tacos.

  Law: There’s an iPad on the living room table. Go to my Postmates app and order whatever you want. Get enough for four people.

  Me: Are you having company?

  Law: No. I haven’t eaten shit today, and yesterday, I had cold spaghetti from the night before. I’m starving.

  Me: Got it. I’ll order a lot.

  Law: Thanks. Through checkout now. On my way back.

  If I really thought about it, it was bizarre that earlier in the day I’d dreaded working for him. Things were going far, far better than I’d ever imagined.

  I hoped it would continue like that.

  Chapter Five

  The only hiccup came after we ate, and Law brought in all my bags and boxes from the car. When he had it all up there, he took me upstairs to show me around.

  “This is the nursery,” he said, opening the door to a large room that faced the shady side yard.

  Three of the walls were pale gray, and the furniture was a creamy white. The wall to the left of the door had been done as the focal point with shiplap from top to bottom. Two beautiful cribs were against it, and if the large name plaques above each hadn’t clued me in to which was which, the baby blue bedding in one and the petal pink bedding in the other would have. There were two darker gray plush gliders in front of the window, one of which was faced out toward the trees that lined the side of the house. The wall on the opposite side of the room had two changing tables against it, along with some shiplap shelves that held stuffed animals and knickknacks. The massive area rug had a woodland scene on it. It was by far the plushest carpet I’d ever encountered, so much so, I could imagine taking a nap on it. It looked and felt brand new, as did the white window treatments.

  “This is perfect,” I breathed as I looked around in wonder.

  “It was all Lana,” Law answered, his voice gruff. “All the furniture and décor came from their house. The wall color and accent wall I had put in to match what was in their home bedroom. My mom and I took the babies on some hours-long walks through the neighborhood while that shiplap was being installed.”

  I wondered when he’d gotten so thoughtful. Was it just because of the children, or had it started before he took them on? I’d certainly never noticed it before.

  After showing me the nursery, he walked back into the hall. “My bedroom is right there,” he said, gesturing to the large set of double doors on the other side of the hall. I knew that room would face the backyard, which made sense for a master. “And this is your room,” he said, crossing the hall and opening the door to a large guest room.

  It would have a view of the yard, but it was only twenty feet from Law’s room. I didn’t know why that made me jumpy, but it did. We’d share a wall. It felt intimate, and that wasn’t ideal. Geneva had told me I’d be in the bedroom off the nursery, so that’s what I’d expected. There was a Jack and Jill bathroom there that would’ve ensured that I didn’t run into Law in the hallway on the way back and forth from their room at night. I’d been counting on that.

  Instead of being able to hide in my room at night, I’d risk seeing him anytime I left the room. I was also closer to his bedroom than theirs. Fifty feet, as opposed to twenty, seemed better somehow. The only comparison I could think of was that it felt like the difference between going into the water with a life jacket or diving into the deep end with nothing at all to help you stay afloat.

  I paused at the door to the guestroom after he walked in, chewing at my lower lip nervously as I looked over my shoulder to the door to the room I’d thought I’d stay in.

  “You good?” he asked.

  I was choosing my words carefully when I turned my attention to where he stood just inside the door. He’d taken off his shirt and put on the papoose again when he got back, so he could alternate each of the babies in and out of it. At the moment, he had one of Lana’s T-shirts draped over his left shoulder to about mid-chest, and Hope’s cheek was resting against it. I’d noticed the sheen of tears in his eyes when she’d settled against the shirt with a happy gurgle. I’d only been around to see her drink that one bottle, but Law said she had done noticeably better with the new bottle and formula.

  “Addison?” he prodded, reminding me he’d asked a question.

  “Geneva told me I’d be sleeping in the bedroom attached to their nursery,” I blurted.

  “Oh, right,” he said as if it was no big deal. “I forgot Mom told Gen that. There was a misunderstanding on which room was which, and the construction crew tore up the carpet in there and took down the crown molding. They thought that would be the nursery. It was such a rush to get it all finished before my mom left that they didn’t get to go back and fix the room. The foreman told me they’ll come back as soon as they can squeeze me into their schedule, but it could be a few weeks.”

  I tried to match his easy demeanor. “I could probably stay in there without the carpet and molding,” I pointed out.

  “They moved the furniture into the garage.” He shrugged. “Is it a big deal not to be in that room?”

  “Um, no… I just worry I won’t hear them over here,” I lied.

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” Law assured me. “A monitor on your nightstand has split livestream video showing each of their cribs with sound. If one of them burps, you’ll know. I have the same setup in my room, and I hear everything.”

  Awesome. There was no avoiding the shared wall with him. Also, even if I didn’t see him in the hall, he’d be able to see me on the monitor. I made a mental note not to prance around in any see-through negligees. I mean, I didn’t own any, but if I did suddenly acquire one, I would avoid wearing it while I lived with Law.

  With no choice but to deal with it, I walked into the guest room. As far as size and décor went, I had nothing to complain about. Three of the walls were a pale linen color while the wall behind the bed was about three shades darker. In the center of that wall was a stunning canopy bed, piled high with fluffy white linens and pillows. The side tables, dresser, and armoire matched the whitewashed wood of the bed perfectly, and the carpet was a near perfect match to the darker linen color of the accent wall.

  Law stepped to the side and let me explore, but I felt his eyes on me as I moved around the room with a sleeping Holden on my shoulder. The massive walk-in closet and a bathroom were as well appointed as any I’d ever been in.

  Coming back out of the bathroom, I smiled at Law. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t thank me. You’re the one saving my ass right now.”

  “You’re paying me very well to do that,” I reminded him.

  “If you’d asked for it, I’d have paid more. The thought of having a stranger take charge of these little lives scared the fuck out of me. Kell and Lana left the kids to me for a reason. I’ll die before I do anything that goes against the faith they had in me.”

  A thought occurred to me. “Did neither Kellan and Lana not have any family who would have wanted them?”

  “Kellan’s parents are grifters who were never really parents at all. He hadn’t seen or heard from either of them in at least six years. Trust me, it wasn’t a loss. His grandmother, Philomene, lives in New Orleans. If I’d been unwilling or unable to take the children, she was the alternative. I’ll make sure she has frequent and unlimited access to them, but she and I agreed they belong with me. You’ll quickly get used to her calling and sending packages, and after a while, the talismans and charms she sends won’t seem strange at all.”

  “And Lana? Did she have any family?”

  The anger that crossed his face told me I’d wandered into a sensitive area. He reeled it in quickly, but there was no mistaking it.

/>   “Lana’s family is a bunch of white-trash, racist, evil half-wits who will never get close enough to these children to do even one percent of the damage they did to their daughter. They disowned her when she married Kellan.”

  I knew Law’s use of the word racist was a clue about them. “Because he was black?” I asked incredulously.

  “Yes, though they use a different word for people with skin color like these babies,” he said stiffly. “They think marrying outside of the race you’re born to is against God’s will. I think they know nothing about God or his will. They have not reached out or tried to see the babies since their daughter died. That tells me they have not and will not change, and that’s all I need to know.”

  Yeah. It really was. Keeping them away was the only option.

  “They made the right choice in making you the guardian.”

  “And I made the right choice in hiring you,” he said.

  I’d been so stressed out about working for him that I’d never stopped to consider, even for a moment, that it might be a positive experience for all involved. I’d never been happier to have misjudged a situation in my life.

  Chapter Six

  Six weeks later

  As relieved as I’d been that the first day had no issues, I’d been ready for things to go south. I’d let myself forget who Law was once before and the damage to my pride had messed with me for a long time after. Regardless if he’d intended it that way, Law’s actions that night had left me with trust issues. Thus, I hated giving men any kind of control. I knew that was part of the reason I couldn’t sustain a relationship to save my life.

  For the most part, being around Law was far easier than I ever could have expected. There were moments I’d find him looking at me as though he had something to say, but nothing ever happened. A few times, I’d felt a weird tension between us, but then I realized my exhausted mind was playing tricks on me. Things were good, and I thought they would stay that way. That I’d been able to let my guard down felt damn good.