Page 14 of Penalty Kill

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate being welcomed in.”

Amelia seemed satisfied and went back to her office.

“She’s coming to a game?” Hartman asked while wagging his brows. “You already trying to impress her?”

I closed my eyes and counted to three like I did when the twins were driving me crazy. “The boys asked to come. She’s coming by default.”

“Oh right, because she didn’t even know you were on the team,” Erik pointed out again and started a new round of laughter.

This was the last time I told them anything. Ever again.

I hoped as more of them got married and started their families they would mature and maybe even mellow out. I was wrong. It was bad enough to deal with the prying of the women, but the guys were usually worse.

“That means we’ll get to meet her,” Olli pointed out, making my stomach drop.

“None of you will say anything to her about this conversation.” I gave them my best stern dad look.

A few of them dipped their heads, but Erik and Olli seemed to take it as a challenge.

“Don’t worry, Dad. We won’t embarrass you,” Erik said not sounding one bit genuine.

“Yeah, we’ll be on our best behavior.” Olli winked.

“We don’t want another Olivia situation,” Erik said with a dramatic shudder.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“We don’t want her, or anyone taking advantage of you.” He sighed. “That’s why I’m honestly glad she didn’t know who you were.”

Olli nodded. “She’s in a really unique position, one she could manipulate or abuse. Emma and Chloe said her references were great, but that doesn’t mean any of us are letting our guards down.”

Erik agreed. “We’ll be nice, but we want you to be smart. Don’t get distracted by her good looks.”

“I mean, she’s probably safe since she didn’t even know who you were.” Olli teased.

“What is it, thirty years in the NHL and still no one knows who he is,” Erik chuckled.

I shook my head and walked away from them. They could joke all they wanted, but the moment I realized she’d had no idea who I was would go down as one of the best in my life. She didn’t know who the women were when she talked to them in the café. She didn’t know I was anyone other than a single dad needing help. When we met at the park, she didn’t see what car I drove, where I lived, or had any idea how much money I had.

She was interested in the job before any of that could influence her. She didn’t care about my status or fame. She was the complete opposite of my ex. I didn’t think it was possible to meet someone and just be me anymore. It was refreshing. It helped me trust her even more.

I didn’t know her story or much about her at all, but I could tell by her actions she was a good, genuine person. That was all that mattered to me.

* * *

It was after six when I got home. I wasn’t sure what I was going to walk into. Part of me didn’t want to find out. What if the boys went wild? What if they drove her crazy and she was waiting for me to come in so she could leave? What if she decided this wasn’t what she wanted after all? The boys were generally pretty good. I didn’t hear many complaints from their preschool, but when they were home they liked to run around and weren’t necessarily on their best behavior. Some days it was too much for me, and they were my kids. I loved them unconditionally. Sydney didn’t have that built in.

There was only one way to find out.

I hit the button to open the garage and parked. The boys didn’t come running out, so that was a good sign. Maybe. They could also be locked in their room because Sydney couldn’t handle them.

With a deep breath, I opened the door and walked through the mudroom, dropping my duffle on the bench. I listened for any sign of where they were, and followed the sound of laughter upstairs. I checked their bedroom but it was empty, so I moved on to their playroom and peeked in. All three of them were on the ground racing cars along a course outlined in blue tape. There was a paper sign at the beginning that said ‘Cullen Race Track’ with hand-drawn checkered flags below. It was an impressive course with curves and turns that overlapped the design. It took up most of the floor. They must have been working on it since they got home from school.

She leaned back on her heels and pulled out her phone. I watched her take a few photos and the familiar anger worked its way from my stomach.

“Hey guys.” I stepped into the room and their laughter quieted.

“Daddy!” Finn jumped up and gave me a hug.