Page 28 of Penalty Kill

“Oh right.” I took another bite and watched the boys in wonder.

Last week, we’d been living in chaos. I was usually yelling at them to get dressed or out the door. We survived on premade meals or fast food. They threw tantrums daily, and I was stressed to the max.

Sydney changed everything. They were so much happier and better behaved. They listened and were polite. It was hard not to blame myself, but I’d been doing my best. It just wasn’t enough. She came at the perfect time and pushed a reset button. The guilt about them not having their mother was lessening. Olivia didn’t deserve them. She’d walked away. She chose herself over her sons.

This was the childhood they needed. Full of pancakes and playing and learning.

I turned to her as I reached for another pancake. “Thank you.”

She met my eyes and didn’t ask what I meant. She just gave me a small smile. “No, thank you.”

There was something about how she said those words that made me pause. She managed to seamlessly become a part of our world, but I still didn’t know very much about her.

Maybe she needed us as much as we needed her.

* * *

I barely walked into the locker room before I was assaulted with phones, papers, and shouts.

Hartman pulled my elbow and moved us out of the way. “You have some explaining to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

He lifted his phone and showed me a picture of Sydney standing and clapping with the boys next to her. The headline read ‘Cullen’s New Mystery Woman.’ I didn’t bother to read it.

“I can’t control the press.”

He gave me an exasperated look. “I’m well aware. I just think you should clarify who she is before they set up their cameras at your house.”

He was probably right. I wasn’t the most famous guy on the team, and I tried to lay low as much as possible, but unfortunately, I had enough of a fanbase that even the Hollywood tabloids picked up the story of my divorce. I was pretty sure Olivia was behind that and wanted to use the exposure to make herself more relevant. All it did was make me angry.

I was fine doing interviews and photoshoots. I was more than happy to meet fans and personally respond to their letters and emails. I drew the line at my family. I didn’t want the boys to be impacted by their mother’s and my actions and decisions. I wanted to stop this before it got out of control.

Instead of changing for practice, I spun around and headed up to the front office. Chloe’s office door was open, so I knocked on the frame before stepping inside and sitting down.

She glanced up at me for a second before returning to her laptop. Her hands flew over the keyboard, not wavering for a moment.

“I already saw it.”

“I don’t want to issue a formal statement, but I want them to know she’s the boys’ nanny.”

Her fingers finally stopped, and she faced me. “I’ll get the word out. I’m not as connected with the tabloids as the sports news, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.” I stood to leave, but she put up her hand.

“This isn’t going to fix everything.”

I slumped down. “Why not?”

She looked at me like I was an idiot. “She’s a hot nanny. You’re a newly single man. There will be plenty of rumors and lies.”

I rolled my eyes at the cliché, but she wasn’t wrong.

“For all we know, Olivia will take it and spin it. She could make claims that Sydney is why you guys split. Why you’re keeping the boys from her.”

“What? Chloe, that’s insane.”

She sighed. “I know that. The media doesn’t, nor do they care as long as it sells and makes them money.”