Las Vegas Sidewinders: Jared

by Kat Mizera

  “When the choice is sex with you or reading about sex written by you, guess which one I pick?”

  She laughed. “I guess I can forgive you then.”

  27

  Focusing on hockey at the level of the head coach of an NHL team took a lot more effort than Jared had anticipated. He was distracted and worried about Braden, but as he sat in the conference room up in the executive offices at the Sidewinders’ arena, he managed to put everything else out of his mind for a few hours.

  He started the meeting with introductions and then gave them an overview of the situation in his personal life. It was only fair, because he would be spending ninety percent of his time with these men come September, and they had to be read in, no matter how embarrassing it might be to admit he’d had a kid he didn’t know about.

  “In a pinch, let me know and our nanny, Misty, may be able to jump in.” Jamie leaned back in his chair. “She has her hands full with our two, but if you run into trouble, don’t hesitate to ask. She’s awesome.”

  “Thanks.” Jared nodded. “I appreciate that. I will definitely need back-up once we start traveling. I’m in the process of interviewing nannies, but until I find one and see that it’s working out, I’m probably going to have to count on the handful of you that I know.”

  “That’s what we do here in Vegas,” Jamie said with a grin. “This organization is more like a family than a business off the ice.”

  “Speaking of ice, let’s get to work.” Jared pulled out his iPad where he had all of his notes. “Before we start, are there questions?”

  “What happens when Coach Gagner wants to come back?” Jamie asked. “I’m the newest, with the least coaching experience, so I’d be the obvious one to let go and I’d like to be prepared if that’s what’s going to happen.”

  “We’re not making any mid-season changes,” Jared said firmly. “I already discussed that with Lonnie and Pierre. Unless something goes terribly wrong the first half of the season or one of you gets arrested or something, no one is being replaced mid-season.”

  “Arrested?” Rob grimaced. “Jesus, let’s say no to that. And by the way, my wife doesn’t work when she’s here in Vegas, so let me know if you need anything. She’s also a doctor, which is an added bonus.”

  “Your wife’s a doctor?” Jared asked in surprise.

  “Plastic surgeon, though she’s not practicing anymore. She’s focusing on the burn study she’s doing, so she works at UNLV some, and then flies all over the world perfecting the techniques she uses. So if she’s here in Vegas, she’s home buried in research and could use a break now and again.”

  Jared nodded. “I appreciate it, thank you. Okay, let’s get to work.”

  It was a long but productive day and by the time he was on his bike heading home, he finally had a grip on what direction he was going with the team. Everything would change some during training camp, but for now, he had a solid coaching staff and would meet with everyone else tomorrow. One step at a time, he thought as he walked into the house and smelled something amazing.

  “Hey.” Renee met him in the hallway with a smile. “I was just getting ready to text you. The agency called and they have two nannies they want to send over. One can come tonight at seven. I said yes because I know you have meetings all day tomorrow. Is that okay?”

  “That’s perfect. Thanks.” He brushed his lips across her cheek and turned just as Braden came bounding down the hall.

  “Hi, Jared! Guess what Renee showed me today!”

  “What?”

  “How to do a cannonball!”

  “Cool.” Jared glanced at Renee, who was smiling.

  “He had some extra energy and I felt like swimming, so it worked out.”

  “What about Daisy and Zio?”

  “They went out.”

  “Speaking of whom.” He turned as the door opened and Daisy and Zio came in.

  “Hey, did you have fun?” Renee asked them.

  “It was nice.” Zio nodded briefly and headed towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

  Daisy didn’t say anything and immediately went up the stairs without looking back.

  “Uh-oh.” Jared and Renee exchanged glances.

  “I’ve got to get dinner finished,” Renee said, turning back to the kitchen. “Whatever’s going on will have to wait.”

  “I’ll talk to Zio later,” Jared said. “In the meantime, let’s help Renee set the table for dinner, okay, buddy?” He looked down at Braden, who nodded.

  They ate quickly since the nanny coming to interview would be there soon and Renee asked Daisy to help her clean up the kitchen while Jared and Zio took Braden into the den to watch a little TV.

  “What’s going on?” Renee asked her quietly as they loaded the dishwasher. “You’re not being a very good hostess to our guest, and if you aren’t happy with Zio as a boyfriend, you need to tell him so we can make arrangements for him to go home. Keeping him here and making both of you miserable is pointless.”

  “It’s not that I’m not happy,” Daisy said, leaning against the counter. “Ben keeps texting and Zio saw some of them because I left my phone on the table at lunch. Ben sent like five in a row, and the last one asked if we could meet somewhere on the East Coast before I went back to Switzerland.”

  Renee wiped her hands on a dish towel and looked at her. “Honey, I’m not going to tell you how to live your life, but you need to cut him off. If he doesn’t love you, and we’re both pretty sure he doesn’t, ask him to stop texting. If he continues, block him. Otherwise, break things off with Zio and do whatever it is you think you want to do with Ben.”

  “It’s just—” Daisy was cut off by the ringing doorbell.

  “Hold that thought, we’ll talk after the interview is over. Can you and Zio go upstairs with Braden for a little while? We want to talk to her alone first.”

  “Sure.”

  Renee was surprised at the woman in the foyer. She was probably sixty, with purple-tinted gray hair, khaki shorts and a white tank top, and purple sandals on her feet that laced up her calves. She had long nails with purple nail polish and long, dangling pink earrings. She wore full makeup and had a pink snakeskin cross-body purse that somehow worked with the whole outfit.

  “Hi, I’m Dorothea Atkinson. I’m here for the nanny position.” Her voice was well-modulated and she made direct eye contact.

  “Jared Wylde. Please come in.” Jared shut the door behind her and Renee moved in to introduce herself as well.

  “Come into the family room and let’s talk,” she said, leading the way.

  They settled into the comfortable room and Jared explained his situation. “The schedule is going to be unpredictable and while I can give you days off here and there, any real breaks would need to be approved months in advance. Between the second week of September and the middle of April, at the earliest, I’ll be constantly on the go. I’ll need you nights, weekends, and even holidays. We can certainly have back-ups for emergencies, but I’d like someone with Braden that I trust and he likes.”

  Dorothea, who said everyone called her Dot, nodded. “I’m widowed and my kids are all grown. I have one that still lives here in town, but he and his wife are busy with their jobs and the kids, so I don’t have any responsibilities. I’m a retired high school principal with a doctorate in education, so don’t let the clothes and hair fool you. I had to look conservative and dress appropriately for thirty-five years and I like to have fun now, but I assure you I’m professional and more than qualified. The hours don’t bother me as long as the pay is right.”

  Jared nodded as they discussed the company’s compensation plan and details like health insurance and time off.

  “Will I be meeting your son tonight?” Dot asked. “I think he’s really the one who needs to like me.”

  Jared smiled. “For sure. Let me get him.” He went upstairs to find him, leaving Dot and Renee alone.

  “You’re Rena Black,” Dot said with an impish smile.

>   Renee flushed. “Wow, I don’t get recognized here in town very often.”

  “I’m a retired woman with lots of time to read. Petra and Her Phantom is one of my favorite romance novels ever. I read a little of everything, but Petra and Phantom are beyond romantic. I love the wedding.”

  “Thank you. I love that series. I have another one coming out soon, if I can ever finish it. Life has been hectic lately.”

  “You and Jared aren’t married?”

  “No.” Renee shook her head. “We’ve only been dating about two months. It’s very new.”

  “Dot, this is Braden. Braden, say hello to Dot.” Jared came in with a suddenly very shy Braden, who clung to his hand and wouldn’t look up.

  “Hi, Braden.” Dot smiled and held out her hand.

  The boy hesitated but finally reached out to shake her hand.

  “Your dad says he’ll need someone to help take care of you when he’s busy with hockey. Would you like to hang out with me when he and Renee are busy?”

  Braden looked up and squinted. “Why is your hair purple?”

  “Because I thought it was pretty. Last month it was blue. I might try red next time. Or maybe you can help me pick a fun color?”

  Braden seemed to be considering it. “Fuchsia,” he said at last.

  “We can try it.”

  They seemed in agreement about the subject and he dug his DS out of the pocket of his cargo pants. “Do you play Pokémon Diamond?”

  “No, but I could probably learn.”

  “I’ll teach you.” He paused. “If you want.”

  “Sure, but we’d have to do homework first.”

  Braden sighed. “I’m bad at homework.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “I can’t remember my times tables and my letters are crooked.”

  “I’ll tell you a secret,” Dot lowered her voice. “I used to be a school teacher and my letters are bad too. But I still became a principal.”

  Braden’s eyes widened. “For reals?”

  “For reals.”

  “Wow.”

  They immediately got into a conversation about when Braden had been principal for a day at his school and Jared and Renee exchanged a look over the top of his head. Maybe, just maybe, this was going to work out. Nothing about the situation had been easy so far, so she could only hope this would be the exception.

  After another long day of meetings with the rest of the staff at the arena, Jared headed home at four. He was just about to turn onto Renee’s street when he spotted a For Rent sign on the house on the corner. It was in her neighborhood, which would be ideal, and though he wasn’t sure what to expect, he didn’t believe it would be out of his price range. His contract with the Sidewinders was for a million dollars a year for three years, and he already had an offer on his townhouse in Boston, so money wasn’t a problem. Of course, he had no idea what houses in this neighborhood went for either.

  Impulsively, he stopped and knocked on the door. The woman who answered was friendly and gave him some information, offering to give him a tour the following day if he was still interested. From what he’d seen through the door, the house was spacious and probably a lot more house than he needed, but renting a three-bedroom apartment didn’t make sense for him, his son and a nanny, so a house in Renee’s neighborhood would be ideal.

  He felt a lot more lighthearted than he had in days as he walked in and called out to Renee. “Hey, I want to show you something.”

  “Hi.” She came around the corner. “And sure.”

  He pulled out his laptop and looked up the rental house. “What do you think?”

  “It’s in this neighborhood,” she said in surprise. “Oh wow, that looks wonderful. You’ll be a block away, same school district as if you were living here, and we can see each other easily when we’re in town.”

  “Yup.” He looked up. “I was thinking this will give all of us time to adjust, you know? We’ll still be close enough to be together, without rushing everything. Unless there’s some kind of gross surprise when I tour the place, I’m going to do it. Can you go with me?”

  “Of course.”

  “Let’s go out tonight,” he said softly. “I’ll pay Daisy to watch Braden. We haven’t had a minute to ourselves all week.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  Daisy’s shriek pierced the air and they both rushed into the family room, where she was trying to grab something from Braden.

  “I found it in the garbage!” he was yelling. “It’s mine now—you threw it away.”

  “Give it to me, you little creep!”

  “Daisy.” Renee rarely raised her voice and Jared had never heard her use that tone with Daisy or anyone else. Daisy actually froze, but she jutted out her chin defiantly.

  “It’s mine. He took it out of the garbage in my bathroom.”

  “If it was in the garbage, why do you care?” Jared asked, approaching Braden and gently plucking the piece of white plastic from his hand. “Let me have it, buddy.”

  Braden grudgingly released it and Jared sucked in a breath when he saw what it was.

  “What on earth could be so important?” Renee demanded. She stopped as soon as she saw what it was. “Oh my god.”

  “Dammit, give it to me!” Daisy tried to grab it, but Jared held it out to Renee.

  It was a pregnancy test. With a bright purple plus sign shining up at her.

  28

  Renee met Jared’s gaze in disbelief. “It’s not mine,” she said automatically. They both turned to Daisy, who’d folded her arms across her chest.

  “What’s going on?” Zio came into the room and frowned.

  “Daisy?” Renee looked at her daughter. “You have something you need to tell us?”

  “What is that?” Zio asked.

  “It’s a pregnancy test,” Renee answered. “And it’s positive.”

  “You’re such a little shit,” Daisy hissed at Braden.

  “Daisy!” Renee’s voice rose even more this time. “This is not his fault. Don’t you dare yell at him. You put it in the garbage, and while we need to have a talk with him about digging in the trash, he didn’t take anything of yours. If you wanted to make sure no one found it, you should’ve taken it to the can outside.”

  Daisy didn’t respond, turning away as she folded her arms across her chest.

  “Daisy, are you pregnant?” Zio was staring at her in confusion.

  “Apparently.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I found out like two hours ago,” she snapped. “I needed a little time to wrap my head around it.”

  “Am I in trouble?” Braden whispered.

  “No.” Renee reached out and ruffled his hair. “Why don’t you go watch TV in the kitchen and I’ll get you a snack in a minute? We need to have a grown-up talk right now.”

  “Okay.” Braden looked wary but disappeared from the room.

  “Haven’t you taught him any manners?” Daisy demanded of Jared. “What kind of kid goes through the garbage?”

  “The kind who just lost his mom and had to move in with a guy he just met who happens to be the father he didn’t know he had,” Jared shot back, glaring.

  “Daisy, we have to talk about this,” Zio spoke gently, though his eyes gleamed with intensity.

  “My body, my decision,” she said tightly.

  “Decision?” He frowned. “You mean you want to get rid of it?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m not ready to be a mom and I don’t think you’re ready to be a dad.”

  “Probably not, but we have to talk about it. Don’t I have any say?”

  “It’s my body. I’m the one who has to carry it and take care of it, go through labor, all of that. You don’t have to do anything but hold my hand, and frankly, that’s not enough.”

  He cocked his head. “Is this why you’ve been acting so weird the last few days? Why didn’t you talk to me? I love you, Daisy, and I thought you felt the same about me… Or is it
that Ben guy again? Is he the reason you didn’t want to tell me? Are you going back to him?”

  “No! I don’t know.” She threw up her hands. “I don’t know anything right now and I want you to leave me alone!” She ran up the stairs and a few seconds later the door to her room slammed.

  “I don’t know what she wants,” Zio said sadly, sinking into the nearest chair. “I love her but I think she still wants to be with Ben and I can’t compete with someone she seems to want.”

  “Did you have any idea she could be pregnant?” Jared asked quietly.

  “No. We’re careful and always use protection.” He buried his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do. I’d marry her today if she wanted me, but I think…” He took a breath. “I think she’s waiting for me to go home so she can break up with me.”

  “But she’s going home with you too.”

  Zio shook his head. “I think she wants to stay here this semester.”

  “What?” Renee was shaking her head. “How did I not know anything like this was going on? I know Ben has been bugging her, but she told me she’s not interested, she knows he’s only looking for sex.”

  “You think I should take Zio and Braden out for burgers?” Jared asked her. “So you and Daisy can talk?”

  “I guess that’s the best thing. I need to find out what’s going on.”

  “I’ll see you later, okay? Text me if you need me.” He kissed her and motioned to Zio. “Get your shoes on. We’re going out.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Zio got to his feet but paused in front of Renee. “I’m sorry, Renee. I love Daisy, and I don’t know how this happened, but I’m willing to do anything for her. I just don’t know what she wants.”

  “I don’t think she knows either,” Renee answered, putting a gentle hand on his arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to her and we’ll sort this out.”

  Renee waited until the guys were gone before going upstairs and knocking on Daisy’s door.

  “Come in.” Daisy was on her bed, holding a pillow to her chest, her eyes red from crying.