Legend, page 7
“If you want my opinion, I really liked Lucy,” she says.
“Of course, I want your opinion,” I reassure her with a squeeze as my arm is holding her close. “But…um…which one was Lucy?”
“The third one we interviewed. Taking a break between undergrad and grad school. Comes from a large family and has younger siblings she helped raise. She’s grounded and responsible and she has practical experience.”
I remember her now. “But she’s never actually been a nanny.”
“Which I think is actually kind of perfect,” Pepper replies. “You can train her to be what you want and what you need. You won’t have someone coming in that’s pushy with you or your child. It lets you set the exact tone of the relationship.”
Now, Pepper is making a fuck of a lot of sense. “She was the easiest to talk to,” I admit.
“Make an offer to her and then get the background check started on Tuesday. You can have her start as soon as she can under your supervision and tell her the position is contingent on her having a clear background check. That way you get a few days of her working for you before you leave.”
Yeah…makes so much sense.
I shift and roll toward Pepper, finding her mouth in the dark. I kiss her softly as a measure of gratitude for being a good sounding board. When I pull back, I tell her, “I would have been a total mess these last few days without you.”
“You would have been just fine,” she says with self-deprecation.
“Would not,” I mutter and tilt my head to put my mouth to her neck.
She giggles and pushes me away from her. “Before I forget, though…do you have plans for Christmas? If you don’t, you’re more than welcome to come over to my parents’ house and partake of the ritual holiday Tofurkey.”
“To-what?” I ask in horror.
“Turkey made out of tofu,” she replies with a laugh.
I shudder thinking about it. “Actually, Dax and Tacker are going to come over tomorrow evening for a low-key Christmas Eve dinner and some drinks, but even if I didn’t have plans, fuck no I wouldn’t go to anyone’s house that served Tofurkey.”
Pepper barks out a laugh. “I told you my parents were health nuts and completely vegan, but yeah…I’m not looking forward to that either.”
“I’m so glad you eat meat,” I tell her earnestly. “Otherwise, I don’t think we could hang.”
“Well, the offer is there, and if you also want to come hang on Christmas day. I’m going to stay the night there so I can see my niece and nephew first thing in the morning when they come to my parents.”
“As you should,” I tell her, and then find her neck again with my mouth.
She moans and her fingers twine throughout my hair. On a breathy sigh, she adds, “But if you get bored and want to hang with me and my family, just let me know. It’s an open-door policy and my parents are pretty cool, outside of their eating habits.”
I ignore the comment and the invitation. I find running my lips along her skin to be much more interesting.
Besides, meeting her parents takes this further down the road than I’m comfortable with right now. My hand slips between her legs, then she’s arching up and into me, and I know the Christmas holidays have been forgotten.
Chapter 10
Legend
Using a piece of tape to seal the top of the colorful bag shut, I admire my handiwork laid out across my dining room table.
Christmas presents all perfectly wrapped and ready to be opened.
Granted, these are actually bags because I don’t wrap presents worth a shit and I’m too lazy to stand in line for complimentary gift wrapping. So I bought a bunch of Christmas themed bags in varying sizes. I’m pretty sure I was supposed to have tissue paper in there to hide whatever present was inside, but I forgot to get it so I’m just taping the tops shut to keep the contents a secret.
Not that Charlie is old enough to look inside. She can’t even hold her head up and will have no memory of the roughly five hundred dollars’ worth of toys and clothes I bought her.
Charlie woke Pepper and I up around 6:00 a.m. I fed Charlie her morning bottle and Pepper slipped away to get some last-minute Christmas things done before she went to her parents’ house.
I did, however, get her to agree to come to my house for dinner the night after Christmas so I’ll be seeing her in just two short days.
Grabbing an armload of bags, I walk into the living room and put them beside the fireplace. It’s made of hardwood, and finished in cream with fluted columns and crown molding along the breast.
It’s very traditional.
And I realize…boring.
Looking around my living room, I see nothing but taupe and creams, rich leather seating and heavy, solid pieces of unadorned furniture. My throw pillows are brown and cream plaid with a hint of green you can barely see. Contrasted with the rainbow of colors over at Pepper’s house, I realize my house is kind of dull.
I shake that off because now is not the time to Martha Stewart myself, and even if my house is dull, I’ll never decorate it like Pepper’s. Maybe a bit more color, but not much.
As I arrange the bags so they are all standing up, I have to admit I’m really feeling guilty about not having a decorated tree. In my nine years of adulthood and living on my own, I have never put up a Christmas tree and that’s mainly because as a professional hockey player, I was usually traveling or playing in a game, or in the rare opportunities that the schedule worked out the right way, I’d have a few days to fly home.
This year, it just worked out that Christmas fell in the middle of a loose home schedule. Ordinarily and being child free, I would have flown home to Boston to see my parents.
That’s not an option this year because I just don’t have the guts to fly across the country with Charlie. I’ve only had her for three days now and I’m still so very wet behind the ears when it comes to caring for a newborn. I mean sure…right now it’s just caring for basic needs, and she sleeps a hell of a lot, but I wasn’t about to take her on a plane with all kinds of germs and little self-esteem as a dad right now.
So tonight, Tacker, and Dax are coming over. I’ve got dinner all ready—thank you Whole Foods Market, who actually cooked the turkey and sliced it for me—and we’re going to stuff our faces and have a few drinks together to celebrate the holidays.
None of the team has met Charlie yet because most of them don’t know about her. Really, the first opportunity to convey the news was before the game against Toronto last night, but that didn’t feel right. I didn’t want anything to draw away anyone’s focus. I decided it would be better to do it at the next team practice, although I have let a chosen few people in on the secret.
Dax and Bishop, of course, as they’re my closest friends on the team.
I’m an assistant captain along with Bishop, so it made sense for me to tell our number one. That would be Tacker, as he’s the captain.
And I told Coach Perron and our general manager, Christian Rutherford.
Past them, I’ve held this tight to my vest. With Pepper helping out on babysitting, I didn’t even have to bring any of the other players in on the secret by asking their wives to help watch Charlie.
The plan is to tell everyone on the twenty-sixth after our short practice. Coach Perron has already told everyone to gather in the team meeting room and I bet they think we’ll be reviewing film, but instead I will be helping them to welcome the first baby born to the Vengeance since we formed.
Truth be told…I’m kind of fucking excited about telling everyone.
Heading back to the kitchen, I grab the last of the presents, which includes a singular gold foil bag that’s much smaller than all the others. I place it near the rear of the other packages, as it won’t get opened until the day after Christmas.
Within that bag is a present for Pepper that I went out and got today. I had to pick up the groceries at Whole Foods for dinner, and I made a stop at one other store.
Charlie was a perfect angel while I shopped. I set her car carrier up on one of the counters and an elderly sales lady cooed and fussed over her while another lady helped me pick out a necklace for Pepper.
It was no easy decision. I had nothing to go on as Pepper wears little jewelry. Sometimes earrings or a little silver ring on her hand, but mostly nothing and I didn’t know her style.
In the end, I found what I think is both meaningful and beautiful.
I didn’t think twice about it.
Getting a Christmas present for Pepper.
It’s true we’ve gone from enemies to lovers in about a nanosecond—which is how long it took for me to become a first-time father—but in a short period, she’s mostly become a good friend. I seriously don’t think I could have made it these past few days without her help and support.
My doorbell rings and it jolts me out of my thoughts. I trot though the living room to the foyer and swing the front door open. Dax stands there with a dopey grin on his face, a Santa hat on his head, and a bottle of scotch in his hand.
“Merry Christmas,” he booms.
Tacker is standing just behind him with a surly expression and his hands stuffed down in his pockets. His eyes come to mine and he mutters, “Merry Christmas.”
I look to Dax and give a nod toward Tacker. “Is he going to be a bah humbug kind of guest all night?”
Dax holds the bottle of liquor up and waves it. He shoots Tacker a nasty grin. “Not after I get some of this in him, he won’t. Right, Tack?”
“What the fuck ever,” Tacker grumbles and snatches the bottle from Dax’s hand. “Let’s just pour some drinks.”
I snicker as I step back, opening the doorway for them to enter. I’ll give Tacker a pass, even if his mood gets pissier. I know Christmas has to be extremely tough since his fiancée was killed in a plane crash last year.
In a plane that Tacker was piloting.
The man has been fairly closed off and removed from the rest of the team, at least on a personal basis. On the ice, he’s a good leader as our captain.
Off the ice, he’s elusive and standoffish. He rarely comes to team parties or get-togethers unless it’s mandated, and I’m surprised he accepted my offer to come hang with me and Dax.
Dax knows his way around my house but this is Tacker’s first time, so he merely follows Dax as he leads the way to the kitchen. I follow in their wake.
“Where’s the baby?” Dax asks as he sits the bottle on the countertop and turns to my cabinet for some glasses.
“Sleeping right now,” I tell him as I move to the bags of food from Whole Foods. It’s still warm enough that I’m not even going to bother zapping any of it in the microwave. “She’ll be up soon, though, for her bottle.”
Dax snorts and shakes his head. “I cannot wait to see you feed her. Oh, and change her diaper. This is going to be epic.”
I don’t even bother with an eye roll. He can be juvenile at times, but secretly…I can’t wait for Charlie to wake up so I can show her off.
Dax pours drinks and passes them around. Tacker takes a seat on a stool on the other side of the counter. I stop unpacking food a moment as Dax pushes a glass toward me and raises his own. “A quick toast. Merry Christmas, dudes. And congrats on being a dad, Legend.”
Tacker’s face actually softens slightly and he holds his glass up. “Yeah…congrats, man.”
“Cheers,” I say and we lift our glasses to our lips. I savor the flavor going down as that’s some good fucking scotch, but this will be my only drink. Not going to be drunk on any night where I have responsibility for Charlie.
I dish out savory food on my good plates, which are my only plates, but they’re good. I thought about buying paper plates but thought I should try to be a good host for my guests.
Turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, and cranberry sauce. I got the basics but I got a lot of it, because the three of us can pack away some food. Dax takes a stool next to Tacker and I eat on the opposite side of the counter standing up.
“So how is fatherhood really going?” Dax asks.
“It’s actually not that bad,” I admit to him. “Charlie sleeps a lot. About the worst thing is changing shitty diapers and the odd hours that she wakes up. Like tonight, she’ll probably be up around 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. She’s pretty regular in her sleep and eating schedule.”
Dax shakes his head and shoots me a wry grin. “A fucking baby ends up on your doorstep and it’s the world’s best baby. Dude, you lucked out.”
I laugh and turn to the fridge, pulling out three bottles of water. “Don’t I know it. And Pepper has also been helping me.”
“Helping you?” Dax asks. “How?”
I shrug and hand the waters across the counter. As I twist the cap of mine off, I reply, “You know…with just stuff.”
“Stuff?” This from Dax.
“Shopping,” I tell him with a nod. “She helped me buy all the supplies. And she watched Charlie last night. Oh, and she helped me interview the nannies.”
Tacker watches me thoughtfully while Dax’s grin goes evil. “You’re totally into her, aren’t you?”
Dax laughs—really, it’s a cackle—and slaps his hand on the counter. He looks at Tacker but points at me. “Week before last, he couldn’t stand her, and now he’s all googly-eyed over her.”
“I am not,” I snap at him. “And what the fuck is googly-eyed?”
“It means you really like her,” Tacker provides quietly.
Well, no shit.
“Have you kissed her again?” Dax asks, then shovels a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.
My gaze drops to my plate but I can feel heat creeping up the back of my neck.
“Holy fuck,” Dax drawls slowly and I dare to look at him. He’s pointing at me again with a look of awe on his face. “You’ve actually slept with her, haven’t you?”
I stare back at him stonily.
“More than once,” Dax accuses me, but in a completely delighted way. He holds his hand up, palm out and invites a high five from me. “Well done, dude. I really thought she was gay.”
“She’s not gay,” I growl at him and ignore the hand. I turn my attention back to my meal. “And it’s casual between us, okay? So don’t make anything of it, especially when you see Pepper.”
“Who’s Pepper?” Tacker asks, and Dax and I turn to look at him.
That’s right. Tacker knows nothing of my running feud with Pepper, or that she’s friends with Dax and that he made a move on her that she rebuffed. He knows none of this because he never hangs with us.
Dax decides to fill him in. “Smoking hot neighbor. Totally bohemian and free spirit. Legend used to hate her and all her tacky lawn decorations. I’m friends with her and I tried to kiss her our first time out together, but she wasn’t into it. So I thought she was gay, but apparently not.”
Tacker looks from Dax to me. “Casual, huh?”
“Casual,” I confirm with a hard nod, but I do feel compelled to add on. “But exclusive.”
Dax grins knowingly, because he understands that I just metaphorically peed on Pepper and marked my territory.
“I’m happy for you, man,” Dax says and then stabs a piece of turkey.
“Me too,” Tacker adds on with a smile, but I see pain in his eyes. I wonder if it will ever leave.
The baby monitor speaker that sits on the counter crackles then I hear the faint whimpering of Charlie as she wakes up. She never just starts crying but will make tiny mewling sounds for a few minutes to indicate she’s hungry.
“She’s awake.” I set down my fork and wipe my mouth on a napkin. “Let me go get her and I’ll be right back.”
Charlie is wet and I change her diaper. I take a moment to inhale her scent, which is sweet and powdery. I had put her down in a little one-piece pajama set that’s cream with little reindeer all over it and she looks adorable.
I carefully walk down the stairs and into the kitchen with her in my arms. Dax immediately bolts off his stool to come toward us. Tacker rises a bit more slowly, and I wonder if he had dreamed of having children with his fiancée. Was that dream crushed as well when she died?
Dax hovers over the little bundle that is my daughter and the dopey grin is back. He takes his index finger and pushes it into her little hand. “Who’s the cutest little baby in the entire world?”
Her eyes are a dark blue which means she got them from me since Lida’s are brown, but I had read that babies can have blue eyes after birth that will change later as they age. She stares up at Dax but I also know from reading that she really can’t see a lot of definition. Still, she reacts to his voice somewhat and her eyes widen just a bit.
“She’s awesome, Legend,” Dax says and there’s no mistaking the happiness for me in his voice.
“May I?” I hear from behind Dax and I see Tacker standing there, his arms spread slightly indicating he wants to hold her.
I blink in stunned surprise at Tacker, who has a gentle smile on his face as he looks from me to Charlie. I can’t help but give a quick glance to Dax, who looks as befuddled as I feel that Tacker is not only willingly engaging in something, but he looks to be in his element, perhaps. I know he had an immediate connection with Blue’s brother, who is wheelchair bound by cerebral palsy.
I’m by nature a protective man and that extends to my daughter, but if Charlie can in anyway break through to Tacker and help to bring him out of his shell, I’m all over it.
“Sure,” I say as if this is a casual gesture, but this is totally serious business. “I have to make her a bottle anyway.”
