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TOM

K elsey and Sam, my son’s mother and her husband, and I had agreed over a year ago that we would eventually hire a nanny for our little boy Crew.

I’d been more than patient and spent as much time as possible with my son while Kelsey continued breastfeeding.

With Crew weaned and my off-season coming to a close, it was time for us all to buckle down and take the next step.

Last year was challenging. I was only able to see Crew when all our travel schedules allowed.

Kelsey and Sam were based in Boston, where Sam pitched for a Major League baseball team while I played hockey for a team out of Denver, Colorado.

Add to it being my rookie year in the NHL, and I was more than stretched thin.

Training camp started in less than two weeks, and with it, my summer in Boston would also end. I loved hockey and Colorado, but between my profession and where my home team played, it couldn’t be worse if your kid lived in Boston.

Sam’s assistant promised that the next candidate would be the one.

Between the three of us, we had found fault in every candidate.

The first candidate had spent the interview flirting with Sam, completely missing Kelsey’s obvious annoyance.

The other interviewees had underestimated the amount of travel involved; two had withdrawn, and the one that didn’t likely would by the night's end.

Whoever we chose as our nanny would be key to providing Crew with day-to-day consistency.

I’d been working on a trade to Boston, but that fell through because my agent didn’t realize that the goal of the move wasn’t to maximize my salary but to get closer to my son.

That happens when agents operate on commission; the higher my salary is, the more money he makes.

I had at least another year in Colorado, finishing up my 3-year contract; Sam and Kelsey were in Boston, likely for the duration of his career. Could he get traded? Maybe, but it was unlikely.

I still couldn’t believe where my life had led; playing in the NHL was an impossible dream.

As a kid, my mother worked her ass off to pay for lessons, new skates, and to buy and replace expensive equipment.

I’d earned my college scholarship with my skills, but it was only because my mother had done more than most single mothers could.

I didn’t consider myself a single father because I had a support system, something she barely had.

Kelsey was an incredible mother, and Sam and I shared the role of Crew’s father equally.

Some days, I felt like I was living someone else’s life.

When I met Kelsey, I wish I had known she would change my life, but nope. The most memorable part of that night was that two lonely people found each other for some shitty sex. We hadn’t even exchanged more than our first names.

But Crew? That little guy was the best thing that had happened to me.

I would give up everything for him, and if I couldn’t find balance in the next year between hockey and being his dad, I planned to.

That’s why finding the right fit for this nanny position was critical.

This person would be the one to make or break my career.

Monica had become increasingly frustrated as we sent each applicant away or when they inevitably withdrew.

When the next woman showed up and talked only to Sam and me, I was pissed on Kelsey’s behalf.

None of them had passed the first-level interviews, and Crew was still playing with his aunt Kylie at the playground around the corner.

We’d asked her to stay close by in case we had a candidate we wanted to meet.

“Who is the next applicant,” Kelsey asked with a sigh.

“Calliope Douglas, she graduated second in her class at Boston University,” Sam read off the resume, obviously impressed by her stats. “Does she know she’s interviewing for a nanny position?”

All three of us watched Monica closely.

“Trust me, Sam. Have I ever steered you wrong?” Monica asked, and Sam shrugged, not pointing out that this wasn’t the day's first interview and none of the other recruits had worked out. “I recruited her specifically.”

As hard as it had been to trust that staff hired by Sam and Kelsey could also represent my interests, Monica had been instrumental to the current success of our co-parenting relationship. She was damn good at what she did, and she understood that Crew’s happiness was our number one priority.

“OK. Bring her in,” I said, studying her resume. There was no indication that she had any experience working with young children, never mind active toddlers. The only qualification I saw was some travel abroad in college, and that only meant that she knew how to get on an airplane.

Calliope breezed into the office in a pencil skirt and blazer, looking like she was preparing a presentation in front of a boardroom of stuffy business people.

Her tortoiseshell glasses completed the hot librarian look, and her long dark hair was sleek, without a hair out of place.

The only thing disrupting the perfection of her look was a smear of something down the front of the navy blazer she wore.

She briefly shook all of our hands and then focused on Kelsey.

Smart.

Kelsey was one of the most self-confident women I knew, but the blatant disregard from every applicant before Calliope had all of us fuming.

What we hadn’t seen on her resume was her volunteer work while still in college.

She’d traveled to hurricane-ravaged areas and worked to support women as they recovered from storms and re-established their ability to participate in the economy.

Kelsey perked up, immediately finding similarities to the foundation she’d helped to create in the city.

Kelsey’s non-profit found a way to meet the gaps women, and specifically single mothers, had getting to work and completing their education.

Yep, Kelsey liked her. But was she nanny material?

We all took turns explaining the rigors of travel.

“Sam’s travel schedule continues through September and possibly into October. As of right now, the Minutemen are two games up in their division and likely going to make the playoffs,” Kelsey explained.

“Monica has our travel schedule mapped out, including all holidays and extended breaks,” Sam explained.

“Crew will never be split for birthdays and holidays or forced to choose. We’ve agreed that for now, all major holidays will be at Kelsey and Sam’s home,” I explained.

“Do you have a passport? Are you comfortable with all of the travel involved?” Kelsey asked, remembering that I had several games in Canada that would require her to maintain a passport.

“I am. I traveled abroad to Spain for my Junior Year in college. I also speak French and Spanish, so travel to Montreal should be a breeze.”

Shit. I mean, she graduated second in her class, so I knew she was smart, but she also spoke three languages? Every time she opened her mouth, I wondered more and more why she was here interviewing to be a nanny.

“OK, I think it’s obvious that you meet our qualifications and could more than handle the job,” Sam said, “But why do you want to be a nanny?”

Calliope flushed, took a long inhale, and slowly let the air out of her lungs.

“Full transparency?” she asked, looking back and forth between the three of us as we nodded our assent.

“Monica called me less than thirty minutes ago; I had no idea I was applying for a nanny position until after I signed the NDA and pieced together some key details. I graduated in May and had very different plans for my future. A week ago, someone I trusted stabbed me in the back and stole the opportunity I had worked my tail off to earn. Short of waiting tables, a position I’m not qualified for, as indicated by nine separate restaurant managers since Sunday, I have relatively few prospects.

This position is time-limited, and I’ve always loved kids.

Bonus points for providing a salary where I can stop mooching off of my parents. ”

“Do you want to meet Crew?” Kelsey asked.

Yep, Sam and Kelsey liked her. Sam liked her.

Fuck, I liked her too, but couldn’t we have found someone a little older?

Someone a little more matronly? Did they realize that this woman would be traveling with hockey players?

I know Sam only had eyes for Kelsey, but there was no way he was blind to this gorgeous woman?

Shit. I had a sinking suspicion that I’d be playing defense on more levels than just on the ice this season.