Page 6

CHAPTER

SIX

DELANEY

E ven her knock is cheerful. If she hadn’t told me she was coming over, I would’ve known it was her just by the joyous rhythm. Only Iris can make knuckles hitting wood sound happy.

I open the door and plaster on a smile. “If it isn’t Iris Feldmore in the flesh.”

She tsks. “You know it’s Richards now. I mean, at least I think you know. You did miss my wedding last year,” she teases.

Opening the door wider, I motion for her to come inside. “Not fair.” I chuckle. “I wanted to be there.”

“I know, I know.” She sighs with mock sadness, laying it on thick. “But when you’re a full-time nanny, you go where the kids are... even if that means Europe during your oldest friend’s wedding.”

I close the door behind her, and we head toward the kitchen. “Those kids wouldn’t have made it through Europe without me. I’m pretty sure their parents would’ve lost them on day one. As much as I wanted to be at your wedding, it was basically a life-and-death situation over there.”

Iris laughs. “I’m sure it was. You always manage to work for the worst parents imaginable.”

“Tell me about it,” I groan. “Unfortunately, they pay the best.”

We make our way into the kitchen. I offer Iris some lemonade, and she accepts. After filling two glasses with ice and the fruity drink, we settle into the living room.

“It was nice to hear from you,” I say.

It’s true. Iris is my oldest friend. We met in second grade and have been inseparable ever since.

Well, mostly. We drifted some in adulthood—different colleges in different states, both busy with our careers.

But she’s one of those rare friends where, no matter how long it’s been, you can pick right back up like no time has passed at all.

“Guess what Cade brought home the other day?” she says, grinning. “Wax bottle candy!”

I shake my head. “Don’t even say it. I was, like, eight, Iris.”

She’s already laughing. “Remember…”

“You know I remember.” I raise my brows at her.

“Mr. Mitchell’s class,” she begins, settling in with her dramatic storyteller voice. “You sat behind Jessica. Oh, little Jessica, with the lightest blond hair…”

I groan but let her continue.

“You figured out if you bit the top off the wax bottle and punctured the bottom with your nail, the pressure would send the colored liquid flying.” Iris bends over laughing. “Poor Jessica looked like Rainbow Brite before someone finally told on you for squirting that stuff in her hair.”

I hold up a finger. “She stabbed me with her pencil first. On purpose. The little princess could handle a little liquid sugar in her precious hair.”

Iris claps her hands on her thighs before wiping a tear from her cheek. “I laugh every time I think about it. When Cade brought me that bag of candy, I just had to text you. It made me miss you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I say, shaking my head with a smirk. “We were quite the pair back then.”

“I know. Yin and yang. Complete opposites. You were such a troublemaker.”

“And you were such a goody-goody.” I grin. “Still are.”

Iris shrugs, smiling.

“I still can’t believe you married Cade.”

“Why not? You know I’ve loved him since we were ten.”

“I know,” I say slowly, “but before we left for college, we promised each other we wouldn’t fall for jocks, womanizers, or guys who are too full of themselves. His nickname on the team is Heartbreaker , Iris.”

She releases a dreamy sigh. “Cade is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.

Seriously. Besides, I only said all that stuff in high school because I was heartbroken that Cade was gone.

And that nickname? It's not what it seems. Plus, if you had met the douche of a lawyer I was dating before Cade, you would’ve actually died.

That guy was everything we promised to avoid. Cade is just perfect.”

I give her a look. “Oh yeah? How’s Heartbreaker not what it seems?”

She leans in closer and lowers her voice. “I was his first.”

I raise a brow. “As in…”

“His first,” she repeats with a shrug. “He was a virgin before me.”

“Get out!” I laugh, shaking my head. “There’s no way.”

“It’s true,” she insists. “He’s only ever wanted me. He waited.”

I blink at her, still skeptical. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Why?” she challenges. “Because he’s beautiful and a jock? You’ve always had these pre-conceived ideas about men, Laney, and they’re not always true. There are a lot of amazing men out there. You just have to find them.”

“Well, I’m clearly looking in the wrong places because I’ve yet to find a decent one.”

Her expression softens. “You’re still not speaking to your dad?”

I shake my head. “Nope. The last time I saw him was… the year after we graduated. I think that was his last trip up here. He was with wife number four at the time—who, by the way, was only six months older than me but acted like she was sixteen.”

“Aw, I feel bad for her,” Iris says with a frown.

“Tell me about it. Hopefully, she’s come to her senses and has moved on by now. I wouldn’t know, though. We’ve had zero contact.”

Iris studies me for a moment, then says gently, “Look, I get that your dad is awful, but you can’t think he’s the norm.”

I lean back into the sofa with a long sigh. “It’s not just him, Iris. I’m not lying when I say I haven’t met a decent guy. I’ve looked. I mean, I’m seriously about ready to give up hope that I’ll ever find one.”

She crosses her legs and turns toward me. “Maybe it’s the law of attraction,” she says. “You expect to find jerks, so that’s all you find. The universe brings you what your energy focuses on.”

I scrunch up my face. “You’ve gotten way more woo-woo than you used to be. This isn’t Harvard Law Iris talking.”

She smiles softly. “Harvard Law me wasn’t happy.”

“Hmm.” I nod slowly, letting that sink in.

Iris taps my knee. “Okay, change of subject. How’s work? How are the boys?”

The mention of them makes my chest ache. It’s been a week since I’ve seen them, and I miss them terribly. If Iris hadn’t texted me about getting together, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gotten out of my pajamas at all this week. Losing them has been the greatest heartbreak of my life.

I swallow hard, my voice catching. “I… I don’t know. I was fired.”

Her eyes widen. “What? When? Why?”

I let out a slow, heavy sigh. “Last week. Speaking of asshole men,” I add with a bitter scoff. “The dad came on to me. His wife caught him and assumed there was more going on than there was—or ever would’ve been. She fired me on the spot. I wasn’t even allowed to say goodbye.”

My voice cracks on the last word, the image of those babies in their little eye patches and plastic pirate hooks flashing through my mind. They were waiting for me to join them, and I never even got to explain why I didn’t.

“No,” Iris breathes, her hand flying to her mouth. “You’re kidding.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not.” I raise my hands in a helpless shrug. “I’m currently unemployed.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure.” I sigh, rubbing my temples.

“I obviously need to look for another job, but Mrs. Newmeister isn’t going to give me a recommendation, and in my field, that’s crucial.

I mean, look at this.” I gesture around the room, emphasizing the space around me.

“I have a mortgage, a car payment. A normal babysitting job isn’t going to cut it.

I need to nanny for an affluent family. But now that Mrs. Newmeister thinks I’m a home-wrecker, she’s going to make sure no one in her circle will even consider me. ”

“So you haven’t looked around for any jobs?” Iris asks.

“Not yet. I need a plan—one that doesn’t require references. That woman has hated me from the start, and now that she thinks I slept with her husband...”

“Well,” Iris says, her voice lifting with excitement. “I actually know of a job.”

My head snaps up. “What?”

“Yeah, a friend of mine is looking for a live-in nanny for his four-month-old. It’ll pay really well, and references won’t be necessary because I’ll vouch for you.”

“Really?” For the first time in a week, I feel a spark of hope. “Oh my gosh. Tell me more.”

“Well, Maxwell Park just found out he has a daughter. The mom kind of… dropped her off at his door a week ago and left. He’s completely in over his head. He’s been interviewing nannies all week and can’t find the right one.”

I blink. “Maxwell Park, as in the Maxwell Park? The Cranes’ defender?” I don’t watch much hockey, but I keep up with it enough to recognize the name.

“The very one.”

I exhale sharply, shaking my head. “Yeah, no thanks.”

“What? Are you serious? Why not?”

“Iris, I can’t live with a professional athlete. I know I’m desperate, but that would be miserable.”

Her eyes narrow. “Why are you so weird about jocks?”

“Because they all have overinflated egos, and I can’t be around that level of douche energy twenty-four seven.”

She groans, tossing up her hands. “Max isn’t a douche, and he doesn’t have an over-inflated ego. He’s a really good guy. All the guys on the team are. Do you think I’d marry a jerk? Or spend my days working with them if they were unbearable?”

I cross my arms, unconvinced.

“You need to stop being so judgmental, Laney,” she presses. “Seriously, it’s not a good look. You need a job, and this is a good one. What other options do you have?”

I stare at her, chewing on the inside of my cheek. What other options do I have? None. Zero. Nada. I can either sink further into the couch cushions and wallow, or I can take a chance. Even if it’s with an NHL star who probably has groupies camped outside his house on the daily.

“Fine,” I mutter, slumping back against the sofa. “I’ll think about it.”

Iris snorts. “You’ll think about it? Laney, you’re thinking about it right now . You’re just being stubborn.”

I groan. “I hate it when you’re right.”

She grins. “I always am. You should be used to it by now.”

I grab my lemonade and take a long sip, stalling. “What’s the situation exactly? I mean, living with him? I get my own room, right? I’m not sleeping in a broom closet? Will I have to fend off puck bunnies at the door?”

Iris laughs. “No broom closets. He’s got a huge house with a bunch of guest bedrooms. You’d have privacy and your own space. The only thing you’d really be responsible for is helping him take care of the baby.”

I squint at her. “What’s his deal? Why doesn’t he have any family helping him?”

She shrugs, her expression softening. “Well, he’s busy.

He became a father out of nowhere and had literal seconds to figure it out.

His parents live in Florida and are very career-driven.

They’re too busy to help. The same goes for his sister.

She’s a defense lawyer in New York City.

His only present family is the team, and we’re all helping where we can, but he needs real help. He’s trying his best, but he’s a mess.”

I sigh again, this time quieter. “And the baby?”

“A little girl. Four months old. Her name’s Caroline.” Iris smiles. “Cade said Max looked like he was going to cry just trying to put her in the car seat the other day. He’s clueless, but he’s trying.”

My heart pinches a little. Dammit. “I have a soft spot for clueless dads trying their best,” I mumble.

Iris smirks. “I know you do. That’s why you’re perfect for this. I swear, he’s a good guy.”

I rub my hands over my face. “Okay. Fine. I’ll meet him. But I’m not promising anything.”

She beams and claps her hands together. “That’s all I ask. Just meet him. I’ll call Cade and set it up.”

I point a finger at her. “If he’s as douchey as I think, I’m out of there.”

She winks. “Deal. But he won’t be.”

As she picks up her phone to call Cade, I lean back against the sofa again, staring at the ceiling. What am I getting myself into?