Page 25 of Pucking Strong (Jacksonville Rays #4)

I stay seated on the couch as Henrik leads her away.

The second they cross into the hallway, they switch back to Swedish.

Once Hanna enters Karro’s room and I hear the way Hanna exclaims with delight, I know it’s all over for me.

The world’s most perfect Swedish nanny is about to swoop in and steal my fake family right out from under me.

W ithin the hour, Henrik is escorting Hanna back to the front door, shaking her hand for the fifth time, as he assures her that she does indeed have the job and he does, in fact, expect her to start tomorrow. She waves goodbye at me, still all smiles, and leaves.

Henrik stays at the door, his hand pressed flat above the lock. I consider making a run for it, but then he turns, eyes blazing. “What the hell was that?”

“What?” I feign ignorance as I rise off the couch.

“You had no right to question her like that, Teddy. She was here as my guest. And why were you so rude?”

Dropping all pretense, I flap my arms. “I’m sorry, I guess I just find it hard to believe that you would trust your sports agent to vet an in-home nursing candidate more than me, the literal doctor of physical therapy.”

“Laura has been with me for seven years!”

“Yeah, and loyalty to the Karlsson brand means fucking nothing when it comes to providing medical care to an injured child!”

He reels back. “You don’t trust Hanna to care for Karolina?”

“I don’t know! I haven’t seen her résumé. All I know is that she speaks Swedish and runs in circles around EPCOT.”

He groans, leaning against the door. “Teddy, I’m doing the best I can.”

“I’m sorry, but in this particular instance, I have to beg to differ.”

“What do you mean?”

He wants me to say it? Okay, I’m gonna fucking say it.

“Henrik, doing your best doesn’t always mean doing it all on your own.

When it comes to caring for another person, if you’re out of your depth, doing your best means relying on the reasoned opinions of experts.

I mean, do you trust your sports agent to do your taxes? ”

He sighs. “No.”

“Do you trust your sports agent to examine your prostate?”

“No, Teddy.”

“Then why would you trust your sports agent to select Karro’s caretaker over me?”

I let my question hang in the air between us.

Softening my tone, I close the distance between us. “Look, maybe this is all gonna be great. Maybe Hanna really is as perfect as she seems. God, I hope so. Karro deserves someone with her sweetness to float in here and make every day feel like the best day.”

“Well, if you liked Hanna, then what’s the problem?” he all but shouts.

“My problem is you pushing me aside! You did it this morning with Karro’s toileting care.

You did it at breakfast. You did it again by not including me in Hanna’s selection, not even asking my opinion.

I mean, we’ve been together every hour of every day for the last two weeks.

When did you even get résumés? When did you review them?

On the plane? When I was sitting right next to you? ”

He dares to shrug, tucking his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Well, fuck, Henrik. Next time, bother me! All I was doing was watching reruns of Charmed on my iPad. Karolina’s care is a little more important than finding out if Cole and Phoebe will ever find their way back to each other!”

He sighs. “I’ve never been any good at this, okay?”

“Good at what?”

“Letting people in. Letting them help me. I’m always the one others rely on.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s crystal fucking clear.

That’s why we’re talking about it now. Because I’m here , Henrik,” I say for what feels like the hundredth time.

“It’s my name on those custody papers too.

Yours and mine. I’ll defer to you when it comes to Karro’s care, but I’m also gonna demand that I at least get to be part of the process.

For as long as I’m here, I’m the first thought. Not the afterthought. Agreed?”

After a moment of deliberation, he nods. “I accept those terms. And I’m sorry, Teddy. Truly.”

“Well … good. Then I accept your apology.”

The last of the tension between us fizzles away.

Looking for any way to salvage the rest of the day, I perk up. “Hey, wanna get dressed and take Karro out for lunch? Then we can swing by the hotel and pick up the rest of my stuff. We’ll all fit in my Subaru.”

His gaze darts down the dark hallway. We both know Karro is sitting safe in bed watching a movie. “I’m not sure I want to move her.”

“Oh, Mr. Karlsson, please?” I bat my lashes like pretty Nurse Hanna. He just rolls his eyes and I laugh. “Come on, man. She’s not made of glass. And this is her first official day in Florida, remember? Worry can wait a few more hours. Let’s go get hot dogs at the beach and show her the pelicans.”

I know he’s weighing my idea against the million and one things he has ricocheting around in his head.

He has urgent calls to make. Hot dogs aren’t in his diet.

Karro can’t be moved. There are sharks in the ocean.

He doesn’t trust my beat-up old Subaru. Suffice it to say, I fully expect him to say no.

Surprising the heck out of me, he nods. “Yeah, okay. Hot dogs at the beach sounds nice.”