Page 15 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie (Second Chance Hockey Players #2)

Chapter ten

Blake

I don’t know what shocks me more - the fact that she agreed or the fact that I feel relieved about it.

I didn’t think she would say yes. Not immediately at least. When she called me to meet at the café, I thought she had more questions and all, or worse, say she couldn't do it.

But she agreed.

Now, I am stuck in this weird mix of surprise, relief, and something dangerously close to excitement.

Whitney. In my house. With my kids.

She doesn’t know about that yet.

I drag a hand down my face, trying to keep my expression neutral. “Okay, well…, uh…”

She narrows her eyes. “Are you malfunctioning?”

A laugh escapes me. “What?”

“You’re just staring at me like I suddenly grew a third eye. I agreed to help Blake, not donate a kidney.”

I shake my head, still wrapping my head around it. “No, it’s just…, I wasn’t expecting you to actually say yes.”

She snorts. “Yeah, well, me neither. Guess we’re both shocked.” She leans back. “All right, let’s get this over with. What exactly do I have to do?”

I rest my forearms on the table, keeping my gaze steady.

“Well, it’s pretty straightforward. You would help with their daily routine - morning to night.

Getting them up, breakfast, making sure they’re dressed and ready for the day.

Help with their homeschooling, lunch, maybe take them out for activities or playtime.

Then dinner, baths, bedtime stories… the usual stuff a nanny does. ”

She raises an eyebrow. “Blake, I know what a nanny does.”

A chuckle escapes me as I scratch the back of my neck. “Right. Just making sure we’re on the same page.”

She blinks. “Wait a minute. You said…, homeschool. They are homeschooled?”

I nod. “They struggle with socializing…”

Her jaw drops. “You – You - You homeschool them? You? Blake Carter? Homeschooling two kids?”

I frown. “Why do you sound so…”

“Oh my God.” She presses a hand to her forehead like she has a headache. “You mean to tell me I just signed up for not only nanny duties, but also full-on teacher duties? Blake, are you serious?”

“What? No. A tutor comes to teach them. I help out whenever I can.”

She exhales, pressing a hand to her chest. “Okay. Good. Because for a second there, I was about to have a stroke.”

I roll my eyes. “Drama Queen.”

Her lips press together like she’s physically restraining herself from saying something. Finally, she exhales, shaking her head.

“Why?”

“They struggle with socializing,” I say. “They’ve been in school before, but group settings didn’t work well for them. They’re not naturally outgoing, and I didn’t want them to feel like they don’t fit in. I wanted to try a different approach, so, decided to homeschool them - for now.”

Whitney glances at Mia and Nico, watching as they share a milkshake, giggling over something only they understand. A look flickers across her face, something soft, before she turns back to me.

“Okay,” she says slowly. “... and the working days and hours?”

I rub my jaw. “About that…, you’d be a live-in nanny.”

She blinks. “I am sorry. A what now?”

“A live-in nanny.”

“Blake, this has got to be one of the most shocking things I’ve ever heard from you.”

I roll my eyes. “Glad you approve.”

She mutters something under her breath, probably questioning her life choices. Then she folds her arms and with her eyes narrowing. “Why? You’re literally in the same house. Why do I need to live there?"

I exhale, running a hand through my hair. “This period is going to be hectic for me. My schedule is packed, and I won’t be as present as I usually am. Normally, I don’t do live-in nannies, but this time, it’s absolutely necessary.”

"Definitely needed."

I pause, jaw tightening. “I need someone in the house, someone who can handle mornings, afternoons, and those random nights when I’m stuck in some city across the country. It’s not just about watching them - it’s about being there when I physically can’t.”

Leaning back slightly, I hold her gaze. “I leave for an away game next week, and I don’t want to be worrying if they’re okay the whole time. I need to know they’re with someone I can trust.”

She exhales after a moment. “I get it; I do, but how about this counteroffer? I take the kids to my place every day, watch them, and you come pick them up in the evening, and in this case, when you’re back.”

I shake my head. “That won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“It…, it just won’t.”

Her eyes narrow. “Wow. Compelling argument. You should be a lawyer, instead of a hockey player.”

She groans and drops her head onto the table dramatically. "Can I take back what I said about being the nanny? Because this is starting to seem like a bad decision."

"Nope," I say instantly. "You gave your word."

She lifts her head just enough to glare at me. "Words can be recanted. It’s not written down. I haven’t signed anything. I can absolutely take it back."

"Darn it," I mutter. "I should’ve recorded it."

She grins. "Big mistake."

I narrow my eyes. "You’re sly."

She smirks. "Learned from the best. Who, incidentally, happens to be your best friend."

I shake my head, laughing under my breath.

The silence stretches between us, thick and loaded. After a while, we continue talking and try to keep the conversation focused on the kids, but there’s no ignoring the undercurrent.

The history between us.

The fact that having her sitting across from me, challenging me, matching my every move with her fire and sass - feels just a little too familiar.

And maybe a little too good.

She drags a hand down her face and groans. “Living under the same roof as you is the last thing I want, Blake.”

I meet her gaze. "I know."

And the worst part?

I want it anyway.

She huffs out a breath, her resolve crumbling. “But…, this is for the kids, right? What’s so wrong about helping out for just a few weeks?”

I smirk slightly. “Exactly.”

She levels me with a look and rubs her temples, “Fine. When do I start?”

“Tomorrow.”

Her head snaps up. “Tomorrow? As in, less than twenty-four hours from now?”

I nod, unfazed. “Tomorrow or the day after at the latest. But preferably tomorrow.”

She blinks. “Are you serious right now?”

“As I’ve said, I’m going out of town for a game. I need you settled before I leave.”

She rubs her temples. “You say that like I don’t have a life. I can’t just pack up and move into your house overnight.”

“You don’t have to bring everything. Just what you need for now.”

She glares. “Oh, thank you so much for your generosity, sir.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “You make it sound like I’m throwing you into a dungeon.”

Before she can fire back, a tiny hand tugs at her sleeve.

“Whitney, can you play with us?” Mia’s big brown eyes blink up at her, filled with pure, unfiltered excitement. Nico, standing beside her, nods so hard his curls bounce.

Whitney hesitates, her lips pressing together like she’s trying hard to keep up her tough act. But then she exhales, crouching down to their level. “What do you wanna play?”

Mia claps her hands. “Tea party!”

Nico crosses his arms. “No! Spaceships!”

Whitney gasps, eyes wide. “Wait. What if…!” She leans in like she’s about to tell them the greatest secret. “We have a tea party in space? With astronauts. And maybe even a robot butler?”

Mia’s mouth drops open. “A robot butler?!”

Nico’s eyes light up. “Like the beep boop kind?”

Whitney nods solemnly. “The very same.”

Both kids erupt into giggles, their excitement filling the room, and I find myself just…

, watching. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them like this - with someone who isn’t me.

They already trust her. They already like her.

And it shouldn’t surprise me because Whitney’s always been good with kids.

But still, watching it unfold in real-time? It does something to me.

I clear my throat. “All right, space explorer and tea party queen,” I say, drawing their attention. “Before you take off, I have an announcement.”

Mia and Nico stop giggling, eyes wide and waiting.

I nod toward Whitney. “She’s gonna be your new nanny.”

Their reaction is instant.

Mia gasps like she’s just been told she won the lottery. “Really?!”

“Yes!” Nico jumps, his little fists pumping in the air.

Whitney blinks. “Wow. That’s a lot of enthusiasm.”

Mia tugs on her sleeve again. “Do you like us, Whitney?”

Whitney stills for a second like she wasn’t expecting the question. But then, a small smile tugs at her lips. “Of course, I do.”

Mia beams, looking over at Nico. “She likes us!”

Something tugs in my chest. I clear my throat. “So…, when do you wanna start?”

She sighs. “The day after tomorrow.”

I nod. “All right.”

She huffs. “God forbid I ease into this.”

I smirk. “Where’s the fun in that?”

She rolls her eyes, but there’s no real heat behind it. Then, suddenly, Nico tugs at her sleeve again.

“Whitney?” His little voice is serious. “Can you make pancakes?”

Whitney bites back a smile. “I might know a thing or two about pancakes.”

Nico narrows his eyes like he’s trying to figure out if she’s bluffing. “Good ones?”

“The best ones,” she declares confidently.

Mia gasps, looking at me like I just became irrelevant. “Better than Daddy’s?”

Whitney smirks at me, eyes full of mischief. “I don’t know. Maybe we’ll have a pancake showdown and find out.”

The kids love this idea. They start talking all at once - chocolate chips! Sprinkles! Syrup! and Whitney listens, nodding along like she’s already strategizing.

I shake my head, watching them. And darn it…! For the first time in a long time, I feel it again.

That pull toward her.

That attraction I thought I had buried.

I am so screwed.

I don’t think I’ll survive having her around without wanting things I shouldn’t want. Again.