Page 19

My anxiety lashed the room like a thunderstorm.

She approached, like a keeper toward a cornered animal.

“You’re not alone here. You have a team of people, a village for want of a better word, to make sure Mabel gets the best care in the world.

She won’t want for anything. But this is a two-way street.

Mabel gets a dad, but you get a child. You get the joy of watching her grow, achieve milestones, be loved.

That’s not something to be sniffed at. That’s such a privilege and I wish you could see that instead of focusing on all the ways this could go wrong.

” She held my gaze, clear and true. “So you’re worried that people will think you’re like Sven. Screw ’em.”

Her words calmed me like no others could have done.

“Screw ’em?”

“Yep. People love seeing patterns, even where none exist. If you don’t want to just ignore it, then reframe the narrative. So your baby mama dropped the result of your bang-in-a-bar-bathroom off before the world. Own it! Show everyone that you’re putting in the work when it comes to fatherhood.”

I frowned. “Do this photo shoot for Natalie? Sounds fake.”

“It doesn’t have to be. Like now. Look at how cute she is in her little Rebels onesie.”

God, she was. My entire body softened, which made a change from my usual response in Adeline’s presence. “It’s covered in papaya junk.”

“The worst of the baby foods.”

“That’s what I said. Well, to myself. Mabel seems to be a fan.”

Adeline grinned. “We can clean her up. And even if she’s covered in it, so what? Every parent in the world will identify with that. Let me take a few photos and we can post to your personal social media. That makes it seem less corporate and more under your control.”

“I suppose … but I get to decide which ones. Or if they go up at all.”

The next twenty minutes were spent in an impromptu photo shoot.

Mabel alone, clinging to her little spoon like a hockey stick.

Me feeding her or holding her aloft while she giggled and yelped.

Funnily enough, I enjoyed it. Or maybe I enjoyed how Adeline was able to pull joy from some deep, dark recess inside me.

Heads bent together, we looked at the photos, while I tried my best not to inhale my nanny’s hair like a pervert. I let Adeline choose her favorites. She had a better eye than me.

I opened my Instagram. “What should I say?”

She thought about it, then took the phone and typed something.

I read back what she’d written. “Best Mistake Ever?”

“Own it, Lars.”

She was right. I wasn’t my father. I’d made mistakes but unlike him, I was going to own mine.

I hesitated for a moment, then hit post. “Natalie’s gonna kill me.” But what of it? I needed to fight back against the haters in my way.

“This is your daughter, and you know what’s best.”

Not sure how true that was, but I let it go. Somehow, through all this, I’d forgotten the tension between us. It needed to be addressed.

“Adeline, what happened yesterday?—”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, that was all on me.”

A fiery blush crept up her cheeks. “We both made it happen. I should have left when I realized what was going on.”

The ribbon of steel in her voice surprised me. She seemed determined to take ownership over what had occurred. I was all about responsibility and I certainly appreciated seeing it demonstrated by others.

“Okay.” I blew out a breath. “I worried you might not show today.”

“Why?”

“I thought you might feel … unsafe around me.” Because dammit, you should. The way she was looking at me now with all that doe-eyed innocence was doing very bad things to me. “You seemed scared when I came home yesterday morning and woke you up.”

“Strange bedroom. Sudden awakening. That was all.” She shifted uneasily.

A lie, but about what exactly? “And to think I wouldn’t show because we had a weird moment?

That wouldn’t be very professional. This year is big for my dad, for you, the team.

It’s imperative that we keep this a calm, drama-free environment for you, Mabel, and the entire Rebels ecosystem. ”

I appreciated that she wanted to put the needs of Mabel and the franchise ahead of all else. That was a good way to look at it.

I picked up my coffee as she went on. “I have a couple more nanny interviews set up for tomorrow. And I promise to give you your space. You won’t even know I’m here.”

I doubted that. Still, I could hope. “I promise to keep things professional, too.”

“Oh, don’t stop your … activities on my account.”

I coughed up a mouthful of coffee. “My activities?”

Her blush intensified, a flush of warmth that I could feel from here. Christ, I wanted to kiss every inch of her and find out where else she pinked up.

Think of the team, Mabel, and your mental health.

“You know what I mean! Still your house, Lars. How about I get our girl cleaned up and you can get ready for practice.”

I let her take over. Now that my kid was in good hands, I’d pimped her out on social media to rehab my rep, and I had permission to jerk off to my heart’s content in my own house, I was apparently golden.