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Kelsey, my son's mother, Sam, her husband, and I had agreed over a year ago to hire a nanny for our little boy Crew. I felt like I’d been more than patient, spending as much time as possible with my son while his mother, Kelsey, continued breastfeeding.

Last year, it had been challenging, with me only being able to see Crew when all our travel schedules allowed.

Kelsey and Sam were based in Boston, while my team was out of Denver, Colorado.

Add to it being my rookie year in the NHL. 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, I loved 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The other interviewees had underestimated the amount of travel involved; two had withdrawn, and the one that didn’t likely would by the night's end.

I still can’t believe where my life has 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.

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 knew 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.

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 applicants away, or when they inevitably withdrew, but 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 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?”

“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. “I recruited her specifically.”

As hard as it had been to trust staff hired by Sam and Kelsey at first, Monica had been instrumental to the current success of our co-parenting relationship. She was damn good at what she did, and while Sam and Kelsey employed her, she understood that Crew’s happiness was their 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 long, dark, and sleek.

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 continued through September and possibly into October.

The Minutemen were two games up in their division and likely going to make the playoffs.

Monica had mapped out our travel schedule, including all holidays and extended breaks.

We had agreed that Crew would never be split for birthdays and holidays.

Our custody agreement spelled out that all major holidays would be spent in Boston at Kelsey and Sam’s home.

“Do you have a passport? Are you comfortable with all of the travel involved?” I asked,

“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.”

“OK,” Sam said, “But why do you want to be a nanny?”

“Full transparency? 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. I graduated in May and had very different plans until a week ago when someone I trusted stabbed me in the back, stealing 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, but couldn’t we have found someone a little older? Someone a little more matronly? Did they realize this woman would be traveling with hockey players? Shit. I had a sinking suspicion that I’d be playing defense on more levels than just on the ice this season .