Page 36 of Power Forward

I run an agitated hand through my hair and groan. Fuck. Maybe I should call Coach and get scratched for tonight’s lineup. Consequences be damned. He won’t understand fully because he doesn’t have kids, but I like to thinkCoach Harris is a pretty reasonable guy, and it’s not like this is a regular occurrence. This is the first time.

Glancing up the stairs, I shout up, “I’ll be there in a minute, peanut.”

The knock sounds again, and I head toward the door, cursing the world under my breath. I swing open the door, and standing there is the last person I expected to see. Wearing dark-wash jeans and a cozy-looking zip-up hoodie, something I didn’t think he owned, he gives me a tentative smile. Cautious, almost.

“Hayden?” I ask, raising my hand to rub the back of my neck. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugs slightly. “You called, so I came.”

My mouth drops open. When I called him this morning in a panic, this isn’t what I had in mind. I called him because I needed someone to vent to. Someone who would understand my hesitation around getting scratched without automatically thinking I’m a piss-poor father.

I called because I needed comfort, and he was the first person who came to mind.

“I… I didn’t call expecting you to fly all the way from California.”

His confidence slips as he lets out a nervous laugh, shifting his duffel to his other hand. “Yeah, I know, but I want to help. I wasn’t doing anything, and I figured… why not. So let me help you. Let me be here for you.”

I don’t know how much time passes as I stare at him. I can’t believe he did this. For me.

“Jackson?” he prompts when I still haven’t said a word.

I shake my head, snapping myself out of the mentalcloud I disappeared into. “I’m sorry, I just… I can’t believe you’re here,” I say with surprised laughter.

I step aside and open the door wider so he can come inside. He places his designer leather duffel on the floor and slips off his shoes, immediately placing them next to mine.

“What time do you need to be at the rink?”

I glance down at my watch. “I need to leave in about an hour.”

“Did you manage to nap?”

“Yeah, but not for as long as I like.”

“Daddy!” Isabela howls this time, and both our heads snap up toward the stairs.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I take in a deep breath before exhaling. This wasn’t how I wanted to introduce Hayden to my kids. Not just because they’re sick but because it’s going to be rushed. Isabela struggles with new people, and she gets very shy. The first time she met the team, she got so overwhelmed she became very emotional. Elliot came to the rescue, being the incredible guy he is, and sat on the floor with her to show her something on his phone. He’s still her favorite, but Ethan and Zach are close behind.

“I need to warn you, Isabela is… She can find it difficult with new people.”

Hayden’s smile is patient. “Why don’t you go see what she needs, then you can introduce me before you get ready?”

“Yeah.” I nod a few times. “Yeah, okay. Make yourself at home. The kitchen’s through there if you need a coffee.” I point down the hall. “And the living room is through there.”

“Okay.” He waves me off. “Go see your kid.”

Leaving Hayden in the hallway, I run up the stairs andinto Isabela’s room. She’s curled up under her blanket, flushed cheeks wet with tears.

“Daddy,” she cries. “It’s cold.”

I sit down on the edge of her bed and place my palm against her forehead. She’s not as hot as she was earlier, but she’s still rocking one hell of a temperature.

“What do you need, peanut?” I look over to her bedside table; her cup is almost empty. “Do you want some more water?”

She nods, hugging her toy elephant closer to her chest.

Giving her a small smile, I brush her damp hair off her face, then bring her blankets back up over her and tuck her in. “Okay, I need to go check on Ryan, then I’ll get you some more water. I’ve gotta go to work tonight, but my friend Hayden is going to be here because Gigi and Gramps are sick too.”

Her eyes widen slightly in panic.

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