Page 32 of Sweet Thing

My least favorite D-man, MacFarlane, walked by. I eyed him as he passed, daring him to fuck with me.

“Anyone taking bets yet?” he called out. “Is Nyquist the daddy or not?”

It might sound like harmless joshing, but everyone knew why he’d phrased it like that. Taking bets, indeed. Like my father.

“Sit your ass down, MacFarlane,” Theo said with a glare.

I waited until the asshole had found a seat at the back of the bus. “You don’t need to fight my battles.”

My captain raised an eyebrow. “Uh, that’s my job, kid.”

I laughed at that. “Listen, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

I did a quick review of our space, making sure no one was listening. “Are you sure you’re okay with Adeline helping out with Mabel?”

He squinted. “Is there a problem? Look, I suggested it, but she didn’t have to do it. In fact, she changed her mind all by herself.”

Sure, after she saw what a disaster I was. After I told her none of the nannies were good enough. Now I was having second thoughts, especially given her insistence she did not have a crush on me.

“Yeah, I get that. But maybe she’s feeling pressured.”

“She needs a job, she wants to feel independent with her own money—you are paying her, right?”

“Of course.”

“And she won’t feel like she’s under our feet all the time. Though I hope she doesn’t think I’m trying to shove her out of the house the minute she’s back in the country.” He looked thoughtful, then whipped out his phone and started typing.

I leaned in.

Twinkle, I’m so pumped you’re home but don’t take that nanny gig for NyQuil if you don’t want it. I just want you to be happy.

Not more than ten seconds later, a text appeared.

I know, Dad. Lars needs the help so I don’t mind. He’s kind of pathetic.

Theo held his phone up. “See? She’s fine with it.”

I remained unconvinced but she was right about one thing: I was kind of pathetic.

“Why do you call her Twinkle?”

“You ever heard the expression ‘twinkle in my eye’?”

I nodded.

“After we had Hatch, it took a while for Ellie to get pregnant again. Who knew, after my swimmers hit the jackpot immediately the first time? We were kind of worried, so I started imagining this new baby. I’d talk to her in my head, the twinkle in my eye, this beautiful life we hadn’t yet conceived. I guess it gave me hope that it would happen. And then it did. My twinkle came to life, and here she was.”

“You’re crazy about her.”

He chuckled. “Yep. It’ll happen to you, too. Daughters are different. Nothing I wouldn’t do for my kids, but when it comes to Adeline, I’ve always worried about her. It’s been hard for her to grow up in an environment where hockey rules everything.”

I imagined that would be tough, but Adeline didn’t seem bitter about the hockey mania. She’d even found time to comment on my room-for-improvement TOI.

“I’m just glad she’s home,” Theo went on. “And if she’s not living with us, then you’re the next best thing. Uncle Lars!”

The trust in his expression almost broke me. All these people expecting me to be the good guy.

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