Protecting the Boundary (LA Wolves #8)
Chapter 1
ONE
There is nothing in this world that I love more than my daughter—not even football.
That fact is driven home as I watch my sweet, tiny three-year-old curl up on the couch, a small tear falling silently from her face as she stares at the television playing one of her favorite cartoons.
“She’ll be fine,” my mother-in-law says from behind me.
Reluctantly, I break my gaze from my daughter and focus on my mother-in-law. Larissa Brooks is one of the finest women I know, and I’m grateful she was able to move to Los Angeles after Sydney died to help me take care of Kaylee. My parents wanted to move as well, but I encouraged them to stay put in Washington. They’re close enough that Kay and I can visit them, but not so close that I’d feel smothered by parents when I needed to learn how to be a parent myself.
Larissa somehow found the line between parenting me, helping me with Kay, and sorting through her own grief at losing her only child.
But even with her help, I still feel guilty every time I leave Kay, especially now that she’s old enough to be aware of how often I’m gone during the season.
I must not be hiding my feelings of guilt very well because Larissa steps forward and wraps me in a hug. “It’s okay, Romel. She knows you love her, but you have to go to work. She’ll be fine while you’re gone.”
I wish her words would soothe me, but they don’t. Especially not when Kay comes first. Football has given me the ability to give her a better life than I could’ve ever dreamed of, but it’s also the one thing that keeps me away from her more often than I would like.
Larissa steers me toward the door, keeping her hand on my back as she presses me forward. I could stop her if I wanted, but I wouldn’t dare disrespect her that way.
“I was hoping I could run something by you,” she says. “Kay is getting bigger and more active, as you know.” I nod. “While I’m loathe to admit it, I’m not as spry as I used to be. I can’t always keep up with her, which is why I was thinking maybe it would be better to get a nanny. I’ll still help out every so often, but the nanny would be able to keep up with her better than I can on a daily basis, especially during the season when you need more help.”
“A nanny?” I don’t love the idea of a stranger in my house, alone with my daughter. What if something happens?
“There’s a very reputable agency I’ve found. Full background checks—even going so far as to check fingerprints. They serve elite clients in the LA area, so you know they’re going to cover their b-u-t-t-s to make sure that their clients don’t end up suing them for all they’ve got.”
Now new doubts fill me. “So all these nannies know they’re working for rich clients?”
The last thing I need is some woman walking in here thinking she can be a nanny for the rich and famous when really she’s looking for a sugar daddy. That’s never going to happen.
As if reading my mind, Larissa frowns. “Romel, please keep an open mind. This would be a professional, not some woman looking for her future husband.”
“Good, because she wouldn’t get one.”
Sadness fills her light brown eyes—the same shade Sydney had, the same shade my daughter has. “The nanny thing aside, I don’t think Syd would’ve wanted you to be alone for the rest of your life.”
My chest tightens. “I’m not alone. I’ve got Kay. Plus, you and Jimmy are nearby, and I’ve got my brothers.” They aren’t brothers by blood, but they’re my brothers all the same.
I don’t know how I would’ve survived the loss of my wife if it weren’t for Gabe Romero, Dom Smith, and Ty Russell—the other three members of what LA Wolves fans have dubbed The Fierce Four. They kept me afloat when grief left me hollow. They are the reason I’m able to be the dad Kay needs.
Which is why the thought of retiring at the end of this season fills me with so much guilt. It would be the end of an era, the end of the Fierce Four and the LA Wolves as we know it.
“Romel.”
Oh, I know that tone.
“You know what I meant,” she says, sighing heavily and shaking her head. But instead of doubling down on me not being alone, she gets back on the topic at hand.“About the nanny?—”
“I don’t know, Larissa.”
“What if I did all the work? I’ll hold the interviews and make sure we get someone good. You know I love Kaylee more than life itself and would never put her with someone who might harm her. ”
That’s true. If there’s anyone I trust to make sure Kay is always safe, it’s her grandmother.
“Alright.” I give in. It’s only for one more season anyway—not that I’ve told anyone that. “If you can find someone highly qualified and not psycho or money hungry or boy crazy or?—”
She pats me on the back with a smile. “I’ve got it covered.”
Then she pushes me out the door for my preseason meeting with the team.
Dom grips my shoulders from behind me and leans over my right side. “Who’s ready to kick some ass this season?” With a squeeze he releases his hold on me and moves to do the same to Gabe, who’s sitting next to me. Ty comes in after him and sits in the empty chair on my right, while Dom sits in the empty chair to Gabe’s left.
“You look exhausted,” I whisper to Ty as more guys on the team filter into the room for the meeting.
“Lana’s sick, which means none of us are sleeping well right now.”
He’s got bags under his eyes, but he still looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. He pulls out his phone and shows me the latest picture of his girls—his wife, Lexi, and their baby girl, Lana. He stares at the picture with nothing but love in his eyes and my chest tightens.I never got that moment with Sydney and Kaylee. Sydney was so sick after Kaylee was born, she could barely hold her without my help.
“I can’t believe how big she’s getting already. Time fucking flies, man,” he says, still not looking away from the picture on his phone.
“Yeah, just wait until she’s a threenager,” I say, thinking about the attitude Kaylee got the other night that nearly left me shocked stupid. She’s never talked back before, and I didn’t know how to handle it.
He slips his phone in his pocket and shoots me another love-drunk smile. “Can’t wait. Hopefully, Lexi will be pregnant again by then.”
I shake my head and fight a small smile. “Have you cleared that with her yet?”
“She knows I’m obsessed with how hot she is when she’s pregnant. She said I have a breeding kink and then smacked my chest.” He still has that dopey grin on his face, and I can’t even bring myself to hate him a little bit. He deserves the happiness he’s found with Lexi.
I’ll never admit to him how jealous I am. He gets the love of his life and his child. He gets to imagine a future with her where they’ll have more children.
I always wanted a big family. Sydney was on the fence. We were both only children and knew we never wanted just one child, but where I would’ve been happy with three or four, she didn’t want more than two. She said it wasn’t good to outnumber the adults, and I couldn’t argue with her on that.
Now, none of our plans matter because Kay will grow up as an only child anyway.
“Anything new going on with you?” Ty asks.
“My mother-in-law wants me to hire a nanny.”
Gabe and Dom’s conversation stops as they overhear my statement.
“A nanny—like a stranger?” Dom asks, immediately protective of his honorary niece.
“Yeah, she said there’s an agency that would do all the background checks and stuff.”
“I was prepared to scare the shit out of her future boyfriends, but I suppose we could intimidate a nanny so she doesn’t do anything stupid with our Kay,” Dom adds and I’m already shaking my head.
“We’re not intimidating anyone.”
“Not even future boyfriends?” Gabe asks and all three pairs of eyes are on me, waiting for my answer.
“Okay to the future boyfriends, but not nannies. Larissa would never put Kay in danger.”
They all nod and murmur their agreement. Talking it out with them, even briefly, makes me feel oddly better about the whole thing.
Our coaches walk into the room, and I put aside my worry about Kay to focus on the meeting—and try to ignore the guilt eating me up that I still haven’t told the three closest people to me that this is my last year playing professional football.