Chapter 2 Camden
CAMDEN
“Baby girl . . .” I shush Sophie as she scrunches up her face and spits out her binky just to spite me. My kid is pissed I woke her up to go to my sister’s. “Come on, Sophie girl. It’s time to go to Aunt Emmie’s house.”
Bright green eyes look up at me with huge tears clinging to tiny lashes, and I feel like the worst fucking father to ever walk the earth.
Probably not a far stretch.
I’m definitely failing at the moment.
Failing her and me.
But who’s keeping track?
Right. I am.
If someone had told me I’d be a single dad at thirty-two, I’d have said not a fucking chance. I already raised my sisters and did a shit job of it. No way did I want to be responsible for keeping another human alive again.
But that was before Sophie’s mom showed up on my doorstep, with a sob story about how she wasn’t cut out for motherhood and that she was sorry.
Sorry.
Like that was going to explain fuck all. Like, if this was my kid, how come it was the first time I’d even been told she existed?
Was she even my kid? It only took a rushed paternity test to have it confirmed.
Another one of those moments in life that changed everything. Again. But this time . . . This time, I had the most beautiful baby girl looking up at me with the purest, greenest, most trusting eyes I’d ever seen, begging me to take care of her, and I didn’t have a fucking clue what I was doing.
At least when Mom left and Dad’s dementia was getting worse, my sisters were older. Not grown but old enough. It was my job to keep them safe, make sure they ate and got to school, but they could tell me what the hell was wrong and what they needed.
Something Sophie can’t do.
Her sweet eyes beg me to pick her up, even though I’m already running late for practice.
And because I’m a sucker who can’t say no to her, I do.
She’s gotten too big for me to carry her like a football anymore, so I snuggle her against my chest with one arm and hook the car seat carrier and baby bag with the other.
“Sorry, baby. It’s you and Aunt Emmie today. I’ll be home tonight though.”
Sophie crinkles her eyes before she lets out another wail as we make the thankfully quick trek next door to my sister’s house.
My brother-in-law, Maverick, opens the door and steals her from me. “How’s my favorite niece doing today?”
His voice is soft and calm because that’s the only way Mav ever talks to Sophie. He’s tough as hell on a football field, but get him around his daughter or mine, and he’s a pushover.
“We’re gonna be late.” Mav grins for Sophie, but he’s talking to me.
“You didn’t have to wait for me,” I groan. Mav and I head in to practice together when the times line up. But QBs don’t always have the same times as the rest of the team. “Not sure you want to ride in together. I’m might be later than you today.”
“He doesn’t,” my sister warns sweetly as she kisses my cheek, then takes the baby from Maverick’s hands. “He was late for other reasons.”
“Your brother doesn’t need to know those reasons, Em,” I groan and run a finger over Sophie’s baby-fine hair. “She’s cranky.”
“Of course she is,” Emmie coos as she and Sophie sway from side to side. “She doesn’t want to leave her daddy or her house. Any new nanny applications you want me to vet for you, big brother?”
With a quick kiss to Sophie’s head and Emmie’s cheek, I shake my head. “Not yet, but I’m working on it.”
My sister stepped in when my nanny let me know she was retiring for health reasons a few months ago.
It was just supposed to be a few weeks. But in my defense, the start of the football season is always hell, and I haven’t exactly had the time to make a ton of progress finding anyone to replace her. Two months into this, and it’s starting to wear on everyone.
Maverick and I have shit schedules during the season, and Emmie’s been taking care of Sophie for all of it. Overnights during away games. Practices.
You name it, she’s done it.
She and their daughter, Rosie—they’ve both been champs.
“Let me know if you need me to reach out to the agency,” she offers, and I know she’s being nice. I’ve already asked a lot of her. It’s time.
Probably past time, if I’m honest.
Fuck.
Emmie
Hey, big brother. Can you stop on your way home and pick up some children’s ibuprofen for me? Rosie isn’t feeling well, and Mav’s not answering his phone.
Camden
Sure. Mav’s probably still on the field. They ended up running later than they planned. I’ll see you in a few.
“Monroe, you good?” Coach stops in front of me as I check my phone after practice, my towel wrapped around my waist and hot water still dripping into my eyes.
He’s asking about my shoulder that’s been sore as shit. But that’s to be expected this far into the season. “Yeah, Coach. I’m good.”
“Big game this weekend. Gotta make sure your head’s on right.
You seemed distracted today,” he mentions in a way only Brady Ryan can get away with.
Coach was one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time before he retired and started coaching.
He knows when you’re not giving 110 percent, and he’s not letting me off that easy.
“Just trying to get things covered at home, Coach. I’m good. We’ve got nothing to worry about this weekend.” And we don’t. We’re ready to make Pittsburgh our bitch.
He slaps me on the back and smiles, because Coach is always smiling. “That’s what I want to hear, Monroe. If you need help with Sophie, call the offices. Pretty sure we’ve got someone who can help find you a nanny.”
I nod and wait for him to walk away before turning back to my locker.
The team does have someone. But trusting someone I don’t know to hire someone else I don’t know to take care of the most important thing in my life doesn’t feel like a good idea.
“You still looking for a new nanny, Monroe?” Luke Chase grabs keys from his shelf and looks at me, relaxed in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever been.
The team is made up of a few kinds of guys. Some good. Some not.
Luke Chase is a good one. He works his ass off every single day to be arguably the best center in the league. He’s also one of the happiest guys I know. It’s a little off-putting, but he’s one of the few men I’d consider a friend, so I deal with it.
“Yeah. Emmie’s still watching Sophie,” I admit as I throw on sweats and grab my sneakers. “I think she’s ready to not be, but she’ll never admit it.”
“I may know someone looking for a job.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, not sure it matters. I probably won’t call them anyway. “Who?”
“My sister.”
“Don’t you have like five sisters, Chase?” Jamie Murphy laughs from the other side of Chase. “Any of them hot?”
“Not for you,” Luke growls and turns his back on our defensive tackle. “It’s four, actually. But one of them has a masters in babies and little kids.”
When I stare at him like he’s an idiot, he laughs. “Childhood development or something like that. Apparently, there aren’t a ton of jobs around here, and I know she’s looking. She’s great with kids.”
It might not be the worst idea.
I don’t trust many people, but I do trust Luke.
Maybe I could trust his sister.
“Does she even want to nanny?” I ask as I grab the back of my neck, trying to push away the immediate anxiety the thought of leaving Sophie with anyone other than Emmie brings.
“You’d want your sister living with Monroe and taking care of his kid, Chase?” Jamie asks as he throws on his coat.
“I’d trust Camden with any of my sisters, Murphy. You—not so much.”
Murphy shakes his head. “I’m a good guy, asshole.”
“Pretty sure you meant you’re an asshole,” Luke claps back, and Jamie thinks about it for a minute before he shifts, unbothered.
“You guys want to grab something to eat?” Luke asks, but I shake my head as Jamie tells him no.
“Whatever. I’m going to West End. Think about it, Camden.
My sister might be an option, or at the very least, someone who can fill in, in a pinch.
At least for now, until you find someone more permanent. ”
“I’ll think about it,” I tell him, not sure whether I will or not.
It might be time to reach back out to the agency.