Skate the Line: A Single Dad Hockey Romance (Blue Devils Hockey Book 2)

My fingers get lost in Ellie’s hair, and I curse quietly. Her head jerks as I tug on the ends.

I’m predicting a meltdown coming.

I glance through the opening of the kitchen and stare at Sunny sitting on a barstool with a laptop in front of her. Her shoulders are tense.

“Hold on,” I say to Ellie. I place her on the couch cushion and stride into the kitchen.

Sunny, unaware of me standing behind her, mumbles under her breath at something on the screen. I stop a few feet behind her and glance at whatever has her so worried.

I recognize the social media logo. She’s watching a timelapse of someone painting on a large canvas. Damn, three million views? I step closer and catch the handle: @allyepaints.

I gawk at the screen when the painter angles herself toward the camera. Not only is the painting fucking amazing, but the side of her jaw is awfully familiar.

It’s her.

A faint growl comes from Sunny. Her fingers move quickly. She copies the link, pastes it into an email and furiously types, asking for the video to be removed along with her entire social media account.

This is interesting.

I make a mental note to search her username later when I’m alone and make an attempt at being loud enough for her to hear me as I continue walking in the kitchen so she doesn’t suspect I was just lingering over her shoulder.

Rounding the bar, I grab a beer out of the fridge.

I don’t drink often, maybe one or two when I’m out with the team. But not being able to do a simple fucking braid calls for something stronger.

I place the bottle down onto the counter and rest my hands against the hard granite. “I need your help.”

Sunny raises an eyebrow. “I’ve met my quota for helping you.”

I raise my eyebrow right back.

She shuts her laptop and smirks. “Remember yesterday? When I distracted a certain someone so you could…”

God, please don’t bring yesterday up.

Visions of pumping myself in the shower to the thought of her pressed against me come to light. I try to wash the guilt away with my beer, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work.

“What do you need, Oscar?” She flutters her lashes and…fuck.

The more she and I are around one another, the more I notice the little things about her. Like her long lashes, or how there are a few golden strands of hair woven in between the darker ones.

I am in over my head.

“Braids,” I grunt.

What am I? A fucking caveman?

I swallow another gulp of beer and try again. “Can you help me with Ellie’s braids?”

Sunny turns on the stool and peers into the living room. She smiles over her shoulder at me before hopping down and rescuing Ellie’s poor scalp.

I try to watch from afar, following the movements of Sunny’s deft fingers, but it’s too hard to see. Instead, I sip on my beer and think about anything other than my hot nanny.

Tomorrow is the first away game that I’ll have to stay overnight since hiring Sunny.

I’m not worried, but I have a feeling that Ellie is.

Once her hair is pulled out of her face and woven neatly, I place my beer on the counter. “Okay, Printsessa. Say goodnight to Sunny.”

Ellie, in her oversized T-shirt, turns to look at Sunny. A look of mischief covers her tiny features. “Spokoynoy nochi.”

Not this again. This is Ellie’s defense mechanism—I swear. Speaking Russian to someone who doesn’t under⁠—

“Sladkih snov.” Sunny’s soft smile catches my eye, and my stomach dips.

“Good job, Sunny!” Ellie wraps her arms around Sunny’s neck. “My babushka will be so proud!”

A strange sense of comfort nestles into my chest. Ellie rushes over to me and slides her tiny hand into mine. I let her pull me all the way to her bedroom, and I’m not fully coherent again until she snuggles down under the covers. The blue quilt is pulled up all the way to the bridge of her nose. All I see are two big, worried green eyes peering up at me.

“Are you teaching Sunny Russian?” I tug on the quilt so I can see her face.

She quickly pulls it back up. “She asked to borrow the tapes.”

Interesting.

“You know tomorrow evening I won’t be home, right?”

She nods so quickly her braid flops over the blanket.

“Are you going to be okay?” I ask.

Sunny and I aren’t the only ones with trust issues. It’s usually easy for me to move past mine—I just detach—but that’s the last thing I want to teach to Ellie. The last time I had an away game where I had to stay overnight, Ellie was left alone for several hours.

I have no indications of that happening on Sunny’s watch, but Ellie might.

“I fully trust Sunny,” I add.

Do I?

“She would never leave you alone or do anything like what’s been done in the past.”

“I know, Daddy.” Ellie slowly pulls the blanket down to her shoulders. “I’ll be okay,” she says, reassuring me.

I kiss her on the forehead. “Alright, then. Get some sleep.”

I’m almost through the door when she perks up. “Daddy?”

I turn, “Yeah?”

“I like her.”

How can she not? She’s pretty damn likeable. “Sladkih snov.” I wink and repeat sweet dreams in Russian, just like Sunny, before heading the rest of the way out.

When I reach the foot of the stairs, I overhear Sunny on the phone. This time, I purposefully eavesdrop.

Okay, fine. They’ve all been purposeful, but how else can I learn about my live-in nanny?

“I can’t see you.” Sunny laughs.

Can’t see who?

“What? Oh.” The woman on the other end of the phone sighs. “I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You press the little camera button on the screen,” Sunny says.

“Can you see me now?”

Sunny snorts. “No, Nana. I’m looking at the wall. Now the floor.” She laughs again. “Now the window.”

“Oh jeez. I can’t work this old phone. It’s too small for me to see the buttons.”

“It’s okay,” Sunny reassures her. “I just wanted to check in. It’s evening for me, but I figured this was a good time for you.”

“How is the new nanny job, sweetheart?”

Oh, I definitely have to hear this.

I move closer to the kitchen and stop right outside of the opening. Sunny’s back is to me as she continues to stare at her laptop.

“It’s good.”

Just good?

“The house looks nice,” her nana says.

I slip backward, afraid her nana will catch a glimpse of me being a total fucking creep.

What the hell am I doing? Why am I sneaking around and eavesdropping on the conversation?

“It is. I actually love Chicago. I even went to one of the art museums the other day.”

“Are you painting again?” Her nana coughs, and I’m not going to lie…it doesn’t sound good. “Your grandpa was so upset when he found out you had to stop painting as much. If he knew it was so you could work more to help pay for the nursing home, he’d probably demand we put him on the street.”

My eyebrows rise.

“And now you’re paying for mine.”

She’s paying for her nana’s nursing home?

“It’s not that much,” Sunny argues. “Insurance covers some of it. You’ve taken care of me all my life. Of course I’m going to take care of you. I make good money nannying, Nana.”

I press my head to the wall. She’s so…selfless.

“Tell me more,” the old woman coughs again. “Is the little girl’s dad kind to you?”

My blood pressure spikes. Hardly.

“I know you said he’s a single father, but what about her mother?”

“I read that her mother passed away at birth or shortly after, just like Mom.”

Oh.

“He’s a little grumpy, but I think I’m wearing him down a little.” Sunny’s soft laugh fills the kitchen, and she’s right. She is absolutely wearing on me.

I’m seconds from strolling into the kitchen. The guilt of spying is catching up to me.

“Do you think he’s good-looking?”

I pause.

Maybe I’ll wait a few more seconds.

“Nana!” Sunny chastises her.

Before anyone else utters a word about my looks, the faint voice of a woman filters through the computer.

“I have to go, sweetheart. It’s time for my breathing treatment.”

Strolling farther into the kitchen, Sunny snaps her head over to me but quickly looks away.

I swear her cheeks get pinker.

“Oh, wait. Is that him?”

Sunny is flustered. Her lip gets trapped beneath her teeth, and she mutters, “Uh-huh.”

“Hello,” I say, leaning down toward the laptop. She isn’t visible on the screen, but I know she can see me. “I’m Rhodes.”

The older woman laughs, but it’s more of a rasp. “Well, I have my answer.”

I grin, knowing what she’s referring to. I glance at Sunny. Her cheeks are definitely pink.

“Okay, bye, Nana. Love you.”

“Love you, sweetheart. Bye-bye.”

Sunny quickly closes her laptop. Her lips flatten, and she crosses her arms defensively.

As large as my kitchen is, it feels small with us both in here. I round the island and eye her from across the thick stone.

“Well?” I say, crossing my arms to mimic her.

Her big, brown eyes shift away from me. “Well what?”

“Do you?”

I’m not sure what made me ask her. Curiosity? In need of my ego getting stroked? Desperation to know what’s going on in her head?

“Do I what?” she asks.

Don’t do it.

I lean against the counter behind me and cross my legs at the ankles. “Do you think I’m good-looking?”

I did it.

Sunny’s pretty rose-colored lips part. “How⁠—”

I smirk, and she scowls at me.

“You were eavesdropping!”

I push off the counter. “It’s not my fault you were on a video call in the kitchen. I was only coming in here for my beer.”

“Yeah right.” Her eye roll excites me.

I flick my brow. “You don’t believe me?”

“Nope.” The P pops out of her mouth with sass. “And no, I don’t find you attractive.”

After swallowing the rest of my beer and tossing it into the trash, I round the island and head right for her. Sunny’s spine straightens. She pulls her shoulders back and shows off her slender neck.

I lean in close, because I’m clearly unhinged this evening, and say, “Well, I don’t believe you.”

She gasps and levels me with an extremely amusing glare.

I chuckle, and her mouth twitches.

“Night, Sunshine,” I say, winking.

What the fuck has gotten into me?

Am I flirting?

I do not flirt.

Sunny’s cute scowl deepens.

It’s the last thing I think about as I fall asleep, which is clearly a problem.