Chapter 3

Holy shit, Kinsley wasn't lying when she said Ada was fire.

She's breathtakingly beautiful. She looks pretty in her purple shirt and black jeans. Her shoulder length light brown hair is half up in a clip behind her head, the rest hanging down in loose waves. Her make-up is subtle, which I like. She's not trying to overdo it and doesn't come across as a diva type at all. She seems relatively fit which I also like for Elsie. My daughter needs someone who can match her energy most days so she doesn't feel like she has nobody to play with. It's nice to feel like we're just having a conversation instead of a formal interview. She's comfortable, easy to talk to, and so far, doesn't give off any weird vibes. After the hot mess of yesterday's applicants, I have all the appreciation in the world for someone like Ada.

"So, if you'll humor me for a minute, I should probably explain the nuts and bolts of the job," I say.

"That would be great."

"First of all, Elsie has preschool three days a week in the mornings, so she'll need someone to pick her up at eleven-forty-five."

"Alright." I nod. "No problem."

"Most nights, when we don't have a game, I'm home in time for supper and have no problem relieving you so you can be free to…you know…"

Date?

Does she date?

Is she seeing someone?

Is that a weird question to ask her?

I don't think I would want some other guy around Elsie right now.

My brows pinch and I boldly ask, "Are you uh, in a relationship or you know…"

"Dating?" she asks.

"Yeah." I shake my head and hold up my hand. "And please understand it's none of my business except to say I'm not sure I'm comfortable with other men hanging out around Elsie right now. Men I don't know, I mean. And certainly not in my house, but you're more than free to, you know, see people."

Ada shakes her head and smiles reassuringly. "No, that's a perfectly valid question and the answer is no. I'm not…" She takes a breath and I inwardly cringe remembering what she said about her late husband.

Fuck.

"I'm not in a relationship of any kind. I'm embarrassed to admit my social life is not at all what it probably should be for a thirty-year-old woman. Give me a book, a blanket, and a comfy chair and I'm happy."

"Ah, so you're a reader?" Milo unsurprisingly pipes in. Milo and Charlee are the definite book nerds of our group.

"Yeah." Ada smiles. "I'll read pretty much any chance I get."

"Can I ask what your last read was?"

She blushes and squirms in her seat a little. "Um, well, I like to read a bunch of those gushy romance stories. I guess I'm always cheering for the girl to get her happy ever after."

Milo smiles back at her, nodding approvingly. "You and my wife should meet. She edits romance books for a living and she could talk your ear off about any one of them."

"No kidding?"

Dex scoffs teasingly. "Don't act like you don't also read them, Landric." He gestures to Milo with a hitch of his thumb. "When this guy isn't on the ice you'll almost always find him with a book in his hand."

"He's right," Milo confesses. "My mama didn't raise no dummy."

Ada laughs and something in me warms. She has such a lovely disposition and seems to have a well-balanced sense of humor. Her voice, seeing her smile…I think she could be perfect for m—Elsie. Perfect for Elsie.

"Daddy looooook!" The voice of my favorite four-year-old screams from just down the hall as she comes running into the room, my mother not far behind. Some days Elsie loves coming to "Daddy's work" so my parents will pick her up here and take her back to their place or sometimes my house. I realize it may be an inconvenience for them, but they also respect my love for my daughter and that I want to spend as much time with her as I possibly can whenever I can. Even if that just means a morning drive into the city for work. Plus, she likes being Miss Christy's helper in the daycare when the guys bring their kids in from time to time. When she runs into the room where we're all seated, she's holding what looks like a Mister Potato Head in her arms. Her smile is wide and her eyes are filled with excitement but as I'm about to remind her not to run, she gets tripped up and falls, the pieces flying off Mister Potato Head and landing on the floor.

"Whoa! Slow down sweetheart." I jump from my seat and round the table to help her, but Ada, being at the end of the table, beats me to it.

"Hey," she says softly, already crouched down and helping Elsie up off the floor. She instinctively checks her for any cuts, scrapes, or growing bumps. "Are you okay?"

"Mhmm but look." She holds out the Mister Potato Head. "His face fell off and he was gonna be Daddy."

"I'm sorry, Zeke." My mom reaches the room almost out of breath. "She really wanted to show you her Mister Potato Head before we left."

One thing my mother never needs to do is apologize for my kid wanting to see me. I'd have her next to me all hours of the day if I could.

Okay, maybe not all hours.

A man needs his privacy every once in a while.

I shake my head, waving my mother's worries away, and gasp playfully as I watch Ada's interaction with Elsie. "Oh no!" I pat my own face with my hands. "My face fell off? Where's my face? I can't find my face!"

Elsie giggles. "No, Daddy! Not your daddy face! Your Mister tato face."

"Oooh." I hold my hand to my heart. "Phew! I was afraid I would never be able to use my eyes to see you again. Or smell your sweetness with my nose. Or hear your beautiful giggles with my ears."

I'm about to help Elsie scoop up the fallen pieces when she takes her potato head to Ada and hands it to her. "Can you help me?"

Ada smiles kindly at her. "Of course I can." She lowers herself to the floor and Elsie sits in front of her. "My name is Ada. What's your name?"

"I'm Elsie."

"It's nice to meet you, Elsie." She picks up an eye from the floor and says, "Hmm where do you think this goes?" She pushes it on the top of the potato head where the hat goes. "Does it go here?"

Elsie shakes her head. "Nooo."

"Oh ok. Does it gooo…" She puts it on the side where the ears go. "Here?"

"Nooo." Elsie giggles. "It goes right there." She points to the two holes in the front where both eyes go and Ada pushes them in for her.

"Great job. What part should we do next?"

Elsie grabs the ears and shows Ada how good she is at pushing them into the holes and Ada showers her with praise until every piece is back in place.

"High five, Elsie!" Ada raises her hand so Elsie can slap it. "You did it! And do you know what? I think it looks just like your daddy."

"Yeah!" She squeals. "Daddy look! You are a tato head!"

"Perfect likeness, Lil' Squish," Dex says to Elsie. "That's exactly what your daddy looks like."

"Yeah! Uncle Dex, look!" She jumps up and takes the potato head to him. The guys on the team have been honorary uncles to Elsie since the day she was born. I couldn't be more grateful for every single one of them for stepping in and being there for us when Lori left. Now that several of them have had kids, it'll be my turn to repay the favor.

"I especially like the abnormally huge nose," Colby says with a wink. He reaches out his hand to give Elsie a fist bump. "Good job, Squish."

"I'll show you a potato head!" I tell her right before I pounce and snatch her up into my arms in a fit of giggles, showering her with kisses. "And now you have a face full of potato head kisses from potato head dad."

Her belly laughs are my favorite sound. "Daddy!"

I give her another big daddy kiss and then lower her back down to her feet next to my mom who is waiting patiently near the door. "Thank you for showing me my amazing potato face, Els. Now how about you tuck him in for a nap back in Miss Christy's room before you leave with Nana okay?"

"Okay Daddy. Bye"

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you, Daddy."

"Bye, Squish!" Milo calls out to her.

She shouts "Byeeeee" as she runs back down the hallway.

My mom apologizes again for the interruption but I place a kiss on her cheek too and reassure her. "Mom, she's my kid. If she wants to see me, she gets to see me. End of discussion. One day when she's a teenager she'll hate me, so I'll take all the snuggles I can possibly get now."

I wave them both goodbye, watching Elsie try to skip down the hallway toward the daycare. Once they're out of sight, I turn back toward the room where Milo is helping Ada up off the floor. She smiles at me and laughs softly. "She's really sweet. And very smart. You're a great dad."

I can't seem to form any other words at the moment except, "You're hired. When can you start?"