2. Violet

Chapter 2

Violet

Sawyer’s eyebrows shoot up at Reese’s suggestion, and I feel a flush creep into my cheeks.

Is this seriously happening?

I’m still trying to get over the fact that one of the hottest players in the NHL just saw me naked, and now here my brother is, suggesting that I move in with him.

I might have played it off like it was nothing, acting all easy-breezy about the fact that Sawyer walked in on me naked, but that doesn’t explain why my skin still feels overheated even though Reese keeps his house cool.

For just a moment, when I turned around and our gazes locked, I could’ve sworn I saw a flash of heat in Sawyer’s eyes. It was gone a second later, making me sure I had just imagined it, but it still left me feeling off balance.

With his short cropped dark hair, smoke-gray eyes, and strong jawline, I’ve always thought Sawyer was far and away the sexiest of Reese’s teammates. Completely off limits, but hot as hell, nonetheless. And knowing that he’s seen me without a stitch of clothing on makes my skin prickle with awareness.

“What do you mean?” Sawyer asks Reese after a short beat of silence, finding his words before I do.

“It’s perfect!” My brother grins, gesturing between us enthusiastically. “You’ve been complaining about finding a reliable, ongoing sitter for Jake for months. And Violet is great with kids and totally responsible. You know you can trust her in your house and with Jake. And it would give her a place to live and a job. It’s a win-win.”

Sawyer’s brows furrow as he considers Reese’s arguments, and I bite my lip, unsure whether I should wait to hear what he says or just try to quash this idea right now. I can’t be a nanny for him… can I?

Reese is right that it would solve a lot of problems for me. More than he knows, honestly. But will Sawyer go for it?

We’ve talked several times during my visits to Denver, but it was always just friendly conversation. I don’t know a ton about him other than that he went through a messy divorce several years ago and has custody of Jake. He’s not exactly the chattiest guy I’ve ever met—not that I blame him after what he’s been through—and I’m not sure how he’d feel about having a live-in nanny.

“It could work on my end,” I say tentatively. “It would have to be somewhat short term, just for the next few months. But I’m available pretty much full-time, so I could cover whatever hours you need.”

Sawyer hesitates, looking from me to Reese and back again. “I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I’m not sure it’s the best idea.”

“That’s fine.” I wave a hand quickly, not wanting to seem too desperate or needy. I don’t know why Sawyer’s opinion of me matters so much, but I feel a strong impulse to not embarrass myself in front of him again.

But Reese, sweet big brother that he is, clearly doesn’t want me to miss out on what really would be perfect short-term employment. He shakes his head, turning to face Sawyer.

“Bro, I’m telling you, you’re passing up a golden opportunity here. I pretty much raised Violet myself, and she’s one of the best people I know. And kids love her, including Jake. Don’t you remember how he acted around her last time she visited?”

Sawyer purses his lips, but he can’t deny that Jake and I were kind of hitting it off. We bonded over that Bluey show that he loves, mostly because I thought the characters were cute as hell. And I laughed at his corny little kid jokes, which he thought was the coolest thing in the world.

Still, I guess it’s not particularly difficult to get along with a seven year old, so I don’t blame Sawyer for being skeptical.

“Do you have any experience with nannying or babysitting?” he asks, and my heart skips a beat as I realize he’s actually considering this.

I nod. “Not with nannying per se, but I babysat our neighbors’ kids pretty often when I was younger.”

“And they adored her, by the way,” Reese chimes in.

He’s not wrong, but he’s also probably not helping with the hard sell, so I shoot him a quelling look. Thankfully, he takes the hint.

Sawyer considers my words, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He has a light shadow of stubble on his jaw, and it only highlights the chiseled lines of his face. After a moment, he blows out a breath, tilting his head to one side.

“Okay. Maybe a trial isn’t a bad idea,” he murmurs. Reese lights up, but before my brother can say anything, Sawyer adds, “We should probably start with just a casual hangout with Jake to see how he takes to Violet.” He glances at me. “It’s been a while since the last time he saw you.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Reese agrees, as if he’s an agent brokering our negotiation.

“Is that okay with you?” Sawyer asks me, and I nod.

“Yeah. Works for me.”

“Perfect.” Reese beams, clearly pleased with himself. “This is gonna be great, just wait. You’ll both be thanking me in the end.”

Sawyer chuckles at my older brother, shaking his head before shifting his focus back to me again. “Are you free this afternoon? Jake and I could meet you at Strike Zone downtown.”

“The bowling alley?”

He nods, affection shining in his eyes. “Yeah. It’s Jake’s new favorite place. I took him there for his birthday, and he’s been obsessed with it ever since. It could be a good way for you to bond with him.”

A grin tugs at my lips. “That’s really cute. I can’t remember the last time I went bowling. Sure, that works. Can I meet you there in an hour or so after I finish getting ready?”

I gesture to the bathrobe I’m still wearing, and for just a heartbeat, his gaze follows, tracking over me.

“Great.” He clears his throat, his fingers digging into the plush stuffed animal that he’s holding in his hand. “That should give us enough time to get ready too.” His phone pings again, and he shakes his head as he checks the new text message. “Shit, I really do have to go. The sitter is waiting, and she already covered for me once this week when I was running late. I’ll see you in a bit?”

I nod, and Reese reaches out to give him a fist bump.

“I’ll catch you at practice tomorrow,” my brother says. “Glad you found Jake’s stuffed animal.”

“Me too. Thanks for letting me borrow your spare key.”

Once again, Sawyer’s gaze flashes to me, and a little zap of awareness runs down my spine. I can’t help but notice that neither one of us mentioned the fact that Sawyer accidentally walked in on me naked. Not that it’s a big deal or anything, and it would probably make for a funny story, but it also feels like something… private, in a way. Something that no one but the two of us ever needs to know.

Reese lifts a shoulder, turning to walk his teammate to the door. “Anytime.”

“See you soon,” I tell Sawyer.

Sawyer gives me a nod over his shoulder as he heads out, the stuffed rabbit gripped in his large hand.

Reese closes the door behind him, then turns and beams at me. “I still can’t believe you’re here, Vi! I’m so fucking happy you came! This is gonna be great. Callie’s gonna be thrilled to see you when she gets home.”

He pulls me in for another hug, and I hug him back, giving him a squeeze. “Thanks, big bro.”

I really am excited to see him and Callie again, and happy to be back in Denver for a while, since it’s always been one of my favorite cities. But none of that is enough to calm the butterflies flapping wildly in my stomach.

I don’t know quite how it happened, but somehow… I think I just became Sawyer’s new nanny.