AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why are you in such a hurry? Do you have a hot date or something?” he asks when he finally gets close enough that he doesn’t have to shout.
“Only with my pillow top mattress and a cup of tea when I get home.”
He looks at me disappointedly. “Dude, you’re only 36 and in your prime. Why are you acting like such an old man? You don’t need sleep or flower water. You need to come out with some of the guys tonight and let loose.”
“You can’t be serious, Swank,” I say, using the nickname I gave him in middle school and the one our teammates use. The fans, on the other hand, have dubbed him “Swan Song” because he’s graceful and fluid on the ice. “Did you not hear a word the coach said on the plane? Tomorrow’s practice is going to be rough. Then we have back-to-back home games before we’ll finally get a day of rest.”
He slaps my back before saying, “Of course, I heard every word. I’m sure he meant that for the rookies on the team, not for his team captain and me—the best right winger in the league. If it weren’t for the two of us, we would have lost the game today.”
“You may be right, but as team captain, it’s my job to set the example. I won’t ask anyone to do what I’m unwilling to do myself. You can do what you want tonight, but I want to get enough sleep so that I can have breakfast with Penny before practice.” I start walking toward the exit in desperate need of a good night’s sleep.
I click the key fob for my truck at the end of the row, a metallic charcoal GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate. I may have inherited two billion dollars last year, but I haven’t used a dime of it for personal gain. I had no intention of doing so, knowing what it cost my grandparents to get it. Due to wise investments that have paid off tenfold, a multi-million-dollar salary, and at least ten endorsement deals, I make more than enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
“Bro! Wait up!” Swank shouts, but I keep walking.
“I know you can hear me, Shaw!
“Aiden! Slow your roll! I need a lift! My car is parked in your garage!”
I finally reach my truck and throw my bag in the back seat. After starting the vehicle, I let it idle until he hops in the passenger seat. The last thing I need right now is for my friend to spend the next half-hour talking my ear off, trying to convince me to go out. I haven’t been on a date since Patricia left me a year after Penny was born, and I have no desire to start anytime soon. There’s only enough room for one woman in my life, and that’s my daughter. No amount of cajoling will change that, even if it comes from my best friend.
“I almost thought you were going to leave me behind. Do you know how much cab fare would have been to get to your house?” he asks.
“You make a cool ten million a year. You can afford it,” I tell him. “Why didn’t you drive yourself here instead of my house in the first place? Now, you’ll have to be on the road even longer before you get home.”
“Because I hoped you might let me stay in your guest house. You know how much I love Angela’s whole-grain pancakes on practice days.” Swank rubs his stomach and licks his lips, already dreaming about breakfast.
How do I tell him that Angela won’t be making pancakes for any of us anymore? “Um, about that. Angela quit, and my parents hired a new nanny for Penny. Her name is Anna, something or other.”
“Really? That’s a bummer. What happened?”
“I don’t know. She up and left a few days ago without giving any notice, leaving my parents scrambling to find someone to replace her. Fortunately, Anna comes highly recommended and is available. Or so I’m told.” My parents informed me that I would be meeting the new nanny tomorrow morning.
Swank stares out the window, lost in thought. It’s unlike him to be so quiet, and it has me a little worried. I’m about to ask if he’s okay when he turns to me, wearing a solemn expression. “Do you think Anna knows how to make pancakes?”
I laugh. Leave it to Swank to think about food first. “I would hope so since part of the job requirement is to cook nutritious meals for Penny. I pay extra if she cooks for me, too. But I’m not the one that needs to be taken care of, so I make it optional.”
“Is she pretty?”
I roll my eyes. “I haven’t met her yet, Swank, so I have no idea. When my mother interviewed her, she said she has the nicest personality and loves kids. That’s all I know.”
He scrunches his nose, and I stop him before he speaks whatever crude comment is about to spew from his mouth. “Whatever you’re about to say, don’t.”
“Fine. I’ll change the subject. Do you think Patricia will be at our home games this week? She’s been coming around more often. In the last home game, her seat was right beside the wives’ section. I don’t think that was on accident.”
I sigh. “Yeah. I noticed.”
“Do you think she’s trying to get back with you now that you’re a billionaire?”
“Knowing Patricia, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. Unfortunately for her, it’s never going to happen. When she gave up all her rights to Penny and settled for one year of my salary, it ended any chance at reconciliation,” I tell him honestly.
“You know that people change. Look at you. You used to be so much fun before you became a father and started attending church. Now it’s bedtime stories and snack time. Speaking of which, what’s the last story Penny has read to you?” he asks, laughing.
I can’t help but smile. “She read me Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It took a while, and there were a few words she had trouble pronouncing, but considering she’s six, I’ll let it slide.”
My daughter is truly something special. The moment she picked up a book and learned to read, it was game over. She has a photographic memory and loves to have her nose in a book, magazine, or journal. Her brain power makes it difficult for me to win an argument against her, but I occasionally manage it using reasoning and logic.
“Are you kidding me? I didn’t have to read that until high school! She’s going to be smarter than you in no time.”
