Chapter Two

“I don’t want you to go, Daddy.” Gabrielle sat on the floor, arms folded across her chest, and scowl firmly in place.

“Baby,” Trevor said, crouching down in front of her. His heart was already breaking at having to leave, but it was even worse when she was like this. Not that she was ever happy about him leaving, but she rarely threw a tantrum about it. “I’ll be home in two days, I promise.”

Gabrielle shook her head, shifting away from him, scuffing her butt across the carpet.

Trevor swiped a hand over his face, looking up at his mom. She shrugged, looking pained. It was like this every time and neither of them liked it, but there was nothing else that Trevor could do. It was part of the reason he was coming around to the idea of a nanny. If she had someone in her life who didn’t disappear sometimes – as both he and his mom had to do – she might acclimatize to his hockey schedule a little better.

“All right,” Trevor said, coming to a decision. It wasn’t one he should make while so emotional, perhaps, but he’d done the legwork – the background check, the references, the information – and he was certain he and his mother were in agreement. “You remember Nick from the other day?”

Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders, but Trevor knew his daughter, and after a beat, she turned around, looking at him shyly. “Mr. Nick?”

“Yeah.” Trevor sat on the floor, crossing his legs and resting a finger under her chin, urging her to look up. “How about I call him and ask if he’ll help Nana look after you. Would you like that?”

There was a stony silence and then Gabrielle nodded, not happy, but she had the hint of a smile. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Trevor said, as Gabrielle hugged him, burying her face in his neck. He held on, closing his eyes against the burn of tears. This was just as hard for him as it was for her. “I’ll call Mr. Nick.”

When Gabrielle was in bed, still upset about the next morning, but a little less angry with him, Trevor waved his mom’s offer of a hot drink, and retreated to the patio to give Nick a call. Chicago stretched out beneath him, lit up in a way he’d come to associate with home and he clutched at the railing, hoping he hadn’t made an offer to his daughter that he couldn’t deliver on.

When the call connected, Nick’s answer was immediate. “Nicholas Berchard.”

“I thought it was Nick?” Trevor said. He mentally slapped himself.

There was a long silence. Then, sounding amused, Nick said, “Nicholas when I’m trying to sound professional, Mr. Raines.”

“It’s Trevor,” Trevor said. “I know I’ve already told you that.”

“Maybe,” Nick laughed. “Is there a reason you’re calling?”

There was a hopeful tone under there somewhere, and Trevor felt a little relief. Hoping that Nick didn’t have a job already, he leaned against the railing. “I was hoping I could offer you a trial.”

“A trial, huh?”

Trevor couldn’t detect disappointment. “I’m off on a two-day road trip tomorrow. I know it’s short notice,” he said quickly. “But Gabrielle was upset, and I told her I’d call you and see if you were available to maybe come and–”

“I’d love to,” Nick said, cutting across him. He coughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but you sounded a little stressed out.”

Trevor laughed, a little embarrassed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “A little,” he admitted. “You said you’d love to, right?”

Nick huffed a laugh, and Trevor was going to end up with a complex if he kept doing it, but he had trouble wiping the smile off of his face.

“I did,” Nick assured him. “Will your mom be there?”

“She will.” Trevor pushed off the railing and stared back into the apartment. His mom had the TV on, stretched out on the couch, and Trevor loved having her around – she’d been a Godsend for Gabrielle – but he couldn’t wait to let her go home and have the house and Gabrielle to himself again. With Nick around, providing the trial went all right. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” There was the sound of a door closing, and then the rush of traffic. “I’m glad Gabrielle liked me enough to want me there.”

“She doesn’t take to many people,” Trevor admitted. “It took her forever to stop screaming when she was put in my arms.”

There was a long enough hesitation that told Trevor that Nick wanted to ask a question but didn’t. To his credit, and even though Trevor was disappointed not to have a reason to talk to someone outside of his family about it.

“Good luck on your road trip,” Nick offered. “Try not to lose, eh?”

It was such a Canadian word, and Trevor snorted. “I’m only one guy.”

“Uh-huh,” Nick said, a touch disbelieving. “We both know if you wanted to, you could win a game single-handedly.”

Trevor flushed with pride, even if he bristled a little at the slight to his team. He would have said something if he hadn’t done his research on Nick. “Thanks. For that and for Gabrielle.”

“You don’t have to thank me for Gabrielle,” Nick said. “She’s a good kid.”

“You met her for like half an hour,” Trevor protested.

“Like I said, she’s a good kid.”

Trevor shook his head. “Goodnight, Nicholas.”

“Fuck you,” Nick said, then sucked in a breath. “Uh.”

“As long as you don’t swear around my daughter,” Trevor told him seriously, “I’m a hockey player. I’d be a hypocrite if I was offended.”

Nick huffed again, and Trevor could get used to hearing the not-quite laugh. “Then fuck you. Clearly, professionalism doesn’t work on you.”

“Not really,” Trevor admitted. “Goodnight, Nick.”

“Night Trevor.”

With the dial tone ringing in his ear, Trevor tried to wipe the smile from his face before going back inside. His mother would sense blood in the water and pounce, and he didn’t want to have a conversation about just why he was so happy when he wasn’t sure of the answer.

He still wasn’t sure of the answer when Nick showed up on the doorstep the next morning, an hour before Trevor was set to leave.

“Your mom called,” Nick said, looking embarrassed. “I hope it’s all right I’m here?”

“Sure,” Trevor said. He was relieved that Gabrielle would have the distraction. “She’s just eating breakfast.”

Trevor led the way back to the kitchen, to where Gabrielle was in her seat at the breakfast bar, enjoying her cereal. She was still half asleep, in her pajamas, and leaning precariously to the left. She wouldn’t have been awake if Trevor hadn’t been leaving.

“Gabby,” Trevor said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “Look who’s here.”

Gabrielle peered around Trevor sleepily, eyes widening when she caught sight of Nick. “Mr. Nick! You came.”

“Eat your breakfast first,” Nick said, as Gabrielle fumbled to get down. “You can say hello when you’re done.”

Trevor raised his eyebrows, impressed, even more so when Gabrielle looked at Nick, then the cereal, and sighed. “Are you staying?”

“I promised your Dad I was going to stay with you and Nana for the next few days, okay?”

Nodding solemnly, Gabrielle turned back to her cereal.

“Probably should have timed that better,” Nick said, flushing.

“She usually has a distraction over breakfast,” Trevor admitted. “I haven’t managed to set a routine for her yet. The problem with having her live with me just as the season’s starting.”

Nick hesitated as he had on the phone the night before as if he wanted to ask a question, but again he thought better of it. “You’ll get there, I’m sure. Especially if you’re planning to move as well. Probably better to do that before you try to get her into a routine.”

It was what his mother had told him.

“You want a coffee?”

“Sure,” Nick said easily, leaning a hip against the kitchen island.

Gabrielle had perked up now that Nick was in the house, shoveling in her cereal.

“Slow down, Gabs,” Trevor said, pointing a spoon in her direction. “You’ll choke.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Gabrielle said with a sigh, and she might only be three, but she was definitely forming an attitude already.

While Trevor was waiting for the machine to do its thing, his mom walked out of the spare room, looking extremely well put together for someone who had been woken a half hour before by her granddaughter.

“Hi, Mrs. Raines,” Nick said.

“Nick.” Donna immediately squeezed his arm and then planted a sloppy kiss on Gabrielle’s cheek.

“Ew,” Gabrielle proclaimed loudly, swiping at her cheek. “Nana, I’m three.”

“Three-year-olds still get kisses, Gabrielle,” Donna said, raising her eyebrows.

Another put-upon sigh. “Yes, Nana.”

Trevor risked a glance at Nick, afraid that seeing Gabrielle’s regular attitude in the morning would put him off. He was surprised to see Nick smothering a laugh behind his hand, raising his eyebrows when he caught Trevor staring. Trevor flushed, turning back to make the coffees – including one for his mother – and to give himself time to stop acting like an idiot. He was a suave hockey player who was good enough to make bank, and yet he was acting like a lovesick teenager around the guy. He’d only known him a total of an hour.

His mother was to blame. If she hadn’t demanded he get a nanny, he wouldn’t have met Nick and wouldn’t be acting the fool.

“Trevor,” his mother said sharply. “If you want to make the bus, you have to leave.”

Trevor double-checked his watch, scowling. “I have time, Mom.”

“They moved the time, Trevor. I told you this last night.”

“Shit,” Trevor said before he could stop himself.

“Daddy! Swear,” Gabrielle said, pointing at him.

“Sorry, Gabs,” Trevor said, digging in his back pocket for his wallet. He dropped a couple of dollars into the swear jar on the counter, decorated with glitter and crayons, and darted into the bedroom for his bags.

Nick was making the coffee when he came out, and at the look on Trevor’s face, shrugged. “It’s fine. You can make me a coffee when you get back.”

Trevor snorted. “Right.”

“Daddy,” Gabrielle said, lip trembling.

“Hey,” Trevor said, lifting Gabrielle into his arms. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. You have Nana and Mr. Nick here to keep you company. You won’t even miss me before I’ll be back.”

Gabrielle didn’t look impressed. “Don’t be silly, Daddy. I will miss you this much.”

She spread out her arms, almost smacking Trevor in the face, and he felt his heart clench, ducking in to kiss her cheeks, her forehead.

“Daddy loves you, Princess.”

“I love you too,” Gabrielle whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Stay with me.”

“I wish I could, Gabs.” Trevor closed his eyes, squeezed his daughter tight, and handed her over to his mother.

Donna took her wordlessly, accepting his kiss with a sad smile. Gabrielle had turned away from him, burying her face in Donna’s neck. Nick looked a little uncomfortable where he was resting against the counter, but Trevor spared him a quick smile.

“Thanks again,” he said, picking up his bags. “I hope she’s good.”

“She’ll be fine,” Nick said, sounding certain.

It took everything Trevor had to walk out of the door, hating the fact that he had to leave her every time there were games out of state. It made him feel like a terrible father – something his team assured him was normal, but that didn’t stop it happening.