“Dude…that’s just some fucked-up shit,” I say, shaking my head as I drag a french fry through some ketchup. “Tell me you stomped the guy’s ass.”

“Let’s just say that he was on the receiving end of my unhappiness when I found out,” he says darkly. “You could also say that little incident may have precipitated my trade from the team.”

“What?” I ask sharply, eyeing him in disbelief. “The Eagles traded a veteran goalie with three Cups and four Vezinas because you clocked one of the other players?”

“Not just any player,” Ryker says with a dark glint in his eye. “Patric Sutter.”

I whistle low and shake my head. “Your wife slept with the number-one draft pick last year? Rumored to be potentially the greatest player the league has ever seen?”

“Little fucker,” Ryker growls. “He’s lucky I only broke his nose.”

Leaning over, I slap Ryker on the shoulder with a laugh. “Brick…dude…I thought my life was fucked up, but you actually make me feel better about myself.”

We both chuckle over that and chow down on our burgers for a few blessed moments of silence. When we finish, we push our plates away and order up two more beers. I have to say, this guy is completely chill and super easygoing. It’s actually not a chore to talk to him…not the way it’s been for me lately when it comes to interacting with people.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Ryker says once we have our new beers, “how hard is it…being a single parent?”

I tap my finger against the edge of my beer bottle for a moment, considering the question. “In some ways, it’s scary as hell. Having all the responsibility on your shoulders, not having a partner to help you make important decisions. But in other ways…it’s kind of nice. I mean…after Gina died, Ben and I grew even tighter. We had no choice because we only had each other.”

“I have the feeling that if Hensley goes through with this asinine idea of following that little dickhead around, she’s not going to be very involved with the girls.”

“Well, best advice I can give to you is go with your gut on things,” I tell him simply. “Trust your parenting skills. You may not get it right all the time, but you will most of the time.”

“Maybe this is completely doable,” Ryker muses. “If I can find a good nanny like you have…this could totally work.”

“Sure it can,” I tell him confidently. Seeing firsthand just how well it is working out for me and Ben, I see no problem in encouraging him on this path. Of course, no guarantee he’ll find someone as awesome as Kate, but maybe he will.

And just thinking about her has my mind now running off in a different direction. As I glance at my watch, I know she’s getting Ben ready for bed. I had planned to call and check in soon, so I might as well do it now.

“I’m going to make a quick call to Ben,” I say to Ryker.

“Take your time, man,” he says with a smile.

I dial Kate’s cellphone, mainly because I know she has it on her and wherever she is, so too will Ben be.

She answers in a haughty voice. “He who seeks the most wonderful nanny in the world, speak and you shall be recognized.”

Shaking my head with a smile, I gaze down at my beer bottle and have a deep longing for home. “Most wonderful nanny in the world?”

“If you insist on calling me that,” she says tartly, “I will not stand in your way.”

“God, you’re weird.”

She rewards me with a husky laugh. Not a sweet giggle that she normally delivers, but one that is low and promising. It immediately makes me think dirty thoughts about her, and I do not need to be sporting wood in this bar.

Clearing my throat, I ask, “Ben available?”

“What do I look like?” she asks impudently. “His social secretary?”

But before I can even say anything, she’s pulled the phone away and I hear her say softly—indicating that Ben is right beside her, “Hey…Bilbo Booty Butt…your daddy’s on the phone.”

“Daddy,” Ben squeals into the phone. “I miss you so much.”

And, yeah…I’m definitely starting to like him calling me “Daddy.”

“Miss you too, little man,” I tell him softly. “So what did you do today?”

“Kate and I went to the library, then grocery shopping. We got a fake rat to hide in your bed,” he rambles on, and I hear Kate yell in the background, “Secrets Ben. We have secrets.”

“Oh, that was ’posed to be a secret,” he says, and giggles. “And I just finished playing Chutes and Ladders with Sutton.”

“You mean Kate,” I correct him.

“No, Sutton. She’s here. And Olivia too,” he says.

“Oh,” I say, absolutely shocked and confused that they would be at my home. “Okay…well, are you getting ready for bed?”

“Yup,” he says. “Kate’s getting my bath ready.”

“All right, buddy. Let me talk to Kate and then I’m going to have her put you on Facetime just before you get into bed and we’ll read a book together, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy,” he says, and then he’s gone and Kate’s back on the phone.

“Before you ask, Sutton and Olivia invited themselves over. I agreed and we ate dinner together, played games with Ben, and once he goes to sleep, we’re going to drink a little wine,” she says all in one breath of air. “And before you worry, I only intend to have one glass, as is Sutton, since she’s driving, but Olivia said she might have more than one since Garrett isn’t here to say otherwise. Any other questions?”