“Oh, I can. I promise I can, Daddy.”
I laughed. “Well, we should talk about it with your grandparents before we make any final decisions. They’re going to be the ones watching you when I’m on the road, so that means they’ll be looking after any dog we have, too.”
“I’ll convince them,” Josie said, her voice oozing confidence. “Grandpa says Granny spoils me rotten and Granny says he’s one to talk because he can never say no when I make my eyes go like this.” I watched in the rearview mirror while she made her eyes all big, blinking up through her long lashes. I snorted.
“Your granny has a point. Those puppy dog eyes are lethal.”
Josie returned her attention to the window, but this time, she was smiling. I took a deep breath, relief setting over me. At least I had got her to release some of that tension before we got to the school.
The drive was short—less than ten minutes. Josie’s new elementary school was a sprawling, single story brick building. The lawns looked well taken care of, there were plenty of shady trees, and a pretty extensive looking playground sat on the side of the property.
“This looks great,” I told her as we both climbed out of the rental car. “They have those twisty monkey bars you like.”
She was looking nervous again but she didn’t shy away when I placed my hand at her back. “Let’s go find out where we’re supposed to be.”
Inside the main entrance, we found a welcome desk where parent volunteers were crossing off names and passing out teacher information. “Josie O’Conner,” my girl said in a quiet voice when it was her turn.
“Josie O’Conner,” the woman with the clipboard murmured, running her fingertip down the page. “Hmm.”
“She’s a new student,” I interjected. “Just enrolled two weeks ago.”
“Oh, well that makes sense.” The woman looked up from her paper to smile at me, then did a double take. “My, aren’t you tall.”
I smiled awkwardly. What was I supposed to say to that? And why did people always feel compelled to comment on my height anyhow? I was six foot five. I’d been six-five since I turned seventeen. I was perfectly aware of how tall I was without strangers pointing it out.
“Can’t say I’ve ever seen y’all around the PTA,” she drawled, touching my arm, and alarm bells started going off. I glanced down at Josie in time to see her roll her eyes. She’d seen this before. “I’m absolutely positive I would remember a man like you.”
“Yeah, well, like I said. We just enrolled two weeks ago.”
For a long moment the woman just looked at me, batting her eyelashes. I had the sudden thought that she looked a lot like Josie had just now in the car, when she demonstrated the puppy dog eyes she used on her grandpa to get her way.
“So, um, is there another list you can check?” I asked, ready to get the hell away from the blinking woman and her way-too-friendly smile.
“Let me just see,” she said, grabbing up another stack of papers. “Okay, Josie O’Conner, right here.” She plucked a piece of paper from the stack and turned her toothpaste smile grin to my daughter. Then, in a voice usually reserved for toddlers, she said, “aren’t you just the prettiest thing!”
“My dad’s not going to ask you out,” Josie said, her voice flat, and it was all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing. Like I said, she’d seen this before. Hockey had been a big deal in New York, and there was no shortage of puck bunnies bold enough to proposition me even in front of my little girl. I squeezed her shoulder tight.
“Oh, what a silly sweetie,” the woman cooed, trying to laugh it off, but I could see her cheeks flushing. Time to evacuate from this situation.
“So, is this all we need?” I asked, reaching for the paper.
“Oh. Yes.” She looked momentarily upset but then her face brightened. “Looks like my Aidan is in the same class. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Sounds good,” I said, doing my best to keep from gritting my teeth.
One more brilliant smile and eye flutter in my direction, and we were on our way, following the signs to the number on the paper: Miss K, room 17.
“Sorry about that,” I murmured to Josie as we walked away.
She shot me a skeptical look. “Why? It always happens.”
“In New York, sure. But I didn’t think anyone around here really knew anything about the team yet.”
Josie rolled her eyes, looking so much like her mother in that moment that I had to smile. “She wasn’t trying to pick you up because you’re a hockey player,” she said, like I was the stupidest man on the planet. “She was trying to pick you up because she thought you were hot.”
“Hmm.” I ruffle her hair a little. “You think the old man is easy on the eyes, huh?
She pushed my hand away, but she was smiling up at me when she said, “Nope. But I know what you look like first thing in the morning with your hair all messed up and drool caked to your chin so?—”
