Page 103 of Secret Husband
“Hey, Nazarov! So they wrangled you into guesting on this thing?”
“Your kid has a knack for talking nonsense at a million miles an hour. I wonder where he gets that from.”
Theo laughed. I had always liked the legendary defenseman. His long career had recently ended, but from what I could tell, he was settling into retirement well and looked just as comfortable in these domestic surroundings as he had once looked on the ice.
“Want a sandwich?”
“I have some errands to run. Another time, perhaps.”
“Sure. More for me and—hey up, this guy!”
I turned just as Gunnar Bond walked into the kitchen. I hadn’t seen him since the day he showed up to take over at Lauren’s sick bed. Given the state of play with my wife, I would have liked to talk to him, but not with Theo present, so instead I nodded at them both and headed outside.
I didn’t get far.
“Nazarov.” Gunnar caught up with me on the path to the street where I’d parked my car.
“Bond.”
His expression was stone-faced, and I readied myself for a lecture or something worse.
“How are you?”
“How am I?”
“Lauren told me about your father.”
I didn’t expect that. I wasn’t sure what to say. I hadn’t asked her not to share it, but it was still weird to hear anyone else bring it up.
“I am … okay. I have a nurse who watches him when I can’t. He has good and bad days, but it’s to be expected.”
“My mother had it—she’s passed now. Six years.”
“I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “She and my father lived in Finland, so I felt pretty helpless for a while.”
“Know what that’s like and I’m on site. I’m not sure I made the right decision to come to Chicago. He doesn’t know anyone here, but his quality of life was already suffering in Seattle. I couldn’t leave him, but perhaps I should have stayed.”
“Any other family?”
I shook my head. “And I don’t want to burden anyone else. That’s not why—” I was about to say I wasn’t here to drag Lauren into my messy circumstances, except that was exactly what I was doing.
“Heard you’re part of the family now.” He sounded more amused than upset.
“Not for long, I expect. Lauren would rather it had never happened.”
He waited a beat. “Do you have time for lunch? Theo makes a decent grilled cheese, though to hear him say it, it’s Michelin-starred quality.”
I thought about what was waiting at home. Maya didn’t need me, and right now, I wasn’t sure my father did either. It might be nice to sit with legends and talk hockey for a while.
“Lunch would be good.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lauren
* * *
