Legend (Arizona Vengeance 3)

“Deal,” Bishop says and holds his fist out to me. I bump mine against it.

For the next few minutes, we’re silent as we finish our stretches. My mind temporarily cleared of my worry over Tacker, I turn back to worrying about Lida and her schemes.

The thought of her having any control or care of Charlie is freaking me out. I don’t trust her with my kid at all.

“Are you okay?” Bishop asks, breaking into my thoughts. He’s jogging in place with high knees.

I look over my shoulder at him. No sense in lying. “Charlie’s mom is apparently refusing to sign the relinquishment of paternal rights to me.”

“What the fuck?” Bishop says in surprise, coming to a dead stop.

“She has an attorney who has contacted DCS. He says that she was suffering from postpartum depression when she left Charlie on my doorstep. Apparently, she’s on medication and is feeling better. She doesn’t want to give up her rights.”

Bishop leans in toward me, his face pinched tight with worry. “What in the hell are you going to do?”

I shake my head. “I have no clue. I talked to my attorney this morning and he told me to just stay cool at this point. I have an order from a judge that gives me full custody and Lida would have to challenge that. If she never does, after a certain point in time I can ask the courts to terminate her rights. So he says just lay low right now and let’s see if she makes a move to do something.”

“What do you think she’ll do?”

“Well, based on the Lida that I know, I’d say she’s going to fight for her parental rights. She was a really put-together woman. Smart, successful, and passionate about the things that interested her. She didn’t seem like the type of woman that would give up her child, so maybe she was really depressed or something. But I’m not even sure if I knew her at all because she did in fact leave Charlie on my doorstep. I mean, what type of person does that?”

Bishop grimaces. “A crazy person does that. But then again, isn’t that kind of what she’s saying…that she was depressed and not in her right mind. Will a court buy that?”

“Who the fuck knows,” I growl, just completely frustrated I have to even deal with this nonsense.

“How are things going with fatherhood?” Bishop asks, changing the subject slightly. “You don’t look overly tired so I have to assume it’s going well?”

“I’ve sort of gotten used to waking up at odd hours and getting my sleep in a few snatches at a time,” I tell him with a laugh. “But really…she’s such a good baby. I totally lucked out.”

“Where is she tonight?” he asks, starting to high knee jog in place. I follow suit, because we do need to get on with our warm-ups.

“I actually hired a nanny,” I tell him. “Subject to her clearing a background check which I’ll hopefully have in the next day or so.”

“You left a woman you just hired without completing a background check on with your daughter?” Bishop exclaims, coming to a dead stop again.

I roll my eyes at him. “Of course not. Pepper is there too. This week Lucy—that’s the nanny—is only with Charlie if Pepper or I are with her too. A trial run so to speak.”

A knowing smile comes over Bishop’s face. “You’re certainly all chummy with Pepper now.”

I force myself not to roll my eyes again, again opting for truth, because the minute he or anyone from the team sees Pepper and I together, they would know. “We’re seeing each other.”

“As in seriously?” he asks.

“As in monogamously and past that, I don’t know. I didn’t want anything serious, but Pepper has just been amazing with helping me cope and care for Charlie. I don’t know where the line between an amazing friend and an even more amazing lover is separated.”

Bishop snorts. “You just said ‘lover.’?”

This time I do roll my eyes. “Fucking grow up.”

He laughs at me and slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Seriously, though. I really like her. So does Brooke and it appears everyone else who’s met her. And I’m relieved she’s helping you out. I know you could do it on your own, but there’s nothing wrong with having a good support system.”

I sigh. “Yeah, I know. But I don’t ever want Pepper to think that’s all she’s valued for…the help she gives me. It’s just…she’s always there volunteering to help, and I have a hard time saying no. I mean, tonight. If I didn’t have Pepper I would have had to trust a nanny I just hired and that would have worried the fuck out of me and I wouldn’t be able to focus on the game.”

“Any of the hockey wives would have stepped in,” Bishop says.