Page 12 of The Pucking Single Dad

Henry gently laughed, but it was obvious his ego was bruised. It was one thing to comment on his technique, but it was a whole other thing to comment on it in front of a beautiful, single woman. Henry kept his mouth shut, but he was definitely angry on the inside. He looked at Hunter with a smirk.

Hunter was the unspoken team captain, even though they did not have an official team captain. Hunter was the best and most seasoned player. His expertise and talent made him the best leader for the group, and Henry envied what he had. Henry envied Hunter’s natural leadership abilities, his speed on this ice, and now, the time he spent with Luna. Luna was beautiful, and even though Hunter made it clear it was unacceptable to hit on the nanny, a part of Henry felt entitled to her.

“Well, Luna,” Henry said with a gentle smile. “It was very nice to meet you. I am sure we will meet again.”

Henry reached out his hand. Luna thought he wanted to shake it again, but instead of shaking her hand, Henry kissed it. He looked at Hunter as he did it. Hunter tried to hold back his anger, but his face said a thousand words. Luna, herself, was a little shocked. It was obvious that they were in some pissing contest with one another, and she felt in the middle of it all. The whole thing reeked of machismo, and she wanted no part of it. She thought it was best to intervene before things got too out of hand.

“It was nice to meet you too, Henry,” Luna said politely. “Hunter, would you mind showing me around the place? I think Adam wants to see everything, too.”

Hunter was thankful that Luna wanted him to show her around. He smiled at her and nodded. Henry watched as they walked away. Sure, Hunter won for now, but Henry was determined to see Luna again. If he couldn’t be the leader of the team, maybe he could convince Luna to spend a night with him. He stared until they were out of sight.

Hunter wanted to hold Luna's hand as they walked, but he controlled himself. He didn’t like watching Henry flirting with her. It made him feel possessive of her, but it had been months since he and Luna’s last sexual interaction. They had managed to keep normalcy, for Adam’s sake. He wondered how much longer that would last. He felt the need to reclaim her.

“So,” Luna said. “This is where you spend the majority of your time.”

Luna looked around. The area was big, but besides a large ice rink and locker rooms, there was not much there. Hunter did show her the lunchroom and Stella’s office. The door was closed, but the lights were on. Hunter and Luna continued walking down the hallway. As soon as they passed by her office, Stella opened the door.

“Hunterlo!” Stella exclaimed. “Hunterlo, is this your little man?”

Luna cringed inside. She hated the nickname, Hunterlo. She was pretty sure Hunter hated it, too, but he would never say anything to her because Stella was technically his coach. They both turned around and stared at Stella. Luna wondered if Stella was going to acknowledge her presence. She stood there, waiting.

Stella leaned down and introduced herself to Adam.

“Isn’t he just the cutest!” Stella exclaimed. Then she stood up and looked directly at Hunter. She continued to ignore Luna, who stood there awkwardly.

“By the way, Hunter,” Stella started to say. “You did great on the ice today. You really took charge out there, and the guys listen to you. I appreciate your help. I know they are still adjusting to the change of having me as their head coach for a while. It will benefit them to have someone like you, who has been with the team for a couple of years, take charge.”

Stella walked closer to Hunter. Was she really not going to say hello to her? She realized she was the nanny, but she was also a human being. The decent and kind thing to do would be to say hello, like a normal, polite person would. She doubted that Stella was a normal person, though. Watching her talk to Hunter was like watching a cougar attack its prey.

Stella moved by Luna to stand beside Hunter. Luna moved out of the way to make room for her. She grabbed Adam’s hand and walked into the lunchroom.

“I’m going to let the two of you talk,” Luna said to Hunter awkwardly. “Adam, let’s go get a snack from the break room. I think I saw a couple of vending machines.”

Adam grabbed Luna’s hand, and they walked back down the hallway. Stella watched as they left. She wanted to be alone with Hunter and saw Luna as a threat. She learned the hard way never to trust an attractive nanny. Stella placed her hand gently on Hunter’s shoulder.

“I want you to be my right-hand man,” Stella said softly. “You know these men better than me, and if I say something or tell them to do something training-wise and they see you are onboard with what I say, I think it will help pave over any bumps we may have on the road.”

Hunter nodded. He noticed how close she was to him, but he didn’t think she was genuinely attracted to him. That would be unprofessional on so many levels, but there was a ten-year age difference between them. Perhaps Stella was just overly friendly. He tried not to read too much into Stella’s demeanor. Plus, at the end of the day, she was going to be his head coach for a while, and he had to respect her. Hunter did wish Stella had introduced herself to Luna. Ignoring her was rude, and he did not like that at all. He didn’t like anyone flirting with or ignoring Luna. He wanted her to be treated with respect, just as he would treat her. Hunter brought his attention back to Stella.

“Yes,” Hunter started to say to Stella.

He looked down at her hand on his shoulder, then back up at her.

“A united front,” Hunter said quickly. “We will be a united front for the rest of the team.”

Stella smiled at Hunter. She then thanked him and walked back into her office. She sat down at her desk and put her feet up. She smiled to herself.

A united front with Hunter meant spending more time with him. He would be hers in no time. She would make sure of that.

Chapter Five: Jealousy Comes in All Forms

Luna felt utterly humiliated by Hunter and ashamed that she had allowed it to happen. She replayed the scene in her mind, feeling the sting of betrayal with each thought. How could Hunter have stood there, letting Stella—someone who clearly held no respect for Luna—flirt with him so openly? The fact that Stella was in a position of authority made it even worse. It felt like a power play designed to make Luna feel small and insignificant. And it worked. Stella was living in her head, rent-free, as if her presence in Hunter’s life loomed over Luna like a shadow she couldn't escape.

She had felt that Stella didn’t like her. It was obvious in the small, cutting comments and how she dismissed Luna’s presence. But to see her act so boldly, blatantly flirting with Hunter in front of her, felt like a punch to the gut. It wasn’t just cold—it was cruel. Luna couldn’t understand what Stella hopedto gain. Did she truly think she could win Hunter over? And worse, did Hunter want that?

Luna’s mind spiraled with doubts. Why hadn’t Hunter done more to show disinterest? Why had he just stood there, allowing the situation to unfold? Was there something about Stella that he found attractive? Did he secretly want her, even after everything he had shared with Luna? The flood of questions seemed endless, each one making her feel more insecure than the last.

But she knew she couldn’t let her emotions show. Adam was with her, and she didn’t want him to sense her turmoil. He was perceptive, and the last thing she needed was for him to start asking questions she wasn’t ready to answer. She forced a smile, keeping her tone light, pretending everything was fine, even as her heart raced and her thoughts swirled. All she wanted was to hide how much it hurt, but the ache in her chest was impossible to ignore.