Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“Can he even buy the house that fast?” Sutton asked.
I sighed once again and leaned back in the booth. “He paid cash and waived an inspection as he expedited the closing process. And the title company got it through fast. He’s officially the new owner. He even sent over a new lease for me to sign. The crazy part is, Addie said that when he told her about buying the house, he had every intention of letting the person in the carriage house out of their lease so he could hire a nanny and have them live there.”
“Wait,” Sutton said with a shake of her head. “Then why is he letting you stay?”
Harlee giggled. “He likes her, that’s why.”
I jerked my gaze over to Harlee. “What?”
“Come on, Palmer. It’s so obvious you both like each other. And you did kiss him.”
Sutton gasped as I closed my eyes and internally cursed out Harlee.
“Hold on one damn second. You kissed him?” Sutton demanded.
“Kissed who?” Addie asked, sliding into the booth next to Harlee.
I shot Harlee a glare.
She gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I thought they knew.”
Addie looked around the table, confused. “Who knew what? Wait, what are we talking about?”
Before I could say a word, Sutton started talking. “Okay, I don’t even know where to start.”
“The paper?” Addie asked with a sad face aimed at me. Please, that bitch was glad that this Ms. Seaside had moved on to another person and the heat was no longer on her. What was Ms. Seaside’s beef with my family, anyway?
“Oh God, no,” Sutton said. “I mean, that started it. Palmer kissed Mason.”
Addie’s mouth dropped open. “What!”
I slid down in the booth as nearly all the nearby tables turned and looked at us. “Do you mind?” I hissed. “The whole damn place can hear you!”
Addie looked around before she focused back on me. “When did this happen?”
I closed my eyes and tried hard to imagine myself somewhere else. Anywhere but where I currently was.
“At your wedding,” Harlee replied. I kicked her under the table, but it was Addie who let out a yelp.
“Sorry, I was aiming for Harlee.”
“Jesus,” Addie mumbled, rubbing her leg.
“Yeah, be careful,” Harlee said. “She’s carrying a ch–”
All eyes went from Harlee to Addie.
“Were you about to say a child?” I asked.
Harlee’s eyes darted over to Addie and you could see she was pleading for forgiveness through her eyes.
“Oh my God. Did you really say that?” Addie glared at Harlee.
“It was a slip! I tried to stop myself!” Harlee stated.
“Wait. What?” I asked. “You’re pregnant?”
“Shhh!” Addie said as she glanced over at Sutton—who was very quiet.
It was my turn for my jaw to hit the table. “Oh my God. You’re pregnant too?”
“Okay, that one I didn’t know about,” Harlee stated.
Mason
It wasn’t until I got home and saw the local paper that I realized why everyone who’d come into the office today had huge smiles on their faces. Even Lacy Hathaway—who had a fever of a 102 and had tested positive for both the flu and strep—couldn’t stop smiling at me.
“Dr. Zaddy?” I asked as I read the article for the fourth time. “What does that even mean?”
“It means you have swagger. And I think it means you’re like a DILF.”
I turned and looked at Kelsey, positive the expression on my face was one of shock and disbelief. She smiled and shrugged.
“What’s that, Daddy?” Charlie asked.
“Nothing, Charlie, nothing.”
Kelsey mouthed “sorry” to me before she set a plate of lasagna down in front of Charlie and another in front of me. After the art show, we had met up with her for lunch the next day, and since then she had somehow managed to slip into our lives. She was currently taking care of Charlie after school, and was apparently feeding the two of us in the process. I still had Lori Anne—the high school student whom I’d first hired when I came to Seaside—available to watch Charlie. She got out of class at noon, so it was easy for her to pick him up after school.
Kelsey had taken it upon herself to tell Lori Anne that she wasn’t needed anymore. I’d told Kelsey that it wasn’t her place to do that. She had apologized and said she would never overstep again.
Kelsey sat down and smiled at me as she held up a pitcher of lemonade. “I hope you don’t mind me making dinner. I love to cook and this gave me an excuse.”
I took a bite of the lasagna. “I appreciate it, but it really isn’t necessary.”
Charlie shoved some salad in his mouth and chewed before he said, “I like it!”
“Charlie helped make the salad today.”
Smiling, I looked at Kelsey. “You really have helped, although Lori Anne was still able to work until after the holidays.”
Kelsey brushed off my comment. “It’s been a lot of fun. Charlie hangs out in my classroom while I finish up for the day, then we come on home and get ready for dinner.”