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)
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Where’s Charlie’s mother? Is she here?”
Subtle. Everyone in town knew I wasn’t married and that there was no mother in the picture.
“She isn’t in his life.”
For a moment, Kelsey looked embarrassed, almost horrified she had asked the question. “I’m so sorry, I forgot that. Small-town gossip and all. I try not to pay attention to it, but yes, I do remember hearing that.”
“No worries,” I said with a smile.
“So, you’re looking for a nanny for Charlie?”
I looked over at where he sat. He was chewing on his lip as he carefully moved the brush over the paper, and the look of concentration on his face nearly made me laugh. Palmer glanced over at him every so often since she was dividing her time between Charlie and a little girl around his age.
I focused back on Kelsey. “I am. With my schedule, it’s hard for me to pick Charlie up from school. Getting him there isn’t an issue—unless the clinic has early appointments, which is normally only once a week.”
“Have you looked into the after-school care? It’s a wonderful program.”
I smiled. “I have, yes. But after spending all day in school, I really don’t want him to have to spend another few hours there. And most of the afternoon programs are already filled up, so that isn’t an option anyway. They book up fast.”
She nodded. “They do. This may seem out of left field, but I could always watch him for you.”
“You?”
Laughing, she said, “I do have experience with children.”
My face grew hot. “I’m sorry, Kelsey, I didn’t mean for that to come out like it did. It’s just, you’re a teacher there, and I assumed you were busy working even after school gets out.”
“You would assume correctly. I do stay and work about thirty minutes to an hour after school lets out. But I try to do most of my lesson plans over the weekend, so I could rearrange some things. I don’t mean permanently, of course, just until you can find someone to help you. A temporary thing.”
I smiled while my shoulders lost some of their tension for the first time in months. “That could possibly work. I have a high school student who watches him now. She’s been a huge help, but she’s graduating early this semester and will be heading off to travel around Europe before she starts school next fall.”
“Must be nice,” Kelsey mused with a wicked gleam in her eye. “Seriously though, Dr.—I mean, Mason. I don’t mind helping at all. I truly do love kids.”
“I may not need you at all if I can find someone permanently.”
She shrugged. “That’s fine too.”
A thought occurred to me. If I was going to have this woman possibly watch my son, Charlie and I both needed to get to know her better. “What are you doing for lunch tomorrow? I’d love for you to come over so you and Charlie can get better acquainted.”
Her face lit up with excitement. “I’m free! Here, let’s exchange numbers. And who knows, if things don’t work out with Charlie, maybe you and I can strike up a friendship.”
“Maybe,” I say with a forced smile. I really wasn’t in the market to start dating right now, and besides, if I was, there was only one woman I’d be interested in…and she was currently helping my son learn how to paint.
“Dad! Dad! Look at what Palmer helped me wif.” The toothless lisp strikes again.
Looking up from my phone after saving Kelsey’s number, I grinned.
Palmer stood next to Charlie with a tight smile on her face. “Are we interrupting?” she asked, looking over at Kelsey.
“Not at all,” Kelsey said. “We were exchanging numbers since I’m having lunch with Mason and Charlie tomorrow.”
One of Palmer’s brows rose as she glanced at me but didn’t say anything. It bugged the hell out of me that I couldn’t read her. Was she angry I was having lunch with Kelsey? Jealous? Happy? What in the hell was she thinking?
Kelsey smiled, then looked down at Charlie. “What did you make?”
He ignored Kelsey and grabbed my hand to pull me toward the table. “Look! Look!”
I picked up the paper on the table, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a horse. A very well-done horse.
“Charlie, this is amazing.”
He beamed up at me with so much pride on his face that my heart squeezed in my chest.
I felt Palmer next to me before I saw her. “How?” I asked, turning toward her.
She shrugged. “He asked me how to draw a horse, so I showed him. He followed along and this was what we got. He’s very talented, Mason. And really seems to love art.”
Kelsey walked up and looked down at it. “Nice job, Charlie.” She turned to me. “We can totally work on technique if I end up watching him for you.”