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)
He gave me a soft smile. “What about your paintings, Palmer? You’re so talented.”
I rolled my eyes. “Brax, you’re my brother, you have to say that.”
Frowning, he replied, “Excuse me, but when have you ever known me to blow smoke up your ass? I mean it, Palmer. You’re talented.”
“And the minute I start trying to make money off of art, I’ll lose my passion for it.”
“Is that what you’re afraid of? I haven’t lost my passion for fishing.”
I slowly shook my head. “I don’t know, Brax.”
He reached for my hand and gave it a light squeeze. “It’ll come, sis. And until it does, keep telling Mom and Dad you’re happy.”
“I have!”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Really mean it.”
I opened my mouth to tell him I did mean it, then snapped it shut. He winked and lifted his glass. “To finding our paths.”
I clicked my glass to his but didn’t say anything as I tipped it back and drank the whole thing.
About an hour or so later, Addie and Gannon finally left. After we cleaned up, I was ready to go to my room, kick off my heels, and watch a movie.
I was about to make my getaway with Sutton and Brody when I heard Mason’s voice call out. Pausing, I turned to see him walking toward us.
Crap. Crap. Craptastic.
“Palmer!
I forced myself to smile and ignore the butterflies in my stomach when he flashed that dimple at me.
“Hey, Mason. I thought you took Charlie up to your room?”
Sutton and Brody exchanged a curious look between the two of them.
“Your mom was kind enough to offer to sit with him while we finished talking about the position.”
“The position?” Sutton asked in pretend surprise.
I tried to keep from throttling my own sister as I shot her a dirty look and reached behind her to pinch the back of her arm.
Hissing, Sutton stepped closer to her husband.
Coward.
Of course, Mason had missed the exchange and went about answering Sutton. “Addie suggested Palmer as a possible nanny for Charlie.”
Those hazel eyes of his were back on me with a soft smile. “Are you able to grab just one quick drink?”
Knowing I had to decline his invitation even though everything in me said to go have the drink, I was about to respond when Sutton spoke up as she gave me a little nudge closer to Mason.
“She’d love to have a drink and talk about it more. She was just talking about this opportunity as we were walking to the elevator.”
Mason’s expression went from unsure to happy as a clam. I was going to kill my sister. Kill. Her.
“Great. Just one drink. I know you said you were tired, and I don’t want to leave your mom with Charlie for too long. I’m sure she’s exhausted.”
Attempting to keep my voice calm and a smile on my face, I said, “How kind of her to offer to watch him for you while we chat.” Clearly one of my sisters egged my mother on with this nanny position. Traitors.
Brody took Sutton’s arm as he pulled his wife toward the elevator.
“You two enjoy your drink,” Sutton called out.
Mason and I both stood there for a moment and watched as the elevator doors shut. I could feel him turn and look at me. A strange, warm sensation ran down my back.
I closed my eyes and chanted, Men. Are. Jerks.
“Shall we? I won’t keep you longer than thirty minutes, I promise.”
My eyes snapped open, and I swallowed the lump in my throat as I nodded. I really liked Mason—that was the real problem here. The next thirty minutes were going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I knew there was no way I would make a good nanny for Charlie.
Not when I was lusting after his father night and day.
Mason
Late November
I sat at my office desk and tried not to let my head fall forward onto the wood as Jennifer Hall said her goodbyes and closed the door.
I’d met Jennifer at the Bradleys’ house on Thanksgiving Day when they’d invited me and Charlie over. She was Braxton’s date and she’d told me about her degree in elementary education. She was unemployed at the moment and looking for something that involved children. I’d really wanted Palmer to take the job, but she had flat-out refused when I’d asked her at her sister’s wedding.
It was strange because the first time I’d ever met Palmer at the Seaside Grill, she really seemed to hit it off with Charlie. She was super friendly, and I felt like we’d made a connection in some way. If I was being honest, I felt a lot more than that…but I was trying not to think too hard on it. Since then, though, she’d been distant with me. Not Charlie, but me. It was clear she didn’t like me, and I wasn’t sure why.