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.”
“What?” Palmer and Charlie both asked at the same time. Although, I wasn’t sure what they were asking about: Kelsey watching Charlie, or Kelsey degrading my son’s work right in front of him.
Before I could reply, Palmer leaned into Kelsey and whispered, “Did you just say that to him? He’s five, Kelsey, and you’re worried about technique?”
Kelsey blinked a few times, then shook her head. “No, I…I didn’t mean…”
Her voice trailed off when Palmer looked at me and asked, “Is Kelsey going to watch Charlie for you now? Are you going around asking every available single woman in Seaside?”
The tone of her voice, as well as her words, pissed me off. Who was she to question who I decided to have watch my son? She’d made it perfectly damn clear she wasn’t interested in the job.
I wanted to pull Palmer to the side and tell her she had no right to say that to me. Instead, I put on my best smirk of a smile—childish, I know—and replied, “She might be, or at least she might help me out until I can hire someone full time. And being single isn’t a requirement.”
Charlie tugged at Kelsey’s hand. “Can we draw, Ms. Kelsey? If you watch me?”
She laughed and bent down to tussle Charlie’s hair. “We sure can, Charlie.”
Standing, Kelsey looked at Palmer. “Do you mind if I sneak away for a bit? I’d love to show Mason and Charlie around the rest of the show.” She looked at me. “I’m on the committee, so I know all about the exhibits.”
“I see,” I said, glancing between Kelsey and Palmer. A part of me wanted Palmer to say that she did mind. That she needed a break or was about to leave. Or better yet, that she would show us around herself. None of that happened though.
“Not at all,” Palmer said before she bent down and spoke to Charlie. “Great job today, buddy. I can’t wait to see what you paint next.”
Then she stood and said, “Have fun.”
Before I could reply, Kelsey said, “We will! Come on, Charlie.”
I stood there for a moment, unable to move. What in the hell was it about Palmer that made me feel like I was losing my damn mind?
“Dad! Come on!”
I tried not to frown as I turned and joined Kelsey and Charlie.
Palmer
“Who are you glaring at?”
“Harlee!” I said as I jumped and shot her a dirty look. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you I was volunteering today.”
Sighing, I moved to the table where little Candace was drawing. I had been helping both her and Charlie with their art earlier, and Candace was still working on hers. “I forgot you said you would be here. And for the record, I wasn’t glaring at anyone.”
“What does glaring mean?” Candace asked as I sat down in the chair next to her.
I smiled. “Nothing.”
“I hear my daddy telling my mommy that he doesn’t like it when she glares at him. She glared at him last night, and he slept on the sofa ’cause of it.”
Harlee and I both looked at each other and then back to Candace. How in the hell were we supposed to respond to that?
Hitting me on the arm, Harlee motioned for me to say something. But all I could get out was, “Um.”