Page 75 of Part of Me (The Seaside Chronicles 2)

Staring at me with a befuddled expression, Palmer slowly shook her head. “You honestly see me as a nanny?”

Addie and I both nodded and said together, “Yes.”

She didn’t respond, though it was clear the idea was tumbling around in Palmer’s head.

“Just think about it,” Addie said. “I gave him your cell phone number but told him I’d ask you about it first. I think you should at least talk to him about it.”

“A nanny?” Palmer repeated.

“You could even take Charlie with you to walk the dogs each day,” I suggested.

“Is he in school?” Palmer asked.

Addie nodded. “Yes, he’s in kindergarten. Dr. Mason said it was a bit tough on him, since he started the school year in Portland and then had to move a month later.”

“Poor little guy,” I said.

“Who’s a poor little guy?” a male voice called out.

I looked up and felt my stomach dip at the sight of Brody. I slipped out of the booth and reached up on my toes to kiss him. “Fancy seeing you here!”

His crooked, dimpled smile made my insides pulse with desire as he looked around the table. “How’s it going, Palmer, Addie?”

“Good,” Addie replied.

“It’s going,” Palmer said, still clearly distracted.

“Want to join us?” I asked.

Brody gave me a pout, and it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. “I wish I could, but I have to get back. I only took a short break from work to grab some food on the run.”

“That’s a bummer. Will you be home late tonight?”

“Trying not to be.”

“I’ll keep dinner simple, just in case you are.”

He smiled, then leaned in and kissed me again. “Sounds good, sweetheart. I’m going to go order. I’ll stop back and say goodbye before I leave.”

I beamed up at him. “Okay.”

Watching him walk away, I felt that warm, tingly feeling in my chest I always got when he was nearby.

“It looks like things are going well with you two,” Addie said, bumping my arm once I’d sat back down.

“They are,” I said, my cheeks heating. “I never knew I could be this happy.”

Palmer made a goofy face and placed her hands over her heart. “That’s so sweet. You certainly never looked this happy with Jackass.”

Addie chuckled, then sobered up. “Speaking of which, I saw him in the grocery store the other day. Took everything I had not to walk up and punch him.”

“I saw him too,” Palmer said. “I was out walking a few dogs and took them down to the pier. He was there, and he approached me. I never was a fan of his—as you know, Sutton—but something seems really off with him lately.”

It felt like someone dropped a brick in my stomach. “What do you mean?”

Palmer moved around uneasily in her seat. “I didn’t want to say anything because I thought maybe I was just imagining things, but…”

“What happened?” Addie asked while fear suddenly engulfed my entire body.

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