Chapter 15
Roman
My muscles burned, sweat beaded on my skin as I bench-pressed the weighted iron bar, trying my damndest to ignore the woman jogging on the treadmill positioned in my direct field of vision.
Palmer had been coming with me during my workouts almost every morning for the past week. I thought that I wouldn’t enjoy the company. My time at the gym was one of the few places where I could truly be alone and decompress. To my astonishment, I didn’t mind.
The biggest problem was that whenever she got on that damn treadmill, I got an unobstructed view of her ass in her tight athletic pants. It was torture, really. I pressed my lips together as I pushed through my last set, trying not to think about the way her hips swayed.
I grunted low as I returned the bar up onto the support hooks and stared at the ceiling.
My heavy breaths got lost in the music pumping through the gym.
Palmer always let me pick the music, but I had a taste for various genres, listening to anything from rap to country and the classic emo bands. It all appealed to me.
My gaze flitted to Palmer. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and it swung from side to side as she ran. She was graceful, arms pumping in time with her stride. When my eyes traveled lower, a sharp pain on my ankle snapped my focus.
I winced, glancing down at the kitten currently in a batting war with my shoelaces.
I glared at the fluff ball, who Hailey had named Phantom.
He had gotten a clean bill of health from the vet after some eye drops and had followed Palmer and me out here every morning ever since.
He went crazy if we didn’t bring him. I wasn’t sure what it was about this building, but he loved this place.
I got to my feet, and Phantom instantly abandoned my shoes to weave between my legs, nearly taking me out as I avoided stepping on him.
“Christ,” I muttered, catching myself on the rack.
The treadmill beeped softly as Palmer hit the cool-down setting. Sweat glistened at her temples as her pace slowed, loose strands of hair curled at the nape of her neck.
She glanced at me over her shoulder, breathless but smiling.
“You look like you’re losing to a kitten,” she said.
I scowled. “He fights dirty.”
Phantom promptly hopped onto the bench, seeming very satisfied with himself.
Palmer laughed—a light, airy sound that echoed off the exposed brick and had my stomach swooping in a way I forced myself to ignore.
She stepped off the treadmill, stretching her arms above her head. Her shirt rode up at the motion before she tugged it back down.
“So,” she grabbed her water bottle, “what’s on the agenda today?”
The more time spent together, one on one, the more comfortable she was with me, which was good. I liked it better than her wary cautiousness.
I picked up my own bottle and took a long swallow before answering.
“Paperwork. I have a meeting with Nolan later about the coffee shop, and then station drills this afternoon.” I grimaced.
“I also have to figure out what I’m going to do with the press.
We’ve had some of them posting outside of the station since the fire at the coffee shop, wanting a statement from me. ”
The media had been lurking around Ember Hollow since Amos Anderson’s escape, and the new fires around town were sending them into a tizzy and attracting more. It did nothing but tack on more work for me during an already stressful situation.
Her expression softened at the mention of Latte Pages. “Is there any more news on who’s behind the fire?”
The only good thing about last week was that there hadn’t been any more arsons, but the burned and blackened building was a dark scar on the otherwise picturesque downtown. A reminder that something was wrong.
“No.”
We knew the origin of the fire, near a back door that faced an alley, but whoever had started it had avoided all cameras. The accelerant wasn’t anything unique. Nolan was working with the police, but nothing had led to anything concrete yet.
She studied me, and I didn’t mind the weight of her attention the way I should. “Did you hear that the town council is planning a charity event to help with the coffee shop repairs?”
I nodded. Yet another thing to cross my desk had been the request to help set up and take down the event planned to take place at the community center.
“What are your plans for the day?” I asked, not wanting to talk about Latte Pages anymore.
Palmer tilted her head. “Well, after I catch up on chores, I was thinking about starting on invitations for Hailey’s party.”
An unfamiliar feeling swelled in my chest. Palmer had approached me and asked whether she could plan Hailey’s birthday party.
The fact that she was willing to take that off my hands so I didn’t have to worry about that along with everything made me insanely thankful.
Sometimes, she felt more like a partner than my nanny.
Phantom chirped, distracting both of us by leaping from the bench to my shoulder like a freaking parrot.
Palmer’s brows shot up, and she chuckled. “He’s chosen you.”
“Don’t encourage him,” I grumbled.
She laughed again, and this time I couldn’t resist a small smile.
I stared at the mischievous kitten and then carefully removed him from my shoulder. He put up a fight, his needle-fine claws gripping onto my shirt, but I pried him off and set him back on the ground.
“I need to start getting ready.”
I frowned at the baby monitor that had been silent the entire time. Hailey should be getting up around now, getting ready for school.
“I’m going to stretch and then I’ll head back up to the house,” Palmer said.
I nodded and left the gym, giving her one last glance before I shut the door. Phantom didn’t follow me—thank God.
The house was still when I entered.
Even as I climbed the stairs, I heard nothing. Usually by now there were show tunes blasting as Hailey got ready, her voice drifting down the hallway as she sang along while brushing her hair.
I headed straight for her room and pushed the door open.
There was no movement inside, just a lump beneath the blankets.
My furrow deepened as I called her name, but she didn’t reply. I crossed the room and touched the bundle of blankets. She still didn’t move, and I dug through the pile to reach her dark curls.
Only then did Hailey let out a small sound that resembled a groan.
“Hey, baby girl,” I said softly.
She groaned again and rolled onto her back. I pressed a hand to her cheek.
She was hot.
I stifled a curse and let out a long breath. “Don’t feel too good, huh?”
She didn’t even open her eyes as she shook her head.
I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’ll go get you some medicine.”
“Do I have to go to school?”
“No. Not when you’re sick.”
Her bottom lip pushed out into a pout. “Is Palmer gonna take care of me?”
I hesitated long enough that she cracked one eye.
“I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll stay home from work today.”
Hailey frowned. “But Palmer likes to take care of me.”
I cleared my throat. “I’m not sure Palmer will want to get sick, though, sweetheart.”
She thought about that, her nose scrunching. “But I don’t want to get you sick either, Daddy.”
I ran a hand over her curls, a soft smile touching my lips. “I don’t mind getting sick for you.”
“What if you puke?”
I kissed her cheek. “Worth it.”
She giggled. “What if you sneeze so much you can’t breathe out of your nose?”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Still worth it. You’re my family, and family takes care of each other.”
Hailey stilled, blinking up at me.
“But Palmer’s our family too. Maybe she wouldn’t mind getting sick either.”
My chest twisted. There was something both crushing and hopeful about the way she said it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Hailey growing so attached to Palmer in such a short time.
“Hailey,” I said gently. “Palmer loves taking care of you, but she’s only here for a little while—to help us until Grandma is back.”
She stared at me blankly for a moment. Then her face crumpled. “No.” She shook her head. “She can’t leave!”
She tried to sit up, but I pressed her back down.
“Grandma needs to meet her!” she cried. “And Palmer doesn’t have a family of her own. I told her we’d be her family.”
I stayed very still, my hand resting lightly on Hailey’s shoulder as she sniffed and wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. I didn’t trust myself to speak right away. Something ugly and tight had wrapped around my chest, squeezing hard enough to steal my breath.
I’d assumed Palmer was alone. People don’t take jobs like this—drop into a stranger’s house, move in with barely a suitcase—if they’ve got somewhere else to land. But knowing something in theory was different from hearing it spoken so plainly by my daughter.
My jaw clenched.
I thought about the way Palmer moved through the house like she was careful not to take up too much space. She always asked before doing anything, even things she didn’t need permission for. She smiled easily but never talked about herself unless Hailey asked—and even then, it was vague.
I swallowed and brushed my thumb over Hailey’s cheek. “Sweetheart,” I chose my words with care, “I don’t know what’s going to happen when everyone gets back. I’m not sure Palmer would even want to stay with us.”
“She will.” She nodded, absolutely certain. “She loves to take care of people.”
I didn’t want Hailey promising things I couldn’t guarantee. I didn’t want Palmer hearing words that might root her here deeper than was safe, and I sure as hell didn’t want to acknowledge how much the idea of her leaving already felt wrong.
I bent down and pressed my forehead to Hailey’s, keeping my voice steady. “Right now, Palmer’s here to help us. And we’re lucky to have her.”
Hailey searched my face for reassurance. “She won’t leave too soon…right?”
I hesitated. “I’m not planning on that. Not right now.”
As I tucked the blankets back around Hailey and stood, my thoughts followed Palmer. For the first time since she’d walked into my life, I wasn’t just worried about Hailey getting attached.
I was worried about Palmer, and the fact that she didn’t have anyone looking out for her.