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)
I stared at her.
“You can close your mouth, Mason. There are women out there who know how to take an old battery out and put a new one in.”
I was pretty sure my mouth was still hanging open.
“Daddy, I’m going to be late!” Charlie shouted as he got out of the Bronco and gave both of us a stern look.
I moved Charlie’s booster seat from my car to Palmer’s as fast as I could. “I’ll have to get one for your car so we don’t have to do this every day.”
“Hop in my car, buddy,” Palmer said. “I’m driving this morning.”
Charlie fist pumped. “Yes!”
Of course my kid would be all excited to drive with Palmer in her car. She had a Jeep, and what kid wouldn’t want to ride in a Jeep? It didn’t even matter if the top was off or not.
As we neared Charlie’s school, I glanced over at Palmer. “I’m sorry about this.”
She smiled. “No worries. I’m just glad I stopped by this morning.”
“Me too,” I said with a soft chuckle. “Okay, turn at the second entrance. Yes, right here.”
Palmer turned into the parking lot of the school and fell in line behind the other cars.
“This is the side for kindergarten through second grade. Wait until you pull up to the teachers, then stop and Charlie will get out. They want you to wait until a teacher opens a door and says good morning, so that the kids aren’t all getting out at the same time and running around.”
Nodding, she said, “That makes sense.”
When Palmer pulled up, one of the teachers peered into the backseat. She opened the door and said, “Good morning, Charlie!”
“Morning, Mrs. Adams!” Charlie said as he grabbed his backpack and climbed out of the Jeep.
Mrs. Adams gave both Palmer and me a warm smile. “Have a good day!”
“You too!” we both said in unison.
The door shut, and I pointed for Palmer to follow the rest of the cars. “Go out this way and that’s it.”
“Easy-peasy.”
“Okay, so how long have you been painting?” I asked immediately.
The change in subject caught her off guard. She gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly and cleared her throat. “I’ve loved to draw and paint for as long as I can remember.”
I slowly shook my head while I stared at her profile. Christ, she was beautiful. Did she even see how stunning she was? “Why not sign your work with your real name?”
She gave me a quick glance, and I saw the corner of her mouth tilt up some. “I did sign it.”
“You did?”
Palmer nodded. “Yep, but in a place and in a way you wouldn’t be able to see unless I showed it to you.”
I smiled. “You sneaky thing. Why not sign it normally though? Why keep it a secret?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve always only shared my artwork with my family and never really had the desire—or courage, if I’m being honest—to share it with the world. It’s always been my safe place, for lack of better words. The idea that I might put myself out there and have everyone say I sucked… Well, I wasn’t ready for that. I’m still not ready. I was totally blown away when I found out someone bought it.”
I smiled. “I wish you could have heard the way people were going on and on about your painting, Palmer. I’m not lying when I say you’re talented.”
It was right then that she pulled up to my office. She drew in a breath and slowly let it out before she spoke. “When I saw that painting sitting in your living room, Mason… I don’t know how to put it into words. I was shocked. Happy. Proud. Scared. It all felt like it was tumbling around in my head.”
“Why did you cry?” I asked.
Her eyes looked down, and I followed her gaze. I didn’t even realize that I had reached over and taken her hand in mine. I withdrew it, and she looked up. There was an expression on her face that I couldn’t read, but something in her eyes told me she wasn’t angry that I’d taken her hand.
“I…I guess it made it all real. I mean, I know I put the painting in the local art show, but in my mind I honestly never imagined anyone would be interested. It’s not that I don’t think I’m talented, I do. It’s hard to put something that you’re passionate about out there for the entire world to judge.”
I nodded. “I can understand that. But now that you know, will you sell more paintings?”
The corners of her mouth tilted up slightly. “Maybe.”
Palmer suddenly screamed when someone knocked on the window of her door.
Glancing up, I saw Adelaide standing there with a huge smile on her face. Palmer mumbled something under her breath about sisters and then rolled the window down.