Her name stuck in my throat.
There was no sign of Palmer anywhere, and panic surged hard and fast.Had I made a mistake hiring her?Every worst-case scenario barreled through my mind as I reached the door and pushed it open.
Soft music drifted through the room. It was mostly dark, lit only by the faint glow of a rainbow nightlight.
Two figures were tangled together in the bed.
My chest loosened, and I took a full breath for the first time since I’d walked into the house.
Quietly, I crossed the room. Hailey lay asleep, curls splayed across her pillow, and her hand was curled tightly into Palmer’s sweater.
When I was sure my daughter was unharmed, my gaze shifted to Palmer.
Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep and even. One arm was wrapped around Hailey, her body curved protectively around my daughter.
She seemed…peaceful in sleep. I hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a heaviness in Palmer’s expression when she was awake—a tenseness that loosened only now.
That warmth in my chest resurfaced, but I ignored it.
Taking a steadying breath, I gently nudged her shoulder. Her name slipped out of my mouth in a low whisper. “Palmer.”
She flinched. Her body locked, eyes snapping open and darting around the room until they landed on me.
For a brief moment, she was all tension—then her face softened, relief flooding her features. She relaxed, and one corner of her mouth tipped upward.
“Welcome home,” she whispered.
There was so much sincerity in her voice that I didn’t know what to do with it. Her heavy-lidded eyes were sleepy and damn adorable. She shouldn’t look at me like that, like she’d been waiting all day for me to return. Like she was happy to see me.
She barely knew me.
Instinct kicked in. I shut down, clenching my jaw.
Her small smile faltered.
“You should go to your own room,” I said stiffly.
Her cheeks seemed to warm, though the dim light made it hard to tell.
Slowly—like she’d done it a thousand times before—she untangled herself without waking my daughter. She stood,straightened her long flowing skirt, and followed me out of the room.
When Hailey’s door clicked shut, Palmer looked up at me cautiously.
I regretted the earlier tension in my voice, but I couldn’t help it. Something about her made me feel off. Like the inside of my body was too hot.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
My stomach clenched—this time, not from nerves. I’d been so busy at the station, so consumed by organizing and catching up, that I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten.
At my silence, her smile returned.
“Come on.”
She passed me and headed downstairs. I followed her all the way into the kitchen, where she opened the fridge and pulled out a bowl.
“I hope you like stew.”
I perked up at that. I loved stew.
