Make a Wish (Spark House #3)(64)
“Are you seriously giving me puppy-dog eyes right now?” She arches a brow at me.
“Is it working?” I take her hand in mine and pull her closer, bringing her knuckles to my lips.
She laughs and shakes her head. “Fine. I’ll come. But I’m only taking one for the team because of Peyton.”
“Not me?”
“You’re a big boy, you can handle a family lunch without a sidekick. I won’t disappoint Peyton.” She pushes up on her toes and drops a kiss on the edge of my jaw. “I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”
When I get into the SUV, I find that my mom and Karen are in the back seat with Peyton. “Where are the grandpas?”
“They went together. You know how Kyle and Gareth are. They love to talk shop.”
“Ah, that makes sense. Maybe my dad can talk Kyle into semi-retirement.” My dad is an architectural engineer and my father-in-law is an environmental engineer. They’re different, but have enough in common that the two of them can talk for hours and not even realize they’re the only two people left in the room.
“I feel like semi-retirement is the best I can ask for. I really can’t see Kyle stopping completely,” Karen replies with a sigh.
“I think I’ll be lucky if Gareth goes down to a couple of days a week,” Mom says sympathetically.
My mother and Karen aren’t quite as compatible, but my mother is kind and soft, and she can carry on a conversation with anyone, so it makes bringing both families together easy. The added dynamic of Harley, not as my nanny but as my girlfriend, is turning out to be a lot harder to navigate. Especially with how much my mom loves her and how much shade Karen has been throwing her way.
I don’t have an opportunity to pull Karen aside before we reach the restaurant. But I do get told no less than six times to slow down and to watch my speed. I was driving two miles over the speed limit. By the time we get there, everyone else is waiting inside for us. The hostess ushers us to the table.
“Can I sit between you and Harley?” Peyton asks as chairs scrape across the floor.
Karen holds onto her hand and pats the chair next to her. “Why don’t you sit next to me? You can tell me all about school and your new friends. I haven’t had nearly enough time with you yet, and Harley and your dad see you all the time.”
Peyton’s lips pull to the side, and she glances from me to Har ley. “Oh, okay.” It’s clear she’s disappointed, but she takes the seat anyway.
Karen fusses over her for a few minutes, peppering her with questions about school and friends while we wait for our drinks to arrive. I stretch my arm across the back of Harley’s chair. “I didn’t realize you were going in early to help out with the assembly.”
“Oh, it’s no big deal. Emily and I were talking last week, and I didn’t have anything this morning and it’s my weekend off.”
“How often do you help with Peyton’s class?” Karen asks, a forced smile stretched across her lips.
Harley drags her gaze away from mine. “Maybe once a week. It really depends on what’s going on in the school. More hands make light work.”
“That’s very true, and convenient that you have that kind of availability.” Even that simple statement seems like it’s steeped in suspicion and judgment.
“It is. And it’s been nice to work with kids again, even if it’s indirectly and just on an occasional basis.” I can tell Harley is trying to keep things light and remain polite and cordial. It’s something she’s good at, likely because of her job at Spark House and all the people they deal with on a regular basis.
“Does that mean you’re not taking care of children anymore?” Karen absently strokes Peyton’s hair.
Harley’s smile falters, and she shifts around in her chair, as if the direction of this conversation makes her uneasy. “Peyton was actually my last infant charge. After Gavin and Peyton moved to Boulder, I worked with a family who had a three-and a five-year-old for about six months.”
“What happened that you stopped working for them?” Karen folds her hands under her chin.
“Their dad was in the navy, and when he was stationed overseas, the rest of the family moved with them. At the time, my grandmother wanted to retire, and my sisters needed my help running Spark House, so I changed course.”
“And you enjoy that? Working with your sisters?”
“They’re my only family, aside from my grandmother. I like that I get to be close to them.” Harley takes a sip of her water, making the ice cubes clink together.
I notice that she doesn’t quite answer the question, and I’m also aware that the changes recently at Spark House have been challenging for her. Sometimes I wonder if being there is more about being close to her sisters than it is the actual job. “Harley’s been taking classes part-time to complete her degree.”
“Oh?” Karen props her chin on her index finger. “Well, education is always good to have, even if it’s later in life. What kind of degree?”
“Childhood development. I was two years in when I put it on pause to work with my sisters,” Harley explains.
It seems like a lot of things have been put on hold for her and that she’s spent a lot of time putting other people ahead of herself. Something I’m not unfamiliar with.