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I laugh and give him one long stare. “Ask her out on a date?”
“She’s your baby mama. I’m not gonna disrespect her.”
My eyebrows lift. “I’ll warn you that she might want you to disrespect her a little.”
He sits up. “Is that your way of telling me she’s kinky? What should I know about?”
I push him on the shoulder. “I meant that she’s not really a relationship girl.”
“All the better. But I really wanted to check with you first because last night you looked…”
“What?” I ask, my gaze straying to the halfpipe where some kid just fell on his ass after he came down from a trick.
“Jealous? Like we were leaving you out. Then again, Theresa is a bit…uptight?”
At least he’s giving me the out to say it’s Theresa and not him and Palmer until I can get a handle on whatever these feelings are I’m having. “She’s particular, yeah.”
“Does she not like Palmer?”
I shrug. “I think she’s wary. She and her ex don’t have a relationship like me and Palmer.”
“You mean they aren’t this century’s version of the Cleavers?” He tosses snow at me.
I shake my head, picking up some snow and throwing it back at him. “I get that it’s unusual, but if we’re both cool with it, why do other people find it weird?”
He shrugs. “Something tells me Theresa likes control, and she can’t control your situation.”
“Yeah, maybe. She mentioned that it bothered her that I’m right next door to Palmer, but I’m never moving. It’s too convenient living right next to Adley. It’s as close as I can be in her life without actually living with her.”
He nods and gets up on his board with one foot strapped in, then he moves to get in line for the halfpipe. “I think you might want to prepare yourself for a bumpy road, because you and Palmer can’t live like you are forever. Most women would struggle with it. In all seriousness, if I was into Palmer, and let’s say I wanted to marry her, it would probably feel like I’m marrying you too, and I wouldn’t be cool with it.”
As always, he makes his way to the front of the line. I try to concentrate on his run. It’s the reason he’s here and the reason he’s paying me, but all I can think about is whether he’s right. Our situation is unconventional and not everyone in our lives is going to like it. The question is, do I give a shit? Which would mean how much do I care about Theresa? Enough to overhaul my entire life? I’m not so sure.
After Matt and I spend the majority of the day working on his height and landings, we head back down the mountain. I’m meeting Palmer for Adley’s weekly lesson and some ski time with my little girl. He’s probably coming down the mountain with me to get Palmer to sleep with him while I’m with Adley, but he told me he just had to take a break.
Palmer is already at the fence line with Adley all bundled up and her board resting on the wooden divider between the skiers and non-skiers.
“She said she doesn’t board?” Matt asks as we approach.
“Palmer?” I laugh. “No. Been trying to get her to for years.”
“Huh.”
“Ready?” I ask when we approach, but I can already tell from Adley’s face that she’s not happy to be here.
Palmer puts her hand on Adley’s head and signs Someone woke up from their nap cranky.
I bend down to talk to my daughter, but the first thing I hear is “Hey, beautiful,” from Matt to Palmer. I glance up and see Palmer’s cheeks flush and not from the cold weather. Her dark hair is down, and she’s got on a knit cap. Her lips are pink and rosy.
She waves and smiles at him.
I turn my attention to Adley because I can’t keep fixating on them. I poke her in the stomach although her big jacket might make it so she can’t feel it. “Come on, do you not want to go snowboarding with me today?”
“I’m tired,” she whines and walks into my arms.
I hold her tightly, my hand running down her back. “How about we take it slow? We’ll do a few runs, and if you don’t wake up a bit by then, we’ll call it a day and get hot cocoa in the lodge?”
She pulls back from me, and her small smile makes my heart grow larger.
