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“Unbelievable,” Chance mutters, more to herself than me, I think. “Anyway, I’ll give you a brief tour on our way out back. These first three doors on the left lead to the smaller one-on-one meeting rooms.” She points as we pass them.
The doors are all open, so I peek my head inside one to suss it out. It’s basic, a desk and a couple of chairs, but they look comfortable.
Chance continues along a long corridor, pausing at another open doorway on the right this time. “This is the conference room where they hold information evenings, parenting classes, pregnancy and birthing workshops, and all that fun stuff,” she explains.
Again, I have a quick look inside the larger room with a projector hanging from the ceiling. Two stacks of chairs are tucked into the far corner, as well as a pile of beanbags. Everything is clean and fresh, even the building itself appears to have recently had renovations. “Has the center been here long?” I ask.
“It’s been here for as long as I can remember, but when Carter started, he had it shut down for a month, gutted the whole place, and updated it. That was about three years ago.”
That explains why everything looks so new. I’m honestly surprised they were able to get the money for such a big project. “Wow, that’s great. I didn’t think there’d be enough funding for such an extensive refit.”
Chance shrugs, then beckons me to follow her farther along the hall. “There wasn’t. But Carter made it happen. You’ll learn he’s very determined. Not much stops him once he puts his mind to something. Now, through there is the indoor activity room, and it leads to an outdoor playground and seating area. But you can check those out later. I’ll take you to see Carter first.”
“Sounds good,” I tell her, again trailing after her all the way to the end of the corridor where she takes me to a room filled with cubicles, some are already occupied. A couple are empty, and there’s a much larger one in the back corner. That’s where she stops.
Ari is still snuggled into my neck, and she lets out a little yawn. I rest my cheek atop her blonde curls as I run my palm down her back. She lets out a sleepy sigh, making me smile.
Chance steps inside the cubicle, right up behind a dude facing away from us, then she rears her hand back and slaps his ass with a loud crack.
The guy spins and catches her wrist, tugging her into his body with a filthy smirk on his lips as he leans down before capturing her mouth in a kiss that is definitelynotworkplace appropriate.
Holy shit! I guess it’s been a while since their last sexual harassment seminar.
I cover the baby’s eyes in case she hasn’t fallen asleep yet as I turn my attention to the window.
A moment later, and a breathless chuckle from Chance, I risk a peek. They’re done. Thankfully. Voyeurism is not my thing.
“Sorry about that. This is why we can’t work together,” Chance says. “Carter, this is Arlo, and Arlo, this is my husband, Carter.”
Slinging an arm around Chance’s shoulders, Carter extends a hand to me. “Good to finally meet you,” he says as we shake. “I see you’ve already met both of my girls, and my angel already has you bending to her will. That was fast.”
I nod, grinning as I glance down and, yep, she’s asleep. “What can I say, I’m a bonafide baby whisperer.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time she’s refusing to go to sleep at two a.m.,” Chance grumbles, stepping forward and gently taking her daughter from me. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. Holla if you need me.” She strides out of the room, Carter watching her go.
He looks at her the way my old man looks at Kins. It makes that place deep inside my chest ache a little. I don’t know that I’m cut out for that depth of feeling, no matter how much I want it.
Carter clears his throat and leans back against his desk, crossing his ankles while digging his hands into his pockets. “So, when did you get to town?”
“Friday morning. I wanted to give myself a couple of days to settle into my apartment.”
He nods. “Have you had a chance to meet any of the locals yet?”
“Umm…” My mind flashes to blondie, then the vegetable-stealing old lady from the grocery store. I rub the back of my neck, frowning; how offensive would it be to tell him the few I’ve encountered so far have been borderline crazy?
Carter’s deep chuckle and the knowing glint in his gaze clues me in. He knows full well what the locals are like. So I settle in against the windowsill and let him have it. I tell him all about my run-in with Klepto Clancy, then recount what went down at the coffee shop this morning.
By the time I’m done, Carter is wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.
“Sounds like you hit the lottery right off the bat,” he says.
I scrub a hand over my face, groaning. “Tell me this kinda shit doesn’t happen every day.”
He shrugs. “Definethis kinda shit.”
“I feel like I’ve moved to an alternate universe, not two hours out of Manhattan.”
Carter snorts. “You have no idea. You get used to it, though. Hell, you’ll even begin to like it. But if for some reason you don’t, can you do me a solid and at least stick around until I can find a replacement? The last youth worker didn’t last two months and bounced with barely any notice. I should have seen it coming, but I was too busy running this place to do anything about it.”
