Page 14 of Surrendering His Heart (Buena Hills #4)

The only upside to being caught in an unexpected conversation with the head of the neighborhood gossip chain was that her daughter wasn’t with her. Sammy had caused enough grief for his family this week. Which reminded him, he still needed to address the child’s latest grievance.

“I’m hanging in there,” she said, flicking a strand of shoulder-length black hair behind her.

Dressed in tight leggings and a racerback tank top, she gave the appearance of someone coming back from the gym, minus the sweat and flushed complexion.

She narrowed her heavily mascara-lined eyes at the spider decoration hanging off the bushes. “Did you hear about Lorie and Bill?”

Christian pursed his lips before giving his head a slow shake. “I haven’t seen them in a few days.”

What beef could she possibly have on the couple who lived in the house between theirs? They mostly kept to themselves, the only signs of life occurring as they came and went.

Carrie dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “I’m pretty sure they’re having marital problems. I heard them fighting in the backyard last night.”

“Every couple argues sometimes. I didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.

” Christian searched his mind desperately for a reason to abandon the conversation.

He could only take a few minutes with her before the exhaustion kicked in.

And the irritation. Most days he tried to avoid her and all the neighborhood dirt she managed to uncover. He had enough problems of his own.

Carrie didn’t seem to catch on to his diplomatic attempt at curbing the gossip. “Now that their kids are gone, I wonder if their differences are being aired in the light. A lot of marriages fall apart once couples become empty nesters.”

He wouldn’t know. His marriage never made it past the baby stage. “Well, whatever it is, I’m sure they’ll figure it out.” He began wrapping the lights around the drainage pipe.

“Have you heard from Sabrina?”

The question came out of nowhere and practically knocked him off his feet. “No.” And it’s none of your business if I had.

When would Carrie get the picture that his ex wasn’t coming back?

She was a few years older, and she’d taken Sabrina under her wing from the time she and Christian first joined the neighborhood, which hadn’t been his idea in the first place.

If it weren’t for his wife’s insistence that a house in the suburbs would make her happier than staying in their shoebox apartment close to campus, he never would’ve moved back to Buena Hills when they did.

Fresh off receiving his bachelor’s, it had taken most of his entry level income just to pay the rent.

But back then he’d do anything to fix their marriage.

Except it hadn’t. Not even close.

And once their relationship ended, the idea of moving again seemed like too much of an undertaking. Especially when the original owner approached Christian about buying the place, an option that only became available after he’d landed his current job.

“I tried calling her the other day, just to see how she’s doing, you know, but I think she changed her number,” Carrie continued.

“Mmmm.” He ground his teeth to keep the words he wanted to say from coming out of his mouth.

Her information digging might work on the other street gossips, but it wouldn’t on him.

She already knew way too many details about his failed marriage, thanks to Sabrina.

This busybody wouldn’t receive any spilled tea from him.

Not that he held any tea to spill. No word had come from his ex since the note he’d discovered on the kitchen table the day she left.

Even when the finalized divorce papers arrived in the mail—unsigned by her, thanks to California’s abandonment clause—nothing.

He had no clue where she was, and he refused to dwell on it with his nosy neighbor.

“Sabrina? Wasn’t that my mom’s name? ”

Shoot. When had Isla come up beside him? Pushing a hand through his hair, he bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep a curse from escaping. “Go find your shoes, kiddo. We need to leave soon.”

Isla’s brow furrowed, and for a minute, he thought she was about to argue.

She’d tiptoed around the subject before, sometimes bringing up specific memories of her time with her mother.

She wasn’t old enough to recall much, and their conversations usually ended in tears, which was why he went to great lengths not to talk about Sabrina in front of the girls.

Thankfully, his daughter’s mouth only formed into a deep pout this time. She turned with slumped shoulders.

Christian latched onto Pumpkin’s collar as the dog sauntered by him. “Take the dog with you, please.”

Isla backtracked, beckoning for Pumpkin to follow, before continuing toward the house. She passed Penelope playing with one of the gourds lining the porch steps.

“You really should encourage your girls’ curiosity about their mother,” Carrie said once Isla was out of ear shot, adopting her usual I-know-everything-about-parenting tone.

Sure, because I’m really looking forward to the day I have to break the news that their mother didn’t want them. No child deserved that weight on their shoulders.

“I’m handling the situation, thank you.” Christian’s jaw hurt from clenching it. Sometimes keeping his composure could be a real test of self-control. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep it in check today.

One of Carrie’s dogs nipped at his legs while another tangled itself in the remaining lights. Christian scowled at them both.

“They really deserve to know what happened to the woman who gave birth to them,” Carrie said, shortening the dogs’ leashes.

Christian didn’t comment, going back to wrapping the lights around the drainpipe.

“Those girls already struggle so much, they should at least know they had a mother who loved them. ”

Were they talking about the same Sabrina? Mothers who loved their children didn’t abandon them.

He continued wrapping, not falling for her concerned air. There was nothing sincere in her syrupy-sweet tone.

Circling the lights tighter with each rotation around the metal, he tried to tune out Carrie’s unsolicited advice. Her words swirled through his head like the grownups in the Charlie Brown movies, mixing with her dogs’ yipping at something outside his peripheral vision.

“I think she just felt trapped in her marriage,” Carrie said as though she weren’t talking to the very husband her friend had been married to. “But she really did love those girls.”

Christian circled the lights into another loop around the pipe.

“They deserve to know that,” Carrie continued. “Don’t you agree?”

One of the bulbs shattered against the metal pipe, slicing his finger and his composure in one swoop.

“No, I don’t,” he snapped, dropping the lights. “Sabrina’s not dead. She chose to leave. I refuse to subject my girls to that reality.”

He started toward the house before whirling to face her again.

“And while we’re on the subject of children, I’d appreciate if you’d tell yours to stop bullying mine.” Lifting Penelope into his arms, he stalked toward the front door, leaving a stunned Carrie in the yard with her annoying mutts.

That could’ve gone better. He slammed the door behind him and set Penelope down. She toddled off to play with some toys she’d left in the living room before going outside.

Resting his back against the door, he sucked on his finger to stop the bleeding while reeling in his anger. He shouldn’t have lost his temper out there. His name would be as good as mud by tomorrow.

Was it too much to ask for someone—anyone—to give him a break for once? He’d made one impulsive choice seven years ago. And no matter how hard he tried to move on from it, he couldn’t get away from the constant reminder of what a dumpster fire his life had become.