Page 38 of Surrendering His Heart (Buena Hills #4)

“What’re you doing here?” Christian asked, his brain still tangled in the aftereffects of that kiss.

He rubbed at the back of his neck where the skin burned.

His gaze flicked to Hallie over by the fridge.

She’d already turned away, hurriedly piping frosting on the macaron halves on the cooling rack.

Mom’s whole countenance buzzed with excitement, but thankfully, she kept her evaluation of what she’d just witnessed to herself.

She popped a hand on one hip. “I haven’t seen my only son for weeks and those are the first words I get from you?

Where’s my hug?” The fond smile that followed took the sting out of her reprimand.

Giving his head a little shake, he stepped to her, stooping low enough to wrap his arms around her. “It’s good to see you, Mom. When did you get home?”

“Late last night.” She searched his face for a long moment like she hadn’t seen him for years, not weeks. “I would’ve called when I got back, but I thought you’d be asleep.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Who’s your friend?”

The burning in his neck spread to his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Mom, this is Hallie.”

At hearing her name, Hallie set down the piping bag and slowly faced his mother. To the casual observer, she seemed totally at ease except for the white-knuckled clasping of her hands. Christian felt for her. There was no way to make this situation less awkward.

Clearing his throat, he addressed Hallie next. “Hallie, meet my mom.”

She fanned her hand out in a wave. “Hey, Mrs. Gustafson.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Hallie.” Mom took a step toward her and panic sparked in Christian’s chest. She was a hugger. And though the younger woman had proved herself calm and rational in every situation, he doubted an embrace would help this one.

Hallie stared at him with wide eyes as Mom’s arms circled her shoulders. Then slowly, tentatively, she returned the affection.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Mom said, after a few long seconds, ending the embrace. “If I’d known Christian would be entertaining a guest, I would’ve called first.”

He didn’t miss the emphasis on the word entertaining, or the underlying giddiness behind it. A low groan sounded in his throat. He’d be hearing about this later.

“It’s okay.” Hallie’s voice wobbled a bit. “I was about to go pick up the girls.” She eyed Christian, and her face turned even more red. “I’m sure you and your mom want to … catch up.”

Nope. Definitely not. He’d rather catch up with Hallie.

All week, Isla and Penelope had dominated her attention up to the minute she’d left for the night.

And Hallie had seemed more than willing to give them all her focus.

He loved watching the tender way she interacted with his girls, but he couldn’t ignore the nagging suspicion that she’d used it as an excuse to avoid talking to him. She’d kept a respectful distance.

He didn’t like it at all.

Even though he knew he should prefer it that way.

Mom looked at her watch. “Oh, is it pick-up time already?”

Technically, school didn’t end for another two hours.

But Hallie gathered her purse from the counter near the back door, throwing it over her shoulder.

“It’s always good to get to the front of the line.

I’ll clean up my mess when we get back. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Gustafson.

” She beat a hasty retreat from the kitchen.

The front door slammed shut a second later.

If only Christian could be so lucky. He ran a hand down his jaw, the facial scruff prickling his fingertips as he prepared to face the music.

“Has she been helping you out with the girls, or something?” Mom asked from behind him after a beat of thick silence. “Why aren’t you picking them up? ”

He turned around to find her watching him closely. “Yeah,” he said in answer to her first question. He didn’t mention that he was paying her to do it. That would open a whole discussion he wasn’t willing to have.

“She’s nice.” Mom continued studying him with a curious eye. “How long have you known her?”

“About a month.”

“You seemed pretty into her.”

Nope, he refused to take the bait. He was twenty-seven years old, for crying out loud. He should be able to make out with a woman in his own house and not be made to feel like a seventeen-year-old caught breaking curfew.

He smothered the smile threatening to break free.

Kissing Hallie hadn’t been in his plans for coming home early, though no part of him complained about that accident.

Guilt wiggled in his chest at how much he enjoyed it.

With their situation being what it was, he shouldn’t have.

He hadn’t just overlooked the code of ethics by kissing his kids’ temporary nanny, he’d tossed the whole dang book into the fire.

And that was on top of all the other reasons marring the pleasure of that glorious kiss. But he wouldn’t be discussing any of that with his mother.

He gestured toward the bags at Mom’s feet. “What’s in there?”

Some of the sparkle dimmed from her eyes, but she didn’t press the issue. She pulled out a chair and lifted one of the sacks onto it. “I picked up a few things for you at the store.”

“You didn’t need to do that.” Judging by the four heaping bags, she’d bought enough groceries to last them a week.

“I wanted to. There are some surprises for the girls in there too.”

She pulled out a carton of Penelope’s favorite chocolate milk, the expensive brand that Christian never bought.

Leave it to his mother to spoil them all.

She took the grandma role very seriously.

Even after almost a decade of living on his own, she still went out of her way to make sure his cupboards were stocked.

Not that he’d ever complain about free food .

A scratching came at the back door, followed by high-pitched whining. While Mom continued unloading the groceries, Christian opened the back door for Pumpkin. The dog sauntered inside, heading straight for Mom, who paused long enough to give her a few pats.

Christian refilled the empty water bowl and tossed a couple dog treats onto Pumpkin’s bed, before helping his mother with the groceries.

“How was your cruise?” He pulled out a loaf of bread from one of the bags.

Mom’s demeanor brightened. “Oh, Christian, if I’d known how wonderful the experience was going to be, I would’ve let Anita talk me into doing it years ago.”

She launched into a day-by-day summation of the entire vacation. By dinner of day two, Christian’s mind had already drifted back to Hallie.

How was she feeling about the kiss? She’d seemed into their surprise make out, but could she be having the same doubts he did now?

He hated feeling so conflicted. That kiss had been the most incredible, jaw-dropping kiss of his life. In the moment, all his reservations had taken a back seat to the euphoria of it, awakening a part of him that had been dormant for so long.

“We were at sea on Monday, so we spent the whole day relaxing by the pool…”

Christian emerged from his thoughts long enough to nod at Mom’s tale. But as he slid a box of Cheerios into the cupboard, he slipped back into his own internal monologue.

For years, he’d stoked the bitter fire clutching his heart. He’d craved it even, convincing himself that it would block out the pain resulting from Sabrina’s abandonment. If he never gave his heart away again, he’d never set himself up for the inevitable pain that would follow.

Then in waltzed Hallie, like some mythical fairy who, without him realizing it, started breaking down his walls with every wave of her magic wand.

Yet the possibility of surrendering the very weapons that kept him afloat all these years terrified him.

Could he really put himself in a position to finish him off entirely?

“And on the last night, we went on this romantic dinner and Paul?—”

Christian’s head whipped in her direction, and he closed the cupboard door a little too hard. “Who’s Paul?”

“The man I’ve been telling you about this whole time.” Mom looked at him, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her eyes. “Weren’t you listening?”

“I am now,” he muttered more to himself than to her.

She went back to unloading the final grocery bag. “We met at dinner the first night. I haven’t connected with someone like him since your father. He’s a widower, in fact, from Fullerton.”

Now that Christian had come down from the clouds, he studied her closely as she talked about this mystery man.

The slight smile gracing her mouth as she listed his qualities.

The twinkle in her eye when recalling some witty conversation they’d had over drinks one evening.

She practically radiated giddiness while recounting their nights on the dance floor or talking under the stars.

It was all too much. In the back of Christian’s mind, he always knew there’d come a day when Mom might fall in love again, but hearing about it didn’t sit well with him.

I don’t like it, Dad. “That’s … great, Mom. He seems like a great guy.” How many times would he have to say great before he started to believe it? More than twice, obviously.

Mom’s full smile blossomed. “Thank you, son. We’re taking it slow, of course, but I do want you to meet him. In fact, we’re planning to get both families together for dinner soon. Isla’s birthday is Sunday, so we’re thinking about next weekend. Can you make it?”

“Next weekend?”

Mom nodded. “Saturday, most likely.”

Christian gaped at her. “That’s eight days away. Don’t you think it’s a little soon to be combining families?” So much for taking it slow.

“Well … yes.” Her enthusiasm dipped for the first time, igniting hi s guilt complex. He hated disappointing his mother. “It may feel a little quick. But our families are important to both of us. Which is one of the things that attracted me to the man in the first place.”

Christian squeezed his eyes shut. Attraction and man were two words he’d rather not hear in a sentence referring to his mother.

“Oh, Christian.” She swatted her hand in the air between them. “If I can walk in on you making out with a woman and not get all squirmy about it, you can be a mature adult and recognize that I’m capable of being attracted to someone too.”

He choked on a trail of saliva sliding down his trachea. “Thanks, Mom. Somehow, that doesn’t help at all.”

“I’m just saying.” Mom splayed her hands in concession. “Paul is the first man I’ve met who even compares to your father. It’s important to me that you like him.”

When Mom put it like that, how could he refuse? She deserved to be happy, and if that happiness came with this Paul guy, who was he to disapprove? It would be unfair of him to project his own muddled feelings about love’s existence onto her.

But how could he forget about Dad? If things with Paul progressed further, would he attempt to step into Dad’s place? Would Mom let him? The idea of her moving on with someone else besides his father felt a little like being abandoned all over again.

Is this how Isla felt? He’d sensed a change in his daughter the last few days she’d spent with Hallie, as if she was reverting back into the happy child she used to be. Not entirely, but he’d cherished those small glimpses.

What would happen when Hallie eventually left, especially if he did entertain the idea of starting a relationship with her? Because deep down, he had entertained it. And honestly, he hadn’t dismissed it.

But if he’d learned anything from Sabrina, it was that romance didn’t last forever. And he couldn’t string his girls along for some temporary fling.

He sighed. There were so many questions, and so few answers. “I’ll keep next Saturday open. ”

“Wonderful.” Mom slapped her hands onto her thighs and stood. “I’ve got cold stuff in my trunk. Tell the girls that Dani and I will be here to pick them up tomorrow around six for girls’ night.”

Their special girls’ night outing and sleepover had been a celebrated birthday tradition for them all since Penelope’s first. Christian would’ve felt left out if it wasn’t a nice break from childcare for him.

“Will do.” Christian approached her, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “Thanks for the groceries.”

“It’s my pleasure, as always. And Christian?”

“Yeah?”

She patted his chest a few times. “Don’t be embarrassed about what I walked in on earlier. I’ve always known there’d be a day when some lucky woman snuck through your defenses.”

He swallowed slowly as she started toward the front door.

“And please tell Hallie that I’d love the chance to get to know her better. Maybe next Saturday.” Mom winked before slipping out of the kitchen.

Yeah, no. That would definitely not be happening.