Page 45 of Surrendering His Heart (Buena Hills #4)

“Trick-or-treat!”

Hallie clapped her hands in front of herself in delight, hardly recognizing the girls smiling at her from the porch. “Wow! You two are the best-looking trick-or-treaters of the night!”

That was saying a lot considering the steady stream of kids that had come to the door in the last hour alone.

Penelope couldn’t contain her excitement, her pigtail braids bouncing as she jumped up and down. Three pieces of candy flew out of her plastic jack-o-lantern bucket. “I’m a pirate! Surrender da booty, me hearties! Argh!”

Laughter burst from Hallie’s gut, and she glanced at Christian’s wide grin from behind the girls. “Did you tell her to say that?”

“I may have taught her a few phrases.” He puffed out his chest as only a proud father could.

“You’re the cutest pirate ever.” Hallie tugged one of Penelope’s braids. “You’ll have no trouble pilfering treasure from anyone.”

“If she could only keep it in her bucket instead of eating it all, she’d be golden.” He bent to pick up the candies, dropping them back into Penelope’s pumpkin.

Hallie took in the sticky blue substance streaked across the child’s cheeks.

“I can definitely tell she’s been enjoying her splendors.

” Her attention switched to Isla in her sleeveless leotard and leggings.

“And wow, Isla. You really look like a zombie gymnast. How’d you make it look so creepy and gross? ”

“Grandma did my makeup,” Isla said as Hallie gently touched a finger to the lumpy spot on her grayish face.

“It’s putty,” Christian clarified.

“I love it, Isla. Very spooky.” Hallie turned toward the living room where McKenzie was reading a book on the couch. “Zee, come look at this.” Moving aside to make space for her roommate in the doorway, she picked up the bowl of candy from the floor.

McKenzie’s delight was understated—much like everything about her—but obvious. “You deserve an extra piece of candy.” She dropped a chocolate bar into Isla’s bucket. “Actually, take a handful.”

“Zee’s a gymnast,” Hallie said while handing Penelope two peanut butter cups to place in her bucket.

The stars entering Isla’s eyes rendered the explanation unnecessary. She stared shyly up at McKenzie. “You’re my favorite from the Global Elites.”

That brought a sincere smile to McKenzie’s face. “Aww, thank you. What’s your name?”

Hallie introduced both Isla and Penelope. True to her sweet nature, McKenzie stepped onto the porch and crouched in front of the older child. “Are you a gymnast too, Isla?”

Isla shook her head. “I want to be someday though.”

“I think you’d make an awesome one,” McKenzie said. “How old are you?”

“I turned six two days ago.”

Hallie’s heart pricked at the mention of that difficult day.

Isla hadn’t brought up the disastrous party in the two days since, and Hallie knew for a fact that Christian had shoved the cake into the back of the freezer until the sting had worn off.

Hopefully, this interaction with her favorite athlete wouldn’t be tainted by talk of her birthday.

“Happy birthday,” McKenzie said kindly. She glanced up at Christian. “I teach a beginning class of six-year-olds at SoCal Elite. If you’re ever interested in signing her up, I can give you the information for the next session. I teach a class for Penelope’s age group too.”

“Please, Daddy?” Isla pleaded, giving her father a very good impression of puppy dog eyes. “Can I take lessons?”

For a minute, Hallie expected him to refuse. A month ago, she would’ve interpreted his hesitancy as disapproval. But now she knew it stemmed more from his lack of trust in people, even if he didn’t realize it for what it was.

“That would be great,” he said to McKenzie. “You can pass it along through Hallie.”

“I’ll do that.” She glanced at her phone buzzing in her hand. “It’s Mitch. I’m going to take this.” She smiled at Isla one last time. “It was great meeting you. I hope I’ll see you in my class very soon.”

Once she’d disappeared back into the house, Hallie stepped onto the porch with Christian and the girls.

“I’m glad you stopped by,” she said to Isla and Penelope. “I missed you both so much today.”

She’d spent all day baking for the Hawthornes’ party tonight, preventing her from watching the girls after school. It surprised her how quickly she’d grown accustomed to having them with her in the afternoons. Not seeing them, even for a day, felt off. Like something was … missing.

She didn’t have time to contemplate too much on what that meant right now. She had a party to cater.

“We wanted to catch you before you left,” Christian said. “I’m sorry I can’t be there to help set up.”

Could he get any sweeter? His constant encouragement had provided the boon Hallie needed to keep pursuing her dream. And today, he’d even burned one of his sacred vacation days to help her take care of last-minute preparations while the girls were in school.

She reached out to squeeze his hand. “Don’t feel bad. You’ve already done so much. And Kendall and Zee are helping me. We’re heading over there soon.”

“You’re going to do the best job tonight,” Isla said, unwrapping a piece of candy from her bucket. “You’re the best baker in the whole wide world.”

Hallie raised her brows at Christian, and he chuckled. “I swear I didn’t pay her to say that.”

“But Daddy, you promised to buy me a?—”

He covered up her comment with a forceful cough. Laughing, Hallie bumped his arm with her side. “Can you come in for a minute? I have something for the girls.”

“Sure, we have some time before they start begging for more candy.”

She pulled her gaze away from his wry smile and pushed the door open for them. “It’s upstairs. I’ll be right back.”

“I’na come!” Penelope reached up for Hallie.

Christian started to object, but Hallie lifted the child into her arms, touching their foreheads together. “Of course you can come. You all can, if you’d like.”

She and Penelope led the way up the stairs with Isla and Christian following a few steps behind. Entering her bedroom, she set the little girl on the bed. Penelope burrowed into the pillows like she owned the place.

Hallie sat down on the mattress, studying Christian as he studied the room. “Look familiar?”

“It’s a lot cleaner now than when it was mine. I’m beginning to understand your obsession with my laundry room.”

She rolled her eyes but shot him a flirty smile in response.

A plain pink gift bag with white tissue paper exploding from the top sat in the middle of the blue bedspread, but she ignored it for now, reaching for Foxie instead. She ran a hand along the worn orange fur before motioning to Isla.

In the forty-eight hours since her party, Hallie’s mind hadn’t let go of the hurt look in the girl’s face when she’d realized no one would be coming. She’d thought long and hard of ways to help Isla move on from the blow. The plan she’d settled on wasn’t much, but hopefully, it would be enough.

“I want to introduce you to my special friend.” Hallie held the plush between them so Isla could take a good look. “This is Foxie. My mom gave her to me when my family moved to Chile. Do you know where that is?”

Isla shook her head.

“It’s a country far away from here, in South America,” Hallie continued. “I was only a little younger than you when I moved there, and I was really scared because I didn’t know anyone.”

She watched Isla carefully for any signs of distress, but the girl hadn’t pulled her eyes away from the stuffy.

“When my mom gave her to me, she said that no matter how far away I go from home, I’d always have Foxie. We’ve been through a lot together. Maybe she can help you too. Would you like to hold onto her for a while?”

Isla pulled her eyes away from Foxie long enough to look at Hallie in awe. “Really?”

Hallie gave her elbow a light squeeze. “Really. But she’s very important to me, and she’s old, so I need you to take good care of her. Do you think you can do that?”

Isla took the animal gingerly in her hands for a minute before giving it a hug. “Yes. I can do that.”

“Good.” Hallie accepted Isla’s one-armed embrace before pulling the gift bag closer to herself. “And I didn’t want you to be left out, Nellie, so this is for you.”

Penelope popped up to a sitting position as Hallie pulled out a floppy pink bunny. With a squeal, she snatched it to her chest, squeezing the stuffie tightly. “I love it!”

“What do you say, girls?” Christian asked.

Hallie spared a glance at him for the first time since they’d entered the room. Perhaps she should’ve checked with him first before lavishing his children with gifts, though he didn’t seem disappointed. He just casually leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, watching the scene.

Isla and Penelope each offered an eager, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Hallie circled an arm around them both.

Was there anything better than tight hugs from these sweet girls? Except those from their father, of course?

She stood, heading over to the closet, but tossing a grin over her shoulder at Christian. “I have something for you too.” She pulled out the infamous disco ball, the subject of their first inside joke .

He threw his head back in a barking laugh. “Why do you still have that thing?”

A thrill of pleasure zipped through her at his uninhibited joy. “I found it under the stairs yesterday. It’s yours to hang in your house to remind you of all the good times you had while living here.”

“I have a better idea.” Playful mischief sparked in his eyes as he kicked off his shoes and took the ball from her.

Isla scrunched her face as she watched him step onto the bed. “What’re you doing, Daddy?”

Instead of responding, he pushed the hook—still attached to the top of the ball—into the existing hole in the ceiling and flicked on the hidden switch. Hopping back to the floor, he made a show of smoothing out the bedspread. “Just in case wrinkles give you the ick.”

Hallie laughed. “You’re always thinking of me.”

His flirty smolder sucked the air from her as he killed the ceiling light, throwing the room into darkness. Both girls shrieked with delight as pinwheels of neon danced around the walls.

Hallie felt Christian’s arms come around her from behind. “Thank you for making my girls feel so special,” he whispered, his breath tickling the wisps of hair around her ear. “We’re all so lucky you came into our lives.”

The sincerity of his gratitude sent giddy shivers racing down her spine. Or maybe it was the sultry way he’d said it. Reaching behind her head, she rested her hand against his cheek.

In moments like this, all her confusion seemed to fade, leaving her with quiet assurances that a life with Christian could work. But she knew that once the moment ended, the same doubts would swiftly return.

Doubts about her ability to step in as a mother, and how she’d manage her business while filling that role. And just as strong, was Christian really ready to give his heart to another woman after the trauma of his past?

But for now, she pushed them all aside. She wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as it lasted.