Page 46 of Surrendering His Heart (Buena Hills #4)

Christian stepped out of Isla’s room on Friday night, prepared to head downstairs when the faint squeak of Penelope’s glider chair drifted into the hallway.

Odd.

Had his daughter climbed out of her crib again? Now that she knew how to escape, keeping her in was becoming more impossible by the day. He needed to convert her crib into a toddler bed before she got hurt.

And while he was at it, he’d fix the chair so it wouldn’t squeak anymore.

Glancing into her room, the hallway light threw enough of a spotlight near the glider to see.

His heart squeezed at the sight of Hallie snuggling Penelope inward against her chest. Passed out on her nanny’s shoulder, the girl clutched the pink bunny Hallie had given her in one arm, her favorite blanket in the other.

Seeing the woman he loved cradle his daughter so sweetly, with her cheek resting on Penelope’s wispy hair, sucked all the air from Christian’s lungs. For someone who claimed she wasn’t ready to be a mom, the way she cared for the girls so completely fit the role already.

Her obvious discomfort around them early on had been non-existent for weeks, replaced by a subtle calm that affected not only Isla and Penelope, but Christian too.

She wasn’t trying to get the girls to like her.

They loved her because it was impossible not to.

And he trusted her for the same reason. No reservations, no stipulations.

She was exactly what they all needed. He wanted her by his side, helping him raise his kids.

If only he could convince her of that. And the fact that he still wondered whether he was setting them all up for disaster terrified him. He had no doubt she could rise to the occasion, but she had to believe it too.

Silently, he stepped to them, placing a hand on Hallie’s free shoulder. “I thought you’d left already.”

She stirred, turning a sleepy-eyed gaze onto him. “She fell asleep before I could put her in her crib. I didn’t want to disturb her.”

“It happens to the best of us.” He’d been nap-trapped with both girls more times than he could count.

Christian lifted Penelope from her arms, shhhing the child when she began to whine. He rubbed her back a few times as she settled, then lowered her into the crib. Hallie handed him the pink bunny that had dropped to the floor during the hand-off. He set it beside the girl.

Motioning for Hallie to follow him, he led the way to the door, turning back before stepping into the hall.

She remained in front of the crib. The darkness made it difficult to see her expression, but he could’ve sworn he detected some longing in the soft smile gracing her face as she watched the sleeping child.

“Hallie,” he whispered. “She’ll be okay.”

With one last glance at Penelope, she followed him from the room. Christian’s mind still held onto the sweet scene he’d stumbled upon as they headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Plucking a Tupperware container from the dishwasher, he slid the rest of Hallie’s homemade chicken tenders into it. He worked in silence, feeling her welcome presence nearby as she cleared away the dinner dishes.

“Hey.” Her voice cut into his thoughts. “Are you okay?”

He glanced at her. “Yeah. Why?”

“You’re just really quiet.” She placed the stack of plates in the sink. “Is work stressing you out?”

Technically, yes, though that was nothing new.

But his job couldn’t be blamed tonight. He didn’t feel right about mentioning the real reason for his contemplative mood, either.

The desperate side of his brain urged him to convince Hallie to admit she wanted a permanent place in the girls’ lives.

But he refused to do that to her. She needed to come to that conclusion on her own. And he had to be patient until she did.

So he went to the other issue occupying his mind. “It’s this family thing we’re going to tomorrow.”

“The barbecue, right?” She placed a ceramic bowl in the cupboard. “You told me about that. You don’t want to go?”

He sighed as he moved on to place the dirty dishes in the empty dishwasher. “Honestly, no. My mom planned it specifically so Dani and I can get to know her boyfriend’s family.”

“Ooof,” Hallie said, pausing in the act of wiping down the table to pierce him with an understanding glance. “And you don’t like him.”

Christian turned fully around, leaning his lower back against the sink. “I’ve actually never met him. I don’t know anything about the guy. It’s just weird to think of my forty-nine-year-old mom having a … boyfriend.” He slammed the dishwasher closed.

“Do you think you might be a little threatened by him?” Hallie asked gently, coming up beside him. “Because he’s not your dad?”

If the words had been delivered by anyone else, Christian would’ve taken offense at being called out by someone supposedly on his side. But Hallie’s tone spoke of compassion and a desire for understanding, making him feel safe to talk about the reservations he’d kept to himself.

“I just don’t get it. She goes on one cruise, meets some random dude, spends every waking moment with him and decides he’s the one for her. Like some raging hormonal teenager, not a middle-aged woman. I mean, she’s only known him for a month.”

“We haven’t known each other that much longer.”

She could’ve dropped an anvil on his head with that statement. A month. That wasn’t a long time. Yet with everything they’d been through together, he was already trusting her with his heart and wanting her to help raise his kids.

Crap, he was just like Mom.

“Technically, we’ve known each other for years,” he said, trying to push away the uncomfortable feeling squirming in his gut. “We met at Tyler’s wedding. Remember?”

Hallie fixed him with a dubious stare. “Christian.”

That one word, spoken in such a knowing tone, made him stop justifying how their situation was different than Mom’s. He blew out a breath. “Okay, I see your point. And maybe I am a little threatened by him. I just don’t like the idea of my mom moving on without Dad.”

“I get why that would be hard.” She wrapped her arms around his middle. He returned her affection willingly, comfort immediately flooding through him.

How did she do that? She challenged his thinking in a way that still showed him full support.

No arguments, no need to defend himself.

Is this what a healthy relationship looked like?

Being able to have hard conversations without the hostility?

He’d never had that with Sabrina. Even back when he thought they were in a good place, she’d always become heated in an argument.

“Would it help if I went with you?” She craned her neck to glance up at him without stepping out of their embrace. “For moral support?”

Christian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t want to subject you to my family drama.”

Her snort turned into a short bubbling laugh. “Christian, I met your mom in the most awkward way possible. It can only go up from there.”

“Hey, at least you got to leave after that.” He grinned, though heat engulfed his neck at the memory of Mom walking in on them making out. “I had to stay for the aftermath. But let’s be clear. She’s been Team Hallie ever since.”

“At least I have one fan.”

Christian pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’re all big fans of you.”

Her face softened. Stretching onto her toes, she brushed her lips against his jaw, bursting fireworks all the way down to his stomach. He tightened his arms around her, and she snuggled deeper into his chest .

“I’d love for you to come,” he murmured against her hair.

She stepped out of his embrace but slid her hand down his arm to squeeze his fingers. “Then I’ll be there with my arms full of goodies. But, if I happen to disappear for a few hours, it’s because I’m exploring every nook and cranny of your mom’s house.”

“Be honest. The only reason you want to come is to see the inside of it.”

“Whaaaaat?” She drew out the word unconvincingly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He laughed. “You might hide it well, but I can feel your giddiness.”

“Okay, fine.” She turned away from him, tossing a coy look over her shoulder. “Can you blame me? I’ve coveted that house since my first day in Buena Hills.”

He wanted nothing more than to kiss that flirtation right off her mouth. Grabbing her hand again, he twirled her back to him, pleased with the delighted surprise in her eyes. He lowered his face toward hers. “Or we can disappear together, and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“Even better,” she managed before his mouth covered hers.