Christian bobbed his head once in acknowledgment before clicking to another page and scrolling to the bottom. “Actually, it’s not bad for someone who doesn’t know a lot about website design.”
Were they looking at the same website? “Thank you?”
He stopped scrolling and directed his focus to her. “I’m serious. It’s clean and organized and easy to navigate.” He slid the laptop further away from him before clasping his hands together on the counter.
Hallie’s attention again dropped to the heart on his thumb. Why did that symbol capture her interest so much?
But Christian’s next comment pushed that little heart to the furthest crevices of her mind. “I could make it better, though.”
Her brows drew together. “What?”
Christian appeared equally as surprised, like he couldn’t comprehend the words coming from his own mouth. After a long second, he said, “Yeah, if you’d like me to.”
Did he have some ulterior motive she hadn’t picked up on before now? She didn’t think Tyler would intentionally volunteer his friend if he’d thought Christian would try to lure her into using his services. But maybe her brother hadn’t known either.
“That’s okay,” Hallie said. “I wouldn’t be able to pay you.”
Christian shifted on his stool, not looking her in the eye. “I don’t expect payment. Let’s just say Tyler has helped me out a lot in the last few years. I figure I owe him some favors.”
Not that her brother would ever consider taking any kind of payment when aiding a friend. Even in the form of favors. Accepting Christian’s help still felt like taking advantage of him, though. But delegating this task would free up her time to go back to the part of her job she loved the most. She’d be an idiot to refuse his offer.
“Thank you,” she said finally, giving him a genuine smile. Maybe he wasn’t the grump she’d originally pegged him to be.
“Sure. Do you have a piece of paper?”
“Uh…” Hallie looked around, spotting Mitch and McKenzie’s wedding invite resting on the counter. Rising from her stool, she picked up the envelope and slid the invitation back out, once again admiring the gorgeous photo before sticking it to the fridge with anI heart Miamimagnet. She handed him the envelope with a pen. “Here you go.”
Christian started scribbling on the paper. “Here’s my email. Send me all the pictures and graphics you want included. I’ll need yours as well, if it’s okay with you. The company I work for has a questionnaire we send to all our clients to fill out during the onboarding process. It helps me get an idea of what you want as far as color schemes, vibe, and all that. I’ll get that to you within a few days.” He tapped on the mouse pad before turning the computer and gesturing for her to add her address into the blank contact form he’d pulled up.
“Wow, you’re really thorough,” she said, filling out the form.
“It makes the process a lot simpler.” He closed his laptop and slid it into his messenger bag.
With their task out of the way, Hallie walked with him to the entryway and said goodbye. As she shut the door behind him, she leaned her back against the white wood, puzzling at the change that had come over him toward the end of his visit.
Christian likely didn’t realize how much of a burden he’d taken off her shoulders. He’d mentioned doing it as a favor to Tyler, but could he really be that altruistic? What was the real reason he’d offered to help her?
And why did his intoxicating scent linger in her memory long after he was gone?
What was I thinking, Dad?Christian’s one-sided conversation with his father had been spinning in circles since meeting with Hallie two days ago. It often did during moments of intensity and stress.I don’t have time to build an entire website for her right now. Or ever, really.
Blowing out a heavy breath, he pushed his foot on the brake, slowing to a stop at the light heading into Buena Hills’ downtown area. He drummed his fingertips against the steering wheel as he waited for the light to change.
His eyes strained against the rain pelting against the windshield of his Highlander, scanning the array of mom-and-pop restaurants and boutiques on the right side of the street. The window display of the indie bookstore the girls loved to visit already showcased a selection of Halloween and fall recommendations, even though October hadn’t yet begun.
In fact, many of the shops in this part of town had begun to decorate their storefronts for the season. Downtown Buena Hills was a favorite of locals and visitors alike for a reason, after all. The town put a lot of effort into celebrating every holiday. From cozy décor in the fall to the off-white icicle lights during December and the giant Christmas tree in the Village Green at the end of Main Street, Park Management always went all out.
Out of nowhere, a memory of strolling aimlessly along the sidewalk with Sabrina accosted his mind. She used to love snuggling close to his side while peeking through store windows, searching for quirky finds. She was a master at that. His personal favorite had been the dance-inspired ornament she’d given him for Christmas one year—a token of their time as partners on the ballroomteam at USC.
That ornament was one of the first things to go after she’d left. So much of his prior identity had fled out the door with her.
He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the scene. It was moments like this one that reminded him why he avoided this part of town whenever possible. So much of their happier times occurred on this very street, and he never enjoyed the walk down memory lane.
Honks from multiple cars behind him startled his eyes open. He stomped on the gas, peeling through the intersection while shaking the lingering remains of the memory from his mind. Why couldn’t he move on from the past? He’d thought finalizing the divorce, which gave him full custody of the girls, would provide the closure he needed to move forward. But he couldn’t keep the anger over Sabrina’s abandonment from remaining front and center in his life.
He clenched down on his jaw to keep the growl from escaping his throat. Not that it mattered—the girls weren’t in the car. But he really needed to calm himself down before he arrived for pick up.
Main Street ended at the Village Green. He flipped on his blinker, about to turn left toward Penelope’s all-day preschool when a figure emerged from the copse of trees at the edge of the park. The woman walked quickly in the opposite direction from where he needed to go. She reached the street, turning her head to check for cars before crossing.
