Hallie took the next few minutes to fill her sister in on everything that occurred at Christian’s. When she got to the part where Isla came in—was that her name? Through the chaos, she couldn’t be sure she’d heard him correctly—Elise gasped.
“She kicked you? Why?”
“She screamed something about not wanting another nanny,” Hallie explained. “The only thing I can figure out is that maybe she thought I was her? Seriously, can you picture me as a nanny? I’m terrible with kids.”
Elise scoffed. “No, you’re not. I’m willing to bet you’re Will’s favorite aunt.”
“But Will’s a baby. All you have to do is smile at him and he’s your best friend. I never know how to relate to older kids. Remember that time I watched the Matheson kids? Sam rode his big wheel right off the deck.”
“You were fourteen,” Elise said, laughing. “And the deck was less than a foot off the ground. Sam was fine.”
Hallie tried to stay indignant but couldn’t resist smiling at her sister’s amusement. “He still cried the whole time. Believe me, it was traumatic. And proof I shouldn’t be trusted around other people’s kids. That’s the whole reason I never babysat again. Plus, Christian has a dog.”
Elise slid right into the topic change like she always did during these heart-to-hearts. “That would be a red flag for you.” No sarcasm touched her tone. Hallie’s deep-seated fear of dogs went back years, ever since the golden retriever up the street chased her every time he escaped his house. Which happened way too often.That devil canine loved to dig his way out of his yard just to torment her.
At least the owners moved away after a year, but those twelve months were the longest of her entire life. And they gave her a permanent unease around all dogs. Especially golden retrievers.
“Does it matter though? He’s only doing you a favor. It’s not like you’re dating the guy. Unless—” Elise gasped again. “Do you like him?”
Hallie bolted upright, tossing Foxie to the side. “What? No!”
“You totally like him. You’re way too practical to get all bent out of shape over something that doesn’t have anything to do with you. Has my logical sister finally found a guy who makes her knees weak?”
“Of course not.” Hallie shook her head so hard her neck popped. She tilted it from side to side to stretch it out. “I can’t like someone I barely know. A warning that I needed to protect my shins would’ve been nice though. I could’ve put on pads before going over there.”
“Is that all?”
Okay, now her sister was getting annoying.
“Yes, that’s all.” Wasn’t it? But Elise’s noise of disbelief made her pause. “I mean, sure, he’s … handsome.” She could state the obvious.
“Heispretty cute,” Elise agreed. “And tall. I remember that from the wedding.”
Hallie nodded. She’d always preferred tall men. Especially when they came with an angular jaw and piercing brown eyes. And just enough facial hair to look sexy without resembling a mountain man.
“Okay, maybe I am a little attracted to him.” Not that she ever put a lot of stock into looks. So many other factors determined whether a relationship could work. Kindness, loyalty, responsibility, to name a few. Good looks faded, but the essence of what made a man attractive should not. “But I don’tlike himlike him.”
“It just seems a little strange that you’re making such a big deal about this if there aren’t feelings involved.”
Elise had a point. And Hallie’s confusion was the reason she’d called in the first place. This whole thing with Christian didn’t make any sense. It was so unlike her to go crazy when it came to men.
“Honestly, I don’t understand why this bothers me so much,” she admitted, hoping her sister could provide some explanation for her swirling emotions. “I barely know him. And yet, it’s like I’m … disappointed, or something. Yes, I realize I’m being ridiculous.”
“No, you’re not,” Elise responded gently. “Sometimes our hearts try to tell us things our brains aren’t ready to comprehend. You’re a rational thinker, and that’s not a bad thing. You make decisions with your brain instead of your heart. It’s totally understandable to be shocked about his situation, even if you weren’t actively wanting to date him.”
“I don’t have time to date anyone right now.” Hallie had enough on her plate worrying about her business. Now that the Pattersons’ gender reveal was over, she didn’t have any events coming up besides the Autumn Festival and the Hawthornes’ Halloween party. She had all she could handle trying to market her business.
“And you’re only twenty-four,” Elise said. “You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Dating someone like him would look a lot different than a typical relationship for people our age. Not wanting that right now is totally fine. But it’s also okay to be disappointed about letting the idea go, even if it was a small one.”
Hallie blew a strand of blonde hair from her face. “It’s probably for the best. Please don’t tell Tyler we talked about this. I kind of promised I wouldn’t get involved with Christian anyway.”
Was that the reason for these confusing emotions? The off-limits thing, and all that?
“Hey, we younger sisters have to band together against protective older brothers.” Elise laughed. “I know what it’s like to date someone Ty doesn’t approve of. Hello? Remember Carter?”
Hallie smiled at the mention of the guy who’d proposed to Elise after three dates. Tyler had been right to hate him. She hadn’t been a big fan either. “At least now you have Rory. It’s impossible not to like him.”
“He is pretty amazing, isn’t he?” Elise gave a dreamy sigh before returning to the topic at hand. “What Tyler doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Your secret is safe with me.”
