“Hey, Nellie girl,” Tyler cooed in what his wife always deemed hiskid voice.His face scrunched up as he tickled Penelope’s neck, making the child giggle. She lunged forward, and he caught her before she flung herself from Christian’s grip.
Securing her in his arms, Tyler reached his closed hand toward Isla. “Pound it.” She knocked her smaller fist against his.
After all the times Tyler had come over to help with various house repairs and projects the last few years, he’d become like a favorite uncle to the girls. In fact, Penelope had latched onto him likehe was her second dad. Even Isla had taken to him, though her affections were more understated than her energetic sister’s.
Tyler had every reason to hold a grudge by the way Christian had pulled away following his and Sabrina’s courthouse wedding. He hadn’t meant to, really. But he’d been so wrapped up in Sabrina at first, then balancing a new baby while finishing up his degree. Only sheer desperation had driven him to reach out to his former buddy the day he’d returned from work to discover his wife gone for good.
But Tyler had come running with no hesitation at the call, thus solidifying his best friend status. He’d willingly sacrificed precious hours with Gemma during his summer break from Berkeley to help Christian through his grief. And he’d proven his loyalty time after time since then.
Christian didn’t only trust him with the girls; he trusted him withhislife.
“Gemma didn’t want to come?” he asked.
Tyler shrugged. “We’re bringing Will tomorrow, but today, I’m here for Hallie. She’s been taking me to task all afternoon.”
“I have not.” Hallie gave her brother a look of exasperation that every sister on the planet must have stored in her wheelhouse.
Christian ignored how adorable the expression was on her face.She’s your best friend’s sister.And that wasn’t even the biggest reason to stay away. “You should’ve brought Will. He’d be a nice sales pitch.”
She snapped Tyler’s arm with the back of her hand. “See! That’s what I said.”
“I’m not letting you use my son as free advertising.” Her brother paired his indignant tone with a cheeky grin, proving that no offense had been taken.
“Why not?” Hallie asked simply. “No one can resist those chubby cheeks.”
“That’s true.”
Isla tugged on the hem of Christian’s shirt. “Daddy, can I have a cupcake?”
“Sure, kiddo. Choose whatever you’d like. Nellie can have one too.” He nodded at Tyler to help Penelope choose.
Isla stretched onto her tiptoes to get a closer look at the cupcakes on the left half of the tablecloth. “What kind are they?”
Hallie pulled a plastic glove from a box behind her then pointed to the orange-and-white frosting that swirled a good two inches on top of the cupcakes. “These ones are apple spice.” She gestured to the ones with the tiny bit of dark cake peeking out from underneath the serrated cone of all-white frosting. A shimmery leaf was pressed to the side of each one. “And these are chocolate.”
“Chocolate!” Penelope’s voice raised to an almost unnatural pitch, even for her. She bounced excitedly in Tyler’s arms.
“A girl after my own heart.” Hallie slipped on the glove. She selected a chocolate cupcake, delivering it to Penelope’s outstretched hands, before turning to Isla. “And what about for you?”
Isla pointed to the selection of apple spice. “I want that one. The frosting is pretty.”
“One with the pretty frosting for the girl with the pretty curls.”
A small smile passed over Isla’s face as she accepted the offering. Christian searched Hallie’s expression for any sign of teasing. Even after the kindness she’d shown his daughter at the nail salon, he had a hard time believing she’d look past the whole kicking incident. Wouldn’t someone hold on to that kind of thing? But her countenance showed complete sincerity.
“That’ll be eight dollars,” Hallie said, catching Christian in his stare.
The warmth in his stomach caused by her gentle eyes on him rose into his chest, radiating outward to his extremities. His breathing challenged his heart to a race. It was anyone’s guess which would come out victorious.
“Christian?” She looked at him expectantly, and his name on her tongue snapped him out of his momentary gaze. She had such a lovely voice.
Lovely voice? What a strange thing to be attracted to.
Stop it. “Right, sorry.”
Reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, he noticed theorange binder on an easel to the left side of the table. The cover had a picture of an elaborate three-tiered square cake.
Taking a step toward it, he studied the picture even closer. The three layers were shaped and decorated to look like presents wrapped in shimmery paper of alternating pink and blue. A glittery striped bow of the same colors decorated the top layer.
