Was this some kind of sick joke? His former love’s contact directly above the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about?
Something urged him to tap on her name, but his phone buzzing in his hand stopped him. Christian opened the text.
Tyler: In a meeting. What’s up?
Christian: Stuck at work. Need someone to get the girls from school.
Tyler: Won’t be home in time. Gemma could possibly do it, but I don’t know what she has after school.
Gemma had never watched the girls by herself before. That might make things difficult with Isla.
Christian: That’s ok. I’ll find someone.
Christian went back to his contact list, his eyes landing on Hallie’s name again. No, he wouldn’t call her. There had to be someone else.
He scrolled through the list. Bill Carter from next door? Naw, Christian didn’t know him or his wife well enough to trust them with the girls.
Molly Denmark from across the street had filled in for him once when Annelise was sick. That had worked out fine. Maybe she’d be willing.
No, the Denmarks were out of town on an anniversary trip, leaving their seventeen-year-old son home alone.
The Halls couldn’t do it; all their kids had after-school sports. He hadn’t talked to Jack Lewis, his best friend from high school in years. And he wouldn’t call him even if he had. Not a chance. Christian doubted the guy’s ability to keephimselfalive most days.
Carrie Pritchard. Absolutely not.
He briefly considered calling Josh Robinson. The two of them had hung out a lot back before Christian’s marriage was on the rocks. But he’d pulled away from him after the divorce due to the man’s relationship status with Sabrina’s best friend. Calling him now wouldn’t be helpful.
Dread lodged in his stomach as he reached the end of the list. He scrolled back to the top, his eyes snagging on Hallie’s name once more.
I can’t.Reaching out to her would be the worst thing he could do right now. Not only for himself, but the girls too. Penelope had already handed over her loyalty wrapped in shiny paper and a pretty bow. Even Isla had warmed up to her in her reserved way. He couldn’t give Hallie the opportunity to get even closer, only to break their hearts later.
But what other choice did he have?
Opening his messages again, his thumbs hovered over the screen before he typed out another text.
Christian: Do you think Hallie could do it?
Three dots appeared underneath his message, signaling Tyler’s impending response.
Tyler: Hallie?
Christian: Yeah. I don’t know who else to call. Would you trust her with your kid?
He stared at the screen, waiting for his friend’s reply as his stomach filled with dread. He was supposed to be avoiding her, not handing her an invitation to become even more ingrained in his family.
Tyler: Yes.
Tyler: You can trust her.
There was a brief pause before another text came through.
Tyler: Is there something between you two that I should know about?
Christian dropped his head onto his phone. He knew his friend would be skeptical. Heck, he was skeptical too. Especially by the way he couldn’t get her out of his head. And how his heart pounded in both exhilaration and contentment every time she came near. It wasn’t smart entertaining any sort of ideas involving her though. Not with her obvious discomfort around the girls.
But that discomfort had become less each time she’d been with them. It was practically nonexistent at the park last Thursday. Still, he couldn’t leave the girls with anyone he hadn’t vetted first.
And he’d put his life in Tyler’s hands without hesitation at this point. He knew Christian’s situation, and how protective he was of the girls. If he trusted his sister enough to give her the green light, then Christian could too.
