“Nope. What’s up?”
He exhaled deeply, and Hallie’s stomach twisted with dread. She closed her door before dropping onto her bed.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Christian puffed out another breath. “Actually, not really. My boss set up this mandatory but totally unnecessary meeting for this afternoon. I don’t know what to do with my kids. My sister usually watches them but she’s taking a test.”
Where was he going with this?
“Tyler is working Downtown today, and my mom’s on a cruise. The girls’ nanny moved, and I haven’t found another one. There’s no one else to take them. I know this is probably crossing so many boundaries—and I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate—but your brother said I could trust you, so … would you be able to watch them?”
He wantedherto stay with his girls?
Alone?
Wait, herbrothersaid that?Oh boy, I’m going to hear about this later.
Christian trusted her—the girl who, at fourteen, had let a kid ride his big wheel off the deck—to take care of his precious children? Her, the one who’d spent her teenage years hustling for tips as a waitress in Mom’s café instead of building up her babysitting skills?
The queasiness turning her stomach thickened. Sure, she’d grown more comfortable around the girls lately. She didn’t feel so out of her element, and even Isla seemed okay with her around. But…
“I don’t know, Christian,” she said. “I’ve never watched them alone before. I’m not sure it’s such a good idea.”
“Please, Hallie?” The distress in his voice cut straight through her heart. “I’ve exhausted all other options. I’ll pay. Whatever you want.”
“You can’t afford me.” Wow, that attempt at a joke sounded arrogant. So much for lightening the mood.
He pushed out a breathy laugh. “It would be worth it. I’m that desperate.”
No kidding.
And she could use the money that came from watching the girls. It wouldn’t solve her need of finding more clients, but every little bit helped.
Her shoulders sagged. “What time should I pick them up?”
He exhaled again, the relief coming through the line. “Isla’s school gets out at three-thirty, but she’s been going to Kid Care the last few weeks, which ends at five. You can pick up Penelope any time after four.”
He explained the pickup process, promising to text her the addresses of the girls’ schools, and reminded her to bring her ID.
“I’ll call the schools to put you on the pickup list,” he continued. “Thank yousomuch, Hallie. You’re an angel.”
Angel?No one had ever called her that. And coming from him made the flutter in her stomach transfer to her heart.
“What about car seats?” Sticking with the conversation kept her from analyzing the nickname too much. Or her body’s reaction to it.
“There’s an extra set in the garage. The high-backed booster is for Isla, and Penelope’s is the five-point harness. You should be able to clip both into the anchors in your backseat.”
“I know how to do it. I’ve installed Will’s before.”
“Great.” She could feel his weight lifting through the phone. “I’ll text you the code to the garage and the front door. And there’s one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
Christian’s silence triggered Hallie’s lingering uncertainty. It felt like he was about to drop a major bomb.
“Isla struggles with separation anxiety,” he finally said. “It’s gottena lot better, but she’s hit a bit of a relapse since her nanny left. I know she won’t be happy with the change of plans.”
“Oh.” Nausea rippled in Hallie’s stomach. “How can I help her?”
