Hallie’s defenses elevated.
“Penelope is a doll, of course,” Carrie continued. “So sweet, like my Sammy. But Isla has some real psychological issues that need serious intervention. I heard she lashed out at a woman last week. Full on assaulted her.”
Hallie’s guard took an even larger spike, turning into a full-blown case of indignation. Assuming she wasn’t mistaken,shewas the woman Carrie referred to. How dare she spread gossip about a situation she knew nothing about?
Assault? Please.
“The worst part is, her dad enables her. Just the other day, I spoke to him as a concerned neighbor, and he immediately turned it onto me like it was somehow my daughter’s fault that Isla is ostracized at school. I refuse to let my Sammy play with her anymore. Why would I subject her to such a dangerous child?”
Okay, Hallie really disliked this woman. Did Carrie just enjoy stirring up trouble everywhere she went? Or were her claims about Christian’s daughter valid? Perhaps the kicking incident hadn’t been the only—or worse—outburst Isla had committed. Was her behavior really as bad as Carrie made it seem?
She pushed those thoughts from her head. Sure, she didn’t know Christian very well, but Tyler did. And she trusted her brother way more than this neighborhood gossip.
“Christian is doing the best he can,” she said, refusing to listen to Carrie disparage his family any longer. “We can’t all be so perfect. Excuse me.”
Carrie’s mouth dropped open in shock seconds before Hallie slid into the driver’s seat, ending the conversation. She plugged the address to Penelope’s preschool into her phone, giving Christian’s busybody neighbor a chance to clear out of the driveway before backing out.
The woman was nothing but the worst kind of gossip—one who didn’t care about having the facts correct or not. Hallie couldn’t take anything she said with more than a grain of salt.
That didn’t stop doubt from creeping into her mind on the drive to the girls’ schools. It shrouded her already confusing feelings over Christian into darker shadows. Maybe it was wise to step back even further from this thing developing with him.
If only she’d taken her brother’s worry more seriously.
“Do you need help buckling your seatbelt?” Hallie asked, stepping out of the front office of Isla’s school with both girls at her side. She pulled her key fob from her front pocket to unlock her sedan parked at the far end of the lot.
“I know how to do it,” Isla answered quietly. The poor girl’s bottom lip puckered like she was holding back tears.
Christian had been spot on when he’d warned of his daughter’s likely reaction at the abrupt change of plans. They’d managed to get through pick up without any meltdowns, especially the kicking kind. But now Hallie had the strangest urge to scoop the little girl into a hug, despite the doubts swirling around her as a result of Carrie’s gossip.
Hallie grabbed Penelope’s hand as they crossed in between two SUVs waiting in the pick-up lane, their hazard lights flashing. When she arrived at the school, she’d contemplated joining the line—it certainly would’ve been easier with Penelope in the car—but she hadn’t known how long it would take to verify her ID. Parking had seemed the best option this time.
This time?There wouldn’t be a next time.
Once the girls were buckled into their seats, they drove to Christian’s house in silence, except for Penelope’s occasional gleeful exclamations over what she saw out the back window. The quiet only intensified the nerves doing a jig in Hallie’s stomach.
What am I supposed to do with them until Christian gets home?She didn’t even know when that would be.
Her heart thumped in her throat as they pulled into the driveway. Carrie wasn’t in sight, thank goodness, though the reminder of theirinteraction—and the four yorkies yipping at their leashes—stirred up unpleasant feelings about what she’d find inside the house.
Maybe he put the dog in the yard.Owners didn’t usually keep their pets inside when they were home, did they? Wouldn’t leaving them to run free be recipe for disaster? Certainly a big mess, at the very least.
“Let’s go inside,” Hallie said, sliding from the driver’s seat. She helped the girls from the back, and they walked up the path to the front door, decorated with a display of pumpkins in various colors and shapes.
Isla thumped her backpack onto the porch while Hallie looked up the text Christian had sent with the front door code. Summoning all the good vibes she could muster that Princess Pumpkin wasn’t in the house, she typed the numbers into the keypad above the handle and pushed the door open.
No such luck. The golden retriever came bounding toward them from the kitchen as soon as they stepped inside. Flinching, Hallie pulled into herself. Images of her neighbor’s dog danced through her mind as her breath came in short gasps. Her pulse sped out of control, and she turned, bracing for the attack.
“Pumpkin, sit,” Isla commanded.
No paws collided with Hallie’s back; no teeth marks broke her skin. Could she really be safe?
After a few seconds, she braved a look over her shoulder. The dog sat a few feet away, tongue hanging out, tail whipping against the hardwood floor. But it was still baring its teeth.
Or was that a smile?
Either way, she appeared safe for the moment. She turned all the way around but kept her guard up. Dogs could attack at any time.
“Pumpkin no hurt you,” Penelope said in her adorable three-year-old voice. “She say hi.”
