Brad chuckled. “Hallie is one of my favorite people in the world. She deserves to be happy. If that’s with you, I see no problem with it.”
That’s reassuring.At least Christian had a few more days above ground.
“But if you break her heart, I’ll break your nose.” One side of Brad’s mouth tipped up slightly, though a warning hung in his tone.
Christian didn’t intend to break her heart. He wanted it for himself. And that required a conversation that sent the nerves coursing through him just as much as the day he’d held his newborn daughter for the first time.
He’d managed to protect his kids all these years. But could he do the same for Hallie’s heart?
Hallie set a folded pair of Brad’s athletic shorts on top of the pile of laundry next to her on the couch. “I hope it’s okay I brought Christian with me. I wanted to give the guys a chance to talk.”
Had they cleared the air? Even if they didn’t go back to being best friends, she hoped talking would at least bring Christian an element of peace in his otherwise heavy emotional load.
Cassie waved away the concern with her empty fork. “I don’t mind. Brad has always felt bad about what happened between them, but he didn’t know how to approach the situation.”
“Christian too.” Hallie left it at that.
Cassie arched her back to stretch before relaxing against the arm again. “You seem really comfortable with him. Are you dating?”
Hallie didn’t miss the eagerness in her friend’s tone. She grabbed one of Cassie’s blouses from the laundry basket at her feet to disguise her urge to squirm. “No.”
Laughter floated toward them from down the hall, interrupting the pointed quiet that followed her answer. Hallie recognized Christian’s immediately, erupting warm fuzzies in her chest.
Cassie leaned forward, her perfect eyebrows raised. “You care about him, though. I can see it all over your face.”
Hallie hadn’t realized she’d been smiling until she touched her cheeks.
“I do.” More than cared for him, probably. There was no point hiding it now. “We kissed.”
Cassie squealed. “Hallie!”
“Shhhh.” Hallie threw the pair of socks she’d balled together at her friend. “They’ll hear you.”
Cassie tossed her apologetic glance toward the hallway, though her grin didn’t disappear. Hallie hadn’t seen her this energized since before finding out about the baby. “So … how was it?”
Good. Wonderful. Fantastic. Awe-inspiring.
Hallie said none of those out loud.
“Okay, I’ll guess,” Cassie said. “The kiss was bad, and you wish it was good.”
“No.” Definitely not that.
Cassie tried again. “So, it was good, and you wish it was … bad?”
Hallie dropped her head into her hands, massaging her temples. In her calculated logic, she’d always thought falling in love would be straightforward. You either loved someone, or you didn’t. Easy.
But there was nothing straightforward or easy about this situation.
“I’m confused,” Cassie admitted.
You and me both, sister.Hallie pushed out a sigh that ended in a groan. “It was the most incredible kiss of my life, and I want to do it again, but I shouldn’t because I can’t date him.” She paused for a breath. “I’m not ready to be a mom, and I feel selfish for even entertaining a relationship that can’t go anywhere. Plus, I’m worried that I’ve given my heart to an emotionally unavailable man.”
She slumped against the back of the couch, a weight lifting from her shoulders by finally speaking her burdens out loud.
“Wow,” Cassie said. “That’s a lot to unpack.”
Hallie pulled her legs onto the couch and hugged her knees. “And on top of it all, I kind of promised Tyler I wouldn’t date Christian.”
