Page 28 of The Wedding Favor

Abe frowned. “She did that, too?”

“Uh huh.” She put her elbow on the counter and rested her chin in her hand. She stared at her father with unwavering eyes. Then she sniffled. “I think she forgot about me.”

“I’ll figure something out,” he said, putting his arm on her shoulders and pulling her in for a hug.

After a moment, Hallie sat up and said she needed to use the restroom. We watched her trudge off, her head hung low.

“You know you just got snowed, right?” I gathered up their empty plates. “She’s good.”

A frown tugged at his mouth. “You think?”

“She really played it up. I thought the sniffle was a nice touch.” I grinned. “I like her.”

“She knows she’s got me wrapped around her finger. I probably spoil her, but I didn’t even know she existed until she was four.” His smile was sad. “I have a lot to make up for.”

I wanted to ask him a million questions. He was a mystery and familiar to me at once. I’d known of his existence, but I didn’t know his story. Why hadn’t he known about Hallie? Where had he gone for those years that his parents didn’t hear from him? Why choose now to move back to Two Harts? What did that tattoo say on his arm?

“Does she get to see her mom?”

“They talk on the phone. She left Hallie with her mother when she was a baby and went to find herself in Arizona. Her mom started having some health issues so she tracked me down. Just showed up on my doorstep in Colorado one day.”

“That must have been…”

“Terrifying? Yes, yes, it was.” He stared into his glass of iced tea. “I had no idea what I was doing. But now I can’t imagine my life without her.”

I cleared the lump in my throat. His whole life changed in a matter of minutes, but he’d stepped up. “A lot of fathers would have run far away. Hallie is lucky to have you.”

“Nah. I’m the lucky one.”

Hallie skipped back to her seat. She’d managed to get the front of her shirt wet, and her hands weren’t quite dry. A bit of pie crust was floating in her hair.

“Iris, can you be my babysitter?” Hallie folded her hands and put them under her chin, “You would probably remember to feed me.”

I winced. I did like Hallie and I owed Abe a favor or two. But I hadn’t expected this favor to take up the entire summer, and the black hole that was my future reminded me that I had no idea what I was doing with my life. That’s what I needed to focus on. Except, the guy was literally going to Aidan’s wedding with me. Let’s be honest—that was like volunteering for torture.

I owed him. I owed him big time. Guilt edged its way into my brain.

“I promise I’d be real good. Please.”

“No pressure,” I muttered.

“Hal, that’s enough.” Abe stood and held out a hand to her. “We need to get out of Iris’s hair so she can close up the café.”

Hallie must have sensed my hesitation. Her big brown eyes gazed at me with such hope. I was now witnessing the full force of her considerable persuasive skills. “Say yes. Please say yes.”

“I’m sorry about this,” Abe said with a grimace.

“It’s okay.” I rounded the counter and crouched in front of Hallie. “I don’t think this is a good time for me.”

“But why?” she asked.

I winced. Was her bottom lip trembling? Maybe I was a monster.

“I have a lot on my plate. I need to google how easy it is to become a chocolatier and then prepare for my ex-boyfriend’s wedding and that’s going to take up a lot of my time. Plus, I have to work during the day and then⁠—”

“Hallie,” Abe said firmly, “she said no and what do we say about no?”

“It’s a whole sentence,” Hallie said. Were her eyes glistening with tears now? “I understand, Iris, but if you change your mind, I will owe you a thousand favors.”