Page 15 of Hold My Heart

“Uh huh.” She sounded skeptical.

They pushed the cart to the left down a short aisle toward the children’s section. “So we went, and we spent all afternoon trying to figure out how to get the worm to stay on the hook. We tried and tried and each of us ended up with our fingers bleeding.”

“That sounds horrible! And a recipe for tetanus if I’ve ever heard one. I hope you all were up to date on your shots.”

“At the end of the day, we had three tiny fish and a whole mess of cuts and bruises between us. You know what it taught me?”

“Your father should have taken the time to go out with you to show you how it should be done?” she supplied.

“It taught me that they trusted me to make my own mistakes.”

Olympia stopped in front of a vertical display of colorful pink and purple pillows. “Yes, well, I trustmyselftoavoidpotential mistakes.” Renee quieted long enough to reach out, finger one, and yank it from the shelf in a fit of anger. It toppled to the floor. “I believe it would be a mistake to let her down now, for instance.”

Harlan couldn’t stop himself from reaching over. “Take my hand.” He held out his palm for Renee to take. “You’re not getting out of this cart unless you go with me or Aunt Olympia.”

Renee fixed him with a perfect pout. “I can do it myself.”

“I know you can. And I’m sure your mommy and daddy knew what a well-behaved young lady you really are. Thing is, sprout, you still need to prove it tome. If today goes well, then we can see about relaxing some of those strict rules your aunt put on you at home.”

“She’s not my aunt,” Renee insisted. Still, she took his hand and let him help her out of the cart. She beat at his shoulder for a moment before reaching freedom.

“I think you need to trust her a little more,” Harlan said to Olympia.

“Maybe it’syouI should trust, eh?”

“I think so, as I’m only here to help.”

She turned her attention to him, nibbling the inside of her lip as she was prone to do when she thought hard about something. Or someone. “Fine,” she replied at last, stepping back. “We’ll try it your way. Maybe I’m way too overprotective and I have no idea what I’m doing. At least she’s quieting down.” Which was true. The moment Renee’s feet touched the floor, the sobs hitched to a low whine, her gaze focused on the colorful pillows. “Do you have her?”

Harlan reached down to take the child’s hand. “Absolutely. You keep the cart and we’ll see what kind of shopping trouble we can get into.”

Olympia shot him a look that said she wasn’t surprised. “Spend the last of my savings?”

“It’s worth it if Renee can be comfortable in her room,” he teased.

“Oh, sure. I’d forgotten that one pink princess pillow can mean the difference between happiness and misery.”

His brows lifted in surprise. This was the first time she had teased him without going straight for sarcasm first. “You know, exercise is important too.”

“For her or for me?”

“Both. Me too. I’ve been getting a little pudgy around the midsection. Chasing after her might do me some good.” He used his free hand to squeeze the bit of extra flesh below his belly button.

“Maybe if you wouldn’t eat an entire bag of white cheddar popcorn every night, then you wouldn’t have to worry about pudge.” She laughed when he turned wide eyes in her direction. “What? You didn’t think I would notice? There’s always a new empty bag in my trash can. I’ve seen proof of your dirty little secret, mister.”

“It’s out in the open. What can I do?” Harlan stared balefully at the ceiling before Renee tugged on his arm, determined to drag him halfway across the store in seconds. Olympia followed them to a display of a fully-made child’s bed with a diamond-patterned sheet set.

“Work on exercising your self-control, maybe,” she teased.

“I can’t. I’ve tried, especially by making healthier food choices for my clients. But I’m afraid it’s too late for me. When I think about popcorn, or a burger with thick slices of cheese and crispy bacon and sliced tomatoes...” He trailed off, his mouth watering. “When I’m by myself, I get into the habit of eating right out of the pan or over the kitchen sink. Sometimes hot food just shoved in your mouth can taste way better than if it’s on a plate.”

“I worry about you,” she said, quirking a brow.

“Why?”

“What kind of bad habits are you teaching the baby when I’m not around?”

He smiled down at Renee. “Oh, I recognize that I’m a bad influence. At least I try to watch myself when I’m around children. It’s like I have no option. I have tomakea good choice or else. You like these sheets, Renee? Think they would look nice on your bed?”

---