Whispers of a Broken Halo by Abbi Glines

When he was no longer a mess, we walked back to the counter just as the girl was putting my coffee down along with a bag.

She glanced down at Cullen and smiled. “That looks good,” she said.

He turned and buried his face in my thigh.

“Sorry, he’s shy,” I explained.

“No worries. Can I get you anything else?” she asked.

I paused for a moment, not sure if my asking for a job application for Tory would look bad or not. The girl was very friendly though, and I doubted my sister had stopped here.

“Well, I noticed your Help Wanted sign,” I began. “Could I have an application? For my sister? She’s out on the hunt for a job today, and this is very close to our apartment.”

The girl’s eyes brightened, and her smile widened. “I don’t have any applications but we have two positions open. We need someone out here, doing what I am doing right now, and then we need someone in the back, helping with the early morning baking.”

Tory was not a baker. That was out, but this front-of-the-store job she could do. “Great. I’ll let her know.”

I could tell the girl wanted to ask me something more, but she didn’t. I figured she would wait and hold the questions for Tory.

Instead, she nodded her head and smiled. “I’m Henley Warren. I’m one of the owners. Have her ask for me when she comes back.”

“Thank you so much,” I replied.

Cullen slipped a sticky hand into mine. I looked down at him to see he had finished his ice cream, although a good deal of it was on his face.

Turning my attention back to Henley, I added, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Bryn Wallace. My sister’s name is Tory.”

The smile on her face grew wider. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Bryn.”

“I want to go home and color,” Cullen said beside me.

I smiled down at him. “This is Cullen,” I told her.

“Well, hello, Cullen. I like that name,” she said. “I read a book series once, and the guy in it had that as his last name.”

He watched her closely but said nothing. His hand still in mine.

“His mother watched the movies about that book when she was pregnant with him. She doesn’t read books,” I explained. “I doubt she knows there is a book series about it. But she did get his name from the Cullens you’re referring to.”

Henley let out a small laugh. “That’s a great name.”

“Can we go now?” Cullen asked me again.

“Just send Tory here and have her ask for me,” Henley told me.

I nodded. “Perfect. I appreciate it. Well, we’d better be going.”

The door opened behind us, and I glanced back to see a group of teenagers dressed like they had walked over from the beach coming inside. I waved good-bye to Henley, and then Cullen and I headed out the door to go back home.

If Tory didn’t mess this up, she could have a great job close to the apartment. I was torn between being excited and worried. She never held on to a job long, so the common denominator was obviously her. I liked Henley Warren, and I wanted Tory to make it work there.

“Aunt Bryn?” Cullen asked me.

“Yes?”

“Do you have to work tonight?” he asked.

“Nope,” I replied.

His hand squeezed mine. “Good. I like it best when you put me to bed. Mama doesn’t tuck me in. She just tells me to go get in bed.”





Chapter Nine

Rio

I waited until Bryn and the little boy were out of sight before stepping out of my Jeep and walking across the street to Signed Sips. I had been driving home from work when I saw them walk out of Henley’s shop and pulled into the closest parking spot. I wanted to know what they had been doing in there and if that kid was Tory’s. Not that I should give a fuck about any of this, but thanks to my sister, I was curious.

The teens who had walked into the shop while Bryn was inside were walking out with drinks, cupcakes, and doughnuts, and one had a sandwich by the time I made it over there. I was glad she would be alone inside. Since I was going to be nosy about shit I shouldn’t be.

Henley’s head snapped up when the bell chimed as I opened the door, and a smile spread across her face when she saw me. I could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she thought she had a secret. Silly girl. That was why I was here. She had no secret.

I would say The Shores was too damn small for secrets, but her life and mine had been full of secrets hidden in this town. We’d found out who our father was—although both our mothers had kept the truth from us—and that our grandmother was still living. Here in this town. Henley worked for our father’s mother now. Well, technically, they were co-owners. She had given Henley half the store and intended to eventually give it all to her.

“Hello, Rio,” Henley said in a singsong voice.

I rolled my eyes. “I saw her leave here,” I said.

“Figures. You never stop by anymore out of the blue,” she said. “You didn’t tell me she was gorgeous. Jeez, Rio! She is stunning. And so sweet. That little boy was precious, and she was great with him. I refuse to believe she bashed your Jeep in. Sorry, I can’t see it. That girl is not crazy. I know crazy. I was raised by crazy, and she had not one small teaspoon of crazy in her eyes. Plus, the way the kid clung to her and trusted her. Kids don’t cling to crazy like that. So, figure it out, but she did not do it.”