Chapter 327
“Hi, everyone.” Hadley greeted them with a shy smile, her eyes twinkling.
Eric couldn’t suppress a mocking chuckle as he turned away, his thoughts darkening. A woman in love, indeed.
Denver continued, his tone light, “Since everyone’s familiar with Hadley, we’ll skip the formalities, okay?”
Hadley, still smiling, nodded in agreement.
Denver then noticed the bag Hadley was holding. “That bag looks heavy. Why not put it down?”
“Not heavy at all. It’s actually for you,” Hadley responded with a slight shake of her head. “I brought a gift for your birthday.”
“Really?” Denver’s expression brightened instantly. “You’ve brought a gift for my birthday?”
Hadley was torn between laughter and tears. “Could I really show up to your birthday without a gift?”
She nibbled on her lip, feeling a tad embarrassed. “It’s not anything fancy. If it’s not to your liking, maybe just quietly get rid of it.”
Reminiscent of how Eric had discarded the shirt…
Denver reassured her warmly, “I’m certain I’ll appreciate whatever you’ve chosen.”
His curiosity piqued, Denver asked, “What have you brought? May I open it now?”
Many gifts had come his way, but Hadley’s piqued Denver’s interest the most.
“Now? Like I said, it’s nothing fancy…” Hadley murmured. “Just a little something handcrafted by me.”
“Handcrafted by you?” Denver’s interest deepened. “Can you at least hint at what it is?”
“It’s a shirt,” she said.
Handing him the bag, she suggested, “Why not take it home, open it there, and see how it fits? Don’t worry if it’s not right or if you don’t care for it. But if you do like it but it needs some tweaks, I can alter it.”
“I love it!” Denver’s enthusiasm was unmistakable as he grasped the bag. “I’m sure I’ll love it. Anything you made…”
His excitement was evident, feeling a thrill at the novelty.
“You crafted this yourself, you said?” Denver was genuinely astonished. “I had no idea you had such skills.”
“Yes,” Hadley responded, chuckling at his amazement.
Denver’s joy upon receiving the gift was evident, filling Hadley with even greater pleasure.
“You’re incredible!”
“Not really,” Hadley humbly dismissed the compliment. “I picked up a bit from my grandmother; she was a wonderful seamstress.”
“That’s quite admirable!” Denver praised.
He felt a strong urge to unwrap the gift immediately, yet he refrained, not wanting to diminish the specialness of the moment. This gift from Hadley was truly special.
He resolved to open it later when alone.