“You fixed it today? You really didn’t need to do that, I’m sure you have better things to be doing, what with it being Christmas and all.”
“I didn’t mind,” Kemp shrugged. “I’m actually flying solo today, so it was no big deal. Tell Chase I’ll catch up with him later. And tell him he owes me. Again.”
“Um…okay…”
“Well, I’m gonna head out. Here’re your keys.”
“Thank you. Again,” she said, accepting the keys and sliding them into her pocket. “Truly.”
“Enjoy the rest of your day.” He turned and walked off before she could ask him how he was getting home without a car. She watched for a moment longer, but he didn’t turn back. She shrugged and headed inside, clicking the door shut behind her.
It wasn’t until she was halfway back to the kitchen that the significance of the keys in her pocket hit her, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her car was fixed. She could take Riley, get in it, and be three towns away by dark.
It was true that she hadn’t seen nor heard from Michael since she’d come here, but how long would things stay that way? Chase was such a good man, and he’d been so nice to her and Riley. She couldn’t risk him getting caught up in her problems. He’d been good to her, and he deserved better than that. He might think he felt something for her, but truth was, she was bad news, and she came with a lot of baggage. He’d be much better off without her.
Plus, she reasoned with herself, Chase was hiding things from her, things that he thought could scare her away. He and Riley had already developed a bond, even though it had only been a day. Things would only get worse the longer she stayed. She should end things before she got in too deep.
But, on the other hand, Chase was perfect.Literallyperfect. He was everything she wanted for herself and Riley. A good father, a loving partner, a fantastic lover—he was all these things and more. If she left, would she be throwing away her best chance at happiness?
Probably. But that didn’t make it okay for her to lead him on like this when she didn’t know when she’d have to leave again. She shouldn’t have gotten involved with him; it was only making things harder.
She should just go. It would be easier to leave before Chase got back. A cowardly choice on her part, but she knew if she waited for him, he’d try and convince her to stay—for at least a couple more days.
But a couple of days would turn into a couple of weeks. And a couple of weeks would turn into a couple of months. Already, she could feel herself falling in love with him. How would she feel a year from now?
She’d known from the beginning that Michael would never stop chasing her. She couldn’t have peace as long as he was free. And Michael would never be caught. There was nothing she could do. The best she could hope for was him eventually losing interest. One day.
She couldn’t drag Chase into that. He deserved a normal life with a normal family. And if he wasn’t willing to rip off that band-aid, then she was going to have to do it for him.
*
Hailey’s hand was shaking as she slipped the key into the ignition. She was in a hurry. Her resolve was paper thin. Just seeing Chase at this point would be enough to change her mind.
After Kemp had left, she had immediately rushed to pack, tossing all her old belongings in her bag. She’d scrawled a note for Chase, and threw away the first attempt when her tears made the ink run. Eventually, she settled for just thanking him, and wishing him a good life with a good woman. The gifts he’d given to Riley she’d left behind—all except the red train. Riley had been so attached to it that she couldn’t bear to take it from him, not knowing everything else she was already taking from him. She hoped Chase wouldn’t mind.
She could hear Riley cooing happily behind her. He was back in his car seat, happy as ever, train in one hand and toy reindeer in the other.
Before she knew it, Hailey was back on the road. The drive through the town was uneventful, and though she wasn’t familiar with the area, she just followed the signs to Santa’s Village, knowing she’d be able to find her way from there.
Her stomach twisted as she saw the reindeer walking past the gate as she drove past. She never did end up taking Riley there. Though she supposed he’d made plenty of other wonderful memories instead.
Some part of her urged her to turn around, go back to Chase and talk things out with him, and keep on making memories. Give them a chance, and see where it led. But it wouldn’t be right. Not for Chase, and certainly not for Riley if it all went wrong. No. She just had to make it to the highway and then—
Lights flashed in her periphery, and the car started to spin. The boom of the crash and the screaming of metal hit her ears a split second later and she clutched at the wheel, trying to steer out of the skid…no, wait, into the skid. You were supposed to steerintoa skid. A scream bubbled up her throat but never made it out.
The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a large tree rushing towards them.
*
Hailey’s head was throbbing. Blearily, she opened her eyes, only to close them again at a fresh wave of pain. It was hard to get air into her lungs for some reason; it hurt every time she took a breath.
She groaned and the sound was raspy and weak to her own ears. But that wasn’t important. She needed to get up. She needed to check on Riley.
Through the dizzying pain, she thought she heard a car door opening. The lights turned on, and a little ding sounded. Help was here. She lifted her head to see what was going on, but she could barely make it out. Her vision was too blurry.
There was a small whine of distress, and Hailey’s heart clenched. That was Riley. What was happening? Was that a man with her son? She didn’t recognize him. Who was he?
Riley’s small whine turned into a full-on wail. She realized that the cry was getting quieter and quieter. The man was taking her son.
