1
HAILEY
Hailey Sinclair walked down Park Avenue toward the lights of the little real estate office, feeling like she had stepped into a dream.
Light snow flurries drifted softly through the cold night air, and she peeked out from under her fuzzy hat at all the familiar sights from her childhood laid out before her.
There was Gabriel’s Drugstore, decorated for the holidays. As she passed through the pool of light that spilled out onto the sidewalk, she spotted some familiar faces inside, chatting and shopping.
Farther down the block were Scandinavian Sundries and Locally Made, two of her mom’s favorites for home decor and gifts. Hailey had spent countless hours with her browsing the handmade mugs and beautiful woolen throws over the years.
And across the street, the Jolly Beans Café window featured garlands strung with old-fashioned, brightly colored Christmas tree bulbs. The owner, Pete, hadprobably made his famous holiday cranberry bread by now, and she imagined walking in and the whole place smelling like freshly brewed coffee and heaven.
Nothing has changed, Hailey thought to herself, her heart aching as she approached her destination—the storefront with the Victorian dollhouse decorated for the holidays in the window.
Well, one thing has changed…
But she wasn’t going to think about Ransom Wright.
Sloane Greenfield waved to her from the office window, and Hailey pushed the door open and stepped inside, stomping the soles of her suede boots clean on the mat in the entrance.
It was a small office, but cozy and bright. The walls were adorned with framed black and white photos of Trinity Falls from back when there were no suburbs and the little town and the community college were surrounded by unspoiled farmland.
“Welcome home,” Sloane said with a smile as she hopped up to give Hailey a hug.
“Thank you,” Hailey told her, pulling down her fluffy red scarf so her friend could see her smile. “And thank you for helping me out with the property.”
“It was my pleasure,” Sloane said. “I’m really glad you’re coming home.”
“Me too,” Hailey said, mostly telling the truth.
“Nothing much has changed,” Sloane said, gesturing to the little town out the window. “As you can see. When you get settled, give me a call and I’ll stop by with a little something for you.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Hailey said. “But you’rewelcome to stop by anytime for a cup of coffee. I’d love to catch up.”
That earned her a real smile back, and she felt something loosen in her chest.
It was odd being in the entertainment business, even in the limited way Hailey had been. People got weird once you were semi-famous, even though you were no different than you were before. Sometimes it took a lot to shake them up and remind them that you were still you. But Sloane was warming up faster than most—Hailey had to give her credit for that.
“I will,” Sloane told her, handing her a keychain with a red ribbon on it. “And here’s your amazing Christmas gift to yourself. I stopped over there earlier today to check on the place. Text me if you need anything at all.”
“Thank you,” Hailey said, feeling a little breathless as she took it.
The jingle of the keys was almost festive and the weight was satisfying in her hand.
Finally, I have something to show for all those years away from home.
The numbers in her bank account had been impressive as they grew right along with her bit of fame, but a house was different. It wasreal.
“Feels good to have a home of your own, doesn’t it?” Sloane asked, echoing her thoughts and smiling at the keys in Hailey’s hand.
“Really good,” Hailey agreed, smiling back.
She loved the city, but it had never really felt like home to her. She’d been back in Trinity Falls all of five minutes now and she was already noticing layers of stressfalling away. It was a shame her parents had sold their own house and moved out to Arizona not long after she’d gone off to New York. But the dry air was good for Dad’s allergies, and it was better to buy a place of her own—their tiny house in the village would never have worked for what she wanted to do.
“I really don’t feel right not giving you a heads-up about Ransom,” Sloane said softly as Hailey prepared to head back out into the snowy late afternoon.
Throughout the process of buying the house, Sloane had tried to tell Hailey about him more than once, but Hailey already knew all she needed to know—her ex-boyfriend had married someone else and had two kids now. She didn’t want to hear any more about it, because she didn’t need Sloane finding out that the mere mention of her high school sweetheart still made her feel like a rejected teenager.
