“Yes,” she told Mae, feeling grateful. “I’dloveto play games with you after breakfast.”
21
HAILEY
After breakfast, Hailey and the kids had cleaned up while Ransom cleared the driveway and a path to her place. The snow had finally stopped falling, and the road crews would be out soon to clear the way for people to do their holiday visiting.
But Ransom and the kids insisted that she stay for the day since her power was still out.
So now she sat on the floor by the Christmas tree with the kids, helping them put together a train set while Ransom sat on the sofa untangling a spare set of Christmas lights they were planning to put out on the porch.
He was still being oddly distant, but he didn’t exactly seem angry. And she believed him when he told her he wanted her to stay.
As Hailey unpacked pieces of track from the train box, “White Christmas” played on the radio in the kitchen, the nostalgic strains just carrying into the livingroom and adding a sense of peace to the perfect Christmas Eve scene before her.
Mae held the little train’s engine upside down and examined its wheels, while Shadow stood behind her, observing her every move as if there might be a test later.
Travis was busily laying down track. Hailey couldn’t help noticing how he stopped and used one of the cars to test the design every time he put down another piece.
He’s so cautious,she couldn’t help thinking.
In some ways, it was refreshing to see a kid his age being so thoughtful and careful. But it also made her sad to think he was worrying so much about making a mistake while he was playing.
“You’re doing such a great job,” she assured him.
“I don’t want the train to go off the tracks,” he said worriedly.
Me neither, Travis,she thought to herself. Though she wasn’t really thinking about the little train, but her own fool heart.
“What if it did?” she asked.
“It might break,” he said, frowning.
“Well, it’s plastic,” she said. “And it’s on the rug, so I think it would be okay.”
He nodded, the furrow in his brow smoothing a little.
“If it doesn’t go off the track it’ll go really fast,” he said softly as he laid down another piece of track. “And that will make Mae laugh.”
Hailey was pretty sure Mae would laugh even harder if the train did go off the track. But his big brotherly instincts were so admirable that she didn’t want to say so.
“You’re a really great big brother, aren’t you?” she asked him.
“Well, it’s our job to look out for each other,” he said, shrugging. “And I’m bigger.”
“I think you’re both pretty lucky,” she told him.
“Who’s lucky?” Mae asked, crawling over with Shadow at her heels.
“You and your brother,” Hailey told her. “You’ll always have each other.”
Mae shrugged and turned away, making Hailey wonder what that was all about.
“Won’t we?” Travis asked his little sister.
“Daddy is mad at Aunt Willow,” Mae said lightly. “Grandma told Aunt Rhonda so. And that’s his little sister.”
Hailey turned to the sofa, wondering if Ransom had heard that.
