“She likes us,” Mae put in cheerfully.
“That’s true,” Ransom said. “Well, maybe she’ll remember that and change her mind about the other guy. Now who wants Christmas cookies?”
Obviously, everyone wanted cookies. But he couldn’thelp noticing that the kids seemed to prefer the chocolate chippers they had made with Hailey over the beautiful Christmas cookies Willow brought over.
Thoughts of Hailey had haunted him all day, no matter how many carols they sang or funny old stories of past Christmases they told to the kids while they devoured their snacks.
And the more time that passed, the more certain he was of exactly what he needed to do to make this Christmas absolutely perfect.
“Hey,” he said quietly to Willow. “Is there any chance you could stay with these guys while I run out for a bit?”
It felt a little like when he’d asked Hailey to watch the kids and left in a hurry yesterday.
Am I that guy who runs out into the snow to get all emotional now?
But he had a feeling this was his last time, one way or the other.
“Of course,” she said. “Take as long as you need.”
He had no idea if she already knew where he was headed, but suddenly he felt like he couldn’t bear to wait another moment before telling Hailey what was in his heart.
“I’ll be right back, guys,” he told the kids as he headed to the door to pull on his boots and coat.
Pushing open the front door, he was met with a crisp breeze and the glittering sight of the sun reflecting in the icicles that hung from the porch roof.
The fields all around were thick with snow. The driveway, the path to the barn for the dogs, and the one he hadcarved through the line of pine trees were the only places a man could walk without being hip deep in it.
Good thing there’s no place else I want to go.
He didn’t harbor any great expectations about what was going to happen when he got to the farmhouse.
Hailey probably wouldn’t be too happy to see him. And she might even be offended at what he told her.
For all he knew, Caspian had made it down from New York now that the roads were cleared, and he would be interrupting their Christmas together.
But Ransom knew better than most people that there were no guarantees in life. Hailey was right here, right now. And if he didn’t say his piece, he might never get another chance.
And if she’s alone, even if she doesn’t feel the same, she shouldn’t spend the whole day by herself.
The familiar sight of the snow-frosted farmhouse where he had grown up tugged at his heart. Hailey Sinclair could have bought any house she wanted—a penthouse in the city, a beach bungalow on the west coast, or a fancy home in any exotic location in the world.
But she had chosen the house where they had fallen in love.
It doesn’t have to mean anything,he reminded himself.
But deep down, he felt that it did.
He jogged up the front steps and knocked on the front door before he lost his nerve.
A moment later, it opened to reveal Hailey.
She looked as beautiful as ever in a pair of green and red flannel pajamas. Her blonde hair was pulled up in aponytail with tendrils escaping to curl slightly around her elegant neck.
Her blue eyes looked brighter than ever, but it was because they were swollen and rimmed in red.
“Hailey,” he said softly, forgetting the reason he had come. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I’m fine, Ransom,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”
