They said goodbye to Willow and Jensen, leaving them to play board games and card games until bedtime.
“Do we have to go to bed at the usual time?” Mae asked.
“Of course,” Ransom told her. “But you’ll be glad to have lots of energy tomorrow. The dogs all want to go out and play in the snow.”
“Me too,” Travis crowed.
“Good night, kids,” Hailey told them. “I’m going to head home after we run our errand.”
Mae hugged her tight.
“Will you come over tomorrow?” the little girl asked.
“We’ll see,” Hailey told her, not exactly wanting to invite herself back, but knowing all she wanted was to spend every minute with Ransom and the kids.
“If you’re in love, you should get married,” Travis advised his father before giving Hailey his own hug. “Then we don’t have to keep saying goodbye and hello all the time.”
“That would be convenient,” Ransom agreed, nodding as Hailey tried not to smile.
“Can you read me a story before you go?” Mae asked suddenly.
“Of course,” Ransom told her with a smile.
“I’ll come too,” Travis said, grabbing Mae’s hand and scampering up the stairs with her.
Ransom headed up them, but he appeared at the balcony again a moment later.
“The kids wantyouto read their bedtime story,” he said, rolling his eyes in mock indignation. “Apparently, I can’t compete with a professional actress whodoes all the voices.”
She had read to the kids a few times, and she loved the chance to be silly with them as much as they did, probably more.
“Oh, I’d be glad to,” Hailey said, rushing up the steps to join them.
Travis had a copy ofDon’t Let the Pigeon Drive theSleighin his lap, and Mae was perched on the bed beside him, looking very excited for their silly story.
Hailey came and sat between them, loving the way they leaned against her, peering at the illustrations and snuggling at the same time.
Is this what my life would have been like?
But it did no good to worry about a past you couldn’t change, like Ransom had spent so many years doing.
And it made no sense to focus too intently on a future that was out of your hands, like she had been guilty of doing herself.
As it turned out, the present moment was awfully good, so Hailey lost herself happily in it.
Half an hour later,she was in the passenger seat as Ransom pulled his truck into the driveway for Cassidy Farm.
“I missed this place when I was away,” Hailey said, gazing out the window at the tourist farm where she had come to pick apples and buy Christmas trees with her parents when she was a kid.
The farm looked like a vision of Christmas from a children’s book now. Every building was strung with Christmas lights. And when Ransom drove them back past all the tourist stuff to the family houses beyond, she could see the hill of Christmas trees growing, snow frosting their branches.
She glanced at Shadow in the back seat. The cleverdog was also looking out the window, her tongue out as she panted with excitement, like she knew exactly where she was headed and why.
Ransom parked by the big Victorian.
Hailey moved to get out.
“Wait,” Ransom said.
