CHAPTER FOUR
BAILEY TOOK A DEEPbreath before she walked in the house. Judging by all the vehicles in the driveway, she was the last to arrive. She’d been dragging her feet a bit. It wasn’t as though she didn’t like to hang out with her family, but this time of year there was always a heaviness in the air that no one liked to talk about. Everyone tried to pretend that they hadn’t had their hearts ripped out twenty Christmases ago. Sometimes she wondered whether they were all just throwing window dressing on the situation, hoping that all the tinsel and the sparkly lights would make up for their huge loss.
On her way over here she had made a quick stop at her house to pick up Foxy Brown, her Jack Russell terrier. The sweet pup was a stay-at-home dog who had visits during theday with her dog sitter, Imani. At the end of the workday, Bailey and Foxy Brown missed each other, which always led to a sweet reunion. Bringing her pup along to her mother’s house only made sense.
“Be a good girl,” Bailey crooned as she nestled the dog against her chest.
The smell of gingerbread wafted through the air. It was a bittersweet aroma for Bailey. So many good memories were tied up in that scent, yet she always felt the loss of her father so acutely whenever she thought about making gingerbread houses with him as a kid. Charlie Daniels had always brought the fun, and he’d made the art of gingerbread houses into a festive competition with no winners and no losers. He had been the ultimate girl dad, lifting his daughters up into the stratosphere.
Bailey walked into the kitchen. The sight of her mother taking gingerbread out of the oven, her long hair in a messy bun and glasses sitting on the rim of her nose, caused a squeezing sensation in her chest. Mom. Her hero. Cheryl Daniels. The woman who’d raised her and her sisters after the tragic loss of her husband and encouraged them all to fly and follow their dreams. She had gone through a rocky period after her husband’s death, but she had rebounded. She’d even gone back to school and become an RN, all while raising four kids.
“Something smells good in here,” Bailey called out as she entered the room. She didn’t want to say what she was thinking, but it smelled like Christmas.
“Bailey!” her mother said, turning toward her as she placed the hot rack on top of the stove. “I’ve been waiting foryou to get here.” Her red-and-green apron had dancing elves boogying with Santa Claus. She’d worn the same apron ever since they were kids, and it always made Bailey smile.
Bailey enveloped her petite mother in a tight embrace. Her mom kissed her on the cheek, emitting a light floral fragrance she’d been wearing all Bailey’s life. “Foxy Brown,” her mother cried out. “It’s so good to see you.” She began raining kisses down on the pup, who was loving all the attention.
Bailey looked around the kitchen. “Where is everyone?” None of her sisters were anywhere to be seen.
Her mom made a face. “Helping me find some decorations in the attic. We figured that you wouldn’t want to help with that.” Cheryl’s voice was gentle and soothing. Her mother empathized with her. Everyone in her family knew how she felt about Christmas. A part of her felt bad about being a Debbie Downer, but she hadn’t been able to find a way to shift her emotions. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have helped bring a few holiday boxes down,” she said, feeling sheepish.
“I know you would have, honey, but why put you through it?” Cheryl said with a shrug. “It would only make you unhappy. We don’t want that.”
Suddenly Bailey felt fragile even though she considered herself a tough cookie.
The chatter of voices followed by thumping sounds heralded the arrival of her sisters. Bailey walked toward the hallway just in time to see Gemma, Lynn, and Regina struggling with an oversize box brimming with decorations. She rushed over and grabbed a side of the box, offering her support.
As soon as they made their way into the living room, the sisters placed the box down on the hardwood floor with athump. Regina bent over at the waist, breathing heavily. “Why are these boxes way up in the attic anyway?”
“To torture us,” Gemma grumbled.
“What’s in there?” Lynn asked, panting. “It seemed like we were carrying one-hundred-pound weights.”
“Thanks for the assist, Bailey,” Gemma said, holding her lower back. “Not sure we would have made it without your help.” With her mahogany-colored skin and long braids, her older sister was beautiful. But all her sisters were lovely in their own way. Regina was petite, with delicate features and tawny-colored skin. Lynn was tall with freckles like Bailey’s and the same curly hair and complexion. Of the sisters, they resembled each other the most in looks. Their personalities were quite different, with Lynn being on the quieter side and Bailey being more lively. It had led to a few clashes between them, since Lynn seemed to disapprove of her living life out loud while Bailey had definitely disapproved of Lynn’s engagement to Kai. And her honesty about it had led to a breakdown in their relationship.
“Yeah, thanks, Bailey,” Regina said. “You’re a lifesaver.”
Lynn simply nodded. Her eyes were still red-rimmed, and she looked as if she hadn’t slept in days.Damn Kai and his narcissism, she thought savagely. He was turning out to be exactly the type of man she had believed him to be. Not that anyone had listened to her.
Okay, she reminded herself.It’s not about you.Lynn was hurting.
“So, are we setting up in the dining room?” Bailey asked, peering into the next room.
“Yep,” Gemma said. “We were just killing time until you got here.”
Their mother had wrangled them into helping her out with a project for the local nursing home residents. They were packaging up gingerbread treats to hand out at the facility. It was an annual tradition and something Bailey enjoyed participating in. The folks at the nursing home were so incredibly grateful. Plus, she loved the taste of gingerbread even though it represented Christmas.
They headed into the dining room just as their mother appeared, carrying a large tray of cookies. Plastic bags and red ribbons sat on the table. They all took a seat and began assembling the bags.
“How are you doing?” Bailey asked, looking over at Lynn, who was being unusually quiet.
“How do you think I’m doing?” Lynn snapped. “I’ve been dumped by the love of my life. And the wedding I’ve been planning for a year isn’t going to be happening.”
Everyone turned their head in her direction. Her sister’s voice had been dripping with bitterness and anger.
“Lynn,” their mother said in a warning tone. The expression etched on Cheryl’s face was one of concern mixed with irritation. Ever since the breakup with Kai, her sister had been living with their mother, since the condo belonged to her ex. According to her sisters, the living situation had been filled with high drama and tension. Lynn had been uncharacteristically ill-tempered and moody. Everyone knew she was in pain, but it was uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of her sharp tongue.
“I’m sorry. That was rude,” Lynn said, ducking her head. “I just feel so lost. My whole life is in shambles. Everything I thought about my future isn’t going to happen now.”
