A Christmas Duet

Chapter Two

“Hailey,” Katherine said, breaking into her thoughts, “what if Zach contacts your family?”

Hailey couldn’t deal with that now, when her head was fuzzy with eggnog. Her best option was to put it off until necessary. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. As of now, Mom knows nothing and that’s the way I want to keep it.”

“I’m grateful my mother doesn’t involve herself in my love life,” Katherine murmured.

“Count your blessings. My mo-th-er is exactly the opposite,” Hailey said, drawing out the word. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents. They’re the best. The problem is that all Mom’s friends are grandparents and Mom is dying for grandchildren she can brag about and spoil.”

“I thought you had a sister.”

Hailey closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the sofa. When it came to Daisy, she hardly knew where to start. They looked alike with the same tawny brown hair and chocolate-brown eyes. Both were five-five. As young children, they’d been dressed in identical outfits by their mother. They were so alike they resembled twins. But looks were where the similarities stopped.

While Hailey was reliable and studious, Daisy, her sixteen-months-younger sister, was flighty and impulsive.

“Let’s just say my sister, from the age of ten to this very day, has been a flower child from the sixties. She makes her living selling macramé at farmers’ markets. She grows her own food and hates to wear shoes. We’re about as different as any two sisters could be. Daisy’s relationships never last long. Mom is smart enough to realize Daisy’s unlikely to give her the grandchildren she craves.”

“So that leaves grandchildren squarely on your plate.”

It took Hailey a moment to notice that Katherine was doing her best to hold back a smile.

“This isn’t funny, you know.”

“Sorry,” Katherine mumbled, when she clearly wasn’t. Then, to redeem herself, she changed the subject. “Just think, we have almost two weeks free from classes.”

“I am excited.” And she was.

“I hope you spend at least part of that time writing your music.” Her friend had always been an encourager when it came to Hailey’s dreams.

“I hope so, too.” Those two weeks would fly by in a flash. It was the holidays, after all, and she would be heading to Tacoma, where her parents lived, for Christmas. Busy as she’d been with school, she hadn’t put up a tree or mailed out cards or even started shopping.

“I love your songs,” Katherine said, cutting into her thoughts. “You’re talented, Hailey, and your lyrics are wonderful. I get frustrated when you claim you don’t have the time to do what you love most.”

What her friend said was sadly true. Lowering her gaze to her glass of eggnog, Hailey wanted to blame Zach for the doubts crowding her head. It was time to accept that the only one holding her back was herself.

There’d been a time when she’d enjoyed spending hours sitting at her piano or strumming her guitar in a creative fog. Those moments were all too infrequent these days. Oh, she had excuses, good ones. An entire list of reasons that held her back. Hard as it was to admit, Katherine was right.

“Hey,” Katherine said, her voice full of enthusiasm, “I have a great idea.” She bounced off the sofa and paced in front of the television. “How would you feel about spending Christmas away by yourself?”

“What? How?”

“You’re always talking about never having the time to write music.”

“With school and all…”

“Those are excuses and we both know it.”

Unwilling to argue, Hailey shrugged. She was the queen of excuses, so there was no point in denyingit.

“You’re like the only person I know who doesn’t mind spending time alone.”

Another excuse. “I’m an introvert.” Unlike Daisy, who was friendly and outgoing. Her sister had never met a stranger.

“All the better.” Katherine refused to give up on the idea. “This is perfect. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier.”

“Think about what?” Her friend had lost her between being alone and making excuses.

“My grandma’s cabin in Podunk.”

“Podunk?” Katherine had to be kidding. “There’s an actual town called Podunk?”

“There sure is. It’s beyond me how it got that name.” Katherine continued pacing, bouncing her index finger against her lips. “But that isn’t the point.”

“What is the point, and why are you wearing out my carpet with your pacing?”

Katherine ignored the question. “The thing is, the cabin is a bit remote, but that shouldn’t bother you. Besides, the town is about five miles away.”

“Podunk?”

“Right. There isn’t much there. A store, and when I say ‘store,’ I mean store . It’s one-stop shopping for the entire town.”

“Really?”

“Yup, but I digress. This is perfect. You really need to do this, Hailey.”

“Do what?” she asked, tossing her hands into the air.

Katherine looked at her as if Hailey was completely oblivious to this picture-perfect idea. “You should spend Christmas at the cabin.”

The idea held more appeal than Hailey was willing to admit. Ditching her parents over Christmas, however, was sure to cause problems. Hailey knew Daisy wouldn’t be coming. As a free spirit, Daisy rarely stayed in one location long. She suspected that came from their childhood. Daisy followed the farmers’ markets and rarely showed up for holidays.

“I love that cabin,” Katherine continued. “My brother and I spent nearly every summer there. We had the time of our lives. Gramps took us fishing and then Grandma would cook up our catches. We hiked the trails, and Gramps let us drive his quad long before either of us had a license. We picked blackberries and baked cobbler. Some of the best memories of my childhood were spent at that cabin.”

“It sounds idyllic.”

“It is. The thing is, we don’t go there much since Gramps died. Grandma has been after Mom and my uncle to take advantage of it. I think my uncle was up last summer, but I can’t be sure. Unfortunately, since Gramps has been gone the cabin doesn’t hold as much appeal as it did. That and the fact that there’s no cell service or Wi-Fi. Gramps never was fond of television, and so there isn’t a satellite dish, either.”

“You think your grandmother would want a complete stranger staying in this special cabin?”

“I know she would,” Katherine insisted. “Grandma was disappointed when she learned we were going to Whistler instead of spending Christmas at the cabin. She loved Christmas there above all the holidays, and it’s sat empty every Christmas since we lost Gramps.”

“But she doesn’t know me.”

“That doesn’t matter. She’d be thrilled to know someone was using it. And once I tell her you’d be there to spend this time creatively, she’d be over the moon.”

The possibilities were quickly taking shape in Hailey’s mind. The minute she arrived home, her mother would start reminding her that when she was twenty-seven, she was already married and pregnant with Hailey. In case Hailey wasn’t aware, the prime years for having children were when a woman was in her twenties or early thirties.

“Will you think about it?” Katherine asked, her eyes widening with encouragement.

Hailey mulled over the invitation. As good as it sounded and as much as she wanted to accept this offer, she wasn’t sure she could or should.

Hanging her head down, she slowly shook it. “That would be great, but I don’t want my parents to be alone over Christmas.”

Katherine considered this for a few moments. “In other words, you’re living your life to make your parents happy. It doesn’t seem to bother Daisy.”

Katherine was right. Hailey had always been the good daughter, the one who got top grades and made them proud.

Sitting back down, Katherine reached for her drink. “I understand. Just know the invitation is open, if you change your mind.”

“OK, thanks.” Unfortunately, Hailey couldn’t see a way out of spending Christmas with her family.