Page 44 of A Christmas Duet

Hailey couldn’t help it, tears bled into her eyes that her wonderful, albeit unique, sister would think so little of herself. When she could manage to speak, she cleared her throat and said, “You broke up with him, didn’t you?”

Daisy nodded.

“And that’s what led you to drive to Podunk?”

Again, her sister agreed with a quick nod. “I…I didn’t want you to spend Christmas alone, though, and I knew Charles wouldn’t know where I was hiding. Oh, Hailey!” she cried, sobbing with her hands over her face, making it difficult for her to be understood. “I broke his heart. He refused to listen, refused to believe me when I said we weren’t compatible. I told him I was leaving for Christmas and that when I returned, I didn’t want to see him again.”

“Daisy. Why would you do that?”

Her sister sniffled. “Charles kept shaking his head, like he refused to believe it. I never knew how painful it would be to hurt someone else this way.”

Hailey’s arm was around her sister, and Daisy leaned against her, accepting her comfort. When her sister had first arrived, she’d put on a happy face and pretended all was well, when her world was falling apart. Hailey wasconvinced her sister had spent the afternoon worrying about Charles.

“Listen, little sister, this is what you’re going to do,” Hailey said in the same voice she used to get her students’ attention. “You are going to pack your bags and drive back to…” She paused, unsure where Daisy currently resided, and silently berated herself for her judgmental attitude toward her only sibling. “Wenatchee?”

“Salem.”

“You’re living in Salem?” They connected infrequently, which only increased Hailey’s guilt. She’d been focused on her own life, to the point that she’d ignored her only sibling.

“Yeah, since last February. Justin’s band got a three-month gig there, and I followed him. Stupid mistake, only that was where I met Charles…Now I think it would have been better if I hadn’t.”

“I disagree. I have yet to meet Charles, and—”

“You won’t meet him. I’m moving away…I’ve already told my landlord.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know yet, but anywhere Charles isn’t. Is there still a Peace Corps? I want to volunteer for deepest Africa and teach crochet. Better yet, the French Foreign Legion. They take women, too, right?”

Despite the tears wavering in her eyes, Hailey laughed.This scheme sounded so like her sister. “You can check,” Hailey said, “but it’s my belief that you’re going to have a difficult time running away from love.”

Daisy didn’t agree or disagree. “I need to, Hailey. Otherwise I’ll give in to Charles and that would ruin both our lives.”

Hailey sincerely doubted that, but didn’t argue. Her sister needed comfort, not a lecture.

Chapter Fifteen

Hailey and Daisy stayed up late into the night, talking and laughing and, at times, crying together. For the first time since their early teen years, Hailey felt as if she had a sister. All the barriers were down, and they were able to be honest with each other. As a result, they discovered how much they shared in common, and, despite their obvious differences, how alike they were. At some point in their mid-teens a rift had grown between them that had remained until now.

Before heading to bed, they hugged and held on to each other for several long seconds, securing their bond. Over the years, Daisy had gone through several relationships. Rarely had any lasted more than a few weeks. Hearing her sister talk about Charles convinced Haileythat this might possibly be the first time Daisy had fallen completely in love. Her sister was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for fear she would disappoint Charles or somehow drag him down. From everything Daisy had said about him, Hailey sincerely believed the brainy rocket scientist loved her sister exactly the way she was. He had no desire to change her, nor would he care about any past romantic involvements. Hailey’s one hope was that by the time Christmas was over she would be able to persuade Daisy to give up the crazy notion of joining the French Foreign Legion and return to Salem and Charles. She wouldn’t hound Daisy, knowing that had the potential to hurt her sister. Hailey intended to be subtle with her efforts.

Hailey woke and realized it was five days before Christmas. She’d slept better than she could remember in a long while. Stretching her arms above her head, she arched her back and yawned. Eager to start her day, she tossed the covers aside and climbed out of bed. By the time she’d showered and dressed, Daisy was already in the kitchen and had coffee made and breakfast cooking.

“Something smells good,” Hailey commented, as she took an appreciative whiff.

“It’s my special egg dish,” Daisy said cheerfully. While on the inside her heart might be breaking, her sister refused to let it show. “It’ll be ready in a jiffy. I put it in the oven when I heard your shower going.”

Even though she felt a renewed kinship with Daisy, she was skeptical about this egg dish. She couldn’t imagine what she had found with the limited supplies that would make a decent breakfast. “Anything unusual in the recipe I should know about?” she asked.

Daisy placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Only to a certain point,” Hailey told her, half kidding and half honest. “I’d feel more comfortable if I knew what was in it.”

“Oh ye of little faith. Nothing shocking, I promise, just a few eggs, herbs, and mounds of cheese. I can’t live without cheese. I tried, remember?”

Herbs?That could mean a lot of things, and Hailey remained suspicious. “What kind of herbs?” Doing a mental checklist, she could recall only a few dried spices and herbs that were in the cabin when she arrived. “There isn’t much here.”

“I brought my own,” Daisy informed her without so much as blinking. “I always travel with them.”

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