Page 51 of A Christmas Duet

“Perhaps we were at one time, but no longer,” Hailey told her.

“Zach made a mistake,” her mother continued. “He’s sorry and would do anything he could to make it up to you.”

“Mom, listen, please. There’s nothing Zach can say or do that will change my mind.” Especially now that she’d met Jay, although she didn’t say as much. That would be like dropping a bomb into the middle of their conversation.

Wanting to turn the subject away from Zach, she said, “If you wanted to surprise me for Christmas, you certainly did. I had no idea you were headed this way.”

“We should have let you know we were coming, but we didn’t know how to reach you. I told your father we should just surprise you.”

And what a surprise it was, Hailey mused.

“Your father and I couldn’t bear the thought of you being alone for Christmas, so we decided to bring the holiday to you,” she announced cheerfully. “It’s a bonus to find Daisy here with you as well. Now we can have a real family Christmas.”

“I went shopping earlier and have got Christmas dinner covered,” Daisy supplied, glancing up from the puzzle table.

“Oh, and I brought all your favorites with us, too,” her mother added. “I baked those snowball cookies you girls both love, and an entire batch of divinity.” She clasped herhands with delight as she rambled on about the special treats she’d packed into the car, including gifts and everything she needed for her famous cornbread stuffing.

“You won’t need to work so hard,” Daisy countered without a beat. “I’ll help.”

“You cook?” Their mother seemed worried.

“Daisy is an amazing chef,” Hailey cut in. “You should taste the meals she’s prepared for me the last couple days.”

Daisy beamed her a grateful smile.

“Well, of course, if she wants to, I’d welcome her help. I just remember as a kid she had trouble following a recipe.”

What her mother didn’t know was that there was a good reason for her sister’s kitchen disasters.

“I rarely use cookbooks,” Daisy said without going into a long explanation. “I cook from the heart.”

“And everything she makes tastes like heaven,” Hailey said, going to her sister and hugging her from behind as she sat at the table.

Taking the cue, Daisy asked, “Did you and Dad arrive hungry? I can whip up something if you are.”

“No need,” their father supplied. “We had dinner on the road.”

“I could certainly do with a cup of tea, though,” her mother said.

“I’ll get it,” Hailey offered, not wanting to take Daisy away from working on the puzzle.

Her mother followed her into the kitchen. “This really is a lovely cabin, at least from what I’ve seen of it thus far. It certainly is a long way from civilization, though.”

That brought up the question Hailey most wanted to ask. “How did you and Dad know where to find me?” This secluded cabin had more traffic than a Macy’s department store during the holidays.

Her mother released an exaggerated sigh. “That’s quite a long story.”

Knowing her mother as well as she did, every explanation became a detailed dialogue. “Let’s sit down with our tea and you can tell me.” She carried both cups to the sofa in front of the fireplace.

Once they were seated and Hailey took the first sip of the hot brew, she looked to her mother to explain.

“It all started with Shelly Fieldmen.”

“Who?” The name wasn’t familiar.

Her mother shook her head dismissively. “You don’t know her. I met her ages ago. She’s in my book club and isn’t one of my favorite people, especially after this.”

“Why’s that?”

---