His Mistletoe Family by Ruth Logan Herne

Author:Ruth Logan Herne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2012-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Brett was avoiding her.

Haley drew that conclusion when Charlie showed up the next morning to get the boys. Sure, he said Brett had a fire call, but Haley knew they’d left things at an uncomfortable impasse two days before. To her, Brett’s avoidance made perfect sense, but one way or another, she’d talk to him. Hash this out.

“Do you have to work again today?” Tyler whined the question into more syllables than could ever be considered necessary.

“I do.” She rumpled his hair. “But once Christmas is over, life will settle down.”

“I don’t even fink Cwistmas is coming,” objected Todd. He looked around their austere apartment as Charlie handed him his jacket. “It doesn’t wook wike Cwistmas here.”

Nailed by a three-year-old. Haley sighed and made a face of commiseration. “I know. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy. Maybe this weekend we can do some decorating.”

“Really?”

“You mean it?”

Uh-oh. They were looking for promises. Promises she wasn’t sure she could keep and therefore should not make. “I said maybe. That means I’m not sure how work will be going, so we’ve got to balance things out.”

Tyler scowled. “I don’t think we’re very balanced.”

Haley knew what he meant, but had little recourse. “We’ll get more balanced after the holidays. That I will promise.”

Charlie herded the boys out the door. “They’ll be fine. Mother’s making Christmas cookies with them this morning.”

Todd’s face lit up. Tyler’s grin made Haley feel two feet tall. Such a little thing, to make cookies with the boys. If only...

Charlie waved and winked. “They’ll be fine. Stop beating yourself up. Haven’t you heard it takes a village to raise a child?”

But it shouldn’t, Haley realized. Not under ideal circumstances. It should take a set of parents, equally invested.

Because that hadn’t been the norm in her world, she wasn’t certain such a thing still existed except in commercials, where a whole happy family gathered around the amazing scent of freshly brewed coffee on Christmas morning.

It’s a commercial, made to sell a product. Do a reality check, Haley. You’ve got a growing business, the boys are settling in, and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. What more could you possibly want? You’re living your dream.

The answer hit as she rounded the corner of the former furniture showroom and saw Brett’s house tucked behind a copse of trees.

She missed him, which was silly because she saw him yesterday, right? But she missed the easy warmth, his steady look, the gentle strength that surrounded him.

And now, knowing about his son...

She turned into the co-op, wishing she had guts enough to march across the street and wake him up. Make him listen to her. Apologize for being nervous and drawing back.

And make a fool of yourself? Really? Is that what you’re after? Because that’s what’s going to happen. Plan your work. Work your plan. That strategy has worked so far. Why change things?

“Haley, good morning!” Maude McGinnity walked toward her from the employee parking area.

“Maude.” She hurried to the older woman’s side and offered her arm to help the elderly woman through the slush.

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