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?”

  Her mother released an elongated sigh. “Our group met yesterday, and out of the blue, Shelly mentioned she saw your performance on YouTube. She recognized you from the family photo over the fireplace when I hosted the club meeting, and of course she recognized you by name.

  “When I found the video she mentioned, I was astonished to learn you had over a hundred thousand hits after only a couple days. Shelly said you and your song are all over the internet. Your dad and I viewed the video several times. At first, we couldn’t understand why your song, which is fun and catchy, would cause such a sensation.”

  Hailey had wondered that herself.

  “Then it was obvious,” her mother continued. “It reminded us of the true meaning of Christmas and family. In the rustic setting of a small town with the audience joining in. Fathers with their children sitting on their shoulders. Couples with their arms around each other. Snow softly drifting down outside the bright strings of lights on the gazebo. It was everyone’s picture of the perfect Christmas.”

  “We’re so proud,” her father inserted. “We always knew you had talent.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “I remember when you were in grade school you were constantly making up songs,” her father continued. “Your mother and I had no idea your childish ditties would one day make you famous.”

  “I’m far from famous.” As she remembered it, her singing and made-up songs had often been an irritation to her parents. More than once, Hailey recalled both her parents asking her for a few minutes of peace and quiet so they could think.

  “It won’t be long before your name is a household word,” her father piped in proudly. “And I, for one, couldn’t be more pleased.”

  Hearing the love and pride in his voice was more validation than learning about the success of her song. Hailey had always had a close relationship with her dad. She noticed as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, and she felt one form in her own.

  “I don’t understand how any of this relates to you finding me,” Hailey said, drawing the conversation back to how her parents had located her.

  “Well,” her mother said, as if it should have been obvious. “When I saw the video, the banner above your head said you were at the Podunk Winter Festival. It made sense that this town was where you’d hidden yourself away.”

  “That’s when your mother decided we should come join you for the holidays,” her father added. “And that nice lady from the hair salon was happy to tell us you were staying at the Stockton cabin and give us directions.”

  “I meant to tell you how pleased and happy we are for you when you arrived, but I got distracted by that Jay fellow,” her mother said.

  Only now did Hailey realize how much that one performance had the power to impact her life. She was overwhelmed and shaken. She needed Jay to explain everything to her, and he was gone. Her lips trembled as she made her way into the kitchen.

  She leaned against the sink while she attempted to absorb what all this instant celebrity status might mean.

  “Hailey?” Daisy joined her. “Are you all right?”

  “No,” she admitted, not anywhere close to being calm and controlled. “I feel as if my entire world has been turned upside down and I have no idea what will happen next.”

  Daisy squeezed her arm. “You don’t need to do anything now. Take one day at a time.”

  “I wish Jay didn’t have to leave.”

  “He’ll be back soon and will advise you. He’s someone you can trust, right?”

  Hailey nodded. “Yes. Definitely.”

  “Then wait until he returns and the two of you can sort this out together.” What Daisy said made sense.

  Their mother joined them in the kitchen. “What are you girls chatting about?” she asked.

  “We’re talking about Christmas,” Hailey said quickly, before Daisy had a chance to speak.

  “Yes, our first real family Christmas in ages.” Her mother’s voice rose with happiness. “I can’t remember the last time we were all together like this.”

  “It’s wonderful that we’re all here,” Daisy agreed. She gave Hailey’s arm a comfortable, reassuring squeeze.

  “I couldn’t be happier.” Her mother sighed as if their being together was a dream come true. “The only thing that would make it better is if you and Zach—”

  “Mom!” Both Hailey and Daisy cried in unison.

  “Sorry. Sorry,” her mother said, and raised both hands as if surrendering.

  Why her mother would continue to hope for a reconciliation was beyond Hailey. She was as stubborn as Zach, thinking a few words would convince her to give him another chance.

  Sighing as though saddened, her mother’s eyes pleaded with her. “I’d so hoped—”

  “Mom,” Hailey said in warning. “Don’t go there.”

  “I know, I know,” her mother continued. “It’s just that your father and I—”

  “Leave me out of this,” her father intervened, raising his hand. “Julia, give it a rest. You’re pushing way too hard.”

  “You’re right,” she said, and sounded sincere. “I’m just finding it hard to let go of Zach and you as a couple.”

  “Try harder. It’s not going to happen.”

  The sound of a car door closing broke into their conversation.

  Hailey’s eyes flew to her mother. All this talk about Zach suddenly made sense. It couldn’t be, could it? No, please. Say it isn’t so. Hailey had to know, even when she realized she wasn’t going to like the answer.

  “You told Zach where to find me, didn’t you?”

  Her mother’s guilty look said it all.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sure enough, just as Hailey suspected, Zach Gibson stood on her front porch, his arms loaded with beautifully wrapped presents.

  “Merry Christmas,” he called out, as if he were Santa himself and had dropped by on his way from the North Pole.

  Stepping aside, Hailey reluctantly let him into the cabin. Her mother stood to one side, looking uncomfortable and apologetic. Both her father and Daisy completely ignored his arrival.

  “Ho, ho, ho,” Zach called out, and went directly to the Christmas tree and set down the gifts. “Hailey.” He turned to her, his eyes bright and smiling. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”

  “Hello, Zach,” she mumbled without enthusiasm. Whether he was incapable of reading the room or he chose to ignore her complete lack of welcome, Hailey couldn’t say.

  “Oh—you’re…here,” her mother said, as she nervously rubbed her palms together. “And in time for Christmas.”

  “Perfect. Just perfect,” Hailey mumbled under her breath. Her entire holiday had gone from bad to worse in a matter of only an hour. All she needed now was for the raccoon to break through the hole under the sink and for bats to tangle in her hair.

  “And you brought gifts with you.” Her mother continued to make the best of an uncomfortable situation. “I imagine you’re hungry after your long drive. I’ll get you a cup of tea and a snack.”

  “Zach doesn’t drink tea,” Hailey said, speaking from experience.

  “I will today,” he said, winking at Hailey.

  Although tempting, Hailey resisted rolling her eyes.

  “Coffee, then,” her mother said. “I’ll make myself another cup of tea. Although I shouldn’t. When I drink tea this late in the evening, I don’t sleep a wink.”

  Daisy joined their mother in the kitchen and their father escaped by heading upstairs. That left Hailey alone with Zach and she was thankful. She planned to send him on his way at the earliest convenience.

  “Listen, Zach, I think it would be best if you—”

  “Hailey, I’d hoped—”

  They both spoke at once. Zach still didn’t get the picture. She hated to be blunt but felt she had no choice. It appeared that was the only way to get the message through to him.

  “Can I go first?” he asked, grabbing hold of her hand, his gaze imploring.

  He would take the lead whether she wanted him to or not. “If you insist,” she said, and jerked her hand free of his hold.

  “You have no idea how much it means to me to finally see you in person. For us to talk face-to-face.” His gaze bore into hers until she forced herself to look away. He still didn’t take the hint. “I wasn’t exaggerating when I said you’re even more beautiful than ever.”

  “Stop.” She raised her hand as if swearing before a court. “You aren’t going to win me over with flattery.” Or anything else, for that matter.

  His face folded into a pout of disappointment as they sat next to each other on the couch. “Everything I have to say is the God’s honest truth,” he insisted. “Can we talk, really talk, and clear the air? Just the two of us?”

  Hailey hesitated and gestured toward the kitchen, where her mother and sister were no doubt listening.

  His gaze followed hers. “I realize your entire family is here and that might make you a bit uneasy,” Zach said. “I’ll explain that you and I need a few minutes alone.”

  “Don’t, please. There’s nothing you can say that is going to change the way I feel. We were over three years ago.”

  The hurt-little-boy look was back. Despite her resolve, it went against her nature to be cruel. “Zach, you aren’t hearing me. We. Are. Over. I can’t be any more direct than that. I know you don’t want to hear that, and I’m sorry you’re disappointed, but we can’t go back.”

  “Is there someone else?”

  She nodded. She wasn’t sure where her relationship with Jay would land beyond Christmas. She wanted to believe the times they’d shared were as meaningful to him as they’d been to her. He’d hinted that they were, but nothing had been definite.

  Zach sat up, straightening his shoulders as if this was the best news he’d heard in a decade. “Despite that, I have to believe there’s hope.”

  Her shoulders sagged in defeat. She had no idea Zach could be so dense. It was as if he hadn’t heard a word she’d said.

  “What if we connect later…say, after the New Year, sometime in January. That will give you time to think about the fun times we shared and how good we were together.” His gaze pleaded with her.

  Briefly closing her eyes, Hailey wanted nothing more than for this to be over. She longed to bury her face in her pillow and scream with frustration.

  Her lack of response seemed to encourage Zach. “Say you will. Give me something to hang on to through the holidays.”

  “Zach, please, don’t. It’s over.”

  As if he hadn’t heard, he continued. His face lit up with a smile. “I saw the video of you singing at that town festival,” he rushed to tell her, “and you were simply wonderful, and before you think I want back in your life because of that, then you need to remember that I reached out long before you became an overnight sensation.”

  “My feelings, or lack of, have nothing to do with that video,” she said. Her mistake, she realized, was answering that first text message and every one that followed. He seemed to take her polite but abrupt responses as encouragement. Even now it felt as if he’d convinced himself he would eventually wear her down, despite everything she’d said.

  “You sounded really good, Hailey.”

  “But I don’t have the talent to make it big, right?” She couldn’t resist, although it was petty of her. Still, it felt good to remind him of the things he’d said. Zach had never understood that a singing career wasn’t her passion. The only thing she’d ever wanted was to create music for others to enjoy.

  “I was wrong, Hailey, so wrong,” Zach admitted, his gaze locking with hers as if to show his sincerity. “I’d hoped you’d be able to find it in your heart to forgive me for the horrible things I said. I don’t know what came over me. I was afraid of what it would mean for us as a couple, I guess, and selfish, too.”

  “I forgave you a long time ago.” And she had, she sincerely had. Even though she’d struggled to put his caustic words out of her mind.

  Her mother appeared then with a mug of coffee. “I brought the sugar bowl,” she said, handing it to Zach.

  “Thank you,” he said, accepting the coffee. He set it down on the side table next to the couch and refused the sugar. “I gave up sugar in my coffee a while ago,” he said, and patted his flat stomach. “I need to watch those extra calories.”

  Zach had always been overly proud of his physique. He’d spent more time in the gym than he did in the classroom while in college.

  Before Julia could leave, Zach felt the need to brag. “I still work out five days a week.”

  “Yes, well, it shows. I’ll leave you two to talk now.”

  Her mother returned to the kitchen, but Hailey had no doubt she was intent on listening to every word of Hailey and Zach’s conversation. It must have required hard restraint on her part not to race into the room and act as a verbal referee.

  “Getting back to you and me,” Zach said after he sipped the coffee.

  Her mother’s face appeared from around the kitchen corner. “You should tell Hailey what you told me.”

  “Mom!” Hailey cried.

  “Sorry, sorry,” her mother said, and disappeared out of sight.

  Apparently, her father had been eavesdropping on their conversation as well, and had heard enough, appearing at the top of the stairs. “Julia, we’ve had a long day and a long drive. It’s time we went to bed.”

  “Bed, this early?” her mother protested, clearly not interested. “It’s barely nine.”

  “Bed,” Hailey’s father returned with conviction. It was the same voice he’d used when Hailey was a teen more eager to play her guitar than call it a night. From experience, she knew it would do her mother no good to argue.

  Moving slowly, as if resenting his dictatorial attitude, her mother stepped out of the kitchen and headed toward the stairs.

  “Good night, everyone,” she said, dragging her feet up the first step and then the next.

  “Daisy,” her father called out. “Don’t you have something to do in your room?”

  Her sister left the kitchen and looked at Hailey, seeking confirmation.

  If anyone was to remain, Hailey wanted it to be Daisy. “She can work on the puzzle if she’d like,” Hailey inserted, happy to have her sister close at hand.

  Her father nodded and then took her mother by the elbow as they disappeared upstairs.

  Zach waited until both of her parents were out of sight before he spoke again. He turned to face Hailey, focusing solely on her. He leaned forward as if to emphasize his point. “You have to believe me when I say that ever since we parted, I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”

  “Really?” Interesting, since she hadn’t heard a single word from him in all that time. Yup, she’d been foremost in his mind. Not. Hailey knew every word he said was a bunch of bull.

  That left her to wonder about his sudden change of heart. Something must have happened. Mulling this over, she nibbled on her lower lip, mentally seeking an explanation.

  “Why now?” she asked, hoping he’d be honest, especially after all this time.

  He ignored the question and crooned, “I regret every minute away from you.”

  That was when she figured it out. She smiled and gave a soft laugh. Someone had dumped him. Zach had been on the receiving end of a painful rejection.

  Her smile appeared to encourage him. Nearly doubling over, he leaned even closer to her and said, “I made a huge mistake when I ended our relationship. All I want is to ask for a second chance.”

  “Zach,” she said, holding his look.

  “Yes, my love,” he all but purred.

  “I’m not your love.” She needed to set the record straight for the umpteenth time. She had no idea Zach could be so obtuse.

  “Yes, I realize that. I’m hoping you will give me a chance to make up for the terrible things I said so we can start again.”

  “There’s something you should know.”

  He sat back and reached for her hand. She waved it away, preferring that he not touch her.

  “Yes? You can share anything,” he assured her, as if she was about to make some deep, dark confession.

  She looked him straight in the eyes and said, “I could always tell when you were lying.”

  “You think I’m lying?” he asked, as though affronted.

  “No doubt in my mind. It’s validating to know you have regrets. Something’s happened for you to experience this sudden change of heart, and I’m fairly certain I know what. If you want me to say it, I will. However, I’d rather you owned up to the truth now and give up on all this less-than-heartfelt remorse.”

  “You’re wrong,” he insisted. “I couldn’t be more sincere if I tried.”

  “Zach?” she said, and arched her brows. “I think I see your nose growing.”

  He leaned back against the sofa and exhaled loudly. “All right, if you must know, I recently broke up with someone after nearly three years.”

  Wait a minute…

  “Three years,” she repeated slowly. That meant Zach had lost no time in going from breaking her heart to dating someone else. “Anyone I might know?” she asked, her suspicions escalating.

  “No,” he said, far too fast to be believable.

  Hailey took a few seconds to think about who his recent ex-girlfriend might be. She was enjoying this. “Come on, Zach, confess. Was it Janey White?”