Page 39 of Merry Mended Hearts

I bolted upright in my chair, nearly knocking my laptop off my lap. “What?”

“Yes! Honey, they’re driving home, and they’ll be bringing that sweet baby so you can finally meet your niece!”

Excitement fought with disappointment inside of me. My sister was coming to Arizona for Christmas?

I hadn’t seen Stephanie for almost two years. Though we chatted online every few days, that still wasn’t the same thing as heading out for custard at our favorite parlor or window shopping at the mall while we talked and caught one another up on all the little things we’d missed in each other’s lives. Stephanie was a few years older than my twenty-two years, and I’d always looked up to my sister.

Up until she’d gotten married, she’d been one of my best friends.

Better still, I’d finally get to squish baby Molly’s cheeks and cuddle her like I’d wanted to every time I saw pictures of their adorable, chubby, bright-eyed baby. I’d wanted to hold her since the first pictures started rolling in.

Stephanie’s husband had gotten a job in Florida just after they’d gotten married. When Molly was born six months ago, Mom had flown out to help and had stayed for two weeks. I’d wanted to go, but I hadn’t been able to manage it.

“How long are they staying?” I asked.

“Until the day after Christmas. Gracie, I know the idea was for you to stay during your time off work, but you can get your money refunded, right? It’s the least they can do after not having a room ready for you in the first place. I haven’t had the two of you home together in so long.”

I rubbed my forehead, fighting the conflict inside of me.

Mom went on. “Not to mention Uncle Mike bringing that guy home to mee you. I just?—”

Dad said something in the background, but Mom ignored him. I wished I could hear whatever he was saying. I loved Mom, but I’d told her before to stop setting me up on awkward, unwanted dates.

Uncle Mike wasn’t one to intrude in my love life, but Mom sure was.

“Mom,” I began, trying to derail this thought train. “What is it you’re wanting me to do?”

I was already here. Yeah, there’d been a mix-up when I’d arrived, but we’d gotten that sorted out, and I had a room of my own now.

This trip was my parents’ gift to me; they’d already spent money on the flight and on my room, and even though I was making progress, I hadn’t yetfinishedmy book.

I didn’t know what to do. Surely, as we grew older, getting together as a family would become harder and harder. Was this the start of that phase of life?

“I know the plan was for you to stay during your time off work,” Mom said. “But honey, is there any way you can come home a few days early? You can work on your book here! It would mean so much to me.”

Dad muttered something again, and I wished I could hear what he’d said. Did he think Mom was being unreasonable?

“It’s our Stephie!” Mom went on, continuing her verbal crusade. “Plus, I think Uncle Mike might really be bugged if he’s gone through all the trouble of inviting this guy along to meet you and you’re not even here.”

“Mom,” I said, feeling frustrated. “Coming here was your Christmas present to me. It’s like you’re taking it away.”

“Don’t you want to see Stephanie?”

“Of course, I do!” But I refused to let Mom make this about some random guy I had no interest in meeting.

“Mike showed me pictures. Terry really is handsome, and you never know what can happen. But you’ll certainly never know if you’re not here. I know how you and your sister used to like to check out the guys. You never know what might happen with Stephanie here for you to talk to!”

I bristled. The guilt-trip where Stephanie was concerned was probably justified, but adding the blind date into the argument wasn’t Mom’s greatest tactic. Boone’s coldness toward me outside the barn earlier replayed in solemn, grisly fashion.

My girlish hopes for something with him were obviously misplaced, as would be any hopes Mom had of something sparking between me and this blind date guy.

Another rejection. That was all it would be if I went home. I’d had plenty of those, from agents and men alike. Boone’s actions earlier stung that much harder at the thought.

I didn’t need Mom’s matchmaking attempts. How could she do this now?

Mom knew the ways stories thrived inside of me, begging to be put to paper. What good was writing a story if no one ever read them?

I wanted to hit it big. I loved getting immersed in a story and talking to my friends about their latest reads. I wantedmybooks to be talked about. To be raved over.

---