Chapter 12 Hayley #2
“The walk was gorgeous. Freezing, obviously, but Jamie brought coffee, which was exactly what we needed. And we had a small snowball fight, so it was like old times.”
“That sounds like a good start to the day.” Jenny was relaxed again, moving around the kitchen gathering napkins and cutlery and placing them on the table.
Hayley had assumed that close families communicated all the time—what she hadn’t known was that so much of it would be unspoken.
She had to stop overthinking. She didn’t know these people.
She didn’t know who they were underneath the warmth and good manners, so how could she possibly understand the more subtle dynamics?
Experience had taught her that the only way to really know someone was to spend time with them and see them in different situations, particularly stressful ones.
That was when people tended to show their true selves.
Maybe Declan was an introvert who was as uncomfortable as she was with this mass family gathering. Maybe Jamie’s father was exhausted from all the Christmas preparations.
The back door opened and Jamie walked in, bringing with him cold air and armfuls of logs.
“I put the rest in the garage, so at least they’re close by, but these should keep us going for a while. Dad has another lot. He’s just coming.”
“Your dad was out there with you?” Jenny smiled. “That’s good.”
“He showed up after the hard work was done.” Jamie dumped the logs into the large basket by the door and pulled off his coat. “I don’t smell bacon. I was promised bacon. Tantrum incoming.”
“Save your tantrum,” Jenny said. “It’s next on Rosie’s list now she has finished coffee.”
“Why me?” Rosie grumbled. “Why is it always me who ends up cooking bacon? I’m the vegetarian of the family.”
Percy trotted to the kitchen door and barked.
Hayley decided this whole thing would be easier if she had something to do. “Why don’t I cook the bacon?” She stood up and Rosie handed her a pan.
“That would be appreciated. Stop barking, Percy!”
Jenny frowned. “Hayley is a guest.”
“No, she’s not.” Rosie pulled a packet of bacon from the fridge, holding it away from herself between finger and thumb before passing it to Hayley with a shudder. “She’s family now, and if she doesn’t mind cooking bacon, that’s going to make her my favourite sister-in-law.”
Hayley took the bacon. “How long have you been vegetarian?”
“Ever since I realised that roast chicken was actually a chicken.”
“She was seven years old,” Jenny said. “She cried. We had to have a funeral for the carcass. And all she ate for the next three years was margarita pizza. That’s Rosie for you.
” She handed Hayley an apron. “Wear that, honey. Your jumper is too pretty to spoil. Percy, please stop barking. Next time we decide to get a pet it’s going to be a goldfish. ”
Jamie walked across to Hayley and curved a hand over her shoulder. “Did you miss me?”
Yes, she’d missed him, which was unsettling given that he’d been gone for only just over an hour. She wanted to turn into him and press her lips to his, but she was conscious of all the other people in the room. Keeping her hands off him in public might be the biggest challenge of the holidays.
“Yuck. Enough.” Rosie smacked her brother on the shoulder.
“I know you’re newlyweds, but if you want to slobber, do it outside.
Percy! What is wrong with the dog? Jamie and I took him out an hour ago.
” She opened the door between the kitchen and the hallway and Percy shot out of the room, tail wagging.
“Oh, a car is arriving. That’s why he was barking.
He’s such a good guard dog and we ignored him.
Sorry, Percy. You are a clever, wonderful dog and you deserve better humans in your life.
I’m going to spend the rest of Christmas making it up to you. ”
“A car? That will be Granny and Grandad.” Jenny put down the plates she was holding and started rushing around the kitchen, clearing the surfaces. “They’re early. And I’m not ready.”
“They’re family,” Rosie said logically. “How ready do you need to be?”
“Readier than I am. I need to look relaxed and in control, otherwise your grandmother will worry that having them here is all too much. The first thing she’ll say is ‘are we too early? I’m worried we’re making too much work for you.
We don’t have to stay for Christmas. We could come over for the day.
’ You know what they’re like.” She whisked off her apron and smoothed her hair. “Do I look relaxed?”
Rosie stole a berry from the bowl and studied her. “Honestly? No. You look stressed out of your mind.”
“Really?” Jenny looked even more stressed.
“Jamie, can you go and help with their luggage? Delay them if you can. My parents live close by,” she told Hayley, “but at Christmas they always come to us, although I did expect us to have a little more time to prepare before they arrived. Still, at least we’re dressed.
There was one year when I was still in my nightdress.
We started doing it when the children were little, and it has become something of a family tradition. ”
Family tradition. Something she knew nothing about.
Hayley waited for the bacon to sizzle and brown, feeling nothing but admiration for Jenny.
She was clearly stressed by the early arrival, but she didn’t want her parents to know.
She wanted them to feel welcome and wanted.
It made her wonder again what Jenny really thought about Jamie’s shock announcement.
She was obviously a master at hiding her true feelings. Was that what she’d done last night?
But that wasn’t her main worry right now. She’d barely got used to the family she’d already met and now she was about to meet more. It was daunting, mostly because she didn’t know what her role was. She wished there was an instruction manual for new family members.
The effort to appear relaxed and at home was exhausting.
“Did you tell Granny about Jamie and Hayley?” Rosie took a final gulp of her coffee before putting it back down on the countertop. “I mean because she’s eighty-five and probably shouldn’t be subjected to big shocks at her stage of life. It isn’t kind.”
There was another blast of cold air as Jamie’s father came into the kitchen.
“Do not say things like ‘her stage of life’ when your grandmother is within hearing. Eighty-five is the new fifty,” her mother said, “and yes, I called her this morning to share the exciting news. I thought it was better that way. Come to think of it, that’s probably why she’s early.”
Exciting news.
Feeling her cheeks flush, Hayley flipped the bacon.
Jamie definitely should have told his family in advance of their arrival.
“If Granny is tactless, don’t be offended,” Rosie warned Hayley. “She says it’s her age, but Mum says she has always been like that.”
“She did have a habit of speaking her mind, that’s true.
This isn’t the time, but when we’re on our own ask me to tell you the story of the school Christmas baking competition when I was twelve.
” Jenny pulled two loaves of fresh bread out of the oven and put them on a wooden board in the middle of the table.
“Rosie, could you grab some of that strawberry jam I made in the summer, please? It’s on the top shelf.
And slice the bread. Whatever people don’t eat for breakfast we’ll have for lunch. I made a spicy parsnip soup yesterday.”
“I’m going to say hello to Granny. I’ll slice the bread in a minute.” Rosie vanished from the room.
“What exciting news are you talking about?” Jamie’s father stamped the snow off his boots and left them by the back door.
“About Hayley and Jamie.” Jenny put a slab of butter next to the bread. “Have you finished outside?”
“Yes. We should have enough logs for the next couple of days.” He hung his coat on the peg and then headed across the kitchen in his socks.
“I was thinking that we ought to check on Edna Murren at some point. With this much snow, she might have a problem getting out of her drive.”
He nodded. “I’ll give her a call. Jamie and I can go across and clear her driveaway if necessary.”
“Good idea. I’ll get you a plate for that bacon, Hayley,” Jenny said. “Martin, can you cook these pancakes, please? You always do a good job.”
“You don’t need to praise me to get me to do it. I’m not six years old.”
“The praise was genuine. You always cook them perfectly. But I need you to hurry up.” Jenny handed her husband the bowl of freshly made batter and took a warm plate from the oven for Hayley’s bacon. “Thank you for doing that, Hayley. You’re a lifesaver.”
It was like a relay race, Hayley thought. Each family member handing something on to someone else. A team.
There was a flurry of activity in the hallway and then a slim woman with short white hair walked into the room, loaded down with bags.
She wore a soft wool dress in a shade of pale caramel that flattered her features. Hayley decided that if she looked half as elegant at the age of eighty-five, she would be satisfied.
Jenny swapped stress for a smile and opened her arms. “Happy Christmas! It’s probably a bit early to say that but it always feels as if Christmas has started when you and Dad appear.”
“You’re sure we’re not too early? I’m worried we’re making too much work for you.
We don’t have to stay for Christmas. We could come over for the day.
But if that’s what you’d like, speak now, because your father is already upstairs unpacking.
You must be stressed. I’m worried we’re making a lot more work for you by being here. ”
“And that wouldn’t be anywhere near as much fun.” Jenny ignored Rosie’s and Jamie’s grinning faces and hugged her mother. “With this number of people in the house, two more is no more work at all. And we’re not stressed. We’re all totally relaxed here, aren’t we, Rosie?”
“Totally relaxed,” Rosie parroted. “Never been more relaxed in my life.”