Vintage Valentine (Elmheart Series) by Mindy Hardwick Read Free Book Online Page A

Singapore. She barely heard from them anymore.  
    Hailey picked up a red construction paper heart and absently turned it over. A vanilla candle burned on the living room table. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since early that morning when they left Kansas City.  Kaitlin scarfed down both her breakfast and a sandwich at the airport, but Hailey had been too nervous to eat. She glanced at the  grandfather clock in the living room. It was just after three o’clock—too early for dinner, but not too early for a snack and a cup of hot chocolate. Hailey peered around Kaitlin and into the dining room. A large oak table set for eight sat in the center of the room. A matching sideboard leaned against the deep burgundy-papered wall. A silver tea set with a cream and sugar pitcher sat on the red  tablecloth. Grandma always kept an assortment of teas, hot chocolates, hot water, and a plate of cookies for guests. But, today, the sideboard was empty. Hailey frowned. Had Grandma forgotten to set out the afternoon snacks?
    In the dance hall, next door to the living room, Hailey could hear tables and chairs being moved. Grandpa’s deep voice carried through the wall as he instructed where to set up each table. Above Hailey’s head, Grandma’s footsteps tread lightly on the hardwood floors as she opened room doors, searching for something. From the time Hailey was ten until she was sixteen, she attended International Schools. But, she loved nothing more than returning to her  grandparent’s hotel for holidays. She’d been thrilled to move back to the small village of Eaglewood for her senior year of high school and everything went well until that fateful moment during the senior graduation party. After that night, everything changed. She’d gone from being her father’s beautiful daughter, with her whole life ahead of her, to a shame and a disgrace. 
    Tears gathered in Hailey’s throat and she brushed away the painful feelings. She turned away so Kaitlin wouldn’t look up and see her tears. Snow fell outside the large bay window of the living room. Thick heavy green drapes were tied back with gold-tasseled ties. The lawn was already covered by at least ten inches of snow. Piles of shoveled snow lined the driveway, and a new cover of snow covered the black asphalt. It’d been snowing all afternoon, but Hailey didn’t worry about the weather canceling her grandparent’s party: it snowed all winter in western New York. Everyone managed to make their way around without problems. In elementary school, Hailey could count on her right hand the times she had a full day off from school for a snow day.  Hailey wiggled her toes inside the too large, red, fur-lined slippers. Grandmother always kept a box of items guests left behind. This afternoon, when Hailey and Kaitlin arrived, Grandma dug the slippers out of the box and insisted Hailey wear them. Kaitlin was thrilled to dig inside the box and hunt for a pair of thick socks as if it was a treasure hunt.
    Turning her attention back to her daughter, Hailey leaned close and in a tone that sounded more like best friends conspiring said, “Do you know what we could use to make this moment absolutely perfect?”
    “Tissue paper to decorate the Valentines?” Kaitlin asked hopefully.
    “Well,” Hailey said. Her light laughter danced around the room. “Yes, we could use some tissue paper, but this box of construction paper, dollies and scissors was all I found in Grandma’s office.” Hailey reached over and touched her daughter’s long, silky blonde hair. Kaitlin’s hair was so unlike her own and so like…Hailey stopped herself. She wasn’t going to think about Kaitlin’s father. He was only a memory. He was a high school picture she kept tucked away in her nightstand. A picture she pulled out when it’d been an extremely long day and she wanted a listening ear.  “I think we need some hot chocolate,” Hailey said. 
    “With marshmallows?” Kaitlin