Haley's Hangdog Holiday Read online

  Haley grinned. “Well, her hair color comes straight out of a box, that’s for sure.”

  “Ha! I bet you can do better than that.”

  “I haven’t been around her that much, but... she does talk through her nose, and she wears too much makeup, and she’s whiney and controlling. She’s a total witch, and she doesn’t deserve him, but other than that, she’s great.”

  Tad let out a hardy laugh. “That’s my girl! Doesn’t that feel better?”

  “As a matter of fact, it does!”

  Haley was about to drink another swig of hot chocolate when a noxious odor assaulted her nose. “Ew! Tad! Did you eat beans tonight?”

  Tad guffawed. “That’s not me—it’s Bojangles. He just farted on your feet. Do they feel extra warm now?”

  Haley jerked her feet from under Bo and jumped up, waving her hand in a vain attempt to clear the air. “Bo! Yuck! Oh my gosh! I think I’m going to throw up! My shoes are going to stink!”

  Bojangles turned a set of despondent eyes toward her and howled so loud it hurt her ears.

  “Aw, Haley—you hurt his feelings.” Tad chuckled as he galloped for the door. “Bye! See ya later!”

  “Tad! Where are you going?”

  “I’m going inside and locking the door until the two of you air out a bit. Have fun!”

  “Nooooo!” Haley reached the door just as the lock clicked. Tad’s evil, smiling face appeared in the window and he waved. Bo followed close behind her, evidently not through demonstrating his impressive flatulence.

  “Oh-ewwwww! Tad!! Let me in!” She banged on the door with both hands, while peals of laughter filtered through the window.

  Holding her breath, Haley retrieved her cell phone and searched “best stinky practical jokes.”

  Oh yeah... Tad’s going to pay for this!

  Chapter Fourteen

  November—ten months later

  Haley returned the U-Haul, having unloaded her meager possessions at Gammy’s house. She guessed it would always be “Gammy’s house” to her, no matter how long she’d been gone.

  Her life didn’t look anything like she’d imagined it would when she set her goals and started the iMPA program at the University of Texas in Austin. She hadn’t snagged the top spot in her graduating class that August—in fact, she wasn’t even close, though she managed to graduate Summa Cum Laude. And as the dream of the top graduating spot flew out the window, so had the dream of working at one of the Big Five accounting firms.

  But having cancer had done a lot more than strip her of goals—it had given her a new perspective. Things that had once seemed vitally important now seemed trivial. While she still valued her hair, which had grown down to her shoulders, she realized she could live without it. Instead of the ultimate objective, she now viewed her education and career as a meaningful endeavor and a means to provide financial support, while pursuing the things that were truly important in life—serving God, showing love to her family and friends, building relationships, using her gifts to help others.

  She accepted her mistakes a bit more readily, though she still had perfectionist tendencies. But when she took the job working for Gavin’s father at Holiday, Inc. she worried that she might have made another huge mistake. She had never forgiven herself for the pain she caused Gavin, though she still believed she had acted in his best interest, protecting him from sacrificing his own happiness for hers. Her biggest fear was that she would do something that might open up that old wound. She wasn’t worried for herself—her only concern was protecting Gavin.

  She had plenty of other job offers after graduating, but Holiday, Inc. was the only job offer from the Denver area, allowing her the opportunity to live in Gammy’s house. Not only that, but Gerard Holiday was a Christian, and his company had an A-plus employee rating. She hadn’t actually applied for the job, so she was suspicious when Mr. Holiday sent an inquiry. But he explained that he was a good friend of one of her professors at UT, who had given a rave recommendation. And of course, Mr. Holiday met her several times during the summer she and Gavin were dating, before she was diagnosed with cancer.

  During her interview, Mr. Holiday assured her she’d been sought after because of her excellent grades and recommendations and not because he knew her personally. The elephant in the room was his son, whom he never mentioned. Haley knew she was likely to encounter Gavin on occasion, but she could handle it. Couldn’t she? After all, it had been over two years since she’d broken up with him. Besides, the company employed hundreds of people. Gavin had not only been working for almost a year, but he was also the owner’s son, so their responsibilities were unlikely to overlap very often.

  Gavin had certainly moved on with his life. He’d been engaged to be married, though the wedding had been canceled. Haley had practically waterboarded her brother to discover why, but he swore he had no idea.

  Gavin was actually her biggest worry. In fact, she found herself falling back into some of her old habits for dealing with stress. Since arriving in Colorado in September, she’d taken up trail running, with the ostensive excuse that it would keep her in good shape for skiing when the slopes finally opened. But she couldn’t help calculating how many calories she burned, adjusting to compensate for how much she ate. As a result, she’d dropped so many pounds that she dreaded the weigh-in at her next doctor’s visit. Her oncologist wouldn’t be pleased.

  But waiting from her October CPA test date until the results were posted in mid-November had her nerves even more frazzled than the previous two months of studying, so she hadn’t managed to put on any extra weight.

  As the first day of work at Holiday, Inc. approached—November fourteenth—she was so edgy, she considered taking up nail-biting or smoking or some other deleterious habit to take the edge off her worry. Exercise wasn’t enough.

  She prayed, God help me take my mind off myself. Give me something else... someone else to worry about. Show me an opportunity to help someone in a time of need.

  Haley fully expected God to answer her prayer. She thought she might discover an elderly person who needed company, or hear of a volunteer opportunity at a local hospital or charity. She wasn’t expecting the person in need to be her brother. And she certainly wasn’t expecting the distraction to be a fifty-five pound, stubby-legged, flatulent, sad-eyed, hound dog.

  “Please, Haley! Can Bo stay here with you, just for a year? After all, it’s my house, too. And when would I ever get another chance like this?”

  Tad, the golden child, had taken a job leading hunting and fishing trips, and then lucked into a position as the personal guide for a wealthy businessman. Now the man had planned a year-long round-the-world tour, and wanted to hire Tad to be his forerunner—going ahead to every country and scouting the best hunting and fishing opportunities. The catch was... Bojangles wasn’t invited.

  “Tad, I don’t even like dogs! And I’m starting a job on Monday. What am I going to do with him? He can’t go to work with me.”

  “I’ve already got it worked out. You can drop him off at doggy daycare. It’s right on your way to work.”

  “Don’t you know someone else who could take him for a year? Someone who likes dogs?”

  “All my other friends live in apartments. Their neighbors would complain too much about Bo’s baying.”

  Remembering Daisy at the Austin shelter, Haley knew it was true.

  “Please, Haley. Please. I’ll do anything.”

  “I don’t know, Tad. Let me think about it. When do you leave?”

  “Uhmm... tomorrow morning.”

  “Tomorrow morning! That’s not enough time.”

  “Okay. I understand.” Tad hefted a sigh. “I’ll call Mr. Appleton and tell him to find someone else. It’s no big deal, really. I’m sure I’ll find another opportunity to make a ridiculous amount of money while hunting and fishing on every continent in the world.”

  Her resolve sagged, as Tad most certainly knew it would. He’d always been able to cajole her into anything. />
  “Fine... I’ll do it!”

  “Yay!”

  She was scooped up into his arms as he spun in a circle until she was dizzy. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

  “Wait. Stop. I have a condition.”

  “What?” Tad let her slide to the ground, pinning her with a wary look.

  “Number one, you have to pay all of Bo’s costs, including replacement for everything he destroys.”

  “Done! What else?”

  “Find out if Gavin knows I’m starting work at Holiday, Inc. on Monday.”

  Tad flashed his sneaky smile. “We’ve been talking, and I’m almost positive he has no idea.”

  “Aghh!! That’s terrible.”

  “Why? I thought you’d be glad you’re going to catch him by surprise.”

  “We haven’t spoken for over a year, and it was pretty ugly. He’s going to think I came here on purpose to make him miserable.”

  “Nah. He’ll think his dad brought you here to set him up.”

  “Wait.” Haley’s stomach started churning. “What are you saying? You don’t think that’s what his dad is actually doing, do you? Trying to set us up? Because that’s so going to backfire. Gavin hates me.”

  “He doesn’t hate you, Haley. I mean, he has every reason to hate you, but he’s not that kind of guy.”

  “Hey!” She pointed her finger at him, stabbing it into his chest. “You’re supposed to be on my side, remember? Did you already forget I’m doing you a favor? That I’m keeping this slobbery mutt of yours for an entire year?”

  He stumbled backwards, chuckling, palms up to ward off her jabs. “I surrender! I’m only kidding you.... Listen, Haley. I only have one word of advice. If you ever get the opportunity, tell him why you broke up.”

  “He’ll be really ticked off, and he’ll never understand.”

  Tad gave an amplified shrug. “So what? He’s been mad at you for two years anyway. At least he’ll know the truth.”

  “It’ll hurt him all over again,” Haley protested, trying to convince herself as much as Gavin.

  Holding both her shoulders, he bent his head and looked her straight in the eye. “Haley, you’re my sister and I love you. But hiding the truth from Gavin was wrong, no matter what your motivation was. I’m telling you as your brother and Gavin’s friend... he deserves to know.”

  GAVIN’S HANDS SHOOK from adrenaline as he hung up. He’d barely managed to keep his temper in check.

  Why would Dad wait until this weekend to tell me he’d hired Haley Martin to work at Holiday, Inc.? Only one possible reason... because he knew I’d be furious! And why hire Haley at all? There were thousands of qualified accountants out there, yet his father admitted to pursuing Haley even though she hadn’t applied for the position.

  Still shaking, he poured a cup of coffee, spilling some on the counter. An expletive escaped, due more to his frustration over Haley than splattering of coffee. A clicking of toenails on the tile floor behind him drew his attention. Daisy looked up with imploring eyes.

  “Yes, I know... you want to go for a walk.” Placing the dripping mug in the sink, he mopped up the mess. “You know what, Daisy? I’m with you—I could use a walk, too.”

  Daisy barked her excitement, always impressing Gavin that such a deep sound could come from a body so compact. She turned circles on her stubby legs as Gavin attached the leash.

  In the crisp air, Gavin trotted with Daisy at his side. He’d found her less apt to wander about following her nose if he tired her out at the beginning of the walk. As they rounded the corner to the main country road, he was tempted to jog toward Gammy’s house, knowing Haley must be living there. But he knew Daisy couldn’t endure a ten-mile round trip on foot.

  He’d chosen to buy a house near Gammy’s because he loved the area. It had nothing to do with wanting to be near Haley when she came for the holidays with her family. At least, that’s the story he told himself. He’d never dreamed she would come and live here full-time.

  Sensing Daisy had reached a sufficient level of exhaustion, Gavin slowed to a walk. He smiled at her enthusiasm as she tracked along the side of the road with her nose to the ground, occasionally pulling him off to follow a scent, with the strength of a small tow truck. He never regretted adopting her from the Austin animal shelter. Though she’d given him her fair-share of trouble, she was loyal and loving, providing no-end of comfort when Haley sent her Dear John email. Remarkably, ending his relationship with Rachel had caused very little distress. Perhaps he was simply getting used to rejection.

  The decibel level of Daisy’s baying was one motivation for buying a home outside the city, allowing more distance between neighbors than the close-packed houses inside Denver’s city limits. And living closer to jogging and hiking trails, along with a beautiful mountain view, it was well-worth fighting the traffic on his daily commute to work.

  Work... He’d almost forgotten his irritation over his father’s revelation, but it came back with a vengeance.

  I need to talk to someone. Lisa? No, she really wanted me to marry Haley. Knowing Lisa, she’d probably try to set us up again, even though it has zero chance of success. Noelle? I know she and David were going out of town. Hmmm... Of course—Tad!

  He dialed Tad’s number with one hand, keeping a firm grip on Daisy’s leash. The phone rang so long Gavin thought Tad wasn’t going to answer.

  “Hey, Gavin! Sorry... I’m boarding a plane right now. What’s up?”

  “A plane? Where are you going this time? You know how jealous I am, don’t you? I can’t believe you’re getting paid to take this dude hunting and fishing all over the Rockies.”

  “Well, you’re going to be really jealous this time. I’m headed around the world—for a year!”

  “Are you kidding me? I just talked to you Wednesday. When did this happen?”

  “Straight up, truth! I got the call on Thursday. I meant to tell you, but I’ve been going crazy trying to get everything arranged. Appleton is taking a round-the-world tour, and I’m responsible for arranging all the sporting activities.”

  Daisy came to an abrupt standstill, almost jerking the leash from Gavin’s hand. After a few tugs, he managed to convince her to continue on the walk.

  “Congrats, Tad! That’s unbelievable! What are you doing with Bojangles? Do you need me to keep him?” he asked, thinking he wouldn’t mind a companion for Daisy.

  “No, I’m leaving him with Ha—” Tad cut off abruptly. “I... uhm... I found somebody to—”

  Aha! As I suspected, he knew about Haley all along.

  “You might as well come clean, Tad. I know Haley’s here and she’s starting work on Monday.”

  “You do? You could’ve fooled me, man. When I talked to you Wednesday, you sounded clueless.”

  “Dad told me this morning. It seems he wasn’t the only one holding out on me.” Gavin knew it wasn’t Tad’s responsibility to warn him, but it still stung. “I thought we were friends.”

  “Gavin, I’m sorry, but I’m sworn to secrecy. You know I’m stuck in the middle, here.”

  With her nose to the ground, Daisy veered off the road, reaching the end of her leash and pulling against him. Holding his cell against his shoulder, Gavin retrieved a jerky treat from his pocket, “Come on Daisy,” he called, waving the treat in the air, and successfully diverting her attention.

  “Just tell me, Tad... is Haley doing this on purpose? Does she just want to rub it in my face?”

  “Rub what in your face?”

  “The fact she dumped me.”

  “Dude, if you think that, you don’t know my sister at all.”

  All Gavin’s frustration bubbled to the surface. “I don’t know her, Tad! I thought I did, but I was wrong. I loved her, and she threw that away without an explanation. What am I supposed to think? Why else would she come to work at Holiday, Inc.?”

  “Maybe because she got a job offer at a great company in Denver where she owns a house?”

  “Oh, I get it.”
Gavin was amazed at how raw his wounds were, after all this time. “My presence at the company doesn’t even factor in, right? She probably doesn’t even remember I work there. That figures... it didn’t take her long to forget about me and move on to her next boyfriend. Whatever happened to that guy? Did she dump him, too?”

  “What guy?”

  “The one she was engaged too... I saw the ring.”

  “What have you been smokin’, Gavin? Haley hasn’t been engaged—I don’t think she’s so much as had a cup of coffee with a guy since you guys broke it off. You’re the one who found someone else and made wedding plans, not that I blame you for that. Haley certainly made it clear that’s what she wanted you to do.”

  “But...” Gavin’s mind spun like a dizzying tornado. “I saw her—”

  “Listen, Gavin. The flight attendant is giving me the evil eye, so I don’t have much time. But I’ll tell you this... I don’t agree with what Haley did, but she didn’t do it out of spite. And she isn’t being spiteful now, either. She’s scared to death, okay? So, please go easy on her. Gotta go. I’ll be in touch.”

  The phone went silent. Just as well, because Gavin couldn’t hear anything over the blood pounding in his ears.

  There was no other guy involved. Ever. The mystery he thought he’d solved still dangled unanswered. Why did Haley throw away everything we had together?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gavin’s mind wandered during the Monday morning division-head meeting, as the supervisor, Reece, reviewed the projects scheduled during the last six weeks of the year for each of the eight divisions. Gavin had stayed on top of the assignments for his group, having already parceled out every member between the five ongoing accounts. Running slightly shorthanded since one of his top people was out on maternity leave, Gavin didn’t mind working extended hours to make up the difference. Most of the employees working on his team were married, with family obligations. As the creator and CEO of Holiday, Inc., his father, Gerard Holiday, prided himself in being a family friendly company. So it came as no surprise when his dad commended him for his actions.