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dating, while Will had been in his sophomore year of college. It still blew her away thinking about it.
    They made plans together, plans to leave Mule Hollow, and then just before they were to marry he changed his mind. He decided that he didn’t want to pursue a career in architecture. He wanted to throw all that away—
    And he expected her to forgo any dreams she had, marry him anyway and be content. She loved him so much she almost did. But at the moment of truth, when she was about to enter the church, something inside clicked.
    Didn’t she have the right to stretch her wings? Was she always going to be everyone’s little darling? The little “Haley Bell” no one took seriously? Or was she going to stand up for herself and reach for her dreams?
    She decided she had every right to want more, and she fled.
    What she hadn’t ever been able to get over was that Will had let her.
    Haley pushed aside thoughts of Will. She hadn’t come home to think about him, of that she was certain. She heard Applegate’s truck pull up outside. It was time for the two of them to have a serious talk about what the doctor had said about his health.
    It dawned on her that maybe he was so distracted by his condition that this was the reason he’d failed to tell her Will had moved back to town. That was really a huge alarm for her because Applegate just didn’t pass up things like that. Unless he wasn’t himself. And if he wasn’t himself—Haley stopped her runaway thoughts as the back door opened and Applegate walked inside.
    It was time for some answers.

Chapter Five
    â€œA pplegate, why have I let you talk me into this?” Haley sat in the truck beside her grandfather and stared at the bright blue building in front of her. As with all the buildings on Main Street now, each was painted a vibrant color and Mule Hollow’s community center was periwinkle-blue with lemon-drop trim. Inside the townspeople were holding the first call for the annual Christmas program. Instead of getting answers, she’d somehow let Applegate talk her into participating. The man had a way of looking so pitiful that she couldn’t say no. Especially since she was going to be here and she wanted to spend time with him, and since he was going to be at practice most evenings, it only made sense that she help him out.
    After all, he clearly wasn’t feeling too well, and since he’d refused to fess up to what was wrong with him, it was all the more reason for her to stay close by his side. Case in point, here she was about to get out and follow him into the building. A packed building judging by the number of cars and trucks sitting along the sidewalks.
    â€œWell, are ya comin’?” Applegate asked, standing at the door looking back at her.
    With an odd sense of foreboding she got out of the truck and trudged up the steps. She’d changed into a flowing skirt of turquoise-and-gold paired with a shimmering blouse—a sleeveless blouse because that was all she had with her and she hadn’t made it to the store as planned. Needless to say she was cold. She had bare arms and strappy sandals! On top of her summer attire, she wore her grandmother’s red wool short coat. It made a fashion statement like none Haley had seen since the day in kindergarten when she’d insisted on wearing her pink tutu to school with her brown riding boots. That had been a Haley Bell moment she’d heard about until the day she’d left town.
    Haley stood for a moment in the chill, tugging the collar up as she lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. She might be reduced to looking like that poor little klutz of a girl she used to be, but all she had to do was remember that she wasn’t little Haley Bell . She was Haley Thornton. Confident career woman, rising star, a force to be reckoned with.
    And clothes did not make the woman, the woman made the clothes.
    Never let them see you