Home with My Sisters Read Free Page A

you.”
    Austin turned back to Yvette. She wasn’t making any sense. “Me? What did I do?”
    â€œWhat is the meaning of this?” Yvette was literally shaking as she bobbed the ornament up and down.
    Why is she so worked up about a freaking Christmas ornament?
    â€œWho are you?” she said. “Some kind of Ghost of Christmas Past?”
    That stopped him in his tracks. “What?”
    â€œWhat is this?” She flicked the ornament with her index finger and they both watched it swing for a second.
    Austin shrugged. “I thought it might cheer you up.”
    Yvette recoiled. “Why are you doing this to me?”
    â€œI’m sorry it’s upsetting you so much.”
    â€œWhat’s the third one?”
    â€œDo you need me to get you something? Water? Your pills?”
    â€œJust get it over with. Say her name.”
    â€œSay whose name?”
    Yvette shook her head, then removed a flask from one of the kitchen cabinets and took a long swig. How many of those did she have lying around? Maybe a bit of paranoia was a side effect of stopping chemo or being told you wouldn’t live much past the new year. Who did these doctors think they were, giving Yvette news like this at this time of year? He turned back to see if Roger was still skulking on the lawn. Not only was he still there, but he had edged closer to the windows.
    â€œDon’t stare at him, it’s not polite,” Yvette said, coming up behind him.
    â€œHe’s the one standing out there just staring into the windows,” Austin said.
    â€œHe’s not hurting you.”
    â€œYes, ma’am.”
    â€œGo on home now. I need my rest.”
    Austin really wanted to know why she was so worked up about the ornament. Not only had he not cheered her up, she seemed even more upset than before. “Have a little faith,” he said. This time in addition to letting out another bloodcurdling scream, Yvette Garland lifted a rolling pin and charged him.

CHAPTER 3
    Hope Garland paced her tiny apartment, clutching her iPad and practicing her pitch. “It’s been five years since the three of us spent Christmas together.” She stopped. Could it be longer? Definitely longer since the three of them spent Christmas with their mother.
    â€œCan you do that somewhere else?” Michael called from the sofa. She glanced at the top of his head, dark hair sticking up in the middle. He’d been glued to the television for the past hour, captivated by some kind of extreme fishing show. Bigger boats, more waves, hairier fish. Gawd. He hadn’t even taken her suggestion of watching It’s a Wonderful Life seriously. Another piece of evidence that he wasn’t the right guy for her, bagged and sealed and placed in the evidence locker. Truthfully, she’d known it after their first month together, when it became obvious that he wasn’t a dog lover, but she’d spent the next five months trying to talk herself into him. Every time she wanted to break up with him, she could hear her older sister, Faith, in her ear. “Not everyone is a dog fanatic, Hope. Must Love Dogs is one thing. Must Think Life Revolves Around Dogs is you being psychotic. Give people a break!”
    Faith was never one to tiptoe in on little cat feet. So Hope tried. She’d given him multiple breaks. Maybe she was the one who was broken. Or maybe, she knew it all along. He just wasn’t the guy for her. Why did she think she had to turn him into a villain to admit it wasn’t working out? She hadn’t fostered a dog since they’d started dating, and she couldn’t wait to get to work every day just to be around those big eyes and wagging tails. She missed having a dog lying at the foot of the bed, snoring away. She missed the click of their nails on the wood floor, and the exuberant joy when it was time for a walk. Dogs taught people how to live in the moment. She felt bad that Faith