Winter Star, page 1
Winter Star
By Kassandra Lea
Published by JMS Books LLC
Visit jms-books.com for more information.
Copyright 2019 Kassandra Lea
ISBN 9781646561728
Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com
Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.
All rights reserved.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published in the United States of America.
* * * *
Winter Star
By Kassandra Lea
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 1
In the little café attached to the bookstore, Julie McGee sat with her hands wrapped around a mug of a warm, chocolatey beverage. This was by far one of her favorite places on Earth, from the heady aroma of brewing coffee to the tippy-tap of laptop keys from a nearby table. Of course, there were rows upon rows of shelves making up an impressive sea of books and magazines, any of which might catch her eye as she walked by.
Shoppers milled around checking out the merchandise, most likely picking out gifts for loved ones. Maybe after she finished with her business Julie would give the shelves a decent browsing, see if anything screamed ‘buy me.’
She checked her watch.
Ten minutes past their agreed upon meeting time.
Julie fished her cell phone out of her pocket to see if she might have missed a message, but the screen was blank. Not a single notification.
“Sorry,” apologized the man she’d been waiting for, the only man she’d ever allow to keep her waiting. Hector Leeds plopped into the chair across from her, tufts of red hair curling out from underneath his knit hat. The ginger tendrils almost matched the rosy hue of his freckled cheeks, his light green eyes sparkling. Like everyone else in the city, he was dressed in warm clothes, but still lacked the telltale signs of someone fighting against the bitter winds of winter, no coat or scarf in sight. The brunt of winter had yet to arrive after all. “I tried to get away earlier; my boss had other ideas.”
“Better late than never,” Julie spoke the old adage. From the pocket of her hoodie she withdrew a package of chocolate-covered crackers that Hector loved. She slipped them across the table in his direction.
Hector arched an eyebrow. “Is this a bribe or…? What’s the reason for this?”
“Reason?” Julie shrugged. “Since when do friends require a reason to hang out with each other?”
“I appreciate the offer,” Hector said. He picked up the treat, the wrapper crinkling under his touch. “Still, you said there was something you wanted to discuss, so what’s up?”
To stall, Julie sipped her beverage. She’d known Hector since grade school, lucky enough to give him the label of best friend from the day she’d gotten his comic back from a bully. They’d weathered many milestones, and he had been the first one she had come out to on her fifteenth birthday. If she ever found herself wishing for male companionship, which was highly unlikely, Hector topped the list. In other words, if she could trust anyone with a dilemma, it was the man staring at her now.
“Well, you know how Belle and I wound up crashing at your place for Thanksgiving?”
“Kind of hard to forget. It was just the other day, after all, and you,” he said, pointing at Julie, “made one of your divine cakes.”
Julie laughed lightly. “Box cake, Hector, with a few tweaks, that’s all it was, but thanks.”
“I think our impromptu, thrown together meal was c’est magnifique.” Hector kissed the fingertips of one hand. “Besides, it was an excellent excuse to take a break from my start-up.”
He had a point: the crazy whirlwind of events that brought them to his apartment door had led to a great night of food and laughter. It wasn’t exactly what any of them had planned, but it certainly turned out perfect. Aside from the fact she had to listen to some friendly ridicule about her steadfast desire for cranberry sauce, the sort that came in a can and was all weirdly jiggly.
“And I can’t thank you enough for letting us take over your night.”
This time it was Hector who shrugged. “What are friends for? My dinner plans consisted of a frozen turkey dinner and a beer. You two made things better.” He broke off a corner of the cracker. “I still don’t see why we’re here. You already thanked me.”
Julie sighed, rubbing her arms and averting her gaze. A touch of melancholy seeped into her mood, the pleasant memory diminished. “I’m here because of Belle. It’s bad enough her parents ditched her for Thanksgiving in order to visit her pregnant sister.” At the mention of Belle’s sister, Julie shuddered. “Now they’re going to be gone half of December, maybe even the big day.”
My poor Jingle Belle.
“Bummer. You two are more than welcome to spend the holidays with me.”
“Thanks, Hector,” she smiled softly. “I may take you up on that offer.”
He frowned, tilting his head slightly as he studied her. Then he reached across the table and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Something else is bothering you. Tell me. Please?”
“I saw her crying last night,” confessed Julie. She cast her mind back, hating the way it made her feel to see the woman she loved hurt by her family, even though they probably didn’t realize it.
They’d gone to bed last night under the guise everything was okay. Around midnight she’d rolled over with the intent to snuggle up to her gal only to find the other side of the bed cold and empty. Murmured voices and curiosity had dragged her from the warmth of the blanket to the bedroom door, a faint glow coming from the direction of the living room.
That was where she had found Belle, her beloved, lying on the couch clutching a pillow. Though the TV had been out of sight, Julie had known the familiar dialogue belonged to a holiday classic about a smart little boy outwitting some crooks. Belle had sniffled, swiping the back of her hand over her eyes.
The sight had caused Julie to bite down on her lip, torn between going over to comfort Belle and leaving her to her private moment. In the end she had gone back to bed, knowing all too well how Belle often hid her tears, keeping them secret. Falling asleep again had proven hard.
She relayed it all to Hector. “This time of year has always been important to her, you know. You know her parents adore her, but they’ve decided to try reconciling with Prue, and Belle’s taking this a lot harder than I expected. Though I totally get why she’s hiding her pain from me. So I want to do something special for her. Something to put the cheer back into the holidays.” If that’s even possible. She looked so crestfallen after they called.
“I’m guessing you already have this ‘something’ picked out?”
She gave him a firm nod, more determined than ever. “And I want to run it by you. Also, I want to extend an invitation to you, since no one should be alone this time of year. Family goes beyond blood and all that jazz. Besides, we did turkey at your place; it’s only fair we host the next get-together.”
Hector munched his sweet, all ears as Julie laid out what she planned to do. The idea had come to her in those sleepless hours and made all the sense in the world. To execute her plan she required a partner in crime, however. Who better than Hector? She just hoped everything would go well.
Chapter 2
Julie hummed along to the Christmas carol playing on the radio, having already heard three variations of the same song since she’d started baking two hours ago. Never mind the fact it was only the third of December. She’d been jamming out to holiday tunes since the middle of November. They only came round once a year, and Julie fully intended to get her fix.
Holding a blue bowl in her arm, she mixed the spice cookie dough with a wooden spoon. A batch of gingerbread already in the oven scented the kitchen and made her stomach growl. She took a pinch of dough to try it, wanting to make sure it tasted right before she placed the dollops on a ready baking sheet.
“Mmm.” Julie savored the tease. This was easily her favorite part of the season, all the delicious food, and she always allowed herself to indulge, from Thanksgiving until the New Year when she then vowed to lose the weight. By end of the day she planned to have four different types of cookies occupying the curvy snowman cookie jar and a handful of plastic containers. “Perfect.”
The carol switched to a commercial for a jewelry sale. The oven dinged. As Julie bent to retrieve the gingerbread figures, she heard the jingle of keys in the lock and the apart
Julie arrived at the front door just in time to catch her beloved kicking the door closed with her boot heel. Then she proceeded to drop her bag on the floor and toss her keys in a bowl on a small table nearby. As soon as Belle Manders slipped off her winter boots, Julie swept her up and proceeded to twirl her around the living room.
“Hello, my dear,” Julie greeted.
“You’re in a good mood.”
Julie smiled. “And why shouldn’t I be?” As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them, wishing she could take them back. “I’m sorry.”
Their impromptu dance ended, but Julie maintained hold of Belle’s hand, their fingers entwined. She rubbed her thumb in circles over the back of Belle’s hand, searching the eyes of the woman she loved. Despite the jollyness of the season, Belle had developed a case of the doldrums, recent changes to some long-standing traditions the culprit behind her lacking cheer. They’d discussed it, and Julie understood her disappointment. There was a special charm to this time of year, magic in the air, and everyone wanted to cling tightly to that sense of wonderment.
Unfortunately, life had a way of making other plans.
A ghost of a smile graced Belle’s lips and sorrow clouded her eyes. She drew in a deep breath. “You’ve been baking.”
“Yep.” She led her girlfriend toward the kitchen. “The gingerbread should be done here in a minute or two. Do you want to help me decorate them when they cool down?”
“Sure.”
“So how was your day?” Julie asked as she resumed her baking venture. She started by doling out the spice cookies and then adjusting the temperature on the oven. She had a little secret, one she was bursting to share, but the moment had to be just right.
Belle, meanwhile, leaned against a nearby counter. She dipped her pinky in the cream cheese frosting Julie had whipped up earlier. All it needed was to be separated and have a few drops of food coloring added. Instead of giving a verbal answer Belle shrugged, pinky in her mouth.
“Well, at least you’re off for two weeks now, so we can laze about in our pajamas if you so desire.” Julie popped open the oven, checking on the baking gingerbread figures. Deciding they weren’t quite ready, she reset the timer. “Plus, I already dug out all our favorite holiday movies, including Die Hard. So we can snack on cookies, watch some flicks, and get holiday fat. What do you think?”
“Okay.”
“All right, that’s it,” Julie declared. She slipped a pan of spice cookies into the oven with the gingerbread and turned to Belle, who was leaning against the counter nibbling on a sugar cookie. Belle frowned. Julie sighed. “I wanted to wait to tell you this, but I suppose now works just as well.”
“Tell me what?” Apprehension momentarily flickered in Belle’s eyes.
“You should pack a bag or two.”
“Why?” She quirked an eyebrow.
Julie untied the apron, leaving it on the handle to the oven door. She crossed the tile floor to stand before Belle. “Because I haven’t seen you since you left for work this morning and I’ve missed your company.” To emphasize the sentiment, Julie placed her hands on Belle’s hips and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
Belle sighed, that ghostly smile from a few minutes ago returning. “You smell like cookies.”
Julie’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No. You also have a whiff of cinnamon about you,” she remarked, a bit of playfulness creeping into her voice.
Julie leaned closer, this time kissing Belle’s cheek, then her jaw. “Do I smell good enough to eat?” she whispered in Belle’s ear.
“Maybe.” Belle placed a hand on Julie’s chest, gently pushing her back. “But if you’re trying to distract me it isn’t going to work. Why does your missing me require me to pack a bag?”
“We aren’t going to be lazing around and getting fat here.”
This earned her a solitary eyebrow raised in silent question. After her talk at lunch with Hector, Julie had made a simple phone call and got everything okayed, and now she was about to hopefully salvage some of Belle’s seasonal spirit.
She beamed like the Cheshire Cat. “We’re going to spend the next week, at least, at the farm.”
“Come again?”
Julie’s barely contained excitement began to bubble out, and it took all her restraint to keep from dancing about the kitchen. “I already talked to Sam and Mable, and since they’re going to be down in Texas with your sister, the farm will be empty. The neighbor agreed to check on the animals, but doesn’t it make more sense for the two of us to crash there? Especially since we already have the time off?”
Belle popped the last of the sugar cookie into her mouth, her gaze cast down at the floor. While Belle chewed, Julie could see the news slowly sinking in. Finally, Belle looked at her. “Why?”
The question wasn’t exactly the response she’d been hoping for. “Why? Because you’ve been a glum bunny ever since your parents cancelled on Yule and Christmas.” She sidled up to Belle again, placing a gentle hand on her lover’s cheek. “I thought this would make you happy. Am I wrong?”
Before Belle could answer they were interrupted by the beeping of the oven. Wondering if she’d made the right choice, having expected an entirely different reaction, Julie pulled out the last batch of gingerbread cookies, each one of them looking done to perfection. The idea had sounded perfect last night and again when she hashed it out with Hector. Even he agreed it was logical, and they managed to come up with a few smaller surprises to make the time together remarkable. Had she been off-base?
As she readied the next tray, Julie explained, “I figured if we spent some time at the farm, you might still be able to indulge in some of your traditions.” The second round went into the oven. “I know it’s not exactly the same, but surely it’s better than nothing, don’t you think?”
When she turned, Julie instantly noted the glimmer of light in Belle’s eyes. She watched as Belle dipped her finger in the frosting again, closing her eyes as her finger disappeared in her mouth.
“Are you going to eat all my frosting?” Julie stood there with hands on her hips in a mocking tease.
“Maybe.” A spark of mischievousness seemed to have caught her. She went for another taste, this time getting a big glob, which she promptly flung at Julie, hitting her smack on the cheek. “What are you going to do about it if I do? Punish me?”
“Don’t tempt me.” Julie swiped the smear of frosting from her cheek. She tasted it. “Mmm, this is good. I must say, I’m mighty fine in the kitchen.”
“Yes,” Belle seconded. Her finger disappeared into the bowl for a third time, but this time she crossed the short distance between them, depositing the frosting on Julie’s nose. “You’re very fine.”
Julie placed her hands on Belle’s hips and slipped them around to rest on the small of her back. In response to Belle’s silly antics, Julie lightly rubbed the tip of her nose against Belle’s in the fashion of an Eskimo kiss, thus sharing the sweet mix. Then she sneaked in for a kiss, their lips meeting in the soft shy brush of new lovers. With each beat of her heart, it deepened, growing into something a little more. Belle clutched at Julie’s shirt. The temperature in the kitchen began to climb, and Julie suspected it had little to do with her baking. These were some of her favorite moments, the ones when she was closest to Belle.
Much too soon the kiss ended, though, Belle pulling back slightly. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too.”
Belle caressed her cheek, gazing into her eyes. “I’m really lucky to have you in my corner. You’re amazing.”
“Damn straight,” Julie concurred. “Don’t you forget about it.”
Belle rolled her eyes, an honest smile lighting them up, then she giggled. “Thank you, Julie.”
“For?”
Belle snatched up a gingerbread man. “Making all these delicious cookies so I don’t have to.”
Julie playfully hit her with a towel, sending out a cloud of flour. “Go on, get out of here before you give yourself a stomachache. Go pick a movie. I’ll be along in a minute or two.”
