“Come back inside. We’re getting ready to leave.”
They followed her in, and Grace made sure to tell her what to do with the roast she’d been cooking all day in the slow cooker.
“It’s your mother’s recipe,” she said to Callie. “Your favorite, right?”
“Everything my mother cooks is my favorite,” Callie answered with a quick kiss to her mother’s cheek. “Especially when she cooks it just for me.”
“Don’t fool yourself, Callie,” her mother said before giving Taylor a hug. “I made this one for Taylor, not you.”
“Even better.” Callie grinned and slipped her arm around Taylor’s waist.
* * *
Nobody seemed to be able to make it until the ball dropped in Times Square at midnight. Taylor’s parents both kept dozing off, and Taylor had gone up to bed at about twenty after eleven. There was only fifteen minutes left to wait, but Callie said her good nights and headed down the hall to Callie’s bedroom. She hesitated for a moment before opening the door and walking in.
She smiled when her eyes met Taylor’s, who was sitting up in bed reading a book. She had the sheet pulled up over her chest, but Callie was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing any clothes. Callie went to sit next to her on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss her.
“You couldn’t make it either?” Taylor asked.
“I decided to have mercy on your parents,” Callie answered. She lifted the sheet and peeked under, smiling to find out she was right. “You’re naked.”
“You’re not.”
“That’s easily remedied.” Callie stood and pulled her shirt over her head. She stopped as she was about to let it fall to the floor when she looked at the bedside table for the first time. It was empty except for the lamp. She looked at Taylor. “What happened to the picture of you and Andrea?”
Taylor glanced over to where the framed photo had been and shrugged.
“Come here,” she said, patting the edge of the bed. Callie sat and allowed Taylor to take her hand. “It’s going on four years, Callie. It’s time to move on, don’t you think?”
“You don’t have to put the pictures of her away though.”
“I haven’t, at least not yet, but I will eventually.” Taylor smiled and brushed Callie’s cheek with the backs of her fingers. “She will always be in my heart. I hope you know that.”
“Of course I do.”
“She was my once in a lifetime love.”
Callie tensed, feeling as if there might be a brush off on the horizon. She looked away and started to stand, but Taylor stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“But I’m willing to find out if it’s possible to have that kind of love twice in a lifetime,” Taylor said, and it took Callie a moment to realize what she was saying. She took Callie’s hand and entwined their fingers. “I love you, Callie, and I want to find out if that kind of love is possible with you.”
“You do?” Callie smiled.
“I do,” Taylor said with a nod. “I think you should finish getting undressed and join me in bed now. But we’re only going to sleep, okay? My ribs are still sore.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. She stripped and crawled under the covers, holding Taylor gently in her arms so as not to cause any further pain. She sighed with contentment and realized she was happier in that moment than she’d ever been in her life.
“I love you, baby,” she whispered into Taylor’s ear.
“I love you, too,” Taylor replied before turning her head to kiss her. “Now get some sleep. We have a lot of living to do, and I can’t think of a more perfect time to start than the first day of a new year.”
About the Author
PJ Trebelhorn was born and raised in the greater metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. Her love of sports—mainly baseball and ice hockey—was fueled in part by her father’s interests. She likes to brag about the fact that her uncle managed the Milwaukee Brewers for five years, and the Chicago Cubs for one year.
PJ now resides in western New York with her wife, Cheryl; their three cats; and one very neurotic dog. When not writing or reading, PJ enjoys watching movies, playing on the Playstation, and spending way too much time with stupid games on Facebook. She still roots for the Flyers, Phillies, and Eagles, even though she’s now in Sabres and Bills territory.
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
A Heart to Call Home by Jeannie Levig. When Jessie Weldon returns to her hometown after thirty years, can she and her childhood crush Dakota Scott heal the tragic past that links them? (978-1-63555-059-7)
Children of the Healer by Barbara Ann Wright. Life becomes desperate for ex-soldier Cordelia Ross when the indigenous aliens of her planet are drawn into a civil war and old enemies linger in the shadows. Book Three of the Godfall Series. (978-1-63555-031-3)
Hearts Like Hers by Melissa Brayden. Coffee shop owner Autumn Primm is ready to cut loose and live a little, but is the baggage that comes with out-of-towner Kate Carpenter too heavy for anything long term? (978-1-63555-014-6)
Love at Cooper’s Creek by Missouri Vaun. Shaw Daily flees corporate life to find solace in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains, but escapism eludes her when her attentions are captured by small town beauty Kate Elkins. (978-1-62639-960-0)
Somewhere Over Lorain Road by Bud Gundy. Over forty years after murder allegations shattered the Esker family, can Don Esker find the true killer and clear his dying father’s name? (978-1-63555-124-2)
Twice in a Lifetime by PJ Trebelhorn. Detective Callie Burke can’t deny the growing attraction to her late friend’s widow, Taylor Fletcher, who also happens to own the bar where Callie’s sister works. (978-1-63555-033-7)
Undiscovered Affinity by Jane Hardee. Will a no strings attached affair be enough to break Olivia’s control and convince Cardic that love does exist? (978-1-63555-061-0)
Between Sand and Stardust by Tina Michele. Are the lifelong bonds of love strong enough to conquer time, distance, and heartache when Haven Thorne and Willa Bennette are given another chance at forever? (978-1-62639-940-2)
Charming the Vicar by Jenny Frame. When magician and atheist Finn Kane seeks refuge in an English village after a spiritual crisis, can local vicar Bridget Claremont restore her faith in life and love? (978-1-63555-029-0)
Data Capture by Jesse J. Thoma. Lola Walker is undercover on the hunt for cybercriminals while trying not to notice the woman who might be perfectly wrong for her for all the right reasons. (978-1-62639-985-3)
Epicurean Delights by Renee Roman. Ariana Marks had no idea a leisure swim would lead to being rescued, in more ways than one, by the charismatic Hudson Frost. (978-1-63555-100-6)
Heart of the Devil by Ali Vali. We know most of Cain and Emma Casey’s story, but Heart of the Devil will take you back to where it began one fateful night with a tray loaded with beer. (978-1-63555-045-0)
Known Threat by Kara A. McLeod. When Special Agent Ryan O’Connor reluctantly questions who protects the Secret Service, she learns courage truly is found in unlikely places. Agent O’Connor Series #3. (978-1-63555-132-7)
Seer and the Shield by D. Jackson Leigh. Time is running out for the Dragon Horse Army while two unlikely heroines struggle to put aside their attraction and find a way to stop a deadly cult. Dragon Horse War, Book 3. (978-1-63555-170-9)
Sinister Justice by Steve Pickens. When a vigilante targets citizens of Jake Finnigan’s hometown, Jake and his partner Sam fall under suspicion themselves as they investigate the murders. (978-1-63555-094-8)
The Universe Between Us by Jane C. Esther. Ana Mitchell must make the hardest choice of her life: the promise of new love Jolie Dann on Earth, or a humanity-saving mission to colonize Mars. (978-1-63555-106-8)
Touch by Kris Bryant. Can one touch heal a heart? (978-1- 63555-084-9)
Change in Time by Robyn Nyx. Working in the past is hell on your future. The Extractor Series: Book Two. (978-1-62639- 880-1)
Love After Hours by Radclyffe. When Gina Antonelli agrees to renovat
e Carrie Longmire’s new house, she doesn’t welcome Carrie’s overtures at friendship or her own unexpected attraction. A Rivers Community Novel. (978-1-63555-090-0)
Nantucket Rose by CF Frizzell. Maggie Jordan can’t wait to convert an historic Nantucket home into a B&B, but doesn’t expect to fall for mariner Ellis Chilton, who has more claim to the house than Maggie realizes. (978-1-63555-056-6)
Picture Perfect by Lisa Moreau. Falling in love wasn’t supposed to be part of the stakes for Olive and Gabby, rival photographers in the competition of a lifetime. (978-1-62639-975-4)
Set the Stage by Karis Walsh. Actress Emilie Danvers takes the stage again in Ashland, Oregon, little realizing that landscaper Arden Philips is about to offer her a very personal romantic lead role. (978-1-63555-087-0)
Strike a Match by Fiona Riley. When their attempts at matchmaking fizzle out, firefighter Sasha and reluctant millionairess Abby find themselves turning to each other to strike a perfect match. (978-1-62639-999-0)
The Price of Cash by Ashley Bartlett. Cash Braddock is doing her best to keep her business afloat, stay out of jail, and avoid Detective Kallen. It’s not working. (978-1-62639-708-8)
Under Her Wing by Ronica Black. At Angel’s Wings Rescue, dogs are usually the ones saved, but when quiet Kassandra Haden meets outspoken owner Jayden Beaumont, the two stubborn women just might end up saving each other. (978-1-63555-077-1)
Underwater Vibes by Mickey Brent. When Hélène, a translator in Brussels, Belgium, meets Sylvie, a young Greek photographer and swim coach, unsettling feelings hijack Hélène’s mind and body—even her poems. (978-1-63555-002-3)
A More Perfect Union by Carsen Taite. Major Zoey Granger and DC fixer Rook Daniels risk their reputations for a chance at true love while dealing with a scandal that threatens to rock the military. (978-1-62639-754-5)
Arrival by Gun Brooke. The spaceship Pathfinder reaches its passengers’ new homeworld where danger lurks in the shadows while Pamas Seclan disembarks and finds unexpected love in young science genius Darmiya Do Voy. (978-1-62639-859-7)
Captain’s Choice by VK Powell. Architect Kerstin Anthony’s life is going to plan until Bennett Carlyle, the first girl she ever kissed, is assigned to her latest and most important project, a police district substation. (978-1-62639-997-6)
Falling Into Her by Erin Zak. Pam Phillips, widow at the age of forty, meets Kathryn Hawthorne, local Chicago celebrity, and it changes her life forever—in ways she hadn’t even considered possible. (978-1-63555-092-4)
Hookin’ Up by MJ Williamz. Will Leah get what she needs from casual hookups or will she see the love she desires right in front of her? (978-1-63555-051-1)
King of Thieves by Shea Godfrey. When art thief Casey Marinos meets bounty hunter Finnegan Starkweather, the crimes of the past just might set the stage for a payoff worth more than she ever dreamed possible. (978-1-63555-007-8)
Lucy’s Chance by Jackie D. As a serial killer haunts the streets, Lucy tries to stitch up old wounds with her first love in the wake of a small town’s rapid descent into chaos. (978-1-63555-027-6)
Right Here, Right Now by Georgia Beers. When Alicia Wright moves into the office next door to Lacey Chamberlain’s accounting firm, Lacey is about to find out that sometimes the last person you want is exactly the person you need. (978-1- 63555-154-9)
Strictly Need to Know by MB Austin. Covert operator Maji Rios will do whatever she must to complete her mission, but saving a gorgeous stranger from Russian mobsters was not in her plans. (978-1-63555-114-3)
Tailor-Made by Yolanda Wallace. Tailor Grace Henderson doesn’t date clients, but when she meets gender-bending model Dakota Lane, she’s tempted to throw all the rules out the window. (978-1-63555-081-8)
Time Will Tell by M. Ullrich. With the ability to time travel, Eva Caldwell will have to decide between having it all and erasing it all. (978-1-63555-088-7)
A Date to Die by Anne Laughlin. Someone is killing people close to Detective Kay Adler, who must look to her own troubled past for a suspect. There she finds more than one person seeking revenge against her. (978-1-63555-023-8)
Captured Soul by Laydin Michaels. Can Kadence Munroe save the woman she loves from a twisted killer, or will she lose her to a collector of souls? (978-1-62639-915-0)
Dawn’s New Day by TJ Thomas. Can Dawn Oliver and Cam Cooper, two women who have loved and lost, open their hearts to love again? (978-1-63555-072-6)
Definite Possibility by Maggie Cummings. Sam Miller is just out for good times, but Lucy Weston makes her realize happily ever after is a definite possibility. (978-1-62639-909-9)
Eyes Like Those by Melissa Brayden. Isabel Chase and Taylor Andrews struggle between love and ambition from the writers’ room on one of Hollywood’s hottest TV shows. (978-1-63555-012-2)
Heart’s Orders by Jaycie Morrison. Helen Tucker and Tee Owens escape hardscrabble lives to careers in the Women’s Army Corps, but more than their hearts are at risk as friendship blossoms into love. (978-1-63555-073-3)
Hiding Out by Kay Bigelow. Treat Dandridge is unaware that her life is in danger from the murderer who is hunting the woman she’s falling in love with, Mickey Heiden. (978-1-62639-983-9)
Omnipotence Enough by Sophia Kell Hagin. Can the tiny tool that abducted war veteran Jamie Gwynmorgan accidentally acquires help her escape an unknown enemy to reclaim her stolen life and the woman she deeply loves? (978-1-63555-037-5)
Summer’s Cove by Aurora Rey. Emerson Lange moved to Provincetown to live in the moment, but when she meets Darcy Belo and her son Liam, her quest for summer romance becomes a family affair. (978-1-62639-971-6)
The Road to Wings by Julie Tizard. Lieutenant Casey Tompkins, Air Force student pilot, has to fly with the toughest instructor, Captain Kathryn “Hard Ass” Hardesty, fly a supersonic jet, and deal with a growing forbidden attraction. (978-1-62639-988-4)
Twice in a Lifetime Page 19