by Kris Jett
“I’m not saying we need to elope or do anything crazy,” he interrupted nervously. “I just want to become more serious with you. I want to get to know your daughter. Your family.” He looked over at Wynn’s family. “From what I’ve already seen they seem like a fun group.” He smiled.
Wynn grabbed his hand in hers. “Hold on, let me respond.”
Bryce’s cheeks pinkened and he waited.
“I’m falling for you too. I have been for a while now. I’ve just been trying to get my act together at the same time.”
“Me too. Maybe we can do that together?”
Wynn leaned in close to Bryce. “I’d like that.” And they kissed again.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy,” Melody said. “You awake?”
Wynn slowly peered out from beneath her covers and saw her beautiful messy haired little girl staring at her, only inches away from her face. “Yes, darling, I’m awake.” Wynn pulled her arms out from under the covers and stretched them over her head.
Melody tugged at a corner of the blanket, pulling it down. “Come on, Mommy. Mickey time. Come on.”
Wynn grinned and rubbed at her eyes. She wanted to lie in bed and relish her memories of last night at the ball. It had all turned out so perfect. Sure, the beginning had been a near disaster with Eric showing up the way that he did. But the event had still been so beautiful and everyone enjoyed themselves so much. Wynn touched the bracelet on her left wrist and ran her fingers on the charm. It was so perfect. Bryce was so perfect for her. She felt happier waking up that morning than she had in such a long time.
“Mom-my. Mick-y,” Melody whined.
“Okay, okay, I’m getting up. I’ll put Mickey on for you.” Wynn sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed.
She followed Melody out into the living room and flipped on the television set, turning on the Disney channel. As soon as Minnie Mouse’s face filled the screen, Melody started bopping around on the couch.
Wynn decided to go in the kitchen and put the kettle on for tea while she made Melody’s breakfast. Luci was already sitting quietly in the kitchen, flipping through a splashy tabloid.
“Good morning,” Wynn said cheerily.
“Hey, I hope I didn’t wake you up,” Luci said.
“No, not at all. The Mickey Mouse obsessed one did. Do you want me to make you breakfast?”
“Ooh, you’re offering?”
“I am. I’m in an especially good mood this morning,” Wynn told her.
Luci smiled. “I can see that.”
“Auntie!” Melody called out in an excited voice from the other room.
Wynn and Luci looked at each other. “Jessie’s here?” Wynn asked. The two got up and walked into the living room.
“I hope you haven’t eaten yet because I have the best day-after-Valentine’s-Day breakfast ever,” Jessie announced.
“What’s this?” their mom asked as she wandered into the living room, pulling her robe tight around her waist. She reached up and patted her hair with one hand, smoothing it into place.
“Breakfast,” Jessie replied as she led the group back into the kitchen.
Wynn, Luci, Jessie, and their mom all sat around the table while Jessie passed around large dark chocolate mochas and chocolate croissants.
Luci stared wide-eyed at the feast. “This goes against all of my values.”
“Oh, live a little, Luci,” Jessie teased.
They all watched as Luci took a sip of the mocha, closed her eyes, and smiled. “This is heavenly.”
“Isn’t it though?” Jessie asked.
“What brought all this on this morning?” their mom asked Jessie.
“I’m in love and the world is beautiful,” Jessie replied.
“Wow,” Wynn said. This was a new Jessie they were seeing.
“Yep. Cade and I told each other last night for the first time that we loved each other. I mean, I’ve loved him for a while now but was afraid to say it. But, I did it. I said the L word. And I’m so happy. It was a perfect Valentine’s Day. And the ball was amazing, thanks to you guys,” she said to her sisters, “and Mom, we raised so much money for your bills. Snowy Ridge is full of the most lovely, generous people. Really.”
Deidre ripped a small piece of croissant off and held it in her hands. “I’ve always known that. That’s why Daddy and I moved here so long ago. It’s a town full of wonderful people.”
The women all smiled at each other. It was such a relief to not have to worry about money for their Mom.
“And I heard your date was amazing,” Jessie said to Luci.
“Where did you hear that?” Luci asked, one eyebrow popped.
Jessie giggled. “Who do you think?”
Luci rolled her eyes. “Maybe to him. Probably because he talked about himself the whole time. He sure finds himself pretty amazing.”
They all laughed and then Luci turned to Wynn. “What about you and Bryce? How did your evening turn out?”
Wynn let out a happy sigh. “It was perfect. I really like him.”
“I’m so happy to hear that,” her mom said. “I was worried Eric ran him off last night. His showing up was so strange.”
“I know,” Wynn said. “That part was awful. But everything is straightened out now.”
“Do you think he’ll be coming back around again?” her mom asked.
Wynn thought about Eric. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be hearing from him again. At least not for a while. He seemed so angry when he left. And she didn’t feel like the anger was directed at her necessarily, but more at himself. Eric seemed kind of lost. She felt like he rushed out to Snowy Ridge the way he did to try and fix things in his life quickly. And when it wasn’t an easy fix, he got angry. He’d have to figure out what was going to make him happy on his own. Maybe once he found peace with himself, he’d come back around and want to be a real father to Melody. But Wynn wasn’t holding her breath. She truly felt like a single mother now. But the funny thing was, she didn’t feel alone. She had her mom and her sisters, and now she had Bryce. Wynn ran her fingers across her lips, remembering their kisses last night in front of the fireplace.
“No,” she said to her Mom. “I don’t think we’ll be seeing him back in Snowy Ridge any time soon.”
Melody ran into the room and climbed up on Wynn’s lap. “Hungry,” she announced.
Wynn reached for a croissant and handed it to Melody. She looked around the kitchen table at her mom, Luci, Jessie, and Melody. Most of her world was right there in that room. Six months ago, she felt so alone and hopeless. No husband, no career, no home, and no help with Melody. But now she felt like she was right where she was supposed to be. She looked down at her bracelet again and ran one finger across the word Strong. She’d never before considered herself to be strong, but now she did. She was going to be just fine. Melody was going to have a great life. No one could ever predict the future, or what it would bring, but Wynn knew one thing for sure. She was strong enough to get through it.
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About the Author:
Kris Jett is a romance writer from Chicago who loves love! When she’s not working on her small-town contemporary romanc
e series, she can be found at the theater with her main man, doing a mean Peacock Pose in her favorite yoga studio, or walking her adorable cavapoo, Sammy.
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Luci Foster’s dreams of becoming a successful New York City author came crashing down when she found herself penniless and living back with her mom in Snowy Ridge, Wisconsin. Evan Monroe has been floating through life ever since graduation and now finds himself living with and working for his Aunt in Snowy Ridge. Neither is content and both are searching. And sometimes magic happens when you’re not exactly sure what you’re looking for, but find everything that you need. Read on for a sneak peek of Luci and Evan’s story in Finding Me...
Finding Me (Snowy Ridge: Love at Starlight, Book 3)
Chapter One
Sara gripped the gazebo rail and stared out at the town. She sensed Patrick’s footsteps moving behind her, coming closer. She wouldn’t let herself turn and face him, though. Instead she jut her chin into the air and stiffly asked, “Why did you come here?”
Wait. That’s all wrong, Luci Foster thought. Backspace, backspace, backspace.
Sara heard Patrick’s footsteps behind her and whirled around. There he stood in only the glow of the twinkle lights stranded around the gazebo roof. “You’re here,” she said.
“I’ll always be here,” he replied and in just two quick steps was now in front of her. He placed one hand on her waist and the other gently behind her head as he tilted her toward him. “Always,” he repeated and their lips finally met in a long awaited first kiss.
“Perfect,” Luci said out loud as she sat back in her chair, satisfied. She re-read what she’d just written on her laptop screen and decided it was the right choice. If she’d let Patrick walk away from Sara for good after what they’d been through, her readers, the ones she hoped to someday have anyway, would have been furious.
“How’s the book going?” her mom asked as she entered the kitchen.
“Mom, what do you need? I’ll bring it to you. You should be resting.”
“I’m tired of resting. I feel fine. Great, even,” her mom insisted.
“Do you want tea? Go back to bed and I’ll bring it to you.”
Her mom frowned and had a face that mirrored Luci’s almost two-year old niece, Melody, when she was told she could only have one cookie. “I don’t want to go back to bed. I want to do something. Anything. Tell me about your book. Are you almost done? Do I get to read it?”
Luci reached out a hand and shut her laptop. She wasn’t ready for anyone to read her book yet. She was feeling more nervous than usual about her writing. Probably because it was the first thing she’d written since returning to Snowy Ridge, Wisconsin, at the beginning of the year. She had a number of desk drawer books: books that would never see the light of day and only the inside of a desk drawer, or in this case, her USB drive. She hadn’t been able to get a literary agent with any of them, let alone get a real publisher to take a look. She had felt like a total sham and given up on the idea of ever becoming a true novelist. But something had changed in her over the last couple of months and suddenly the words were flowing out of her fingers and dancing across her keyboard almost faster than she could keep up with them. It was magical. She wasn’t sure what exactly had changed, other than her location, but maybe that had been enough.
Luci had moved to New York City over six and a half years ago, to become a writer. She was only twenty at the time and had no job or a place to live when she’d left, but she had a dream and she went for it. And it sort of worked, for a while. She picked up low-paying jobs here and there and lived in a small apartment with a bunch of roommates to make ends meet while she wrote. She pitched small pieces to magazines and online web sites and every so often she’d sell something. Usually for only fifty dollars or if she was lucky, a hundred. But her real dream was to land an amazing literary agent, sell a novel, and edge her way on to the New York Times Bestseller list. But that was all it was, a dream. Luci had racked up enough rejections to wallpaper the entire inside of a New York City bus. She had long run out of money and friends willing to let her crash on their couches for a night, and eventually had found her way back home and living with her Mom again at twenty-six years old. It was a heavy blow to her ego, to say the least.
“Um, not just yet. Let me make some tea. I’ll have tea with you and we can chat,” Luci offered. She crossed the kitchen to the stove and retrieved the kettle.
“Why don’t we go out for tea?” her mom asked. “You know I love you three girls dearly but I’m going stir crazy being stuck in the house, twenty-four, seven.”
“We just want to take care of you, Mom. You had a big surgery.” Luci filled the pot with water, flicked the burner on, and set it on the stove.
“But I feel great,” her mom insisted. “Better than I have in a long time. I’m bored and want to get back to my life. Go back to work.”
“Back to work? I don’t think so. Jessie would freak out.”
Jessie was the youngest of the Foster sisters and co-owner of the Starlight Pub with their mom. She’d stepped up and took over running the place when she was only eighteen years old, after their father had suddenly passed away from a heart attack and Luci and their oldest sister, Wynn, had moved away from home to set off on their own adventures. Jessie was the one who stayed back with their mom, and Starlight was her baby.
“Oh, pssh. She’ll get over it. I’m going to get a doctor’s note and she’ll have to just relax.”
“When do you go back to the doctor?”
“Wednesday is my four-week checkup. I’m a model patient. I know Dr. Abdul will give me the all-clear and the three of you will be able to stop hovering over me.”
The sisters had been keeping a close eye on their mom the last four weeks, ever since her surgery to have the tumor in her pancreas removed. It could have been a much bigger surgery but luckily the doctors were able to do a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy, which is a much more minimally invasive procedure than what they had originally feared she would need. Their mom only had to stay in the hospital for two days and had been able to do the rest of her recovery at home. And with all three sisters living in Snowy Ridge, they were able to balance out working at Starlight with always having one sister at home with their mom. Luci had written the bulk of her latest book at MoonBeans, a cozy coffee shop on Main Street near the pub, but lately she’d also done some writing at the kitchen table during her mom’s recovery.
“Still, you should take things slow. There is no rush to get back to work. We have everything under control. Really.”
Her mom smiled. “I know you do. Have I mentioned lately how happy I am to have you all home?”
“Only two other times this week,” Luci replied with a grin.
It had been nice having the family all together again. The Fosters had drifted apart after their dad died. When Luci moved to New York, she’d basically cut off contact with her family. She had checked in every so often with her mom, but she had rarely talked to her older sister Wynn and she never spoke to Jessie. They had had a bad falling out and only started speaking again recently. Wynn, on the other hand, got married, had a baby, and got a divorce, all without so much as a word from the rest of them. She’d wanted to go her own way and didn’t want any advice or help from any of her family. Until recently, anyway. Wynn moved back home to Snowy Ridge with her daughter and in with their mom, too. That’s how they all ended up working at the pub once again like they did when they were teenagers. Jessie was none too thrilled with the arrangement for the first few weeks but Luci could tell she was happy they were all back now. They were a real family again. And Luci was determined not to mess it up again.
“I should also mention that I’ve joined a book club. I found them on a meetup website online. We have a meeting this week.”
“A book club,” Luci echoed. “Do you think that’s a good idea? Should you be around other people, you know, with their germs and such?”
Her mom shrugged. “It was that or
the sky diving club.”
Luci turned and gave her mother a look.
“Yeah, I didn’t think you’d go for that. So, book club it is then,” she said with a satisfied smile.
The tea kettle whistled at the same time the doorbell rang. Luci stood and crossed the room to the stove and flipped off the burner while her mom sprung up from her seat.
“I’ll get the door.”
“Mom, relax. I can do it.”
“You work on the tea, I’ll get the door.” Her mom scooted out of the room in a flash and Luci shook her head. There was no getting her to relax.
Luci set two mugs on the counter and placed a tea bag in each. She was pouring water into the first mug when she heard her mom exclaim, “Becca Stillwell, well I’ll be!”
Luci froze. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit,” she muttered.
“You look well, my dear. Let me just go get Luci,” she heard her mom say.
Luci had to think quick. She wasn’t dealing with Becca Stillwell, not that day anyway. Her eyes darted around the room and fell onto the backdoor. With a few fast steps, she’d grabbed her wallet and a hoodie and was out the door and around the back of the house, headed for Main Street.
Luci felt bad running out like that, and she knew she’d have to explain it to her mom later, but there was no way she could have seen Becca. What was she even doing back in town? Luci hated running into people from her past. It was one of her biggest fears about coming back to live in Snowy Ridge. Luckily, most of the people she’d grown up with had eventually moved away. There wasn’t a whole lot of work in town unless you were in the tourism industry. She did, on occasion, run into someone she knew though. Just last week this girl, Martha, whom she’d had a few classes with in high school, stopped in for lunch at Starlight when Luci was working. She had to wait on her and she cringed the whole time. People from her past always asked awful questions like what were you up to, were you married, did you have kids? How was she supposed to answer things like that? Should she tell them that she was a big failure and living at home with her mommy again? Is that what they wanted to hear? Martha, of course, was happily married with twin toddlers and living in a split-level the next town over. Luci could barely stand talking to her with all of her smug, I’m-better-than-you holiness she was oozing practically all over the place. She did though. Luci served her lunch and then Martha went home to her dream life and that was that. But Becca was different. They had been friends for years. Sure, they lost touch when Luci moved to New York, but Luci had only fond memories of Becca. It turned out Becca didn’t feel the same. It was a little over a year ago, when Luci had received a scathing direct message from Becca over Facebook and Becca accused her of ruining her life. Luci never replied and didn’t expect to ever see her again but now there she was, at her front door wanting who knew what.