“I’m sure it needs some revision,” Kaylee said. “There were moments when I was so distracted, but that’s getting better inch by inch as time passes.”
“It’s probably better than you think,” the editor said. “You just need some distance from it.”
“Definitely. And I’m going to send you that other manuscript we talked about. I think it’s a romance or maybe women’s fiction.”
“Just where did that idea come from?” Simone asked.
“It started out as a kind of therapy for me. I was writing about making a fresh start in a small town. Hardly a new concept. I think every third book on the shelf starts with that trope. But then instead of writing about what’s been happening in my own life, I started writing about how I wished it would be, and that ended up with a love story. I like to read romance but I’m not confident I know how to write one. All I can say is it’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun writing.”
“I can’t wait,” Simone said. “Are they both coming today?”
“Yes, I’ll email them to you when we finish our call.”
Her editor laughed and said, “My favorite overachiever. After I’ve read and we’ve both had time to relax, we should talk about a new contract.”
“I’m not in any great hurry,” Kaylee said. “I want to get through the holiday and see if my life takes on anything that resembles normalcy.”
“Me, too,” Simone said. “I’ve come to the conclusion one should never make a major business decision while trying to survive Christmas. In your case, the challenge is even greater. How are you feeling these days? About coping with the loss of your mother?”
“Sometimes I feel like I’ve come light-years and sometimes I feel like it’s fresh and raw. The latter comes slightly less often now. Let me tell you about my Thanksgiving, which was a dream.”
Kaylee told her the whole story, starting with last year when her mother was experiencing some of her final positive days, to this year when the same group of women shared the holiday together. She could detect a little bit of emotion in her editor’s voice, noting she was touched by the event. “Oh, my heart,” Simone said. “What a beautiful story.”
“It’s easier when I don’t have to miss my mother alone,” Kaylee said.
After hitting the Send key, Kaylee did what she often did when a book was finally finished. She gave the little house a sound cleaning, answered the emails she’d been putting off for God knew how long, called Korby and Janette so they could celebrate with her for a little while, and drove to Clear River to hit the store. There hadn’t been any locally grown fruits and vegetables in a couple of months, but there was plenty of organic produce in the grocery, probably shipped in. She wanted to have a celebratory dinner. Knowing that Landry was a red meat kind of guy, she grabbed a couple of steaks and big potatoes along with some broccoli, mushrooms, onions and peppers.
Then she showered, primped and walked next door. She went to his shop.
“Well, look at you. Do you have a date tonight, miss?” Landry said with a sly grin.
“I hope so. If you’ll do the steaks on the grill, I’ll make the rest of our dinner. And I have a bottle of champagne.”
He made a face. “I’ll definitely toast the finished book with you, then you can have the rest of the bottle.”
She laughed. “That’s exactly why I bought a small bottle. I’m going to go see the puppies while you finish up.”
“Those puppies are big enough to go outside for a little while with Lady as long as you can keep an eye on them.”
“Otis, want to help me babysit?” Kaylee said and Otis joined her immediately.
The puppies were probably about six weeks old and had gotten to that chubby, adorable stage where they would knock themselves over just trying to bark. She watched them wrestle and nip and roll around while Lady just wandered the yard in bliss, free at last, ignoring them completely. The germ of an idea was trying to break out, but Kaylee was a little too busy chasing puppies to let it come through.
When Landry joined her in the yard, he began to pick up the puppies, one at a time, blowing in their faces, snuggling them and laughing at their cuteness.
“Will they be ready to leave Lady by Christmas?” she asked.
“I think so, but the shelter and I have decided, no Christmas puppies. They’ll post pictures and take applications for the new year. Too many people get puppies for their kids for Christmas and then when it doesn’t work out, they’re neglected. They can go to their new homes after Christmas, if the offers hold. And speaking of going home…” He looked at her over the head of the puppy he held. “We’ve avoided that subject…”