by Shéa MacLeod
Because Ryan was a damn fool, that’s why. He’d been too afraid he’d be rejected for what he was. Who he was.
Rayanne had no such fears. Unfortunately, she also had the wrong sort of plumping. It was clear Lily liked men. Which in her present incarnation was too bad for Rayanne.
The Fir Tree Tavern was hopping by the time they got there. The jukebox was blaring Maroon 5 as the bartender served huge glasses of cold beer to locals and tourists alike. Rayanne would have preferred somewhere a little quieter where she and Lily could... Could what? Talk? Flirt?
Get real, girl, she told herself. She’s not into you.
At least, not as Rayanne.
Lily turned and caught Rayanne staring at her. A funny looked crossed her face. “You okay, girl?”
“Yeah, sure.” Rayanne gave herself a good mental shake. “Just looking forward to that cure for cramps you promised me.”
Lily flashed a grin and turned to the handsome bartender with muscular pecs just straining to escape his too tight t-shirt. Rayanne hated him instantly.
“Two Long Island Ice Teas, Carlos ,” Lily shouted over the music. “And make ‘em strong.”
Rayanne breathed a sigh of relief as Carlos handed them two of the biggest drinks she’d ever seen. “I’m going to be so wasted.”
“What?” Lily hollered back over the deafening noise. The music had switched to something with a much heavier beat. Rayanne was half afraid her eardrums would burst.
“Nevermind.” Rayanne shook her head and took a sip of the potent drink. The alcohol burned all the way down.
“Here’s to being women,” Lily yelled, raising her glass.
Rayanne gave her a weak smile. “Yeah!”
“WE NEED TO TALK.”
Rayanne peered at Lily through one slitted eye before deciding the glare from the fluorescent lights overhead was too much and closed it. She propped her chin on her hand and beckoned Lily to have a seat on the edge of the desk. “Whatever you want. Just talk quietly.”
“How many Long Islands did you drink last night?”
“Enough.” Enough to make her forget she had cramps. Enough to make her forget Branwen and her stupid gift. Enough to make her forget Ryan and his hang-ups. After that, things were a little blurry.
She did remember grabbing Lily and pulling her onto the dance floor. She only hoped she hadn’t made a complete fool of herself. Though if memory served her right, Lily hadn’t exactly been upset by the hands-on approach.
“Listen, Rayanne,” Lily said almost hesitantly. “I like you, right? I mean as a friend. You’re my closest friend here at the office. Heck, you’re one of my closest friends, period.” She gave a fake laugh at her bad pun.
“But?”
“But, well, I don’t like you like...that.”
Rayanne opened her eyes and gave Lily a baffled stare. “Like what?”
“Come on, Rayanne, you were totally flirting with me last night. I know you were drunk, but it was kind of...awkward.”
Rayanne started to speak, but Lily held up her hand. “I know, I know. I was flirting, too. Hey, I know that you like women. I don’t have a problem with that. I want us to be friends, but I don’t want you thinking we can be more than that. I’m straight.”
Rayanne’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I know that, Lily. And I’m sorry. I just had a bit too much to drink and got carried away.”
“It’s not totally your fault,” Lily admitted, her face flushing adorably. The pink of her cheeks matching the pink of her soft, angora sweater. “I admit, I’ve been...drawn to you in a way I have never been drawn to a woman. Any woman.” She shook her head as if confused. “At first I started to question myself, but now I realize what it was.”
Rayanne’s heart was pounding so hard she was half afraid Lily would hear it. “What was it?”
“You remind me of Ryan.” Lily sighed. “And I’ve been half in love with Ryan for...oh, ages.”
It was not what Rayanne had expected to hear. “Even though he’s a cross-dresser?”
Lily laughed. “Like that matters. So, he likes to wear women’s panties and lipstick sometimes. Get dressed up and go out on the town. There are worse things, believe me.” Her tone told Rayanne she’d lived through some of those worse things.
Rayanne nodded. “From now on I promise to respect you and our friendship. Just like you respect and accept me.” And what a doubled edged comment that was!
Lily’s smile was a ray of sunshine. “Good!” She hopped off her perch and gave Rayanne a quick hug. “I mean who else am I going to sing ‘We Are Family’ with on karaoke nights?”
Rayanne felt a little teary as she watched Lily saunter back to her own desk. Heck, she felt more than teary, damn hormones.
But if she were honest with herself it was more than hormones. She was in love with Lily and as Rayanne, they could never, would never, be together. Because Lily couldn’t help who she was or who she was attracted to any more than Ryan could.
Except that Ryan was Rayanne. And Rayanne did have a choice. If she could get a cupcake obsessed goddess to listen to her.
She jumped up from her desk and rushed to the women’s room. Locking the door behind her she clenched her fists and called out softly, “Branwen, I get it.”
“GET WHAT?”
Branwen was still sitting on the same bench overlooking the Bristol Channel munching on a cupcake. Lemon this time.
The goddess smirked at Rayanne as she crossed one bare foot over the other. From the looks of things, she’d had a pedicure. They’d gone from chipped fuchsia to purple with sparkles. “What is it that you ‘get’?”
“I understand your gift now.” Rayanne tried to keep herself calm, her breathing even. She had to convince Branwen that she understood. She had to make Branwen believe her. Everything depended on it.
The goddess quirked an eyebrow as she licked the yellow frosting off her fingers one at a time. Very, very slowly. “My gift?” She asked with feigned innocence.
“Call it a lesson.”
Branwen leaned back with a smug smile and crossed her arms over her rather impressive chest. Surprisingly, for once she seemed oblivious to the cupcake box, still half full, sitting beside her.
“And what lesson did you learn, pray tell?”
“To be careful what you wish for. That the grass isn’t always greener. Be thankful for who you are and what you’ve been given. And...” Rayanne swallowed, “that being a woman isn’t for the faint of heart.”
Branwen’s smile widened. “Trite, but true.”
Rayanne swallowed. “And now that I’ve learned those lessons, will you please turn me back?”
“You want to give up? Go back to being a man?” Branwen’s expression turned deadly serious. She completely ignored her cupcake and focused her entire attention on Rayanne.
Rayanne couldn’t tell if the goddess was surprised, pleased, or pissed off, but she sensed that her future depended on her answer. All she could do was tell the truth. “I admit the pain I’m feeling is enough to turn anyone faint hearted. But the truth is...” She hesitated. Baring her soul had never been her style. It was too easy to get your heart broken. But she didn’t have a choice. “The truth is that while I love being able to wear women’s clothes or go shopping for lingerie without people staring at me like I’m some kind of freak, I like who I am. And I miss being...myself,” she paused. “And there’s something else.”
A slow smile spread across the goddess’s face. “Yes?”
“I’m in love with Lily.”
“Who are you?”
“Ryan. I’m Ryan Roberts. I’m a man who likes dressing like a woman, but who also likes being a man. And I’m in love with Lily Prentiss. And I think...I hope...Lily is in love with me — Ryan - too.” Lily hadn’t exactly said she was in love with Ryan, but Rayanne had her suspicions.
The goddess pulled another cupcake out of the box. Red velvet. For the longest time Branwen munched on her cupcake as she started out to s
ea. She flicked a few red crumbs from her skirt before glancing back at Rayanne. “Love, is it?”
“Yes. Love. So?” Rayanne winced at the belligerence in her tone. It would not pay to piss off the goddess now.
“So it is done.” And the goddess snapped her fingers before taking a huge bite of another cupcake.
SUNLIGHT SLID AROUND the cracks in the blinds, stirring Rayanne to wakefulness. She gave a lazy, cat-like stretch and then grabbed her stomach. Except the expected stab of pain never came. It was finally gone. She felt...
Her hand drifted lower, lower. And found something distinctly not female.
Rayanne was Ryan again. He jumped out of bed and ran for the mirror. Sure enough, he was one-hundred-percent male.
Yanking open the closet doors, Ryan began tossing Rayanne’s clothes into a bag for charity. They’d never fit him now and, strangely, he was okay with that. He did, however, own a very fetching Vera Wang which would fit just fine. He planned to wear it out on his first date with Lily. Ryan Roberts was coming out of the pink satin closet and he was doing it in style, Lily by his side.
That is, if she’d have him. But at least now they had half a chance.
For the first time in ages he felt like laughing for pure joy. “Thank you, Branwen.” He swore to himself then and there he was going to bake the goddess a batch of homemade cupcakes every day for a month. Any flavor she wanted.
Then he picked up his pink vintage rotary phone and dialed a very special number.
“Hi, Lily? This is Ryan Roberts...”
The End
Author’s Note:
While I’ve taken some liberties with it, Granite Falls is a real place. A small town of about 3300 nestled in the rainforest of the North Cascade mountain range. Yes, I’ve been there.
Cell service is sketchy. There is no Starbucks. And the IGA is the only supermarket in town. But the people are friendly. The scenery is beyond beautiful. And there are no less than four coffee carts lining the main drag. This is a town that has its priorities straight!
Branwen was also real. At least historians believe that the story of the Welsh princess-goddess of love and beauty-was based on true events. Whether she is still alive, eating cupcakes in small town America is anyone’s guess. Still, be careful what you wish for because, do you really want to risk it?
A Note From Shéa MacLeod
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this book, I'd appreciate it if you'd help others find it so they can enjoy it too.
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Book updates can be found at www.sheamacleod.com
About Shéa MacLeod
Shéa MacLeod is the author of the bestselling paranormal series, Sunwalker Saga, as well as the award nominated cozy mystery series Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries. She has dreamed of writing novels since before she could hold a crayon. She totally blames her mother.
She resides in the leafy green hills outside Portland, Oregon where she indulges in her fondness for strong coffee, Ancient Aliens reruns, lemon curd, and dragons. She can usually be found at her desk dreaming of ways to kill people (or vampires). Fictionally speaking, of course.
You can visit her at https://www.sheamacleod.com/
Other Books by Shéa MacLeod
Dragon Wars
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Lord
Dragon Goddess
Green Witch
Dragon Corps
Dragon Mage
Dragon Wars- Three Complete Novels Boxed Set
Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries
The Corpse in the Cabana
The Stiff in the Study
The Poison in the Pudding
The Body in the Bathtub
The Venom in the Valentine
The Remains in the Rectory
Notting Hill Diaries
To Kiss a Prince
Kissing Frogs
Kiss Me, Chloe
Kiss Me, Stupid
Kissing Mr. Darcy
Cupcake Goddess Novelettes
Be Careful What You Wish For
Nothing Tastes As Good
Soulfully Sweet
A Stich in Time
Sunwalker Saga
Kissed by Darkness
Kissed by Fire
Kissed by Smoke
Kissed by Moonlight
Kissed by Ice
Kissed by Eternity
Kissed by Blood
Kissed by Destiny
Sunwalker Saga:
Soulshifter Trilogy
Fearless
Haunted
Soulshifter
Sunwalker Saga:
Witch Blood Series
Spellwalker
Deathwalker
Mistwalker
Omicron ZX
Omicron Zed-X: Omicron ZX prequel Novellette
A Rage of Angels
Angel’s Fall
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Also by Shéa MacLeod
Cupcake Goddess
Be Careful What You Wish For
Nothing Tastes As Good
Soulfully Sweet
A Stitch In Time (A Cupcake Goddess Novelette)
Dragon Wars Boxed Sets
Dragon Wars - Three Complete Novels Boxed Set
Intergalactic Investigations
Infinite Justice
A Rage of Angels
Lady Rample Mysteries
Lady Rample Steps Out
Lady Rample Spies A Clue
Lady Rample and the Silver Screen
Lady Rample Sits In
Lady Rample and the Ghost of Christmas Past
Lady Rample and Cupid's Kiss
Lady Rample and the Mysterious Mr. Singh
Lady Rample and the Haunted Manor
Lady Rample and the Parisian Affair
Lady Rample Box Set One
Notting Hill Diaries
To Kiss A Prince
Kissing Frogs
Kiss Me, Chloe
Kiss Me, Stupid
Kissing Mr. Darcy
Sugar Martin Vintage Cozy Mystery
A Death in Devon
A Grave Gala
A Christmas Caper
Sunwalker Saga
Kissed by Blood
Kissed by Destiny
Sunwalker Saga: Soulshifter Trilogy
Haunted
Soulshifter
Fearless
Sunwalker Saga: Witchblood
Mistwalker
Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries
The Corpse in the Cabana
The Stiff in the Study (Coming Soon)
The Poison in the Pudding (Coming Soon)
The Body in the Bathtub (Coming Soon)
The Venom in the Valentine (Coming Soon)
The Remains in the Rectory (Coming Soon)
The Death in the Drink (Coming Soon)
The Ghost in the Graveyard
Write Novels Fast
Write Novels Fast: Writing Faster With Art Journaling
Write Novels Fast: Down and Dirty Draft
Standalone
Ride the Dragon: A Paranormal/Science Fiction Boxed Set
Angel's Fall
Watch for more at Shéa MacLeod’s site.
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