Once Upon a Star

by Lorana Hoopes

  Paula shot him a dirty look before turning back to Layla. “Audrey McCallister is back in town.”

  Blake’s pulse stopped at the mention of Audrey’s name. He placed his coffee on the table top and leaned forward to eavesdrop on the conversation.

  “And she has a baby,” Paula continued.

  As quickly as it flourished, the happiness in his heart fizzled as if doused with water. If Audrey had a baby, then a husband probably existed as well.

  “That’s nice,” Layla responded. “I’m glad she’s happy.”

  Paula’s eyebrow arched up her face, and she jammed her hands on her thick waist as she shook her head. “I didn’t say she was happy. The rumor is her man dumped her, and she came home for financial assistance.”

  Blake's heart lifted with the news Audrey was free, but a twinge of sadness remained for the hardships she must have faced.

  “Well, the past is the past,” the ever-enigmatic Layla said as she smiled up at Paula. She often avoided conflict and chose the higher road. “I say we welcome her with open arms and remind her what a great town Star Lake is.”

  Paula had the decency to look abashed as she squared her shoulders. Her nose tilted in the air and her dark hair swirled with the flick of her head. “Of course we will. I’m sure we’ll see her around as the word is she rented a place in town and will be working for her father.”

  Blake's eyes dropped to his coffee to conceal his excitement. Audrey McCallister was not only back in town, but she would be working at her father’s office, the same office he entered every day. Though he had been too shy to tell her his feelings in high school, perhaps now he would find the courage.

  Audrey set Cayden’s car seat on the living room carpet and glanced around the small house. The odor of paint still hung in the air, along with the scent of carpet cleaner. Though not huge, the two-bedroom house was in good shape though bland with tan wall to wall carpet and white walls. The kitchen continued the theme with white laminate flooring and brown cabinets.

  “Well, Cayden, it isn’t much, but this is home for now,” she whispered down to the sleeping infant.

  Tomorrow, she would have to get furniture–a crib for sure, a bed for her, some chairs and a table, but tonight they would sleep on the blankets she had brought from her old apartment. Blankets, clothes, and baby necessities were about all she had been able to bring on the plane.

  She added furniture and groceries to her mental to-do list, along with a cheap car. Audrey had sold hers to help pay for plane tickets. The sheer enormity of the growing list elicited a sigh from her as Cayden continued to sleep. Jealous of his lack of responsibility, she tiptoed out of the house to grab the blankets and clothes from the car.

  When the bags were all inside, exhaustion settled on her shoulders and Audrey yawned. She wanted to curl into a ball and sleep for a week, but she knew it wasn't a possibility. Her internal sensor told her Cayden would be up soon to eat, and after that, she was sure sleep would be slow in coming as sleeping on the floor had never worked well for her.

  The morning light peeked in the open windows early the next morning. Curtains or blinds. She would need those too. Audrey tried to squint her eyes shut, but it was no use. Her stomach growled in frustration; she’d have to get up soon to feed it. At least she had thought to make a quick stop at the market downtown yesterday, and coffee and cereal waited for her in the kitchen.

  Stretching her arms, she tried to work the kinks out of her neck. The hard floor had taken a toll on her body, and every joint crackled in agony.

  Cayden laid spread eagle beside her. He had woken like clockwork every two hours to eat, but thankfully he’d fallen back asleep quickly each time.

  With as little noise as possible, Audrey struggled to her feet. A shooting pain spiraled down her back as she tried to stand upright, and she leaned back to stretch the knot out. When her shoulders returned to their normal position, she tiptoed into the kitchen to make her breakfast before Cayden awoke.

  The bright white of the kitchen hurt her tired eyes, and she squinted them shut as she rummaged through the bag from the market. She hadn’t picked up much, but small plastic bowls, a mug, and spoons had been at the top of her list. Cereal and coffee were staples in her life.

  She ran the bowl under hot water to clean it, wishing she had remembered soap yesterday at the store. Another item she would have to add to the list for today’s trip. Along with paper towels, she realized as she turned off the water and waved the bowl in the air to dry it off.

  Coffee. That was what she needed. A nice, steaming mug of the hot liquid would kick her brain back into gear, but as she turned around, she realized she hadn’t picked up a coffee maker either. With a sigh, she grabbed the cereal from the bag and filled the bowl before adding the milk from the very bare fridge. She'd have to make a caffeine stop, or she wouldn’t make it the rest of the day.

  Cayden woke as Audrey placed the rinsed-out bowl in the sink. After feeding him, she ran a quick brush through her long blond hair before piling it onto her head in a loose ponytail. She needed a shower in the worst way, but she had to tackle this list first.

  After changing out of last night’s clothes into a sweater and a pair of jeans—the temperature was much cooler here than in California—she loaded Cayden up in the car.

  Her first stop was the Goodwill on the outskirts of town. Most of the groceries she could get at the general store in Star Lake, but they wouldn’t have the furniture she needed. Luck was with her as she found a sturdy crib, a comfortable couch and bedframe, a decent dining room table, and a few scratched tables. The store even agreed to deliver the items later that afternoon for a nominal fee and gave her the name of someone they knew selling a gently used mattress.

  After buckling Cayden in again, she pointed the car back to Star Lake’s downtown. The Diner was sure to have coffee. Whether it would taste good was another matter, but she doubted Star Lake had built a Starbucks or any other coffee joint for that matter. In fact, she doubted much had changed about the downtown at all. Star Lake seemed to live in its own bubble, away from time and passing trends.

  Few cars lined the street as she pulled into a spot in front of The Diner. As she grabbed Cayden’s car seat from the back, she noticed a new shop across the way. Sweet Treats Bakery. Hmm, maybe a few things have changed. If The Diner’s coffee is terrible, perhaps this new place will have a decent cup.

  The bell chimed overhead as she pushed open the front door. A man with slicked brown hair and a checkered shirt sat reading a newspaper at the back booth while Max filled ketchup bottles at the front. Though five or six years older than she, Audrey had harbored a secret crush on the broody owner through high school.

  Max glanced up as she approached the counter. “Well, I’ll be. Audrey McCallister. The rumor mill said you were back in town.” A growth of stubble gave him a rugged look, and Audrey’s heart fluttered in her chest.

  She placed Cayden’s car seat on the tile floor beside her before climbing onto the barstool. “Hey, Max. It’s good to see you. Let me guess, Paula?” She had taken a few dance classes with Paula in high school, and she remembered the busty woman often sharing tidbits of gossip.

  “Who else?” he asked with a crooked half-grin. Audrey had never seen Max’s actual smile. “Can I get you something? The breakfast rush just ended, but I could whip something up for you.”

  Audrey waved her hand, not wanting him to make a fuss for her. “I had cereal, but I could go for a cup of coffee.”

  With a swift nod, Max grabbed a mug from under the counter and poured in the murky black liquid. “I don’t have any fancy creamer, if you wanted that. Presley, across the street, does more of the frou-frou coffee.” He placed a cup of milk and a canister of sugar on the counter.

  “Is she the owner of the bakery?” Audrey asked, looking over her shoulder in the direction.

  “Yep, she moved back a few months ago. Evidently, she studied in Paris for a time, but it didn’t work out. She makes good
pastries too.”

  “Moved back? So, she lived here before?” Curiosity at meeting anyone else who had left town and come back burgeoned inside her. Perhaps it would help her feel less like a failure.

  “Yeah, Layla said she was a few years behind us in school, so she’d have been a few years ahead of you I guess. I don’t really remember her.” Max shrugged and returned to filling the ketchup bottles.

  “You still keep in touch with Layla?” Audrey tried to keep her voice even. She had known, even back in high school, that one reason Max was still single was that he adored the pretty Layla Matthews.

  “Actually, Layla and I are together now.” His hazel eyes pierced hers, and one side of his lip pulled up in a crooked smile—probably the closest thing he could do to a real one.

  There was no mistaking the pride in his voice, and Audrey swallowed her disappointment. “That’s wonderful, Max. I’m thrilled for you.” As she turned her attention to the coffee to hide her reaction, he finished filling the bottles and took them out to the tables.

  When her coffee was empty, and she felt a little more awake, Audrey plunked down a five-dollar bill, grabbed Cayden’s car seat, and walked back to her car. He woke just as she snapped him in, so she climbed in the back seat next to him, pulled a bottle from her bag, and fed him. She had never gotten him to nurse and had been forced to settle on bottles.

  After Cayden finished, Audrey climbed into the front seat. Though it would be a quick walk to the market, the heavy carrier made driving more appealing.

  The general store parking lot was also mostly empty as most people were at work. Audrey was glad. If Max and Layla had stayed in town, then peers she went to school with might have as well, and she wasn’t ready to face them yet.

  After grabbing a cart and placing Cayden’s carrier in it, Audrey entered the store. A young freckled-face checker greeted her as she passed, and she flashed a small wave before continuing to the produce section.

  She piled bags of apples, oranges, lettuce, and peppers in her cart. She might no longer be in health-conscious Los Angeles, but she still wanted to regain her pre-baby figure. The extra twenty pounds she carried around now was a source of embarrassment and a hindrance on her outfits. Not to mention it was a constant reminder of why Tony—Cayden’s father—had left her. As Audrey reached for a bunch of bananas, she heard a male voice speak her name.

  Turning, she spied a sandy haired man with chiseled features and warm brown eyes. Though he looked vaguely familiar, she could not place how she knew him.

  “Audrey McCallister, is that you?” His deep, rich voice flowed over her ears like silk.

  “Yes, it’s me.” She paused, racking her brain one more time for a name. “I’m sorry, I feel I should know you, but—” she shrugged, letting the sentence trail off without an ending.

  The corner of his lip twitched, forming a playful smile and highlighting a dimple in his left cheek. “Blake Dalton. We went to school together though I doubt you would remember me.”

  She wrinkled her forehead, running through the boys she knew in school. The name didn’t belong to anyone who had run in her immediate circle, but an image of the skinny class president in glasses flashed in her mind. Her eyes widened as she made the connection. He looked so different, so. . . handsome.

  Blake laughed at her reaction. “Yeah, I get that a lot. I worked out in college and put on some muscle. My job helps too.”

  “Oh, what do you do?” Audrey asked, visions of him modeling parading through her mind.

  He blinked at her and tilted his head. “You don’t know? I work for your father; I’m on his construction crew.”

  “Oh, I haven’t spoken to my father yet. I just got into town two days ago.”

  A twinkle lit Blake’s eyes as he nodded. “Yes, I heard that. . .”

  “From Paula,” they finished together and exchanged smiles before the awkward silence descended.

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to your shopping. I have to get back, but I’d love to catch up sometime.” He nodded at her.

  "I’d love that too.”

  As she watched him walk away, she couldn’t help but admire how the years had treated him.

  Chapter 4

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Audrey said, picking Cayden up out of his crib. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes with one hand, holding Cayden on her left hip. His wails lessened as he wriggled in her arms. Though she had assembled the crib, he had not enjoyed sleeping in it and had been up longer than normal between feedings.

  “Let’s get you fed, huh? It’s only been”–she blinked at her watch, trying to make her tired eyes focus on the blurry image - “two hours. All right, you must be hungry.”

  She shuffled to the kitchen, flicking on the hall light as she went, and opened the fridge, grabbing a pre-made bottle. After shaking it up to mix the contents again, she popped it in the bottle warmer.

  “It'll be ready in a minute,” she said to Cayden. When the warmer dinged, she stuck the bottle in his mouth. Then she grabbed a k-cup pod from the cabinet she had stocked after her grocery run. With a quick flick, she loaded it in the new coffeemaker and punched the button, watching Cayden drain the bottle as the melodious dripping of coffee began.

  The drip slowed like the end to a beautiful symphony before stopping. Yawning, she grabbed the mug and stumbled into the living room to the couch. After placing the mug on the end table, she plopped down on the couch with Cayden on her lap. As she reached for the aromatic liquid, a knock at the door sounded, and Audrey sighed and stared longingly at her drink.

  “Now who could that be?” she asked Cayden as she stood and crossed the carpeted floor. Though his blue eyes considered hers, he continued to suck on his bottle oblivious to her question. She shifted him in her arms and opened the door.

  A petite blond with her hair pulled back in a severe bun stood on the other side. Her grey suit rivaled many of Audrey’s mother’s. “Hello, I’m here for the nanny position.” She held out a white sheet of paper, presumably her resume, with one hand. The other held a small black satchel.

  “Excuse me?” Audrey blinked at her.

  “The nanny position. My company said an order existed for nanny candidates to come to this address today at eight, so here I am.”

  Audrey sighed. It had to be her mother. Even when she wasn’t helping, she was meddling. Audrey doubtless couldn’t afford a true nanny, but interviewing them would at least allow her to see what was out there. “My mother didn’t tell me what time she set these up,” she said, playing along. Her face flamed as she glanced at her checkered flannel pajama pants and t-shirt. “I’m sorry. I haven’t even dressed.”

  “That is fine,” the woman said in perfectly proper English. “I assumed I would take care of the child in the morning while you got ready for work. May I come in?”

  “Of course, I’m so sorry. Please come inside.” Audrey stepped back, allowing the polished woman to enter.

  Her heels sank into the carpet as she crossed the living room, and though she said nothing, her nose wrinkled slightly in displeasure.

  The modest room was neat, but it was no fifth avenue penthouse. The furniture from the Goodwill was clean, but mismatched. No television sat featured in the room as Audrey hadn’t found one at the Goodwill, and no art adorned the stark white walls. Audrey surveyed the room from the lens of the woman and swallowed her embarrassment. She must look atrocious and poor to this woman, who worked for wealthy families.

  The woman eyed each furniture piece, deciding on the beige recliner. She perched on the edge of it as if afraid of catching something if she sat all the way back and set the satchel on her lap.

  Audrey stifled a grin at her obvious discomfort. If this woman avoided a used chair, how on earth would she deal with a baby who spat up multiple times a day?

  With perfectly manicured fingers, the woman opened the satchel and pulled out another white sheet and passed them both to Audrey, who took them before returning to the couch.

>   “My name is Tess Fairchild. As you can see, I have impeccable references. I believe in a strict schedule as I find it helps the child adjust easier. I arrive at seven to allow you to get ready for work, and I need to leave precisely at six. Though I clean up after children, I do not do other housework.” She folded her hands in her lap. “Now, do you have questions for me?”

  So many questions spawned in Audrey’s head. Where did she even begin? “I should have questions, shouldn’t I?”

  Tess’s head tilted to the right, and her right eyebrow arched, but she said nothing, just stared with an unwavering gaze.

  “Okay, um, would you play with Cayden?” The image of this poised and proper woman crawling on the floor with a baby was laughable.

  “I will make sure he has adequate play time.”

  That hadn’t been her question, but it was probably the best this woman would give. “I guess that’s it then.” Audrey stood, signaling the end of the interview.

  “Very well. I look forward to hearing from you.” Tess smoothed her skirt as she rose from the chair and crossed the floor, stepping with her toes to keep her heels out of the carpet.

  As Audrey closed the door behind her, Cayden finished the bottle. “Hungry, were we?” After setting Cayden on the floor for his tummy time, Audrey rinsed the bottle in the kitchen sink and placed it in the drainer.

  On the way back, she spied her mug still steaming on the end table. With a relieved sigh, she picked it up and managed one glorious sip before another knock sounded at the door. Audrey rolled her eyes, placed the mug back on the table, and opened the door again.

  A thick, elderly woman returned her gaze from the other side.

  “Hello, I am Helga, and I am nanny.” Her German accent made the words hard to understand.

  “Of course you are,” Audrey said under her breath, but Helga hadn’t heard her as she had muscled her way past Audrey and into the living room.

  “It is small. This is it?” she asked.