by Megan McCoy
Chapter 6
Hogmanay Festival officially started shortly after dark, but Heather and her friends decided to show up after they had eaten dinner. As they were leaving the restaurant to meet up with Robert and his friends, Heather pulled out her phone to reference a map of the city. When she connected to the restaurant Wi-Fi, her email pinged. Heather’s heart seemed to fail when she saw the email subject: Work Visa Notification.
Fingers shaking, Heather tapped the email. It had been written by someone at her work offices back home, in a time zone five hours behind Edinburgh where it was afternoon. Feeling nervous, her eyes jumped around and she saw the words “accepted” and “work visa.” Heather forced herself to slow down and read the email from the top.
“Heather, is your hand shaking?” asked Michelle. “Heather?” she repeated when Heather didn’t respond.
“I got it,” said Heather quietly. Anna and Brittney turned to look at her, startled by her shocked tone. “I got my work visa.”
“What?” said Anna in disbelief. “They just sent you an email?”
“Yeah,” said Heather, shaking even more now. “Work just sent me the email. It’s still afternoon there, so people are still at the office.” She looked at the email again. “My visa was approved. I’m moving to Edinburgh.”
“That’s amazing! Congratulations!” said Michelle, giving her a hug.
“Congrats! I’m jealous!” said Anna, also hugging Heather.
“That’s great!” said Brittney. She paused and then said, “Are you going to reach out to Liam?”
“I, I don’t know,” Heather stammered. She felt slightly dizzy as she returned her phone to her pocket.
“How do you feel?” asked Brittney, sounding a little concerned.
“Shocked,” said Heather succinctly. “I feel shocked. I had no idea I would be hearing back from them so soon.”
Heather felt dazed as they made their way toward the festival and barely greeted Ian when they met up with the guys. She trailed after the group in a sort of haze as they wandered the Christmas markets that were open as part of Hogmanay. They all ordered boozy hot chocolate and Anna raised her mug in a toast, “To Heather, who just got the news that she is moving to Edinburgh!” Everyone clinked their mugs against Heather’s and congratulated her.
Live music in different styles played on several stages, separated by city blocks. The group decided to meander from one to another. Heather didn’t mind; the music was loud enough that she didn’t have to decide whether or not to make conversation with Ian, which gave her more time to think.
It was happening. She was moving to Edinburgh. She needed to tell Liam.
Dancing in the streets with her friends, Heather made up her mind. She would write a note, take it to Liam’s house, and leave it in his mailbox. Nothing crazy. She would simply leave her email address and the information that she had received her visa and would be moving to Edinburgh. No pressure, right? If it had meant something to him, he would reach out. Either way, she would know.
Heather laughed aloud, drunk more with the energy of the street party, the relief of having her visa, and the excitement of moving to Edinburgh than from her hot chocolate. It was getting close to midnight, now, and Heather realized her mug was empty. “I’m going to go get another hot chocolate,” she shouted to Brittney, barely audible over the music. Brittney nodded and Heather made her way back toward the Christmas markets.
From this end of the street party, she was near the stall of spun glass ornaments she had so admired and that Liam had gifted her. On a whim, Heather changed course to look at them again. She smiled dreamily as she gazed at the red and white striped ones that matched her own.
“You really can’t get enough of those, can you?”
Heather whirled around and her heart seemed to fail for the second time that night. “Liam!” she shrieked, and she flung herself at him. He stumbled backward, but caught her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and laughing. She hugged him and then loosened her grip, looking up at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in Aberdeen!”
“I was,” he said. “I came back today. Heather…” his voice trailed away and his face became so serious that he seemed nearly in pain. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I know you don’t know if you’re moving here or not, and I know long distance rarely works out, but I couldn’t rest in Aberdeen when I knew you were so close. It’s your last few days in Scotland, and I want to share them with you.”
Tears sparkled in Heather’s eyes as she stood on tiptoe and kissed him fiercely, her hands clinging to fistfuls of his coat. “Liam,” she said when she dropped back to her heels, “I got the email tonight. My work visa was granted! I’m moving to Edinburgh!”
Relief and delight spread across Liam’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but his emotions seemed beyond words. Instead, he took her face in both hands and kissed her again. At that exact moment, midnight struck and fireworks erupted over Edinburgh Castle, punctuated by the whooping and clapping of the thousands of festivalgoers. Heather laughed. The fireworks were spectacular, but when she looked back at Liam, he had eyes only for her. They held each other close as the show continued and festival goers cheered. Heather rested her head on Liam’s chest. He had come back for her; he had found her in the crowd. As they began the new year together, Heather felt nothing but hope for their newfound love.
The End.
Penny Wells
Penny Wells has been writing stories since she knew what a story was. She loves reading and especially enjoys a lush fantasy novel or an engaging historical drama. Wells lives in the United States with her husband, who is an avid reader of nonfiction. When she isn’t wrapped up in the consumption or crafting of words, she can often be found curled up with a warm drink and cozy craft.
Visit her website here:
www.writerpennywells.com
Visit her blog here:
www.writerpennywells.com/blog
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12 Naughty Days of Christmas 2020 - Book 7
Yasmine Hyde
Published by Blushing Books
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Yasmine Hyde
Ruling Rachel
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This book contains fantasy themes appropriate for mature readers only. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-consensual sexual activity.
Chapter 1
White flakes drifted from the sky and brought with it a sense of wonder and magic. The air around the land had a temperateness to it, and a freshness that ignited the soul with excitement - her soul. First snowfall of the season was top of the list of her most favorite things. It was a phenomenon to her how the snow could fall, and it was warm at the same time. As she watched the lovely snowflakes through the window of the Tucker family front room, the sight tempted her. Unable to fight the lure any longer, she rose from her seat and rushed to the door for her boots, scarf, and wool cape. The cape had originally been Sophia’s but when she got a new one last year, she’d offered the old one, still in impeccable condition, to Isabel who had gladly taken it, and in turn, had given it to Rachel.
Rach
el allowed a smile to move across her face as she inhaled the crisp air on the porch. She lowered her eyelids for a moment and just appreciated the stillness all around her and the brush of the flakes that dusted over her skin like soft kisses. Someone had once told her when she was much younger that there was a belief that if you made a wish during the first snowfall and believed it with your heart, a snow angel would cause it to come true. Years past she’d requested simple things of the snow angels of winter, like employment after her papa died or last year she’d needed a new pair of boots so she wouldn’t have to spend the money to have her old pair resoled for the second time. She’d gotten a nice holiday bonus from Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds that covered the price of a new pair. She’d smiled through each blister that arose on her feet during the first week she broke them in.
Tonight, she was making a different kind of wish, one from the center of her heart. For over a year, she’d had a longing for one man in town, who didn’t seem to know she existed. A few times when she’d seen him in town or at a town event, he’d smiled her way. The man had a smile that lit the world up around her and caused her heart to flutter, and her blood to run hot in her body and pool in her core, making her throb in her secret places. She didn’t fool herself to believe that his grin meant anything more than courtesy. The only consolation was that she had never seen him escorting another woman about town, work seemed to be the only thing on his mind. He was dedicated in helping his boss keep his dairy farm prosperous.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. Across the field, she could see the side of the barn to her left and the back of the main house further off. There were three windows there. The only one that was lit in the low light of the evening was the last one, Sophia’s room. The other bedroom in the house belonged to Isabel, the oldest of the Reynolds’ daughter, who was married and pregnant now, her old room window was on the end of the front of the house. She could not see it from the small servants’ house where she rented a room from Mrs. Tucker and her family.
However, Rachel didn’t need to see that there was no light in that window. There had not been any light in that room since Isabel, a person Rachel considered a friend, had married Cary Brown months ago. She missed her friend, even though she’d been invited for supper on two Sundays with Isabel and her new family. She still missed their daily talks, but seeing her friend, with her husband and children and one on the way, only made Rachel’s heart ache to have her own. However, she only had eyes for one man, and that man didn’t seem to know that she was alive.
The family, she rented to room from were on their five-day holiday that the Reynolds family granted them every year. During this time, Rachel’s work increased two-fold as she took care of Mrs. Tucker’s work cooking the meals, as well as the cleaning that was her own responsibility. Rachel got a few days in the summer and she usually spent that in Topeka with her mother and sister. However, Mr. Reynold’s clerk was courting her sister, Vera, who worked for Mrs. Livingston at the boarding house, and Rachel expected an announcement by the first snow melting of her sister’s wedding.
Fastening the two buttons at the top of her woolen cape, Rachel descended the two stairs before the door. When she stepped onto the hard-packed ground, she pushed thoughts of Vera out of her mind. She just wanted to enjoy a walk through the first snowfall, soon there would be so much snow on the ground, and the air would feel like icy blades piercing through layers of clothes and boots. Most townsfolk kept inside when they could, to keep out of the bitter cold and the deep snow.
She looked left toward the way that led to the front of the home and the wide well-worn path that went to the main road. Inhaling more to the sweet cool air, she blinked away the flakes that had settled on her lashes. Glancing in the other direction, she decided she wanted to keep to herself for the walk. If she went toward the front, then perhaps Peter would see her and decide to accompany her. Not planning to be gone long, she wanted be alone for her wintery stroll. She rarely got time by herself, she was either at work in the Reynolds family’s L-shaped large home, with people all around, or in Mr. Tucker’s house where she rented the room. With the cook’s husband and children about, Rachel was glad she at least had her own room. Her mind made up, she headed toward the tree line at the back of the property.
Humming, she began her walk, then softly sang the jungle bell song, as she thought of it. But she knew it was really titled One-Horse Open Sleigh and had been written by James Lord Pierpone in 1857. She had learned the song from a winter booklet Sophia had ordered a couple years back. The Reynolds family always held a holiday dinner and gathering where all the staff, and staff family were invited. There were always games and caroling, their voices accompanied by Mr. Reynolds playing the mandolin. Her mother and sister even came. Each year, a few days after the gathering, Mrs. Tucker and her family left to spend the holidays with her family a few miles outside of Kansas City.
Snow crunched under Rachel’s boots as she made her way across the land. She thought about her wish that she would make that night and had to admit to herself that she was nervous. She usually was uneasy each time she made a first snow fall wish, but tonight she experienced more trepidation, because she understood her heart would ache for a while if nothing came of this wish. Even being afraid, she stopped in the middle of the field, far enough away from the house to ensure she was not overheard, and spoke her wish aloud.
Tipping her head back far, she tried to capture every flake she could, in hopes it would help bring her entreaty to pass. “I wish that Lyle would finally see me, desire to court me and ask Mama for my hand.” With an exhale, she lowered her chin as she lifted one side of the outer garment to her face to wipe it. She wasn’t trying to catch a chill, just a husband. She continued toward the tree line at her right.
After a while, she stopped and looked up beyond the trees into the evening sky that had turned a dark smoke gray of the coming night instead of the bluish tinge of the earlier hue. She had not meant to stay out so long, carried away by the liberty in her free time. She was more than a few miles away from the Reynolds’ property. The snow was still falling, even as nighttime fell around the land. Pivoting back in the direction she’d come; she made her way back, hugging the edge of the trees.
It was becoming colder, and the snow begun to fall harder. She dragged the cape tighter around her shoulders and folded her hands beneath the layer. Even with darkness falling, she was not nervous; she was familiar with this area. Isabel had enjoyed long walks in the evening after dinner and often Rachel had kept her company. The flakes were bigger now, the snow heavier than when she had originally started out and it was making it hard for her to see where she was headed. Deciding it would be better for her to walk through the trees instead of staying out in the open, she angled her direction to allow the branches to provide cover for her.
She’d just stepped into the woods when she noticed the glow of a light. The arc of light made her sure it was a campfire. Curious to which of the townsfolk were out in the snow at this time, she wondered if perhaps she wasn’t the only one with old wives-tale tradition. Not wanting to disturb their evening adventures, she crept along softly. Before she had journeyed more than a few feet into the thick trees, her ears became alert to the sound of lowing. She frowned with curiosity of the out of place noise she’d heard.
Who would have cattle out here now? Were the animals lost?
She continued to follow the resonance of the big beasts, as she weaved her way through the big oak trees. She came upon the four steers, each with a little dusting of snow on their back that had shaken down from the thick canopy of trees overhead. As she moved closer, they shifted their big bulk, crunching fallen leaves and small branches under hooves as they stared up at her with expectancy. “What are you all doing here?”
A few moos were her response.
The tethers from the cattle necks to the thick base of a tree told her that they had not wandered, but had been brought there. Placing a calm hand on the wither and along the back of the first
one she came to; she took note of the brand on the rear flank. It was an SP side by side and she knew it stood for Spencer Pride Ranch. Her brow tightened, as she considered just how far they were from the Chance and Gretchen land. If someone weren’t headed to the main road that led to town, it was possible to follow the tree line toward the creek and that would lead to the Spencer Ranch miles away.
Perhaps they planned to take them to market. With winter having arrived and a bad winter expected, why anyone would be traveling with the animals didn’t make much sense. However, she admitted that she knew next to nothing about ranching. To her way of thinking, it still was an odd way to travel when one could simply have gone out the back gated end of the property and journeyed over the wide prairie land and into the hills if they were going toward the Livestock Market in Wichita.
The sound of low male voices a short distance away drew her around. She turned toward the fire that had originally drawn her attention and headed toward it. She knew practically all the townsfolk, having lived here all her life, and the ranch hands that worked the different properties she met at Sunday service - for those that went - and town events for the remainder.
“How much you thinkin’ we goin’ get fur does heifers in Dale?” rasped one, making her think the rough sound was the cause of too much cheap drink shredding up a throat.
“Ain’t no clue. Do I looks like a market dealer?”
The conversation halted her from rounding the last tree. Even I know the difference between a female bovine and a castrated male.
Shaking her head, she stepped closer to the tree instead, and leaned against it as she peered around the rough bark. She saw the two men sitting on logs and huddled in worn leather coats by the fire. They were eating what looked and smelled like burnt beans from tin trays they both held in their hands.
