Read Online Winter Storm by Barbara Winkes - Free Book Online

for a whole year before I messed it up completely. Now look at you—you are famous. I’m so proud of you.”
    “Famous is not the right expression. I might make the same as you with a few less hours, well, if we don’t count obsessing about fictional people every hour of the day.”
    They shared a smile. Callie felt a pang of guilt, towards Rebecca, and towards herself.
    “I wish I could say it’s all good, but I can’t. Some things you say can’t be taken back. I think it’s great, though, that you’re making the effort to change your life. It’s not easy for anyone. I know that. I wish you luck, Nicole.”
    “Just one more thing,” Nicole said, stirring her Coke with the straw. For all her new clean ways, no alcohol or anger, she had adopted a few nervous habits, Callie noted.
    “Are you happy right now?”
    “Okay. I don’t really think you have the right to ask me that, but if you must know—yes I am.”
    “Just checking. You know that some straight women go for the novelty and the fun, but as soon as the next guy comes along…”
    “Stop. Stop it, Nicole! Let’s review some things. You came here to follow up on some homework your therapist gave you. I understand that it’s important, and I don’t mean to belittle you,”— the way you did it with me —“but I did not ask you for relationship advice. It’s none of your business.”
    “I just want you to be happy.” Nicole smiled. “If you are, it’s all good. Just be careful.”
    “Oh, you can count on that. Being with you has taught me to be careful. Excuse me now?”
    “Of course. Thank you for everything, Callie.”
    They reached for their wallets simultaneously. Nicole seemed disappointed, but she didn’t comment as each of them paid for their own drink. Tonight, Callie was sure she wouldn’t drown herself in a bottle of wine. This chapter of her life was finally over.
    Rebecca looked relieved beyond reason when Callie returned to their room. Her laptop was still open with the work file of the restaurant. Dina lounged on the couch with her own computer on her lap and her headphones on.
    “It’s all good,” Callie said by way of greeting. “A bit of a weird conversation, but I think she got it.” It was one step at a time. If she could do this, maybe she’d be able to handle her fear of the day when Tim Beckett and his buddy Matt Weller were released from prison. It seemed only fair that they should leave town, not her and Rebecca.
    “Is anybody hungry?”
    Rebecca got up and embraced her. “I should have come with you.”
    “No. It was good that way.”
    She’d handled herself well enough, except for getting defensive when the subject of the conversation was her new love. Callie wondered about the exact content of the emails her brother and Nicole had exchanged. She wasn’t well-known enough that Nicole could have gotten the story somewhere online. It wasn’t like Rebecca radiated “straight” to everyone who met her, so in all likelihood, somebody had told Nicole some of the background. It came to no surprise that she would use that information.
    Callie knew her lingering unease wasn’t rational. Rebecca was divorcing her husband. She had left her home of sixteen years for Callie. She agreed that Dina live with David and his new girlfriend. Neither of those decisions had been made lightly. Callie was aware of her own fear of abandonment, and Nicole was aware of it too.
    “Okay.” Rebecca held her gaze, her serious expression turning into a smile unwittingly. Even after all the time they had spent together, sometimes there were still moments when the emotion seemed too much to put into words. Like now when Rebecca gave her that look like she meant the world to her. She’d still get a little shy when she realized what she was doing, turning her eyes away.
    “I don’t feel like going downstairs actually. How about we go for pizza somewhere?”
    “Oh yes, please!” Dina had taken off her headphones. The Lady Gaga