The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection Read Free

around her at the piles of discarded
tissues and napkins. “I hope I didn’t use it.”
    Ugh. Sophie wasn’t about to unfold the pile
to look for a list. “Ummm, who gave you the list? Maybe I can call
that person and ask for another copy.”
    “ It was Selma, the worship
director, at the church office.”
    Well, there was one task she could handle
without any problem. “I’ll call Selma and ask her.”
    “ Selma’s not there. She and
her husband left for Florida last week.”
    Sophie closed her eyes and rubbed her
forehead. Now even the simple tasks were getting difficult.
    She stood. “Why don’t I get supper going?
Maybe I’ll get some inspiration while I’m cooking.”
    She stalked to the kitchen and pulled the
refrigerator door open. Spying some leftover chicken, she pulled
that out, followed by an assortment of vegetables. Tonight they
would eat chicken stir-fry.
    As she chopped, she formed her general plan.
Cooking always seemed to calm her nerves. For a little while,
Sophie had thought she wanted to become a chef. She’d even spent a
few years in culinary school, but had quit when she realized her
heart wasn’t in it. She’d returned to Zutphen and poured her heart
into a manuscript about Nora, a young single girl. Soon she found
herself living through her character, making Nora live through and
triumph over everything she’d ever experienced.
    And now she needed to find a job. Just
something temporary so she could save up enough money to move to
California. Once she was there, she’d start hitting the pavement,
looking to start a career as a screenwriter. But she needed to save
up a nest egg to pay for the trip, as well as set up a place to
live until she hit it big. She’d compiled a long list of agents and
studios to contact before she left, and hopefully there would be
some appointments.
    There was someone else she wanted to look up
when she got there. Someone who’d planned to travel with her and go
down that road to stardom together. But that someone had left
without her. An opportunity had come up that was too good to miss,
he’d said, and then he was gone.
    They’d corresponded for a while. The letters
had been sporadic, but he’d written about his auditions, his
successes, his temporary jobs to pay the bills until the next
acting job came up. Then, a few years ago, the letters had stopped.
His phone number had been disconnected, and emails had bounced
back. His parents, who lived nearby, told her they hadn’t heard
from him either.
    She hoped she’d be able to find him and get
some closure so that she could move on. But first she needed to
make some money.
    Hopefully, something would turn up by the
time Joanie had the baby.
    “ Hey, what’s that smell in
here? Is it Mystery Meat Stir-Fry or Road Kill Stew tonight?” Dave
Bennett, Joanie’s college professor husband, set his briefcase on
the table and came up behind her to investigate. Sophie smacked his
hand when he reached for a piece of chicken.
    “ Leave that
alone.”
    “ You’d deny a starving man
a single bite of protein?”
    “ A starving man, no. A
crazy brother-in-law, yes.”
    Dave threw his head back and laughed. “I’m
sure I know several people who would agree with that
description.”
    Sophie loved her laid-back, fun-loving
brother-in-law. He was definitely a great match for her sister, who
up until this pregnancy had been one of the most capable, efficient
people she knew. They had the perfect balance. Just what Sophie had
hoped for in Nate Vosman. A tall, handsome dreamer, Nate had been
the one with the vision. Sophie had wanted to help him make those
dreams come true, and writing scripts for him was her way to do it.
She’d had such plans. But that was a lifetime ago…
    “ You goofball. Go and see
if your wife or your son needs anything. Like maybe some attention.
Dinner will be ready in half an hour.”
    “ Yes, ma’am.” He saluted
and marched out of the kitchen, leaving Sophie to shake her head