Winter Storm by Barbara Winkes Page A

She didn’t offer any more criticism, but had instead quietly set up a work area at the desk by the window. As Callie passed by her, she paused for a moment to lean down and kiss her neck. “I don’t want to run anymore,” she whispered. “I am home.”
    Rebecca still looked worried, but the admission elicited a smile from her.
    * * * *
    Maybe she was running out of ideas, or she wasn’t that good anymore. Whatever the reason was, besides Callie meeting her ex-girlfriend who by all intents and purposes could be a psychopath, Rebecca wasn’t getting any work done. Her clients always been satisfied with her work, but now she wondered if her skills were sufficient to keep her working in the field. When you had two kids at home, working part-time from home was a good, practical idea. It didn’t seem to work that well anymore.
    She remembered sneaking Dina’s password yesterday, tempted. No, she couldn’t go there. As disturbing as that thought was, Dina needed to have a space where Rebecca didn’t have access. Rebecca needed her thoughts to stop running around in circles. Dina was spending time with some nice people. Callie would meet Nicole in a public space. Everybody would be fine.
    After a moment of hesitation, Rebecca went to get her own cell phone. A few calls to home would be a good distraction now.
    “Hey, Roz. What’s new?”
    “Rebecca! You’re living the high life in New York and you’re asking me that?”
    Roz was the one friend in Autumn Leaves that Rebecca was still close with after her Saturday morning brunch circle had fallen apart.
    “It’s just a business trip, and we will have to come back at some point. Anything I should know?”
    “Same old.” Roz sighed. “Tons of snow too. Maybe you’re lucky and it’s heading your way, so you can stay a little bit longer.”
    “I don’t know if I would call that ‘lucky.’”
    “You really can’t wait to come home, can you? How’s it going—did Callie win the prize?”
    “Of course she did,” Rebecca said with pride. “We’ll show you next Saturday.”
    They had tentatively attempted to relive the brunch ritual, together with Callie and Francine, one of her friends from the Gospel choir. The success had been moderate, as both Rebecca and Roz were constantly reminded of the people who weren’t there. Maria was dead. Betty still believed that Rebecca was committing a sin in the eyes of God, not so much by divorcing her husband, but by loving another woman.
    “I can’t wait. Oh, by the way, did you know that Mayor Beckett retired? I suppose there was no alternative in the end with all the bad press Tim got him.”
    Rebecca shuddered, the simple mention of Tim Beckett’s name causing the visceral reaction.
    “I suppose there wasn’t. The town’s without a mayor?”
    “Sheila and Francine’s dad will run things until the election.”
    “Okay.” Rebecca didn’t have much of an opinion about the man who had been the runner-up in the last election. She assumed that with his son accused of assault and rape, Beckett had done the right thing.
    “I thought you might want to run as an independent candidate.”
    “Now, Roz, it’s too early to drink,” Rebecca said with a surprised laugh.
    “I’m serious. There are a lot of people in town who would vote for you. I know I would.”
    “You and who else?”
    “You did something that required a lot of courage. There are more people aware of that than you think.”
    “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve never been into politics that much. I just couldn’t stand the hypocrisy anymore.”
    “Well, there’s a start,” Roz said. Rebecca shook her head to herself. If anything, she wanted less attention from the people in town, to just continue to live her life without the feeling of being under a microscope. She couldn’t deny, though, that it felt good talking to a friend. This was real, just like her relationship with Callie. Nicole was just a momentary distraction. Rebecca still hoped Betty