December
As Winnie walked back through the crowded banquet hall, she caught Cal smiling at her from across the room.
Despite the months they’d now been together, Winnie still hadn’t quite come to terms with the fact that he was hers, especially in very public settings like this. He was kind of like your nicest necklace or your most expensive pair of shoes. Part of you was dying to wear them out and show them off, but the other part of you worried that it would be too flashy, that it would create too much envy.
But in the months since Winnie and Cal had finally accepted the fact that they were in love, Winnie had gradually grown comfortable with the way other women looked at Cal. It made her proud. It turned her on, because those looks were never returned. He was hungry only for her, and that was something she would simply never tire of.
Just as satisfying as the statewide newspaper contest award she’d just received—first place in breaking news writing for The Bloom Times’ coverage of the Bloomsburo/Broadsville mayoral scandal—was the feeling when she returned to the banquet table, and Cal pulled her into a congratulatory embrace. Despite the fact that all eyes were still on her, having just accepted the award, he gave her a long and passionate kiss that left her light headed.
“Congratulations, Winn,” he murmured in her ear, his hand moving down to give her a playful tap on her backside. “You deserve all of it and more.”
He looked perfect there, wearing the same sexy, blue suit he’d worn that first night at Café Gioia. He called it his lucky suit, because it was what he wore when this pleasure-filled journey began. She made him wear it whenever possible – once even while he made her waffles, just for the heck of it. He was a good sport like that.
She could feel herself beaming as she resumed her seat and looked at the plaque, her first first-place award for writing. She hoped it wouldn’t be her last, but if it ended up being her only, it would go down as one of her favorite professional accomplishments. She’d come to Bloomsburo with two goals in mind: to become a better journalist and to avoid men. She’d met one goal, and now thanked God she failed at the other.
Her only regret was that she could only bring one guest to tonight’s awards ceremony. How she would have loved to share this with Gloria, Rhonda, and even with Betty Jean, who had actually become an incredibly important source when Winnie began to investigate the political history of the town.
She was on cloud nine for the rest of evening, eating the delicious food, sharing sweet glances with Cal, and laughing with the other journalists who filled out her table. She practically floated out to his car when the ceremony ended.
“We have to swing by my mom’s,” Cal explained as he took an unexpected turn on the drive back to his place, where Winnie now spent most evenings. “I promised her we’d stop by to show off the award.”
“You didn’t know that I was going to win the award,” Winnie said suspiciously.
“I absolutely knew you would take home that award, hon. You deserved it. It wasn’t even a contest.”
She had to grin. She didn’t go into the evening with nearly as much confidence, but she never tired of Cal’s support. Frankly, she was just honored to be a nominee amongst journalists from fancier papers with much more impressive budgets. Winnie was happy about the award, but she was really looking forward to the final stop of the night: Cal’s bed, and all of the magical things that happened therein. They stayed at her place sometimes, too, but his bathtub, and the delicious rituals they’d developed within it, made his place their favorite.
They pulled up to Rhonda’s and Cal grabbed the plaque, more eager to show it off than even Winnie.
“Well, come on!” he urged her, like a kid ready to charge downstairs on Christmas morning.
“Ladies first,” Cal insisted when they reached the porch. He pushed the door open and Winnie’s jaw dropped when she took in the scene inside Rhonda’s house.
A huge banner hung across the wide entryway, spelling out “Congrats, Winnie!” Beneath it stood all of Winnie’s favorite people: Rhonda, Cal’s sisters, his nieces, Evie and her little ones, Dewey, Carter, and even Betty Jean. She turned to Cal in disbelief, but he just stood back, pleased with the surprise he was able to pull over on her.
One by one they rushed up to Winnie, smothering her in hugs and kisses and congratulations. Once everyone had a chance to celebrate with the award winner, the party moved into the kitchen, where Rhonda’s island was covered with a gorgeous pink layer cake, pies and other assorted desserts, alongside ice buckets of champagne and sparkling cider. Cal promptly poured them two glasses of champagne.
“To the award-winning journalist,” he toasted her, and their glasses clinked. They kissed, and the room cheered before breaking into side conversations.
“Don’t forget her present, Uncle Cal!” Mary called out, sneaking up beside them and slipping her hand into Winnie’s.
“Present? Cal, this is too much,” Winnie protested, though it did little to mask her delight. He spoiled her and she loved every second of it.
He handed her a long, thin velvet box with a pink ribbon on top.
“I picked that out the ribbon,” Lulu said quietly, pointing to the ribbon.
“It’s lovely.”
“Wait ’til you see what’s inside!” Mary said, jumping up and down as if she were the one getting the gift.
With slightly shaky hands, Winnie removed the bow, placing it on the top of Lulu’s head, earning Winnie a giggle. She gingerly opened the hinged box and gasped when she saw the drop necklace inside—a long, gorgeous white gold chain that featured one sizable teardrop shaped diamond at the center and two tiny diamonds a few inches above it on either side. It was breathtaking.
“Cal, it’s gorgeous.”
“Hmm, just like you, what a coincidence.”
He took the necklace and slipped it over her hair until it sparkled and shone against the black satin of her formal dress.
Winnie clasped it in disbelief. She’d never had a diamond. Never had a piece of jewelry so beautiful.
She threw her arms around Cal and kissed his neck profusely.
“I can’t thank you enough, Cal.”
“We can find some creative ways for you to try, though,” he said with a wink.
She grinned and then he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “These won’t be the last jewels you get from me, Briggs.” His words were hot on her ear. “I’m having trouble waiting a respectable amount of time to give you one diamond in particular.”
Her heart skipped a beat at his implication. At the thought that all of this could actually be forever. She leaned in, eyes wide and her lips found his immediately.
“I love you so much.”
“I’m a lucky man.”
She grinned and turned her attention to the little girls now flanking her. “Can we see?” Lulu asked. Cal’s cell phone started to ring and Winnie nodded, encouraging him to take the call while she showed off her new sparkles.
A few seconds later she heard Cal clear his throat.
“Uh, Winn?” he said, his hand gently touching her arm. “It’s Bree.”
Bree?
Her first instinct was excitement—her sweet boyfriend had even tried to include her long-distance best friend in her celebration. But something in Cal’s eyes told her that the call was under less ideal circumstances. The two women had been in touch since their month of non-communication passed. They talked on the phone every week or so. Miraculously, they’d even taught Bree how to use Skype so her friend could see Cal with her own eyes. (Bree now referred to him as The Masterpiece, and often called Cal in order to reach Winnie, given that Winnie’s cellphone tended to go missing or uncharged so often.)
“Winn, congrats on the award,” she heard her best friend’s voice offer shakily. Uncharacteristically edgy. “I’m so sorry to interrupt. I just… Winnie, something’s happened.”
Winnie’s eyes grew wide, looking silently at Cal, and he guided her to the quieter privacy of the mudroom with a comforting hand on her hip.
“Bree, what is it? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She heard the sigh across the line. Across the miles.
“No, I’m not physically hurt. I will be okay, but I have to get out of here.”
“Out of Chicago?”
“Yes.”
If there was one urge Winnie understood completely, it was the need to flee Chicago. She’d never forget the support Bree gave her to do what she needed to do in her time of need, and she welcomed any opportunity to return it.
“What can I do, Bree? How can I help?”
There was a pause, and then an unexpected answer from the most independent, globe-trotting woman Winnie had ever known.
“Can I come bide some time in Bloomsburo?”
Winnie’s eyes widened as they met Cal’s, whose face showed only concern. Lord, he could even make concern look unreasonably sexy.
“Absolutely. When?”
After Bree answered, Winnie said goodbye, ended the call and oriented herself toward Cal, who was already pulling her into the comfort of his strong embrace.
Home.
“Is she okay?” he asked, pressing a kiss to Winnie’s forehead as he rubbed her back. “She sounded shaken up.”
“I’m not sure. But she’s going to be here tomorrow, so I guess we’ll find out.”
“Tomorrow?” Cal repeated back, surprised, but not upset.
“Is that okay?”
“Whatever you ladies need is fine with me. You two can catch up, and I’ll keep you well fed.”
She squeezed him close, taking comfort in the fact that whatever was coming down the pipeline, Cal would be there to help her navigate it. She also secretly reveled in the realization that all her favorite people in the world would soon be in one zip code.
If Bloomsburo could help Bree sort out her life even half as much as it had helped Winnie, she’d be just fine.
“But in the meantime, how about some of that cake I saw? A Cal creation, I presume?”
Cal nodded, pulled her in for a warm, soft kiss, and then ushered her back into the night. To a celebration of her. Of them.
Of Bloomsburo magic.