Breathless by Radclyffe

Author:Radclyffe [edited by Radclyffe and Stacia Seaman]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781602824959
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
Published: 2010-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

*

The house glittered and sparkled like a treasure chest. Not one but three Christmas trees stood tall and abundantly decorated in the living, family, and dining rooms. Illuminated garlands adorned the doorways and staircase railings, and Mary’s efforts at the stove added to the holiday spirit as their aromas wafted from the kitchen. Carolyn stood in the wide doorway leading into the living room, where all their guests gathered around the fireplace. Outside, Miami was quite cool, which in turn added to the illusion of a winter season. The skyline across the water was a jewel in its own right, reflecting in the calm water. A few illuminated boats glided silently across the bay, making it picture perfect.

“The last of our guests are arriving, Carolyn. Noelle and Helena are walking up the driveway as we speak.”

“Oh, so that’s actually Noelle singing ‘Silent Night’? I thought you put her new Christmas CD on.” Carolyn smiled and tilted her head. In the distance a strong, blues-inspired voice could be heard singing. “Can you believe that voice?”

“Can anyone? Noelle has shown the world that she can sing anything.”

“And Piper?” Carolyn looked around, suddenly alarmed.

“She’s playing with Pamela. Beth is keeping an eye on them, and she says it’s like they’ve been friends forever.”

“I think we should take turns staying close to her, at least for now,” Annelie said, still looking concerned. “She looked a bit shell-shocked at first at the sight of this many people. Perhaps you were right and we should’ve canceled our plans?”

“Actually, I think you were right.” Carolyn brushed her thumb across Annelie’s lower lip. “This way she sees that life goes on. It will become part of what’s normal for her from now on. Piper will be fine.”

“All right.” Annelie took a deep breath. “Oh, look, I think Chicory Ariose are arriving.”

“Oh, good, they made it.” Carolyn smiled at the thought of the famous all-women group. “Tell them I’ll be there in a little bit.”

Annelie took the time to kiss Carolyn softly on the lips before she walked toward the cheerful voices, calling out “Merry Christmas” to everybody.

Carolyn hid halfway behind a column next to one of the Christmas trees, spying on the two girls sitting on the stairs together, one auburn head and one blond close together while looking at something Piper was holding. The sudden thought that Pamela looked so much like her, and Piper being the spitting image of Annelie, brought tears to Carolyn’s eyes. Piper was the image of an angel in white leggings and a crisp light blue cotton dress that went almost to her knees. Carolyn knew Annelie hadn’t expected her to pick up something quite so stylish for a nine-year-old, but Carolyn had claimed that this outfit was much more Piper than a regular red or green Christmas dress that would make the child cringe. The fact was, this looked entirely right on Piper, and the girl’s pink cheeks spoke volumes when she tried it on before the party.

“Helena and Manon are

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