Finding You

By Avery Warren

Best friends. Worst enemies.

 

Katy Sutton got pregnant at seventeen with her best friend's brother's baby. Even though she thought she was in love – enough to move across the country with him – she found herself divorced sixteen years later. Now she's returned to her hometown with her teenage daughter and had the inevitable run-in with the former best friend who's now become her enemy, Blake Fairfax.

 

Her ex-sister-in-law, now the queen of the PTO, turned on her when Katy got pregnant. But Katy is determined to help plan for the high school's winter ski trip and prove she still belongs in the community, no matter what Blake seems to think.

 

A second chance at love.

 

Blake refuses to tell anyone the truth: that Katy broke her heart. They had once been so much more to one another; a fact Katy seems to have conveniently forgotten. Blake isn't sure how to deal with her, but when they find themselves snowed in at the ski cabin, her ice queen persona melts away.

Now that she has Katy back in her life, Blake isn't going to make the same mistake of letting her go so easily. She will find a way to tell Katy all the things that have gone unsaid over the past sixteen years and do everything she can to win her heart.

This short 25,000 word lesbian romance novella is sure to melt your heart!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Two Muses
• Release date: Jul 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201375621

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Even as she sat at the long table with the other women chattering around her, loneliness left Katy Sutton chilled from head to toe. The fine hairs on her arms caught uncomfortably in the knit of her sweater. God, these PTO meetings were interminable. 

She missed her friends and her old life, before Wellesley. Well, technically, Wellesley was her old life... before she’d crossed the country to start what she thought would be her perfect life in Los Angeles with her now ex-husband. 

But that didn’t matter anymore because she was back where it all began. And, like when she’d been a teenager, she was lost. Coming to the place that should have been home to her had left her feeling misplaced and lonely.

Though certainly not alone. Everywhere she went, there was someone to talk to, people who still knew her or knew her well-to-do parents. This yet another one of those places. The PTO meeting, where the past seemed intent on catching up with her. She was beginning to regret her foolish notion that she might find some cool moms here, maybe reconnect with old friends in a new way. Instead, she’d found the one person she’d been hoping to avoid.

And the last order of business is the annual ski trip for our juniors and seniors, Blake Fairfax chirped. Her long, blonde hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders in smooth, perfect waves. Unfortunately, since Allison fractured her hand in that tragic salon incident, she can’t take on the job of organizing the trip. We need someone else to step up and make the calls. All the contacts are on a handy-dandy little spreadsheet, so it won’t take much time. Any takers?

Katy didn’t know why her hand shot up into the air, especially since she’d been sitting in that uncomfortable plastic chair hoping Blake didn’t notice her. But as soon as she’d done it, she knew there was no taking it back. Furthermore, no one else had raised their hand. All eyes were on her.

Something like a smirk tugged at Blake’s lips before her expression smoothed back out into a neutral half-smile. And you are?

Oh crap, what was she playing at? Blake knew her, the liar. Why was she putting on a show in front of all the other moms? Katy had been her best friend when they were kids and her sister-in-law until last year. 

Too bad Katy hadn’t considered the fact that when she moved home after the divorce this past summer, Blake would be here. Heading the PTO, of all things. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

At first, Katy thought it would be best to play along. To state her name sweetly and fall into line. Like she’d always done until she realized that hadn’t done anything but cause her pain.

Instead, she narrowed her eyes and said, You know damn well who I am, Blake.

Blake tittered, pressing the fingertips of one perfectly manicured hand to her rosebud-pink lips. Of course, I’m sorry Katy. It’s just that we haven’t seen you here for, gosh, sixteen or seventeen years. If you can’t stick around town, I’m not sure you’re responsible enough to take on this task.

Excuse me? People grow up and move away, and it was your brother’s idea to live in LA. Katy hated that now she was a thirty-three-year-old woman in an argument with a former best friend turned relative turned enemy. How old was Blake by now, anyway? Thirty-six or so? She was certainly too old to be behaving like they were still in high school.

Yes, yes, we both know he was full of ridiculous ideas. Between you and me, Blake lowered her voice and leaned forward with a conspiratorial wink, I think you’re better off without him.

Katy knew Blake-speak and that wasn’t what she meant. What Blake actually meant was, Oh, you poor dear, letting Eli knock you up when you were only seventeen. We were all glad when you left town, instead of letting the shame taint our families.

How’s Maxwell? Katy shot back, even though she already knew the answer.

Blake’s face went pale at the mention of her ex-husband. Score one for Katy. 

He’s fine, she answered without a hint of a tremor in her voice. Off to Paris, but he should be back to see the boys by Christmas. You know how it is.

No, Katy didn’t know how it was to be married to and then divorced from someone who earned a lot of money. Or paid child support. Or even cared about the child they’d made together. All she knew for certain was that if she was going to live in her hometown, she’d have to find a way to make it seem like she was okay.

She’d only moved back here because she was desperate for a break from all the curveballs life had thrown at her lately. Even now, all she wanted was some fresh air and solitude. But if she let Blake do this to her, she wouldn’t be able to show her face at her daughter’s high school again. Not that Sophia would mind, being a stereotypical teenager and all, she seemed to prefer her mom stay out of her life. Katy would mind, though.

Once upon a time, Katy had been able to socialize her way through anything. Heck, she’d been queen bee at this school, just as much as Blake had been in the years before her. She sat up a little straighter and said, Do you need help organizing the trip or not?

All the moms turned to look at Blake, wide-eyed. Clearly, they were used to her being in command. Blake, however, continued to stare at Katy. Whether it was curiosity or annoyance, she couldn’t be sure, but Katy knew the power dynamic in the room had shifted.

I do and I’m sure you’re the woman who can get the job done, Blake declared.

CHAPTER 2

Blake could do anything she set her mind to, including ignoring the way Katy watched her cross the room. She was sure those big, adorable, puppy-dog eyes were still on her, even when they went to the parking lot. Blake took her time putting her things into the back of her SUV and hoped Katy would leave sooner rather than later. The thought of being anywhere near Katy made Blake shiver.

Hey, was that really Katy Sutton? Whitney Jones, the one person Blake could trust with real responsibility, nudged her shoulder. I can’t believe she’d come back here after, you know, everything she put your family through. How did you manage to stay so cool in there?

Blake grimaced. Years and years of practice at hiding my feelings.

Because it doesn’t matter that Katy decided to show her face in this town, she told Whitney. She won’t stick around for long once she sees there’s no room for her here. If she came here chasing after my brother, she’s got another thing coming. Our parents will disinherit Eli and that daughter of his before they give their blessing to him and Katy ever getting back together.

Ew. That is so desperate of her. I wish she’d stayed in L.A. with all the other fake people. Whitney tossed her long, wavy dark hair and then examined her reflection in the window of Blake’s SUV.

Good. She was still buying into Blake’s narrative, which was exactly what Blake wanted and needed. "Well, it’s