Page 46 of Architect's Christmas Nanny

The rosy afternoon light out the window was gone,replaced by the cool blue of evening. It was darker in the room too, since she had only put on a lamp beside the chair.

She yawned and stretched, then looked down at her work. She had filled several pages with rushed but neat handwriting.

“Next time I’ll fire up my laptop,” she murmured to herself.

Hopefully when she read it, the beginning of the story would feel as compelling as it had when she was writing it.

It’s not a story, she realized.It’s a book.

The thought was exhilarating and scary. She had always wanted to write a book, but she assumed that would come later, if it ever came at all. Most authors did a creative writing program in college, then published short stories and shopped for agents for a long time before tackling a novel.

I can’t hold this in and wait. I have to write it now.

She got up, deciding she needed to stretch her legs and maybe make a nice cup of tea.

Instead, she found herself jogging up the steps for a second time, digging through her suitcase for her laptop and cord, and carrying it downstairs to the kitchen counter to plug it in.

She did start the kettle while the computer powered up. The nervous energy she felt had her eager to do something with her hands. Pulling a mug down from the cabinet and grabbing a box of peppermint tea, she tried to ground herself.

Plenty of people write the first few pages of a book,shereminded herself.And young adult novels are one of the most popular kinds of book to write. Even if I finish it, what are the chances I ever get to see it in someone else’s hands?

But even her practical thinking couldn’t extinguish the flame of excitement that burned in her chest.

When her tea was ready, she cupped the glazed pottery in her hands, inhaling the warm, fragrant steam, and headed back to the computer. It wasn’t exactly the newest model, but it was sturdy and reliable. Naturally, Brad had set up internet before they even got here. She clicked on the network calledHOMEand it asked for a password.

She rolled her eyes, then typed inJOSIE,and it connected her right away.

Her hands navigated to the familiar university website automatically. She hadn’t explored it in a long time, but seeing the beautiful school buildings, the verdant campus, and all the smiling students made her heart pound a little harder.

The tab for Creative Writing programs had an extra item in the drop-down menu now, and she gazed at it in disbelief for a moment before clicking.

Her eyes scanned the page for a long time, and she put the tea on the counter to get cold while she took notes and studied the available options and the admissions process.

Then she opened her email and took a deep breath.

She was about to write something more important than any short story or novel draft. Asking the director of the program to let her back in based on an applicationfrom almost ten years ago felt unlikely at best. And surely the scholarship would be off the table by now.

But she had to try.

Taking another deep breath, she began pouring her heart out, telling the relative stranger who she had connected with in an interview all those years ago about everything that had happened to her since.

She was just finishing up her email when she heard the front door opening.

Her hand hesitated over the return key. She hadn’t been in school in so long.

What if he laughs at my email?

What if they let me in but I’m useless?

I’ll definitely be the oldest person in the program…

But then she thought about meeting Susan Grentz, who had quietly taught at the Trinity Falls elementary school while writing cozy mysteries, and no one even knew it until she was old enough to retire from teaching. Maybe it really never was too late.

“Jillian, guess what?” Josie yelled as she thundered down the hallway.

Jillian decided to take inspiration from her brave and enthusiastic girl. She hit thereturnkey to send the email just as her favorite small person rounded the corner into the kitchen.

Josie began to tell her all about her afternoon adventures, and Jillian was glad to have something to distract her from thinking too much about what she had just done.

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