The Jaguar Star (Tales of the Were: Jaguar Island Book 4) by Bianca D'Arc (the first e reader .TXT) 📕

than the crispy, hot apple pie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, but she hadn’t found him yet.

Katrina just chuckled and sipped her cappuccino, which really was one of the best she’d ever had. The thought felt a little traitorous because the barista at her family’s restaurant was really top notch, but Katrina figured it was okay to be a tiny bit disloyal, this once, as long as Katrina didn’t mention it when she got home.

After dinner, the trio strolled back to the hotel and parted ways in the lobby. Katrina had a lot of information to put into her planner and lines to study before she went to bed, so she picked up a bottle of chilled water and an apple from the supply in the lobby on her way to her room.

Katrina changed into comfy yoga pants and a loose T-shirt and padded around barefoot as she unpacked her bags so she could find things quickly. She had just spread her planner stuff out on the desk in the room when there was a knock on the door. It was Stella, one of Sonia’s assistants. She handed over a sheaf of paper with a smile.

“Here’s the amended schedule. There were some minor changes since the last edition,” Stella said, her smile bright. “Nowadays, scheduling is usually done electronically, but Sonia is a bit old-fashioned. I’ll probably be coming by every night with addendums.”

Stella was very young and had a bubbly personality. Katrina had liked her immediately, sensing a mischievous spirit that appealed to her. Katrina leaned against the open door and folded her arms, one hand hanging onto the papers.

“There’s something to be said for pen and paper, you know,” Katrina countered with a grin.

“Oh, don’t tell me. You’re a technophobe, too?” Stella rolled her eyes, playing along.

Katrina shrugged. “Not really. I just like to see things, visually, on paper.” She gestured toward the desk that was visible from the doorway, where all her planner stuff was spread out.

“You’re an artist?” Stella asked, her eyes wide, taking in the array of colored pens, washi tape and other items visible on the desk.

“Not really, but I am drawn to the visual. I like to create and doodle, so a paper planner is really my thing. It helps me think and get organized.” She raised the schedule papers in her hand. “This is right up my alley.”

Stella chuckled. “You and all the other dinosaurs in this cast.” She shook her head, clearly amused. “There are digital updates from time to time, so keep your phone or tablet on you, just be sure to shut any alarms or ringers off when you’re on set. The instructions are on the second page of what I just gave you.”

“Will do,” Katrina assured the younger woman, who was clearly preparing to get on with her task. “Have a good night, Stella.”

“You, too, Kat.” Stella grinned and offered a jaunty salute as she went on her way to deliver the schedule to her next stop.

Katrina shut the door and locked it, already reading the schedule addendum. She went back to the desk and had fun adjusting her planner notes for the next day and the rest of the shoot. Katrina’s days had always been busy, but in recent years, they hadn’t ever filled up to this extent, where almost every minute of the day was accounted for by one task or appointment or another.

It was fun, in a way. Though, to be honest, it looked exhausting. Katrina knew she was going to earn the generous salary she’d been offered for this work, but she also sensed she would enjoy every moment of it. This film could—and would—change the course of her life. It had already done so. She’d told her parents she didn’t want to work for them anymore. That was already a huge change.

She loved them, but she couldn’t live the life they envisioned for her. She had to find her own way. She had realized, only after she’d told them, that they’d known it all along. Her mother had given her a big hug and told her to pursue her dreams.

“Do what you love,” her mother had said. Katrina had been taken aback by their easy acceptance of the radical change in her plans, but she was so grateful for their love and support.

They’d seen her off at the airport with happy faces and truly good wishes that this gig might be the break she needed to really launch her career. She was blessed to have such understanding parents. She’d expected pushback. She’d expected them to at least question her sanity in throwing away a steady income for something that was so uncertain, but she’d been wrong. She should have known better. Her mother had explained their position and that they’d noticed her unhappiness, working in the restaurant, day after day, year after year.

Her mother and father knew her better than she knew herself, at times. They’d given her the job when she’d given up on acting and had nowhere else to turn. Now, they were setting her free to fly again, to see if she could reach that faraway dream. The one sure thing in her life—the thing that gave her the strength to try—was knowing that they would be there to catch her, should she fall again.

A tear in her eye as she thought of her mother, Katrina picked up the phone. It wasn’t too late. Her mother would probably be free to chat as the evening crowd started to depart. She called the restaurant, and her mother answered the phone.

“Kitty, sweetheart! How was your first day?” Her mother’s warm voice brought more tears to her eye, but she didn’t let them fall.

Katrina had called her parents from the airport after her plane landed, just to let them know she’d made it to her destination safely, but now that she’d met the others, she had more to report. They spoke for a half-hour, Katrina filling her mother in on the people