Today, Jaymie Wagner is here to talk about her story, Holiday Garage. Welcome, Jaymie đ
âWhere are the lesbian Hallmark movies?!â
That was the question on Tumblr that got me thinking, and eventually writing back in 2019. We did finally get a lesbian Hallmark movie last year, but we can do more!
Besides, we all know those cheesy Hallmark plots are a goldmine of cute, feel-good holiday content that is just waiting to be tapped and turned into all kinds of queer goodness.
So, picture this: A lonely widow gets stuck on the side of the road when her car breaks down on Christmas Eve, and thereâs only one garage open.
The hotels are booked solid, but the Mechanic has an apartment right above the shop and offers a place to spend the night…and did I mention the mechanic is awfully cute?
Throw in a quiet holiday dinner, a snowy night, some ice skating, and perhaps – just perhaps! – you end up with a chance for love again.
(Oh, and a kiss under the mistletoe, because of course there needs to be a kiss under the mistletoe!)
Sounds interesting?
Well, then – letâs take a peek at the little town of Holliday, IllinoisâŚ
Excerpt:
 Holding up a hand in a âWait just a secondâ gesture, the welder (mechanic? Owner? All three?) pulled off her heavy gloves and apron before walking into the waiting area. âHullo! Welcome to Holliday Garage!âÂ
   Emile blinked in surprise at the womanâs English accent. At least now she knew why Mike had seemed so amused when sheâd asked if the garage had experience with Europeans. âAh. HelloâŚâ
  The mechanic cocked her head slightly, then laughed at herself. âOh! Sorry, Iâve gotten used to living in a pretty small town.â She offered a hand with a friendly smile. âNyra Olson.â
   âEmile,â she answered, shaking the shorter womanâs hand. âEmile Meunier.âÂ
   âPleasure to meet you, Emile Meunier.â Nyraâs grip was firm, with calloused fingers that lingered perhaps a moment longer than absolutely necessary.Â
   Emile was a bit shocked by the warmth in her touch, but tried to explain it away as her own cold skin and Nyra having just finished working with a torch. Still, she found herself wishing the brief contact had lasted another second or two longer as Nyra stepped back and pulled a heavy red and black checked flannel off of the coat tree in the corner.
   âSo, obviously you had a spot of car trouble. Can you tell me what happened, exactly?âÂ
   Emile grimaced as she buttoned her coat back up again. âI was shifting when I suddenly went out of gear. I tried upshifting with no change, and trying to go down another gear didnât work either.â
   Nyra gave a pained âooofâ as she finished shrugging on her flannel. âIâll be honest – that doesnât sound good. If youâre lucky itâs just a plug, maybe a connection for the electronics in the gearbox. If notâŚâÂ
   Emile groaned. She hadnât wanted to spend the holidays with Sofia or their other friends, but sheâd expected to be at home, not stranded in the middle of nowhere. âI will try to hope for the best, then.â
Holiday Garage
Five years after the death of her husband, ballet teacher Emile Meunier just wants to drive home after a long week of work and have a quiet Christmas at home. But everything changes when her car breaks down and she finds herself in the little town of Holliday on Christmas Eve.
Then she gets an offer of food and a place to stay from the town mechanic Nyra. Is it just a moment of kindness from a stranger? Or a chance at something more?
Ofelia Grand 