She pulled away, both of her hands resting on my shoulders. “Thankyou, darlin’. You wrote something that deserves to be celebrated. Just didn’t want you to forget that.”
“Congratulations, Scarlett!” Moriah’s sweet but extremely soft voice popped in beside us.
“Thanks, Moriah.”
“What are we working on this week? Anything new?” Delilah’s voice barged in.
I didn’t think I’d ever seen a single article with Delilah’s name under it, so I wasn’t sure why my to-do list was any of her concern.
“Delilah, Alexis, and Abby, I’m going to have you keep working on the calendar for the next few months. Make sure you find anything and everything that’s happening in our little town. The farther out we can be, the better prepared we will be to cover all the events.”
“Sounds great. Events are my thing. We’ll probably head out shortly and make sure we hit all the local spots to see what’s going on.” Delilah’s tone was more telling than asking.
“That sounds great,” Donna confirmed. “Moriah, are you still working on the piece about—”
“The corporation that’s trying to build a massive hotel at the south end of town? Yes, I am, and I’m doing my best to make them look as horrible as possible, which is proving to be much easier than I thought.”
“Great. We love to hear it,” Donna said, smiling as Moriah turned back toward her desk. “I guess that just leaves you, my newest star.”
“You flatter me.” I grinned, my cheeks running red. “You just tell me what’s next and I’ll get started.”
“Funny you should say that.” Donna’s eyes grew wide and her soft smile a little worrisome. “There is another pretty big assignment that landed in my lap, and I’d really love for you to be the one to take it on. It’s a big ask, and you can always say no, but—”
“Yes. Whatever it is. Yes. I told you. I’m here to make your life easier, and I’m happy to help however you’ll let me,” I responded.
“Holy shit.” Alexis beamed, staring at the screen of her phone. “Do you see this?”
“What?” Delilah asked, ripping it right out of her hands. “Oh my god.”
“You’re literally famous,” Abby chimed in.
Delilah licked her lips before she started reading from the phone. “‘Stetson Walker might have lost himself in Nashville, but it looks like he’s found himself in Quincey Falls… with a new love interest? Young, blonde, and sparkly, exactly how the country heartthrob likes ’em.’” The arrogance oozed out of her.
I turned back to face Donna before I said something I’d regret, and she’d clearly already learned how to tune out Delilah because she was completely unbothered by all of it.
“Speaking of Stetson Walker…” Her eyes glued to the group of girls crowded around the phone before popping over to mine.
His name left her lips and struck me right through my chest like a bolt of lightning.
I gulped. “What about him?”
“We got permission to do a story on him while he’s in Quincey Falls writing his next album. It sounds like he’s turned one of George’s old barns into a recording studio and he’s staying at the newly renovated bed and breakfast up the road from Rolling Meadows. Appears he’s serious about sticking around for a while, and I really think there’s a story to tell here.” She paused, lingering on her thoughts. “Why Quincey Falls? Why turn away from the spotlight? Why now? There has to be more to the story, and I want you to figure out what that is.”
I knew where she was going with this, and I was racking my brain for an excuse as to why this wasn’t the job for me.
“Me?” I questioned. “Are you sure?”
“Are you kidding? You’re the only person I want to write this. I know that not only will you write the best story”—she leaned over her desk, leaving only a few inches between us—“but you’re the only one I can trust to be professional about it. The same can’t be said for everyone on this team. And that stays between you and me,” she said, raising an eyebrow in my direction before allowing more space to come between us.
“Of course.”
“So, that means you’ll do it?”
Fuck. Scarlett, what have you done. How could I say no now? I’d just spouted out how happy I was to help in any capacity; I couldn’t turn around and say no. And what excuse would I even give her?Sorry, I can’t. I actually told Stetson to go fuck whoever he wanted to because I wasn’t interested in him, despite the fact that I amveryinterested.
“I’ll do it.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
