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“But the town won’t want that. He’d know that if he actually belonged here. He’d know what this town was like,” Tess argued. She wiped her tears with the back of her T-shirt and sniffed, her sadness quickly turning to annoyance and a fit of spitefulness emerging.
Definitely better than tears, but unfortunately, there was nothing he could say to make her feel better.
“You’re right and you’re totally justified in feeling that way. I’m just not sure what the community might decide. It is a possibility.”
Tess eyed him. “Do you want to move? Would you be okay with this plan?”
He sighed. He wouldn’t lie to her. “I’m not sure. For a while, I thought no way, but that was more pride and just not wanting to admit that Sebastian might be right, or that the idea would help us move on.”
Tess’s shoulders sagged. “I hadn’t really thought about it like that.”
He pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her hair, which still smelled like the salty sea after Tess probably neglected to shampoo it in the shower in her rush to eat. “Look, nothing is decided yet and I’m sure we will get a say in it as well. For now, we just need to be open-minded and think about all the pros and cons.” He paused. “Either way, no matter what, we will be together. This place is just four walls and a roof. Home is us together.”
She hugged him tight and he could still sense she wasn’t happy about the possibility, but his brave, smart little girl was being open to it. “You, me and Carly,” she said, and Oliver’s heart once again skipped a beat.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SHEWASTAKINGa huge risk, but Carly had no idea how else to come up with an ending for the third book that readers would be happy with—and could lead to another three books. She’d spent hours the day before, after Tess was home safe, trying to rewrite that dark moment scene and a new alternate ending that Paige would be happier with, but she was coming up blank.
It was a challenge to think of happily-ever-after endings when her own relationship status was up in the air at the moment.
Therefore, she’d turn to the fans of the series for inspiration.
She positioned the chairs in the book club room in a circle and checked the online sign-up. The last-minute book club discussion she’d posted already had a full attendance, and based on the names on the list, she knew many hard-core Sealena fans would be arriving any minute.
If anyone could help her figure this out, they could.
She went into the front room and brewed two carafes of coffee and opened the boxes of sugary, delicious pastries she’d picked up from the bakery down the street. She scanned the selection, and reaching for a chocolate-dipped doughnut, she took a big bite, hoping the sugar high would help her get through that evening’s event and the all-nighter writing session she was in for.
A few moments later, the door opened and Rachel entered. She wasn’t surprised to see her friend was the first one there, her Sealena shirt tucked into a stylish short leather skirt and her long red hair tied in a braid over one shoulder. She was clutching her copies of the books as she approached, a suspicious look on her face. “A last-minute Sealena book club?”
Carly shrugged casually, chewing slowly. “Thought it might be fun, as the publisher has started releasing sample chapters of the third book, that’s all.” Two of the chapters she’d already submitted were live on the publisher’s website with the preorder links, and so far, the comments from readers were encouraging.
“Okay...so it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re stuck on an ending?”
Carly nearly choked on her doughnut. Her eyes widened as she struggled to swallow the dough.
“I knew it!” Rachel said, pointing a finger at her. “I’ve been trying to bait you into telling me for months!” She swiped at her. “I thought we were friends,” she said.
“We are. Sorry, I was going to tell you...eventually,” she said sheepishly.
“Does anyone else know?” Rachel asked, completely enthralled.
“Just Skylar,” she said.
“Skylar? Are you shitting me? She didn’t even want to read the books,” Rachel said, looking hurt. “Why did you tell her?”
“I didn’t. She guessed.” First Skylar. Now Rachel had figured it out on her own. Was the writing that transparent? Had anyone else in town figured it out yet? It amazed her that no one had realized that Salwert was an anagram of Walters. She’d been stuck on a pen name and thought it would be fun...
Rachel reached for an éclair and took a big bite. “So, am I right? Are you stuck on the ending?”
Carly hesitated. Could she admit that to her friend and avid reader of the series? She sighed. “Yes. I’ve written myself into a corner here and have no way out. I submitted one possible ending...” She avoided Rachel’s gaze as she continued. “But apparently, the fisherman can’t die.”
Rachel shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“I’m hoping the readers can offer some insight,” she said, biting her lip. Because if they couldn’t, she was hooped.
Luckily, all Carly needed to do was pose the question to the group moments later:
