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“Never mind, I think I think deleted it.”
“Deleted the recipe?” Ollie says, sounding incredulous.
“By mistake, of course,” Susan says. Something about the way she says it sounds odd.
She turns around, almost knocking the ladle off the pot.
“You good?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Susan says. “Why do you ask?”
“Nothing, just that—” I shake my head. It’s probably best not to bring things up. If Susan is bothered by something, I want her to talk to us about it. She has to know we’re a safe space for her.
She carefully ladles the steaming soup into bowls, the broth rich and colorful. The rest of the conversation is forgotten.
19
SUSAN
My heart skips a beat as I see my phone light up with an incoming call. It’s my literary agent, Elena.
I swallow hard. I charged my phone last night after the electricity came back even though I had half a mind not to. Would it be so bad if I decided I don’t want to go out there anymore? Is it completely insane that I’m contemplating leaving everything and uprooting my entire life for three people who are practically strangers? But really, it would be wrong to call them that. They know me more than most people in my life now.
“Hey,” I say cautiously. I’m not sure how Elena is going to react. I’m only a few weeks from my deadline, and I basically dropped off the earth without telling her anything.
“Susan, thank goodness I finally got through to you!” Elena’s voice sounds relieved on the other end of the line. “I’ve been trying to reach you for days. Are you okay? I was worried.”
I take a deep breath, composing myself before responding. “I’m fine, Elena. We got caught in a snowstorm and lost all communication. It’s been quite an adventure, to say the least.”
Elena lets out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that you’re safe. We’ve been trying to get in touch with you, but the storm must have caused some disruption. I was worried something had happened.”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Yes, the snowstorm was intense, and we were completely cut off from the outside world. No phone service, no internet—just the four of us.”
“Four?” I can hear the curiosity in her voice.
“They’re actually the three brothers who own this cabin—Artie, Ollie, and Ed.”
Elena’s voice perks up with curiosity. “Three brothers? How did that happen? Are they all writers too?”
I laugh softly at the thought. “No, they’re not writers, but they’ve been incredibly kind and supportive throughout this unexpected adventure.”
“Hmm,” I hear her say at the other end. “Sounds like quite an interesting mix of personalities. Have you found any common ground with them?”
“Absolutely.” I wish I could tell her the exact kind of common ground we’ve found with each other. My mind drifts to images of their naked bodies tangled with mine, stroking inside me, making me come again and again. “I would have gone crazy stuck in here if it weren’t for them. We lost electricity, we were cut off from the rest of the world.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Elena says sympathetically. “But I’m relieved to know you’re all right. The publishing house team and your editor were concerned about your well-being, especially with the sudden lack of contact.”
I chuckle softly. “Well, it seems we’ve unintentionally created quite a stir. Please assure them I’m safe and sound, and I’ll be back in touch as soon as we’re able to get back to town.”
Elena pauses for a moment before continuing, her voice filled with curiosity. “Susan, I can’t help but wonder…have you been writing?”
I bite my tongue. I knew she was going to ask this question, well, because it’s her job.
I glance at the notebook lying on the table nearby, filled with my scribbles and ideas. “Actually, yes. The experience has been quite inspiring, in a way.”
Elena’s excitement is palpable. “That’s fantastic to hear, Susan! Your fans will be eager to read your words and experience this journey alongside you. I can’t wait to see what you’ve created.”
“There’s just one catch, though,” I say hesitatingly. “Most of the words are in a notebook. I need to transcribe them onto a laptop.”
