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It was on the tip of her tongue. The desire that she wanted to come to Rocky Ridge and stay for a lot longer than a couple weeks. She only had one life to live. She needed to take advantage of it, right?
She was going to do it. If she didn’t, she’d regret it for the rest of her life.
Becca took a deep breath but her phone’s buzzing cut her off. She frowned, having forgotten that she’d placed it in the pocket of her dress. Becca patted her hip and dug around in the fabric, giving Ethan an apologetic smile.
She retrieved the phone and stared at the screen. Her roommate back home didn’t usually call. They were close enough to hang out on Friday nights, but when Becca was gone, she might as well have disappeared from the planet. Becca declined the call only to discover that she had missed three others, also from Liz.
“Is everything okay?” Ethan’s quiet voice broke into her reverie.
Becca jumped and stared at him, confused. The only thing Liz would have called her for was an emergency. Had their place burned down? Or maybe it had been broken into. She held up a finger to Ethan. “I need to make a quick call.”
“What’s wrong?” The tightness in his voice was endearing—another bit of evidence as to the kind of man he was.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. I just… I need to call my roommate really quick.” Becca moved a few steps away and dialed the very number she’d refused to answer. Liz answered on the first ring.
“Becca! There you are. I’ve been calling and calling.”
“I noticed.” Becca laughed nervously.
“I know you’re busy. I probably should have just texted, but I had to tell you right away. You got a letter.”
Becca glanced over to Ethan, who continued to wait patiently. “You shouldn’t be reading my mail, Liz.”
“I didn’t mean to, I swear. I was watching a show and wasn’t paying attention and accidentally opened it. I was going to put the letter back in the envelope, but then I realized who it was from.” Her roommate squealed. “It’s an agent.”
Becca sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“An agent. She sent you a letter because I guess she didn’t get a response to her email. She said she read one of your stories.” Another squeal. “She wants to represent you and help you get a meeting with one of the big publishers.”
Becca’s heart stopped. Her legs felt like they’d turned to putty. “What?” she whispered.
“I know! Isn’t it great? I bet if you look through your email, you’ll find something in your junk folder. She must really like your stuff if she was willing to send you a letter. Aren’t you excited?”
Her voice sounded hollow. “Where is this agent?”
“That’s the best part. She’s a local. Her office is downtown.”
Becca glanced once more toward Ethan. This was a big bump in the road for any future they might have. Ethan had moved his family up to Rocky Ridge to start a life. And now her dream career could finally be happening. If Liz was right and this letter was legitimate, it would open up a whole new world for Becca. There were so many unknowns and she wasn’t sure how to face them all.
One thing for sure, this new twist would mean she’d probably be better off to stay in Salt Lake at least until she got everything settled.
She forced a smile and swallowed back the bitter disappointment. “Yes. This is amazing news. Do you think you could send me a picture of the letter?”
“Of course! Eeek! This is amazing! Sending it now!”
“Thanks, Liz.”
They hung up and Becca took slow steps toward Ethan.
“What’s going on? Your words don’t match your tone of voice.”
“I’m just a little bit in shock,” Becca murmured. “That was my roommate.”
Ethan chuckled. “I figured when you said that was who you were going to call.”
Her eyes darted up to meet his. “Right.” She bit her bottom lip. This was harder than she thought it was going to be. The smile she wore wasn’t cutting it and she had to shut her eyes briefly to keep herself from showing too much emotion.
Her heart had been torn in two different directions. As much as she wanted to move here right now, her dream of becoming a full-fledged traditionally published author called to her.
