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Sloane’s gut bottomed out somewhere around her hemline. “I thought maybe a change of pace would keep readers from getting bored.”
“The market is totally saturated with small-town stories right now. And anyway, your readers are far from bored.” Belinda tapped out a few keystrokes on her laptop, her eyes scanning the screen before she turned it toward Sloane. “Just look at the latest reviews.”
Her stomach did a twist and flip as she scanned the review site. Phrases likeMore of the same, Allejandro was smokin’ hot!andCan the next hero be Greek? Please?!leapt off the printout. “Okay, but when I was in Europe, I only went to France, Italy and Spain, and I used those in my first three books.”
“But that’s only three countries out of the entire continent. Think of this—we could even go with a world tour theme. The first three were so popular, the possibilities for continuing the series are really endless. Although, if you flip through all the reviews, Greeceisthe number one request for the next book,” Belinda said with a knowing smile.
Sloane’s attempt at a swallow fell woefully short. “I’ve never been to Greece.”
In order to really get a feel for something, she had to be immersed in it one hundred percent. Sights. Sounds. Smells. All of it. Otherwise, no matter how well she researched the details, they came out flat—or worse, inaccurate. She’d never written anything set in a place she’d never been to for an extended period of time. It seemed impossible—how could she get it right and not be roasted by readers whohadbeen to those places without firsthand knowledge?
Belinda eyed her, a flicker of sympathy crossing her shrewd features before she pushed up her glasses and flipped back to business mode. “I know this is hard to hear, but it’s better that we work through the strongest ideas now, at the proposal stage.”
“I really thoughtSmall Town, Big Lovemade the cozy setting feel exciting and fresh,” Sloane said, working the last-ditch effort. Not that small towns reallywereexciting or fresh in reality. The most thrilling thing she’d experienced during her year in Pine Mountain was when the town approved turning the four-way stop at Main Street into an actual stoplight.
Damn it, Belinda was right.
“Being seduced in a gondola by a brooding yet brilliant Venetian painter is exciting and fresh. And it’s what you’re good at. It’s what you do.” Belinda paused, folding her hands over the proposal Sloane had sent her. “This just isn’t good enough. I’m sorry.”
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked to keep them at bay. “So, what are you saying?” Oh, God. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be…
Belinda’s quiet tone did nothing to soften the blow of her words. “I need a solid draft of the Greece book within the next four months, five tops, otherwise we’ll have to drop you.”
All the breath left Sloane’s lungs in a sharp whoosh. “Five months?” She’d have to be in Greece no later than eight weeks from now, ten at the most, in order to make that fly.
“You can do this, Sloane. And if the Greece book passes muster like your other three, it could take your career to whole new level.” Belinda arched a flawlessly penciled brow at her. “I’m talking about the definite possibility of another multibook deal, and numbers big enough to addNew York Times best sellerbeneath your name. You could write your ticket, here. What do you think?”
Her gut jumped. It wasn’t like Sloane was a stranger to living out of a suitcase, and she hadn’t been to Europe in a while. She’d moved to Pine Mountain to support her best friend, but not only had Carly embarked on a hugely successful career, but she was getting married in less than two weeks, to boot. Just one thing stood between Sloane and a plane ticket out of Dodge, and it definitely wasn’t small potatoes.
Her bank account had been running on fumes for the last few months, and she’d been counting on the advance forSmall Town, Big Lovein order to get by. If she couldn’t even pay the rent in teeny-tiny Pine Mountain, how the hell was she going to haul her cookies to Greece to write the book that would save her career?
Sloane swallowed past the tight knot of her throat. She should just open her mouth and tell Belinda that an extended trip to Europe wasn’t financially feasible. After all, maybe Belinda would understand and they could work on some heavy edits toSmall Town, Big Love.
Or maybe you’ll lose the only career you ever truly loved because what you’ve got just isn’t good enough.
“Sloane?” Belinda interrupted her rising internal panic with an expectant look, asking again, “What do you think?”
She pushed a too-big smile to her lips and brightly replied, “I think I’m headed to Greece.”
* * *
The Great Hippopotamusof Dread was back, and Gavin’s first reaction was that it had put on a few pounds since yesterday.
“I’m so sorry, Gavin. I know this leaves you in a bind, and I hate to think of Bree all by herself. Poor girl.” Mrs. Teasdale worried her lip, tossing a glance over her shoulder at the car she’d left running in the driveway. “But there’s nobody else to take care of my sister, and now that she’s gone and broken her hip…”
“No, I completely understand. Family first, of course. And don’t worry, I’ll come up with something for Bree.”
Exactlywhathe’d come up with was a bit of a freaking mystery, seeing as how he had to be at La Dolce Vita to supervise a liquor delivery in forty-five minutes. And of course it was Friday, their busiest dinner service of the week, so calling in sick—hell, even being late—wasn’t an option.
“Bree keeps to herself, but she’s a good girl. Oh, I wish I could be in two places at once. I just hate to worry about the both of you,” Mrs. Teasdale apologized, already turning down the walkway in a rush. “I hope you find someone for her.”
“I’ll figure something out, don’t worry. Drive safely.” Gavin lifted his arm in a single wave, watching her car disappear down the road before exhaling a breath that resembled a steady leak.
Two hours. In two hours, Bree would get out of school, and he’d be damned if she’d cross the threshold into an empty house.
“Come on, Carmichael. Think.”
Nope. Nada. The frustrated prompting only made his brain go even more blank. Since they’d moved to Pine Mountain, Bree hadn’t mentioned a single friend, and Gavin had been so busy at the restaurant, the only people he knew well and trusted were those he worked with. Without the babysitting service, he wouldn’t even know Mrs. Teasdale.
