Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
He’d held on so tightly.
I tried to tell him that none of this was his fault, but he was deeply disturbed his work had been used in such a horrific way. And I couldn’t blame him. I’d feel the same if someone took my books and turned them into real-life crimes.
“Sarah? Sarah?”
I blinked, my name on repeat breaking through my thoughts, and I turned to find Sloane Harrow leaning across the distance between our tables, her brows pinched with concern. She was accompanied by Monroe Adair, a primary school teacher and wife to retired Hollywood actor Brodan Adair. Brodan and Monroe were a good seven years older than me, so I hadn’t been in their friend group, but I’d known that the famous couple were best friends growing up. They’d taken separate paths after high school but found their way back to each other almost twenty years later. Their story was utterly romantic. Monroe had fallen pregnant quickly upon their reunion, and they’d married in a private ceremony. Their baby boy Lennox followed a few months later.
Sloane, an American transplant and single mum to Callie, was friends with Aria, so Aria had gotten Sloane a job as a housekeeper at the estate. We hadn’t worked shifts together, but the pretty American had been sweet and polite to me and brought all of us the most amazing baked goods. She’d had some trouble with her daughter’s father, and Walker, a new security guard at the estate who also happened to be Brodan’s ex-bodyguard, stepped in to help her. They’d fallen in love, gotten engaged, and according to Jared, they’d married while I was in Gairloch.
Sloane quit housekeeping at the beginning of summer to open a bakery that was now extremely popular in the village. It was only open three days a week, much to everyone’s chagrin, but I admired Sloane’s determination to run her business the way she wanted to. I shouldn’t think of her as Sloane Harrow anymore. She was now Sloane Ironside.
“Hi.” I shook my head, blushing at the fact she’d obviously called my name several times before I heard her.
“Are you okay?” she asked, studying me carefully.
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
She grinned and held up her hand where a beautiful engagement ring was nestled beside her wedding band. “Yeah, still can’t believe it sometimes.”
“Well, congratulations. To you and Callie.”
Surprise softened her features, no doubt because I’d never been a great conversationalist when we worked together. But these last few weeks with Theo had helped me gain a lot of confidence. If I could converse easily with someone as intimidating as him, I could pretty much talk to anyone.
I smiled at Monroe. “I don’t think I got the chance to congratulate you on your marriage or your son, so congrats.”
Monroe stared at me like she’d never seen me before, but then quickly recovered. “Thank you, Sarah. How are you doing?”
“Yeah, Aria said you quit the estate,” Sloane remarked. “Everything okay there?”
It’s time, I thought. Soon enough people would know. And … I was proud of my achievements. Feeling my cheeks grow hot as my heart raced, I pushed through my nervousness and confessed, “I … I started self-publishing a crime series, and … well … it kind of took off, so I’m writing full-time now.”
Both of their eyes widened and then comically, as one, they got up from their table and sat down at mine. It made me chuckle through my nervousness as they leaned closer.
“That is amazing.” Monroe beamed in genuine happiness for me.
“So amazing. Tell us more. Do you write under your own name?” Sloane asked excitedly.
Unused to such focused attention, my hands curled around my mug a wee bit too tightly, but I shook my head. “I write under the pen name S. M. Brodie.”
“No way!” Monroe slapped a hand on the table, eyes round as saucers. “You write the Juno McLeod series?”
Pride and joy filled me that she’d heard of it. “I do.”
Monroe turned to Sloane. “It’s one of my favorite crime series. It’s set in Dundee. Mostly.”
“Is that the series you wanted us to read for book club?”
“Aye, that one.” Monroe turned back to me. “Sarah … congratulations. I mean, I’ve seen the accolades on the blurb. A multimillion-copy bestseller. I’ve seen the book in stores … It’s just amazing. I’m so thrilled for you.”
“Oh my goodness, I have to google you.” Sloane pulled out her phone and did just that while I laughed, blushing wildly. “Oh, wow. Sarah, this is awesome.” She looked up from her phone. “Would you come to our book club? It’s us and all the Adair women. We meet at Arro’s once a month. Would you come to our January meeting?”
“No pressure,” Monroe added, shooting Sloane an amused but quelling look.
“Oh, yeah, no pressure,” Sloane added.