Chapter 5
Katie blinked. “Pardon? You what?”
“I need you to pose as JD Emerson. She’s going on a book tour and I need you to pretend to be her,” Jackson repeated his request and waited to see how she would react.
“I don’t understand,” Katie said with a confused smile. “Why would I pose as JD Emerson? Why doesn’t JD Emerson be JD Emerson?”
“She’s a pen name. She doesn’t exist,” he frowned. This was harder to explain than he liked. “I write the books and now I’ve been committed by my editor to go on this tour which I obviously can’t go on because everyone thinks that JD is a woman.”
“You write the books?” Katie eyed him, wondering if he was joking. “You’re saying that you are JD Emerson.”
“Yes. I can prove it if you like. I’m working on the next manuscript. It’s not finished,” Jackson shrugged. “You can read it.”
“You want me to pretend to be JD?” her brow furrowed. “Why?”
“It’s obvious you need another stream of income. I can give you part of the royalties if you become the face of JD,” Jackson put a hand up to forestall any objections. “I needed the income too, which is why I started all this. The books have been the reason I’ve kept the farm afloat and been able to pay for Trent and Stacey’s schooling.”
“Can you afford to pay me to do this?” Katie wasn’t sure that she believed him. A rough and ready farmer, upstanding man in the community moonlighting as a romance author.
“Andrea, that’s the editor, she says sales will probably triple or more if the book tour happens especially with the appearance on the daytime talk show Ruby,” he explained. “If I give you twenty percent of my royalties, it will help both of us.”
“Twenty percent?” Katie echoed. She wondered what that was in real cash.
“Okay, twenty-five,” Jackson corrected. “That’s as far as I can go. I’ve got bills too.”
“You’re serious about this?” she tilted her head. “JD Emerson?”
“J for Jackson, D for Davis, and Emerson is my middle name,” Jackson shrugged. “It seemed fitting.”
“I think I need to sit down,” Katie grabbed a chair, plopping down into it. “It’s like you’ve had a secret identity all along. Do I really know you?”
Jackson smiled and pulled out a chair for himself to sit in. “I’m still me. I just write some books. However, no one else can know about it. I don’t want anyone to find out.”
“Really? Why?” Katie shook her head in wonder. “Why wouldn’t you want everyone to know?”
“For starters, everyone has assumed I’m a woman for the past seven years,” Jackson said wryly. “Then there is my reputation in the community. While the ladies might get a kick out of it, the guys will rib me till I’m right sore from their teasing. I don’t intend to be the butt of anyone’s jokes.”
“Then why do you do it?” Katie asked.
“At first it was a joke. Then it was to prove that I could. Next, the money started coming in and it was handy,” Jackson sighed. It had been timely too, seeing those royalty cheques. They’d needed the money and it became necessary to have that second income. “Now I kind of enjoy it.”
“Wow,” Katie remarked. “This is just so weird. Wait, did you say Ruby? The daytime talk show?”
“The very one,” he confirmed.
“I can’t do it,” Katie swallowed hard. “If you want me to sit and sign books fine. I can even read a chapter. I can’t go before an audience and speak rationally. You saw the ninth grade play! You know I’m terrible. I freeze in front of an audience. There is no way I can go on television!”
“Katie, I need you to go on the show. It’s pivotal to gaining readership nationwide. The more readers we have, the more sales we make. Andrea was adamant about it,” Jackson reached out and took her hand. “I can come with you. I’ll stand backstage. All you need to do is answer some questions from Ruby. You don’t even have to look at the audience. It’s just for three weeks.”
A shiver of excitement shot up her arm from where his warm hand held hers. Either that or it was from being petrified of being on television. “Jackson, I don’t know about this.”
“You can do it,” he said. “Plus, it looks like you could really use the income.”
Katie winced. He was right. She desperately needed money. “Okay.”
“Really?” Jackson smiled in relief and it did funny things to Katie’s stomach. “Thank you.”
Katie gave a half-hearted smile through the fear in her stomach. She wasn’t sure she could do what he was asking her to. Then again, she’d get to spend more time with Jackson Davis, the oblivious object of her affections. She wasn’t sure which was more nerve wracking.
