10
"Chapter eight had several mistakes in it. You'll need to go back through and re-record parts of it."
Noah bit back his frustration at Aiden's words.
They'd wrapped their recording and turned in the audio files three days before the deadline. Apparently the publisher had an additional proof-listener who’d found the problems.
Noah would fix them. It wasn't Aiden's fault that there were mistakes. It just was.
"Fine. Any sign of the new contract?"
"No."
He paced across the living room, frustrated. Ms. McDane's agent hadn't come through with the contract yet, even though they'd delivered on the completed audiobook.
This time of year, the publishing industry slowed down as the holidays ramped up.
It was fine. It didn't mean anything.
He just wanted the thing signed and delivered.
There was a scratch on his front door.
"I've got to go." He ended the call.
"Lindsey?" he asked as he opened the door.
He expected a meow but heard a sniffle instead.
He squatted to her level. "What's the matter?"
Instead of the expected meow, he heard a whispered, "I miss Jilly."
So did he. It'd been almost a week since the kiss that had changed everything. He'd been unable to get her out of his head. The feel of her in his arms, the way the sparks between them had lit him up. And the way she'd been near tears.I can't do this.
He was so used to the confident, competitive Jilly that her vulnerability had thrown him.
That was all it was. But he hadn't gained back his equilibrium yet.
The cold weather had cleared, but she'd kept her distance from the house as Casey and PJ painted.
He wasn't supposed to want to talk to her—just talk—so badly.
"Is she back at the house?" he asked gently. "Why don't you go back and see her?"
Lindsey took a shuddering breath. "She's not there. She got in a car accident, and now she's at the hospital." He didn't have time to be amazed that Lindsey had spoken in complete sentences because a soft sob escaped the girl.
The hospital? Jilly was injured?
His mind spun with awful possibilities. He had to force himself to focus.
He touched Lindsey's shoulder, and the girl threw her arms around his waist.
"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered roughly.
She shook her head against his belly. No. Of course she wouldn't believe him. He remembered PJ's tantrum over the book. Lindsey's past experiences had taught her that things weren't always okay.
But she'd come to him anyway.
