Page 84 of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

The sound of panting got his attention and Anthony saw Leia in the doorway, a rubber pacifier in her mouth.

Anthony tossed his phone onto the bed and climbed to his feet. “You wanna play, huh?” He ignored the pain in his head as he took the toy and tossed it down the hall. She tore after it, her short legs pumping rapidly. She grabbed the toy, squeaking it between her teeth as she disappeared into the living room to find Delilah. When Anthony padded back out to the living room, Delilah was sitting in the same spot but her ear bud was gone and Leia was settled across her lap.

“Good morning.”

Delilah turned away from the window and smiled. “Well, hello, sunshine. How are we feeling this morning?”

“Shhh, not so loud,” he said, lifting her feet to sit on the couch next to her and placing them on his lap. “Please tell me that I did not puke last night?”

“Oh, you did. Several times.”

“On you?”

“Just the once and most of it ended up on your shirt. After that, you were pretty good about making it to the toilet.”

“I am so sorry,” he said, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Not exactly a perfect rom-com moment.”

“I don’t know. It was pretty good up until that point. I think I just have that effect on drunk men. Best to avoid them and places they frequent.”

“I normally stick to beer, but Pike kept bringing me drinks and I didn’t want to tell him no more.”

“Ah, well, I guess he got his revenge, huh?”

“And then some.” Anthony leaned his head back against the couch, staring at her. “You look upset.”

“I had a call with an editor this morning. She read my manuscript and wasn’t a fan of the story but allegedly liked my writing.”

“It didn’t go well?”

“I guess I got mixed signals. She told my agent she loved my voice but then proceeded to tell me everything wrong with it. She gave me a couple of authors and books to read to improve my writing and I don’t know … ” Delilah looked away. “Maybe this isn’t going to happen for me.”

“Hey,” he said, lifting her feet so he could scoot closer, and Leia jumped down out of the way as he wrapped her in his arms. “It was one person.”

“But she was the only one who spoke to me. The others rejected me outright,” Delilah told him, sounding like she was about to cry.

“So?” he said, rubbing a hand along her back. “That’s a handful of people. It’s not the entire publishing industry.”

“Holly told me I should just self-pub it.”

“Why don’t you?” he asked.

“I’ve looked into it, but it’s expensive. Thousands of dollars in editing, plus paying an artist for cover art. There’s formatting, unless I buy the software myself. And there’s no guarantee I’ll make my money back.”

“What if you do, though?”

She looked up at him, blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You don’t think that a bunch of editors from major publishers have their thumb on what’s good?”

“I think what’s mainstream isn’t always what stands out. Look at how many indie films hit it big because they found their audience.” He ran a thumb over her cheek, wiping away her tears. “If this is your dream, Delilah, go for it. It’s better than never trying.”

“I just don’t know how much longer I can survive on my income here. That job in Colorado is a lot of money.”

Anthony nodded. “I get that. My road crew job was good money, too. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my goals without it. So, if you have to take it, I get it. I just don’t want you to settle and accept this job because you think there isn’t anything better out there for you. You’re better than that.” He kissed the top of her head. “You’re extraordinary, Delilah Gill.”

“You’re just saying that so I’ll go out with you,” she teased.

“On that note, you left me hanging last night,” he said, cupping her chin and tilting her face up. “Are you going to put me out of my misery and say yes?”

“Depends on where you’re taking me.”