Page 133 of Booked on You
Smiles fill both of our faces.
When we finally pull into his driveway, I scan the street for photographers or reporters, but there’s no one. It’s just his quiet street with the live oaks hanging overhead and Spanish moss swaying in the breeze. The house looks peaceful and exactly like it did when I first arrived.
“Guess they got bored,” Ezra says.
“Or Millie scared them off.”
He grabs our bags and we head to the front door. Ezra unlocks it, and we step inside. I follow him to the kitchen, where we find Millie petting Willow on the counter beside her.
“You’re back early.” Millie’s eyes widen when she sees us. “I wasn’t expecting you for a few more days.”
“Change of plans,” I say.
“We decided to come home,” Ezra adds.
“But the photographers?—”
“Let them come.” I shrug. “We’re done hiding.”
Ezra threads his fingers through mine and shoots me a wink.
Millie looks between us, and her face breaks into a huge smile. “Well, look at you, finding your spine.”
She pulls me into a hug that smells like vanilla and cinnamon. “I just forgot how to use it for a while.”
“I’m so proud of you, honey.” She squeezes tight. “Both of you.”
My phone rings and I pull it out to see Natalie’s name on the screen. My heart jumps into my throat.
“It’s my editor,” I say.
“Answer it.” Ezra nods toward the living room. “We’ll be right here.”
I walk into the living room on shaky legs and take a breath before answering. “Natalie, hi.”
“Scarlett Collins, you beautiful genius.” Natalie’s voice comes through, loud and excited. “I just finished your manuscript.”
My stomach flips, and I sink onto the couch. “Already?”
“As soon as you emailed it over, I read it. I’ve had an hour of sleep. It’s incredible. Your best work yet.” She’s talking fast now. “The emotion, the depth, the way you captured what it means to choose love even when it’s terrifying. Scarlett, this is the book romance readers have been waiting for.”
Relief floods through me so fast, I don’t realize tears are streaming down my face. I press my hand to my chest, where my heart races. The last manuscript I turned in, she immediately rejected, so this feels like a win. “Really?”
“Really.I want to fast-track this and move up your publication date to get it out while there’s buzz around you and Ezra.” She’s in full editor mode now. “The timing is perfect. Everyone wants to know your love story, and you just wrote the most beautiful version of it. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this masterpiece.”
“Wait, move up the pub date? By how much?”
“Three months. We can have this out in six months if you’re okay with a tight turnaround on edits.”
My head spins. “That’sfast.”
“I know, but trust me on this. The market is hot foryouright now. Your Instagram post, the photos, the public interest.Capitalizing on this will put this story in more readers’ hands.” She pauses. “I know how that sounds, but I promise you, this isn’t just about sales. This book is special, Scarlett. It deserves to be out in the world right now. The journey is healing. We love a heroine who chooses herself.”
Part of me wants to argue about using my relationship for book sales, but Natalie’s right. People are interested. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
“Excellent. I’ll send you my editing notes by the end of the week. Plan on about three weeks of revisions.”
“Whatever you need.”
