Page 34 of Grace on the Rocks

“No seriously.I’dpay you.”

Lùcas turned beet red then, and it was kind of her to say that when she’d never seen his illustrations.

“I mean, not the obscene ones.”

“MaybeIcould start with some that were pulled from your library.Usethe money to donate new copies.”

Her face softened. “ImeantI’dpay you to do it formybook.Whatan amazing way to engage with the text and get people talking about it!I’llbe your first client, if you want.”

“Is that what’s causing your writer’s block?Notenough kids read your first one?Didn’tit win an award or… whatever?”Bryanasked, and her gaze flickered to him, all sorts of electric, before she pulled a curtain across her expression to shut him out.

“I don’t have writer’s block.Andno.Morelike too many people read it.Andthen it won an award or whatever.”

“So, what’s the issue?”

“I told you, no issue.”

“You came all the way here to write.”

Grace deflated. “Yeah,Idid do that…Idon’t know.MaybeI’mtoo old to writeYA, like you said.”

Not exactly what he said, but she was clearly never going to let him live it down.

“Maybe that’s whyI’mhaving creative differences with my editor.”

“They want you to add in zombies, or something?”Lùcasasked.

“I wish.Icould pull in some incredibleDiade losMuertossubplots if that were the case.No, it’s worse, actually.Shewants me to add a big dumb romance.”

“What pish,”Bryangrumbled without meaning to, and her eyes snapped to his.

“You don’t believe in romance?”

“I don’t believe in forcing it where it doesn’t fit,” he replied, and then bit his lip to keep from smirking at the unintentional innuendo.

“My editor thinksIneed to make it fit,”Gracesaid, without a trace of humor.

“Will they fire you if you don’t?”Lùcasasked.

She stared at nothing for a good long while. “They’rethreatening to?—”

She was interrupted by a strangled sort of yelp as something collided with their ladder for a second time that morning.”

ChapterNine

Rushing to the edge of the roof, probably faster than she ought to,Gracepeered over the side, definitely faster than she ought to.Itwasn’t exactly theSunsphere, but it was still a roof, and it made her head swim worse than watchingDiegofrom the highest box at theWorldCup.

Mr.BeeTattoograbbed her arm just below the shoulder to keep her from falling, not that she was in real danger of it.Heseemed almost surprised to discover she, too, had muscles there.Histhumb ran down her bicep in an involuntary, almost exploratory sort of way, and she didn’t know whether to be turned on or take offense, so she did the next best thing—rolled her eyes at him—before leaning over the edge again while he kept holding on.Shecould get used to being held like that and—Ohmy god, now wasnotthe time.

PoorWeslay in a heap, all tangled up with the ladder, andGrace’sheart damn near pounded out of her chest as she yanked her arm free.Hadshe dragged one of her best friends halfway around the world only to kill her off in a freak accident?Wasthere a hospital on this island?Andwould they honor her health insurance?

“Wes,” she called, swallowing her panic and searching frantic­ally for the best way down.

The reply was a muffled, “Fuck’ssake.”

“She’s fine,”Gracebreathed.Mr.Beegave her shoulder a tiny squeeze and rubbed his neck sheepishly.

The boy,Lùcas, had already dropped to the ground and was pulling the ladder offWesley.Hetipped it back up against the roof next toGrace, and her host made anafter-yougesture, squatting to hold it steady whileGracescrambled down to her friend.

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