Page 37 of Not Part of the Plan
Phoebe pursed her lips. “My soon-to-be stepdaughter is a wonderful, headstrong woman, even if she’s headed in the wrong direction. But my money is on you, Niko. Be smart, and you’ll find a way to climb out of that friend box. Now, regarding your work issues, you should talk to Jax. He’s dealt with writer’s block. Maybe this is the same thing.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Yep. Sounds exactly like writer’s block,” Jax agreed as he tossed the bale of hay onto the stack he was making in the barn.
Niko hefted the bale he carried up onto the stack next to Jax’s. A dappled gray horse swung its giant head out of its stall and nickered until Jax pulled out a baggie of baby carrots.
“So how do you beat it?” Niko asked, pulling off his gloves and tucking them into the back pocket of his jeans.
Jax fed the horse a carrot and then popped one into his own mouth. “It’s a bitch,” he chewed. “You gotta get extra creative to break through shit like that.”
“For example?”
Jax glanced over his shoulder, making sure it was still just them and the horses. “Okay, so the last screenplay I was working on, I got stuck right in the middle of it. None of my usual fixes—taking a day off, writing drunk, binge reading, chasing my wife around the bedroom—nothingworked.”
He held out the bag of carrots to Niko, and he helped himself to one.
“So what did you do?”
Jax took another glance around the stables before continuing. “The days were ticking down to my deadline, and I was still stalled. Totally stuck. I was desperate. So in a last ditch effort, I put down the screenplay and started writing something completely different.”
“How different?”
Jax cleared his throat and swiped his hand over his mouth and murmured something.
“It sounds like you said—”
“Romance novel. I started writing a romance novel.”
“Okaaaaay.” Niko wasn’t sure where to go with that. “Did it help?”
Jax snagged another carrot, broke it in half, and held it out to the horse. “Worked like a charm. The book and then the screenplay just started pouring out of me. Now anytime I get stuck, I open up that document titled ‘Crop Rotation Schedule,’ and in a day or two, I can get back to my project with a fresh brain.”
“So the novelty—forgive the pun—of something completely different helps to grease the wheels?” Niko rubbed a hand over his jaw and briefly wondered when he’d last shaved. Life on the farm was messing with his grooming habits.
“That’s my theory,” Jax said with a shrug. “Now, if you ever mention this to anyone, I’ll tell everyone you’re a dirty liar.”
“Fair enough. So I should try something new,” Niko decided.
“Go in a different direction, and see what happens,” Jax advised.
“I’ll start penning my Fabio-cover story tonight,” Niko promised. Jax gave him a helpful shove and then tossed him a carrot. Niko chomped on it thoughtfully.Fighting through it hadn’t helped. Maybe finding something that flowed would. If the hippie woo-woo mojo of Blue Moon was pushing him in a new direction,who was he to ignore it?
“Oh, look, Reva. We must have interrupted snack time.” Joey’s voice carried a teasing sarcasm. Jax jumped a mile and shot Niko a “keep your trap shut” look. Joey and Reva sauntered down the corridor with a wire-haired dog of dubious breeding trotting after them. Waffles gazed lovingly at his females. Reva’s earnest eyes didn’t show the flickers of amusement that Joey’s did.
“Hey, gorgeous wife of mine,” Jax said, offering her the bag of carrots with a mock bow. “I grew these especially for you.”
Obviously amused, Joey reached for a carrot only to find herself being reeled into Jax’s arms.
“Reva, why don’t you go check the outdoor ring before everyone gets here for lessons,” Joey suggested. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
The girl nodded and hustled for the door, and Niko sank down to scruff up the dog’s fur. “Hey there, Waffles.” The dog dissolved in joy.
“She has yet to crack a smile,” Joey said when the door closed behind Reva.
“How’s she doing otherwise?” Jax asked.
“Smart. Eager. She’d put a new roof on the barn if I told her I wanted it done,” Joey predicted. “But there’s just something about her…”
