Page 17 of Clear Blue Sky

Only, now she was taking over much of the daily operations and her workload was greater; therefore, she still had to bring work home.

She logged into the secure server, something they’d made even more difficult for outsiders to hack into thanks to last year’s scandal. She pulled up Marcus’ novel. Something about this story gave her goosebumps. In a good way. She wanted to flip through the pages like it was candy. The characters jumped off the page. She could relate to them on so many levels.

But there was an underlying tone to it that made her shiver. The tone was too dark, but that could be adjusted.

The story was broken down into three parts, all written in an omniscient point of view. For the most part, the author handled this voice well, although Marcus tended to pull the camera lens too close to third person, making it too personal for the reader during the darker elements of the story.

The first part dealt with the soldier who died and his relationship with his wife and the soldier she had an affair with. She’d only read the opening, but it showed a vibrant woman who loved her husband passionately. This couple had an amazing relationship, but there was a third person who constantly circled their marriage.

A man from her past who continually showed up when they least expected it.

This premise was a little cliché, but she was invested enough in the writing to see where it went.

That didn’t mean she’d buy the manuscript.

The second portion covered the details of the mission. How it failed and why the husband died. She had to admit, the failed op reminded her a little about Nelson’s story, but many soldiers died during war. And this had to do with how the brother of the wife blamed the man she had a brief affair with.

The man from her past.

That could really be an interesting twist.

The final section centered around the wife, her grief, and her plan for revenge for what she believed was the ultimate betrayal.

It was a little too brutal.

Brandi had no idea if Marcus had been able to pull all the elements together and she worried the ending would be too depressing. Marcus had mentioned that the friend—Willie—was murdered. Brandi wasn’t sure about that ending and she let Marcus know that. He had responded that he’d be open to alternate endings but wanted her to read the entire story before she made any rash decisions.

If the story hadn’t been so intriguing, she would have written the rejection letter right there. Authors who thought their brilliance happened when they wrapped it all up made her want to pull her eyelashes out one by one.

But her father, and her brother, had taught her that writers could be an interesting group and first-time authors especially proved to be difficult when it came to taking editorial direction.

They needed to be delicately led into doing the right thing.

First, she needed to decide if this book was right for Grant Publishing. Then if Marcus was worth the effort.

Finding where she left off, she began reading. She pulled out her notebook and pen and began writing down her questions and comments.

This would be one hell of a revise and resubmit letter. And right there, she’d made the decision. Marcus would have to prove he could do the work. If not, no deal. And she wanted to see him work a series. She didn’t want a one-hit wonder. She’d done enough of those in her career.

The sound of the sliding glass door opening startled her. She jerked, glancing over her shoulder. “Shit, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” Nelson handed her a bag from the local pastry store.

“What’s this?” She peeked inside the bag. “Oh my God. You remembered chocolate croissants are my favorite.”

He tapped his temple. “I remember a lot of things.” He strolled across the patio. The scents of pine and soap filled her nostrils. His hair was damp from his shower. He wore a crisp white T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and no shoes.

The man had the sexiest toes she’d ever seen.

“I didn’t even hear you come home, much less jump in the shower.” She closed her pad and put her computer aside. Pulling out the warm breakfast treat, she broke off a piece and plopped it into her mouth. The milk chocolate melted on her tongue.

It was a little piece of heaven.

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” He leaned against the railing across from her, sipping from a travel mug. “You looked hyperfocused, and I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Aw, that’s supersweet.”

“I have my moments.” He winked. “What are you working on?”

---