Page 28 of Clear Blue Sky

Her dad waggled his finger. “That brings me back to why I wanted to talk to you.” Leaning over his desk, he turned his computer and tapped at the keyboard. “Please understand I wasn’t going behind your back. This isn’t because I don’t trust you to do what’s best for this company, because I do. It’s only because of the position that your mother and I put you in.”

“Get to the point, Dad.”

“I wanted to know why this man felt the need to tag me in a correspondence when he hadn’t been signed. You know how I feel about shit like that.”

Oh boy, did she. Her dad hated it when people played games. If you had a problem with the way someone handled something, you took it up with them. If you couldn’t settle it, then you went to their superior, but you did it in a professional manner.

“I thought his email to you was strange and I couldn’t figure out why he’d copy me. If he had romantic intentions, that’s not the way to get your attention. If he thought it would push your hand, well, that just shows how little he understands the business. So I went back and read the correspondence.”

“You could have just asked me.” She tilted her head.

“I stopped in your office three times on Monday and twice this morning. You’ve been busy.” He arched a brow. “Anyway, he doesn’t have an agent and you met him at the conference where you ended up not listening to any pitches.”

“His was the only manuscript worth taking a full look at.”

“I didn’t read it more than the first scene and the synopsis.” Her dad sat back down, rolling his chair closer. “It’s good. But there’s a problem.”

“What’s that?”

He tapped on the keyboard. “His sister’s husband was a Navy SEAL. His name was Seth Baxter. The details of what happened are still classified.”

“He was up front with me about that detail, but assured me that was the only factual part in the novel, but I plan on informing him—through email—that we will need verification from the military that we can publish his book. But only if he can handle the rewrite I’m going to be asking for.”

“Good, because the ending he has planned is depressing as shit.”

“Agreed.”

“I was thinking we could ask the owners of Blue Moon to consult on the mission aspects of this novel,” she said. “They went to West Point. All ended up Delta Force. They could be a good source of information for our thriller line.”

“Perhaps, but I don’t know about this book.” He tapped his finger on screen. “I’m not sure we can trust them.”

Standing, she leaned closer. “What am I looking at?”

“A picture I found on Roxy Baxter’s social media.”

“Who is that?”

“The widow and Marcus’ sister,” her father said. “At one point, she was involved with Nelson.”

Blinking, she lifted the computer. Using the trackpad, she made the image bigger. It was a picture of a group of people. Nelson’s hair had been buzzed, and he was in his fatigues. He looked young. He had one arm around the girl in question and his free hand held a beer.

One of his brothers was in the background.

Marcus was there.

As were the men he’d introduced her to at Blue Moon, along with other men and women.

Setting the computer down, she eased into the chair.

“Did you know that Marcus and Nelson knew each other?”

“No.” She swallowed. “There really isn’t any reason for Nelson to tell me. I’ve never seen him and Marcus together, although my meeting with Marcus was at Blue Moon.”

“Don’t you find that strange?”

“It’s peculiar,” she admitted. “But the only reason I told you and Mom about Nelson was because of this party. We’re not out in the open. It’s barely even a thing.”

“I get you’re being discreet. What I don’t understand is why Nelson wouldn’t tell you that he knows someone you could be working with.”

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