CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO #2
“Me too. You’d like her. I always thought that. Maybe you and Breck and Willow can come visit sometime this year,” I say. I’d love to have them come and meet my grandparents… and Avi. “Speaking of, how is everything going with their visas?”
“Good. It looks like they’ll actually make it here by the Fourth of July for the fireworks. Now I just need to find somewhere for us to live, which has been tough. As much as I love the little one-bedroom apartment you found me, it’s not going to work for the three of us.”
I laugh. “No, that place is definitely not a family home.” Although… “I have an idea.”
“Yeah? I’m all ears, because I am tearing my hair out being dragged around to listing after listing.”
I sit up, excited that this is a problem I can actually solve. “Why don’t you guys move into my condo?”
“Jamie…” Rory drawls.
“No, hear me out. It has three bedrooms. It’s on the mountain, which I know you prefer.
This will give you basically a year to find someplace else before I come back.
” Assuming everything here is settled by then.
That thought sticks in my head. Going home would mean Grandad…
No, I can’t go there. I plow on ahead with my idea.
“This way I don’t have to think about putting it up as a vacation rental and it won’t sit empty for a year either. ”
“I don’t know, Jamie. We can’t afford what you could make on it as a vacation rental.”
“Oh come on, you don’t think I’d give you a best friend discount? You cover my mortgage and we’ll call it square, yeah?” It’s not like I’m paying rent here, and my second book’s advance allowed for a sizable down payment, meaning my mortgage isn’t heinous.
“Are you sure?” she asks, and I can picture her worrying her thumbnail between her teeth.
“God, woman, just say thank you and ship me a pack of Tim Tams when Breck gets there. I know he’ll bring a ton of them with him from Australia.” I laugh and it feels good. I’ve missed this, our easy friendship.
“Fine,” she says with sass, and I’d bet my next royalty check she rolled her eyes when she said it. “Thank you, Jamie. Can you get a lease written up? I’d like for it to be legit.”
“Aye, if you insist.” It’s my turn to roll my eyes, but she’s probably right. We should at least have a lease.
“Look at you, saving the day once again. What would I do without you?”
“Be homeless,” I deadpan.
“Har har. Seriously though, thank you. If there’s anything you need, you call me, okay? And I want to talk to you more, I miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
“How did Brent take the news that you’re taking a break? When you emailed me, I was shocked so I’m guessing he wasn’t pleased.”
“Yeah… He did not take it well, but we’ve agreed on a six-month sabbatical, and I’ll reevaluate at the holidays to see if I’m ready to go back into negotiations with the publisher for a new deal. But I…”
I close my eyes. Am I ready to voice this yet?
“You what?” Rory prods.
“I think I have an idea for a new project,” I say quietly, like I’m afraid Brent might hear me and jump into my inbox demanding details.
“Ohhh… do tell!” Rory’s enthusiasm is almost more demanding than Brent’s, but at least I know hers comes from a selfless place.
“It’s different, and I don’t know if I can pull it off, but I found this box of my grandparents’ old love letters. They’re letting me read them and… I think I want to write their love story, or a version of it.”
“Hold up. You’re going to write a romance? Jameson L. Murray, best-selling adventure fiction author—”
“Oh stop it.” I groan and let my head thump back against the headboard, but she just keeps talking.
“—is going to write a romance? Hell yes, I am so here for this!”
I bark out a laugh and it loosens everything that’s felt strung too tight. “You are ridiculous.”
“I know, it’s part of my charm.” I hear her clap her hands through the phone.
“Well, this sounds like the best idea I’ve heard all day—and you just solved my personal housing crisis.
I want to read it, and don’t you dare tell me you’re keeping this one to yourself like you did with your short story. ”
“You mean the short story I wrote about me and Avi…” I guess I’m spilling all my secrets tonight.
“Pardon me? Did you. Just say. That story was about you and Avi?” Rory yells into the phone, and I have to yank it away. Again.
“Christ, Rory, you just ruptured my eardrum,” I say, rubbing the offended ear.
“And you keep dropping all these bombs on me. What do you expect me to do?!”
“I don’t know… Not scream at me?” When she stays silent, clearly expecting me to keep going, I reluctantly do. “Yes, I wrote that story, and maybe someday I’ll let you read it, okay… But right now, it’s very late here and I should probably get to bed.”
“Fine, I’ll let you off the hook… for now. But I need more details, sir.” She huffs, then her voice softens. “Goodnight, Jamie. I love you.”
“I love you too. Talk soon.”
“Yeah. Bye.”
We hang up and I feel lighter than I have in weeks. Both because I got to talk to my best friend and because I finally got some secrets off my chest.