October 28, Monday

The shrill ring of my phone pierced the early morning quiet. I groaned, fumbling for it on the nightstand. Bruce's name flashed on the screen, and I felt a jolt of anxiety. Had he hated the pages I'd sent?

"Hello?" I answered, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

"Josephine, darling!" Bruce's exuberant tone filled the line. "You brilliant, brilliant woman. I could kiss you right now!"

I blinked, taken aback. "I take it you liked the pages?"

"Liked them? Josie, I loved them. Devoured them. I haven't been this excited about a manuscript since... well, since your first book, if I'm being honest."

A warm glow of pride spread through my chest. "Really? You're not just saying that?"

"Darling, when have I ever sugar-coated things for you? These pages are fire. The tension, the chemistry between Lady Amelia and Lord Stonecraft... it practically sizzles off the page. And the way you've woven in the mystery elements? Sublime."

I couldn't help but smile, thinking of how Sawyer had inadvertently inspired some of those steamy scenes. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Enjoyed it? I'm over the moon. Whatever you're doing down there in that little Alabama town, keep doing it. It's clearly working wonders for your writing."

If only he knew. I thought of Sawyer's strong hands, the intensity in his eyes, the secrets he seemed to be keeping. "I'll do my best," I managed.

"You know," Bruce continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone, "I have to admit, I was worried when you first told me about this little sabbatical of yours. With everything that happened with Curtis, and then you running off to the middle of nowhere... I thought you might be having some kind of breakdown."

I snorted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Can you blame me? But now... Josie, this could be your best work yet. Something about that town clearly agrees with you."

I thought of the strange rituals in the graveyard, the mysterious empty graves, the curses and crystals. "You could say that," I murmured.

"Well, whatever it is, don't let it go. Inspiration like this doesn't come along every day."

We chatted for a few more minutes about deadlines and marketing plans before saying our goodbyes. As I ended the call, I couldn't help but smile. Not "something," I thought. Someone.

Sawyer's face floated in my mind - his kind eyes, his enigmatic smile, the way he made me feel both safe and exhilarated at the same time. He was certainly inspiring, in more ways than one.

But as quickly as the warm feeling came, it was replaced by a nagging sense of unease. Sawyer was still keeping secrets.