Love Letter

Lynne:

I was more than ecstatic that I had the newest Cannon River novel in my hands. It was hard hiding my excitement from Mandy. I wanted to blurt it out so many times, letting her know what I was working on. I know she would be jealous, and she would also try to figure out how I was the one they picked to do this. Maybe they really had gone through more than half of the editors for his novels. It was probably a challenge to keep someone like Cannon River happy. When I received his email at work, I almost wanted to jump out of my seat and shout that I had received an email from Cannon River. I would have shouted it proud, but I stayed quiet. When I sent my email back, I was trying to be not seen as a groupie of his books like Jimmy had suggested. I had let Marge, the editor above me, know that Jimmy had assigned me a project and that I would need to head home early for it. Jimmy must have let her know since she barely blinked an eye at this.

The twins would be out until about eleven with filming their segment, so the apartment would be all mine.

It was days like today I wished I had been able to bring my bedroom back home with me to New York. I had to settle for my bed to read the first chapter.

Love Letter:

Foreword:

I want to apologize to my readers; my last few novels have been more dark and depressing than anticipated. I want to make it up to them with a Love Letter to a very special woman. Everything I have written is the truth – one hundred percent.

Chapter One: The Meeting

No... It is not possible. Ian is Cannon River... Cannon River is Ian... The writing from that night is so similar that I feel stupid I had not picked up on it until now. Did he not think the first chapter with the spilled coffee would not give away who he was? Did he think I would keep reading it?

"Patricia," I speak into the phone.

"Yes," Patricia says in her calm voice.

"I need Jimmy's phone number," I say to her.

"He is out of the office until tomorrow already."

"Patricia, this is Lynne Bettendorf. I need Jimmy's phone number now!" I bark out at her. A minute later, I am off the phone with her, and the phone is dialing Jimmy's number.

"Lynne, Patricia said you would be calling. What can I do for you?" his bright voice says into the phone.

"You know," I demand into the phone; all niceness is now gone.

"Yes," he says wearily like this phone conversation is draining.

"I can't do this," I say back to him.

"I'm afraid I need you to," he says back, and I know if I do not do this, I will be without a job. Ian had got me this job just so I would have to read his newest novel. And I would lose my trust fund from my father.

"Fine," I puff out, ending the call and starting an email.

Ian (Cannon River),

I made it through the first two paragraphs - Very clever.

Miss Bettendorf

I hit send before I could even think of what I was doing. By now, emailing him by his first name, the jig is up. I want to punch someone, but instead, I sit down and cry. I had been so stupid.