LEAD ME ON by Julie Ortolon (find a book to read TXT) 📕

away from the problem of Chloe to wondering what sort of story he could write about scuba divers. Rather than stopping at the familiar blank screen, his mind continue to drift, anything to keep from thinking about the problem at hand. Vague images began to gather: a hunt for sunken treasure, underwater action scenes ...

He straightened off the tree trunk when he realized a story was forming in his brain. “Shit!”

“What? What’s wrong?” Allison hurried toward him.

“I just realized you’re right. My writer’s block isn’t from too much stress in my life. It’s from not having enough.”

“You have an idea for a story?”

“No. But it’s there. Right there.” He tapped the back of his head. “I don’t know what it is yet, but I can feel it.”

“Well, at least something good came out of this, then.”

He raised a brow at her. “I just discover I can’t write unless my life is filled with stress, and you think that’s a good thing?”

“It’s better than never being able to write again, isn’t it?”

“I’m not so sure. If I have to go through something like the last twenty-four hours in order to come up with a story idea, maybe I should just give back the advance and retire.”

“Retire from writing? You can’t! I love your stories. You can’t do that to your readers.”

“Alli, there are other writers in the world.”

“I know, but if you don’t keep writing, I’ll never be able to walk into a bookstore and have the thrill of finding a new Scott Lawrence novel on the shelf. You have to write.”

“You sound like my agent.” He shook his head, even as pleasure blossomed in his chest. “And while I love the praise, I have more important issues to deal with at the moment, like apologizing to my niece for losing my temper and calling my sister to let her know Chloe is safe.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. A little ego boost is always good for a writer’s soul.” He cocked his head, studying her as he realized she was good for his soul all the way around. “You know, I appreciate you sticking by me through this. Most people are far more interested in what I can do for them, not the other way around.”

Her brows drew together. “Maybe you should hang out with more giving people.”

“Maybe I should.” He smiled into her pretty gray eyes and thought how much he’d love to kiss her right then, in the cool shadows with the sound of the surf behind him.

“Would you like for me to walk back with you?” she asked.

An image rose in his mind of walking along the beach, hand in hand with Allison. Such an innocent image, but entirely too tempting. He promptly thrust both his hands in the pockets of his shorts. “No, I’m fine.”

“Come on,” she coaxed and slipped an arm through his.

Rather than fight it, he let her tug him out of the clearing into the glare of sunlight and they headed down the beach together.

Scott stopped by the office long enough to call his sister and let her know Chloe was safe, but he wanted to talk to his niece before deciding on the best way to get her home. Going upstairs, he cautiously opened the door to his room.

“Uncle Scott?” Chloe sat up on the bed with her hair tangled, the silk pantsuit wrinkled, and mascara smeared down her cheeks.

“Hey, kid.” Not knowing what to say, he simply closed the door and sat on the bed with his arms open. She threw herself against his chest and burst into tears.

“I’m so sorry,” she cried. “Please don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” His chest constricted as he smoothed a hand over her hair. “I could never hate you.”

“But you yelled at me.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I was just...” He started to say angry, but remembered what Alli had said. “Frightened, okay? I stayed up most of the night worried sick, imagining all kinds of things. Then suddenly there you stood, all safe and sound, and I wanted to strangle you for scaring me.”

“At least you care enough to get mad.”

“Your mother’s pretty upset, too.”

“I’m surprised she even noticed I was gone.”

“Chloe, look at me.” He eased her away and took both her hands in his. “I know Diane isn’t the greatest mother in the world, but she’s doing the best she can. That’s all any parent can do. She has her own baggage to deal with, and yes she can be self-absorbed, but she does love you very much. This stunt of yours has really hurt her.”

“You’re not going to make me go back, are you?”

“I have to.”

“Why?” she asked in earnest. “Why can’t I live with you? I wouldn’t be any trouble. I swear.”

“Well, for starters, I’m not at home. I’m in Galveston.”

“But not for long, right?”

“Through the end of the month.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders slumped. “Do you have to stay so long?”

He thought about cutting his trip short. But his writer’s block was finally lifting, he could feel it. What if being here, on Pearl Island, was tied to that? It would probably sound ludicrous to anyone but another writer, but you never messed with your mojo. If wearing a certain shirt and sitting in a certain chair facing east while Ravel’s Bolero played in the background worked, you stuck with it. No matter how stupid it sounded to others.

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I’m afraid I do need to stay.”

“Then let me stay with you.”

“Chloe, I can’t do that. If it were summer, and school were out, maybe.”

“What does that have to do with anything? Mom takes me out of school all the time when she wants to go skiing in Aspen or fly out to L.A. to go shopping with friends.”

He pulled back in surprise. “I thought you stayed with Mom when Diane went out of town?”

“Only if she’s going someplace boring that I don’t want to go.”

“But how does that work?”

“You know, like, private school? E-mail?” Chloe gave him