A Word with the Bachelor by Teresa Southwick Read Free Book Online Page A

rectify.”
    â€œOkay. Let me see the work you’ve done so far.”
    This time Jack did squirm, and Harley had disappeared down the hall so there was no way to keep Erin from noticing. “The work needs editing—”
    She held up a hand. “There’s something wrong and I want to know what it is. I’m here to help you finish this manuscript and I can’t if you’re hiding something.”
    Her relentless questions were like water dripping on a stone, wearing away the outer protection. Jack was at a crossroads. He knew what it looked like because he’d seen it before in the heat of battle when there was no wiggle room left. Almost always a course of action revealed itself and this situation was no different. Her counteroffensive left him no choice. He had to tell the truth or lie to her and he couldn’t do that.
    â€œSo quit stalling and turn on the monitor, Jack. Let me see your work.”
    â€œI haven’t started it.”
    â€œOf course not today. The laptop isn’t even on yet. I want to see what you’ve got so far,” she stressed.
    â€œYou don’t understand.” He met her gaze.
    â€œThen enlighten me.”
    â€œI have nothing. There is no book.”

Chapter Four
    E rin blinked several times, letting the words sink in, while slowly lowering herself into the chair. “What do you mean there’s no book? What do you do up here all day?”
    â€œI write pages. Every single day. Then I delete them because they’re all crap.”
    Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. The chant went through her mind as she desperately tried to think of something helpful to say. “Is everything deleted?”
    â€œI have about twenty pages.”
    â€œLet me see them.” Was her voice even and unemotional? She hoped it didn’t show the panic that was slowly creeping in as the magnitude of this situation became clear.
    Jack turned on the computer and pulled up a file, then hit the print button. When the last page came out he handed them to her.
    Erin started reading and with the turn of every page her heart sank a little more. There was nothing wrong with the writing and there was a wry, masculine voice to the work, but it was all internal dialogue from Mac Daniels’s point of view. Nothing particularly exciting was going on. Quite frankly there was a very high boredom factor but no way could she tell him that. His instincts, however, were right about the quality of these pages.
    She looked up and met his gaze. “I have to agree with you. This isn’t your best work.”
    â€œSince you showed up we’ve disagreed on almost everything. I was hoping that streak would continue.” His mouth pulled tight for a moment, then he rubbed Harley’s head when the dog jumped back into his lap and looked at him. The animal apparently felt his tension. “So you think it’s crap, too.”
    â€œI didn’t say that. Don’t panic.”
    Jack looked the opposite of panicked—cool, calm collected. And she needed to be that way, too. This was why she was here. But she needed to think.
    â€œI’m going for a walk.”
    Instantly Harley jumped off Jack’s lap and began to whine. “Now you’ve done it.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou said the w word. If you’re not prepared to take him it’s best to spell. W - a - l - k .” There was amusement in his eyes. “There’s very little he likes better. Except maybe raw hamburger. But the w is in his top two.”
    â€œSorry. I won’t make that mistake again.” She headed for the door, wincing at the sounds of doggy protest behind her.
    After going outside, the yelping got worse as she hurried down the stairs. Moments later she heard the door open and in seconds the dog was happily dancing at her feet. He ran several yards away then came back, repeating the exercise several more times.
    â€œYou’re not subtle, Harley.”