Nodding my head, I reply, “Yeah. It’ll probably sound silly to you, but watching you live out your dream and coming alive out on the ice made me really question what I’m passionate about enough to bring me that much joy day in and day out.” I pause, wondering how much I want to divulge. Deciding to go for it, I explain, “The more I thought about it, the answer always stayed the same. Writing. Storytelling. Crafting something that is completely my own.”
Carson pulls me into a tight hug, resting his chin on top of my head.
“Tell me more about your book. I want to know everything you’ve got planned so far,” he implores.
So I do. I tell him how the male main character gets assigned a new assistant, who happens to be the female main character. The unexpected change upsets the MMC because he was close to his former assistant until she decided to retire so she could spend more time with her grandbabies. I tell him he doesn’t realize the new assistant is his life-long rival’s daughter, who was born when he was only in high school due to an accidental pregnancy.
When Carson asks more about the setting, I tell him it takes place in the MMC’s off-season and he finds out he has to fly to Italy for some endorsement deals and photoshoots. The kicker is, his former assistant was supposed to go with him. But now this new, younger assistant, who he finds himself far too attracted to, has to go with him instead.
“This sounds awesome. What part of Italy are they going to?”
“Well, you see. That’s the thing. I’m still debating if they just stay in Milan the entire time, or if they decide to extend their trip and go to all of the places I’ve only dreamed of going.”
“Only dreamed of going?” he questions.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I haven’t been there, but I’ve always dreamed of going. Who knows, maybe if this book is a success, I’ll be able to go there one day.”
“Wait, hold on. Are you telling me you’ve never been to Italy?” He pulls his head back to look at me.
Pursing my lips, I roll my eyes at him. “Look, just because I haven’t been to Italy doesn’t mean I can’t write a book that takes place there.”
He snorts. “Duh, I know that. J.K. Rowling wrote a whole series that takes place at Hogwarts without ever having been there.”
I can’t help but throw my head back laughing at how adorable he is with his random references to Taylor Swift andHarry Potter. “You’re right. But J.K. Rowling wrote a fictitious fantasy series. Not a contemporary romance novel.”
That earns me a scoff. “Rude.Harry Potteris magical realism, not fantasy.”
“That’s beside the point,” I gripe. “I’m perfectly capable of doing enough research to do my novel justice without having been there.”
Carson nods his head eagerly. “And I don’t doubt your capabilities at all. But why would you do that when you literally know and live with someone who is going to Italy in two and a half weeks?”
Now it’s my turn to scoff. “I am not inviting myself to join the three of you in Italy.”
Completely ignoring me, he adds, “As long as I keep up my workout regimen, I can be gone for probably four to six weeks.”
“Weeks?” I squeak. “Don’t you mean days?”
“I said what I said, Austin. Weeks. You’re going to need a few weeks immersed in the culture to get a better understanding of the culture for your book, right?”
“Carson, that’s too much. I can’t—we can’t. What about Cadence and McKenna? I’m supposed to watch Cadence while the three of you are gone.”
“They have Griff now, and it’s his off-season too. They’re fully moved into their new house. If they need someone to fill in for you, my mom would be ecstatic to watch Cadence. She’ll love the extended snuggle session with her granddaughter.”
Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t want to impose. It’ll practically be their honeymoon.”
That makes him rear his head back. “And you think I want to be a third-wheel on my sister’s honeymoon? Come on, you’ll be doing me a favor. They’re going to be in the literal honeymoon phase, and if you don’t go I’ll be the pathetic single brother tagging along.”
“I couldn’t afford it.”
“You wouldn’t have to. Griff already purchased a fourth ticket to the concert. And I’ll cover everything else.”
“He purchased that ticket for Katie. Not for his daughter’s nanny to tag along,uninvited, might I add.”
“I’m not sure how you can say you’re tagging along. I invited you. Hell, I’m begging you to come with us at this point. Do you have a current passport?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.”