Page 52 of No Time for Traditions

“Really?”

Cassandra laughed. “Yes. Good writers make the best editors.”

Brittany frowned and looked back at her lap. What if Cassandra thinking she was a good writer had put her in the editor zone for good? Just the thought of never writing her own stories made Brittany’s stomach drop.

“And I admit that I thought you wanted to be me one day. To take over a publishing company, run the show.”

Brittany looked up and held her breath.

“But now I see I was wrong. After years of additional responsibilities and promotions, you still talk about writing.”

Brittany shrugged. “I really wanted to love editing. But I love coming up with my own stories more.”

Cassandra unfolded her arms and leaned forward over her desk. “Is this why you’ve been so disconnected since you came back from the holidays?”

Brittany wavered her head side to side. “Partly. I thought if I could just get your approval, everything would be better. But it’s not.”

“And why’s that?”

Brittany took a deep breath and sighed. “I miss Alabama.”

Cassandra frowned.

“And despite everything that went wrong this Christmas, I did manage to write that story.”

“And you can’t write here?”

Brittany let out a little laugh. “I thought I could, but every one of those chapters was written in Hillside. It’s like I left my creativity back in Alabama... along with my heart. And it’s like you always say—”

“Where there’s no heart, there’s no story.” Cassandra raised her eyebrows. “Well, I can certainly understand that.”

Brittany swallowed. She’d come too far to not tell her now. “Cassandra, I don’t think I can stay here much longer.”

Cassandra nodded and parted her lips before pressing them shut again.

“I’m willing to work here while I shop out my manuscript, but I need to write. And in order to do so successfully, I need to be in Alabama.”

“Could I ask what it would take to keep you?”

Brittany clutched her hands together. She prepared herself to decline whatever offer Cassandra threw at her. Talking about her writing with Cassandra seemed like a dream and a nightmare all in one. Cassandra loved her book, but Brittany wanted nothing more than to quit her job and move back home.

“Because I’d love nothing more than to launch our Southern fiction collection with your story. And you could write from anywhere, of course.”

Brittany perked up, her eyes wide. “Seriously?”

“If you’d be willing to do some acquisitions work as well. I think this genre is really going to boost our sales.”

Brittany pressed her fingernails into her knees to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Her kneecaps quickly told her this was real. Brittany jumped to her feet. “I accept!”

Cassandra gave her one of those rare, genuine smiles. “You know, I hate to admit this, but my wanting you to remain an editor was selfish. That was wrong of me.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.” Brittany smiled. The conversation she’d dreaded for so long turned out better than she could’ve imagined. Nothing could make her happier.

Except for making amends with Greg.

* * *

Brittany nervously snackedon a pack of crackers as she looked out the airplane window. Below, houses and cars resembled a Lego land. She laid her head back and rehashed all the things she wanted to say to Greg. Where should she start? And how could she be sure he would even want to speak to her? Regardless, she had to tell him how she felt. If not for him, then for herself. She pulled out her phone and started to text him, then changed her mind. What she needed to say would be best said in person.

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