Page 143 of Love on the Byline

“And Micah will come to me,” Deanna said. “Or, if not me,the new director.”

“I hope they’re as chill as you,” Micah said warily.

“You’re leaving big shoes to fill,” Ollie told Deanna.

She smiled. “You’ll all be in good hands.”

After the meeting ended, he was standing outside with Blake,Bran, and Rory.

“I love the La Jolla house, but I’m looking forward tosleeping in my own bed,” Bran said. “I’m gonna go pack up and head home.”

“Oh,” Ollie said, torn between staying with Blake andaccompanying Bran back to the rental. “I suppose I should come along and help.”

“Nope,” Bran replied, slipping on his sunglasses. “You andBlake have somewhere to be.”

“We do?” He looked at her but she appeared to be just asconfused.

“You have your car here?” Bran asked her. When she nodded,he grinned.

“What’s this about?” Ollie asked.

Instead of answering him, Bran turned to Rory. “We all set?”

Rory nodded. “All set.”

“Excellent. Blake, do you mind driving this one home?” Hehooked his thumb at Ollie.

She looked back and forth between Bran and Rory, stopping onRory before a slow smile spread her full lips. “Not at all.”

“What are you up to?” he asked his best friend.

“Me? Nothing. You two, hopefully...something.”

Bran and Rory walked away, leaving him and Blake alone onthe sidewalk.

“Any idea what that was all about?” he asked.

“Not a clue,” she replied, pulling out her keys. Turning,she grinned. “But I can’t wait to find out.”

33

Blake drove up the winding road that led to Bran’s Malibuhome, the sun high in the sky. Bran had been more cryptic than usual when heinsisted they head to the house without him.

When she’d been there the last time, she hadn’t paid toomuch attention to her surroundings. She’d been too busy reeling from the factthat her new assignment was Brandon Peters, and his best friend from college—themost embarrassing crush she’d ever had on another human being—was Bran’sassistant. She had missed how gorgeous the house was, a handsome two-storymansion, with large windows, a wide porch, and a sprawling backyard. Thegrounds were lush and green, and there was a large pool in the center of theproperty.

Behind it stood a sizeable bungalow which—they’d discoveredwhen Ollie took her inside to change—had been filled with candles and flowers.There was music playing softly in the background in the entire pool area.

Blake wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but itcertainly wasn’t a romantic late afternoon rendezvous for two.

“Okay, I take back every awful thought I’ve ever had abouthim,” she said, taking in the spread of fresh fruits and cheeses waiting forthem in the outdoor kitchen. There were smoothies as well.

“Looks like he roped Hans into this little scheme,” Olliesaid, smiling.

They grabbed a couple of glasses of sparkling wine and saton the edge of the pool, dipping their toes into the warm water.

Ollie draped his arm casually over her shoulders, and shefelt a strange mixture of excitement and apprehension about this unexpected bitof privacy.

They hadn’t been alone since that afternoon in La Jollawhere they’d used a few stolen hours to make love and just...be together. Thethought of many more days and nights like that sent a tiny thrill buzzingthrough her veins.

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