Read Online By Invitation Only by Lori Wilde, Wendy Etherington, Jillian Burns - Free Book Online
Ads: Link
agree with Nick, but he was right. It was a good thing they hadn’t had sex on the beach—a very good thing indeed.
So why then did she feel so cheated?
Get your mind off Greer. Tomorrow throw all your focus on Holly, get her story, get out of this romantic place and soon enough Nick will be nothing but a fond memory.
T HE FOLLOWING MORNING , Olivia went with Holly and her brides maids to have their dresses fitted. It was easy enough milking Holly for information on how she and J.D. fell in love. Holly was nervous and when she got nervous, she chattered endlessly, plus she felt safe telling her “cousin” all the intimate details of their relationship.
The whole thing made Olivia uneasy, but she couldn’t deny she’d managed to get an amazing story. She battled with her conscience, her journalistic mind warring with the part of her that truly liked and admired Holly. Whatever friendship they’d formed under these false circumstances was bound to be destroyed by the article, even if it was a favorable one. As she and Holly and the bridesmaids ate lunch at a quaint French bistro on the cobblestone streets of Rapture Island, she had a strong impulse not to use the story, to call Ross and tell him she’d come up empty-handed.
What would her grandfather do under the circumstances?
It was a rhetorical question because she knew what he would do. With Grandfather—and her father for that matter—the story always came first. Friendships and even family a distant second.
For the briefest of moments, she pondered the values that had been instilled in her since birth, that following the truth of a story was the noblest thing to which she could ever aspire.
But now she had to wonder if people’s feelings might be just as important. It was a conflict she’d never dreamed she would have.
With these thoughts on her mind, she arrived back at the bungalow late in the afternoon to find Nick wasn’t there. Relieved not to have the distraction, she sat down and started writing the first draft of her article. She’d just finished it with barely enough time to spare before she had to dress for the wedding rehearsal, when her cell phone rang.
The caller ID identified Ross.
“Hello?”
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“I haven’t heard from you in over twenty-four hours. The rumblings are getting louder around here. The new round of budget cuts are official. Heads are going to roll. Did you get a chance to talk with Holly while she was in Austin? I hope the answer is yes because otherwise…” He trailed off, leaving the rest to her imagination.
Olivia hesitated, fingered the Pulitzer medal on the charm bracelet at her wrist and told the truth. “I’m on Rapture Island and the place is crawling with paparazzi, but I managed to get invited onto the Maynard compound. I’m beating out the competition. Well, except for Nick. ”
“What?” His excitement was electric. “How’d you do that? Never mind, I don’t want to know. I simply bow to your genius. You are a wunderkind.”
Uneasiness rippled over her. She’d lied and connived and Ross was proud of her? It didn’t seem something to be worthy of praise.
“What have you got?”
“The story of how she and J.D. met. Her fears, her hopes, her dreams, details about the wedding—”
“Written up?”
“Just finished a rough draft.”
“I want to see it.”
Olivia thought about her deal with Nick, their promise not to scoop each other. “The wedding isn’t until tomorrow. I’ll have more for you after that,” she stalled.
“I just want to see if you’re on the right track. With the brass breathing down our necks we don’t want to give them any excuses to can us.”
“You can’t run it yet.”
“I won’t,” he assured her. “I’m so damned proud of you. I knew hiring you was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.”
“All right,” she agreed reluctantly.
“Good girl,” Ross said.
“I have to go now, I’m in the wedding
So why then did she feel so cheated?
Get your mind off Greer. Tomorrow throw all your focus on Holly, get her story, get out of this romantic place and soon enough Nick will be nothing but a fond memory.
T HE FOLLOWING MORNING , Olivia went with Holly and her brides maids to have their dresses fitted. It was easy enough milking Holly for information on how she and J.D. fell in love. Holly was nervous and when she got nervous, she chattered endlessly, plus she felt safe telling her “cousin” all the intimate details of their relationship.
The whole thing made Olivia uneasy, but she couldn’t deny she’d managed to get an amazing story. She battled with her conscience, her journalistic mind warring with the part of her that truly liked and admired Holly. Whatever friendship they’d formed under these false circumstances was bound to be destroyed by the article, even if it was a favorable one. As she and Holly and the bridesmaids ate lunch at a quaint French bistro on the cobblestone streets of Rapture Island, she had a strong impulse not to use the story, to call Ross and tell him she’d come up empty-handed.
What would her grandfather do under the circumstances?
It was a rhetorical question because she knew what he would do. With Grandfather—and her father for that matter—the story always came first. Friendships and even family a distant second.
For the briefest of moments, she pondered the values that had been instilled in her since birth, that following the truth of a story was the noblest thing to which she could ever aspire.
But now she had to wonder if people’s feelings might be just as important. It was a conflict she’d never dreamed she would have.
With these thoughts on her mind, she arrived back at the bungalow late in the afternoon to find Nick wasn’t there. Relieved not to have the distraction, she sat down and started writing the first draft of her article. She’d just finished it with barely enough time to spare before she had to dress for the wedding rehearsal, when her cell phone rang.
The caller ID identified Ross.
“Hello?”
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“I haven’t heard from you in over twenty-four hours. The rumblings are getting louder around here. The new round of budget cuts are official. Heads are going to roll. Did you get a chance to talk with Holly while she was in Austin? I hope the answer is yes because otherwise…” He trailed off, leaving the rest to her imagination.
Olivia hesitated, fingered the Pulitzer medal on the charm bracelet at her wrist and told the truth. “I’m on Rapture Island and the place is crawling with paparazzi, but I managed to get invited onto the Maynard compound. I’m beating out the competition. Well, except for Nick. ”
“What?” His excitement was electric. “How’d you do that? Never mind, I don’t want to know. I simply bow to your genius. You are a wunderkind.”
Uneasiness rippled over her. She’d lied and connived and Ross was proud of her? It didn’t seem something to be worthy of praise.
“What have you got?”
“The story of how she and J.D. met. Her fears, her hopes, her dreams, details about the wedding—”
“Written up?”
“Just finished a rough draft.”
“I want to see it.”
Olivia thought about her deal with Nick, their promise not to scoop each other. “The wedding isn’t until tomorrow. I’ll have more for you after that,” she stalled.
“I just want to see if you’re on the right track. With the brass breathing down our necks we don’t want to give them any excuses to can us.”
“You can’t run it yet.”
“I won’t,” he assured her. “I’m so damned proud of you. I knew hiring you was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.”
“All right,” she agreed reluctantly.
“Good girl,” Ross said.
“I have to go now, I’m in the wedding
Similar Books
