The Write Bear (Highland Brothers 1) by Meredith Clarke, Ally Summers

1
    Riley
    “ I have a new client for you, Riley.” The head of Authors Unlimited slid a Post-it across Riley’s desk.
    The blond editor picked up the note, reading it quickly. “Is this for real?” She eyed her boss. Her fingers clasped the hand-written assignment.
    “Yes, it is. The call came through twenty minutes ago. We need complete confidentiality. This is a top-tier client.”
    “Of course.” Riley read the name on the order to herself again. “It’s just… I can’t believe it. Why does he need me?” she asked.
    There were writers, and there were authors. But there was only one Hudson Highland.
    Helen shook her head. “His editor called. We’re the last resort. The absolute last resort.” Her eyebrows rose, almost touching her hairline. “He’s under a strict deadline, and in the middle of a series. This is an emergency.”
    “Oh my God.” Riley closed her laptop, feeling a sudden sense of urgency take hold. “When is he coming in?” She would clear her schedule. Do anything she had to do to make this work.
    “Oh no, he’s not coming here. You’re going there.” Helen smiled. “It’s best to keep this off the radar.”
    “But, why?” Riley knew she shouldn’t question her boss, but this was unusual. She had just been handed the name of the most important client in the company’s history and this entire scenario was odd.
    Helen’s eyes bored into hers. “Because he is Hudson Highland. The Hudson Highland. When he calls, we do. Understand?”
    Riley nodded. She started to pack her laptop, notebooks, and her favorite purple pen. She crammed them into her messenger bag. “When do I leave? Where is he?”
    “Now. Head to the airport. I’ll send the address to your email. You can get a rental car when you land in Seattle.”
    Riley stopped for a moment. “Seattle? What is he doing out there?” She didn’t know much about Hudson, but the last time she remembered reading his bio it said he resided in New York.
    “He has a writing retreat about two hours from the city. He has been there for the past few weeks and his editor says he hasn’t made any progress. He’s in the middle of a million dollar contract. They need the book.” She sighed. “Again, all of this is completely confidential.”
    Riley knew that part of her job. It was one of the complicated aspects of what she did. She coached and helped authors when they had writer’s block. It was the best way to describe what she did, but there was so much more to it than that. Sometimes her friends would ask for the names, but she could never reveal who her clients were. She was the unsung heroine behind the pages.
    “I got it, Helen. I won’t say a word. I’ll sign the non-disclosure for him before I get there.” She swung the bag on her shoulder. It was close to three o’clock. She would have time to stop by her apartment, pack a bag, and still make it to the airport for an early evening flight.
    “Good. We’re counting on you. He’s the biggest client we’ve ever had. If we can make him happy there’s no telling what this could do for us.” Helen’s lips formed a straight line, impressing her point on Riley.
    “I’ll call you as soon as I have a progress update.”
    “I expect it.”
    Riley moved toward the door. She was already thinking of how she was going to get Hudson back on his feet.
    She had read everything the man had ever written. His latest series, the Spy Fire Series , had debuted at number one. Book three was still lying on her nightstand. The pages creased where she turned the corners at night before falling asleep.
    “Thanks, Helen for trusting me with this client. I promise I won’t let you down.” She waved from the lobby.
    Riley rushed from the office building, toward the parking garage. This was her first top author. Her first chance to prove to Helen she was cut out for the publishing world. She threw her bag in the backseat of her car.

2
    Riley
    S he settled into her seat , watching the