After throwing on one of my favourite summer dresses, I considered putting on my sandals but I just felt like being comfortable, so I reached for my cowboy boots and left my hair loose over my shoulders. I walked out of my hotel, went into the conference hotel and edged into the event suite.

It was packed out for the drinks’ night. I had messaged Liv and she told me she was by the floor-to-ceiling windows so I picked up a glass of sparkling wine from a server and went to find her.

‘There you are.’ Liv moved away from the three women she was talking to who I didn’t recognise, and gave me a quick hug. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Not really. Hayley is furious about what happened, and I think she might actually fire me over it.’

Liv grimaced. ‘God, I hope not. Can I do anything?’

I shook my head. ‘Unless Jake works out a way to fix what happened… no one can do anything.’ I looked around the room nervously. ‘I suppose everyone is talking about it?’ I saw her hesitate. ‘I need to know, Liv.’

She nodded. ‘Yes. It’s all anyone wants to talk about. We all thought it was unlikely that a journalist would make up that quote but him confirming it… I heard a group of readers talking about having a Jake Richards book-burning ceremony.’

‘Blimey.’ I shuddered at the thought.

‘I definitely didn’t make it up.’

Liv and I both turned in surprise to find a tall woman in a stunning green dress beside us. She smiled. ‘I’m Kelly Shepperd.’

I eyed the journalist responsible for telling the world what Jake had said about writing romance books. Liv and I introduced ourselves to her, and we all shook hands.

‘Ah yes, Hayley Harper, trying to make everyone believe I would fabricate an article. Every word I wrote was true.’

‘We know,’ I said with a sigh. ‘And everyone knows it now too.’

‘Everyone is talking about the panel he was on earlier with Davis Mulberry. He always let that guy wind him up.’

‘I know, but why?’ I wondered aloud, taking a long gulp of my drink.

‘They went to university together. Always been rivals, so I gather. But I think there may be something more personal behind it all. After I overheard him talking to Davis, I told Jake I was going to publish an article about it. I asked if he wanted to put his side over in it, but he said no.’

I stared at her. ‘Why not?’

Kelly shrugged. ‘All I know is Jake didn’t stop me writing that article. He didn’t want to explain himself or refute it. I always felt like there was something else he didn’t want the world to find out about so let me tell them what he’d said to Mulberry instead.’