“Right,” he said, unsurprised at her reaction.

“Do you think you could set it in a close-knit town that’s in a more exotic location?” She flipped a page in her notebook. “The other proposal you’d sent me a while back was set in an ex-pat community in Mexico. Maybe that could work in this book instead?”

He considered her suggestion, the idea not at all what he’d planned for the story but not impossible to pull off. “I could adjust that without changing the heart of the story.”

“And you’ll need to amp up the thriller element a bit more. Right now, you’re a little too focused on the relationship subplot. I love that part, but it needs to play a supporting role and not take over the main story.” She gave him a playful smirk. “Can’t have Ashton Stone writing a romance, you know?”

“Right. Of course not.” God knows he shouldn’t be trusted to write one. He couldn’t manage one in real life for damn sure. “Whatever you think is best.”

She smiled, pleased. “I think this could be the start of a great series for you. These two characters could go on a lot of adventures together.” She considered him. “Do you think you could live with writing them for a while? I know you haven’t done an ongoing series before.”

An ongoing series meant thinking about Kincaid every single time he wrote Katherine. Leave it to him to find new ways to torture himself. But it also meant steady work, a steadyish income. That was what he needed most right now—to stay busy and earn some money. He could get lost in the writing and forget that he felt broken and numb inside, that his heart was never going to be the same, that he’d ruined everything with the woman he loved…again. He cleared his throat. “A series sounds awesome.”

“Excellent.” Alice clapped her hands together as though she was crossing that item off her mental list. “Then I’d love to make an offer on a three-book series. I’ll get with your agent to work out numbers, but I’ll make sure there’s a travel stipend added to give you some research time in Mexico. I want the setting to be authentic. That’s your writer superpower. Lean into that.”

Ash breathed in that good news. A deal. Guaranteed money. An escape. He should feel more excited, but he just felt…blank. Tired. “Thanks, Alice. I can’t wait to get started on all of it.”

She tilted her head, a bemused expression on her face. “You sure? You kind of look like I just told you your puppy died.”

He forced a smile and ran a hand over the back of his head. “No, I’m sorry. I think I’m just a little worn out from my trip. This is amazing news. I’m excited.”

She lifted her drink. “Then cheers for the next Ashton Stone adventure.”

He raised his drink and clinked her glass. “Cheers.”

He tried to feel happy about it, tried to find some place inside him that could still feel excitement. This was what he had wanted when he’d left New York. He’d saved up money, had found time to write, and had gotten another book deal. He could continue his life as Ashton Stone, thriller writer extraordinaire.