Rocky Waters (Lovers Lake)

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Four days later…

Writing to the sounds of rushing water, birds singing in the trees does me good because I manage to bring my manuscript to life. It only gets better at night when the world is only illuminated by the giant moon and the spattering of hundreds of stars miles away. The owls hoot as the wind blows through the forest floor below.

“My mountain getaway,” I sigh, feeling at peace. I made the right choice to come early.

Two blissfully isolated weeks alone in my wooden cabin to finish off my latest thriller is just what I need. It’s the fifth book in the series. I take my readers here this time, letting trouble follow my hero into treacherous territory that’s completely out of his comfort zone. He’s never been in the wilderness a day in his life unless you count the local forest preserves. I, on the other hand, have lived in this area since birth. It’s completely isolated, especially when I’m up here because everyone knows that I love my privacy. The lake and woods are off limits until I leave.

The words flow like the white water rushing down the mountain into the lake as I write through the night. It’s only when my stomach growls that I remember I haven’t eaten. I don’t feel like cooking, so I open the fridge, make a meaty sandwich, and take a seat on my front porch. It’s a nice night and yet, I feel like I have to get back inside and finish the rest of the book tonight.

It’s three in the morning, and I have the first twenty-five chapters written. I’m about to turn off my computer when I decide to send it off to Sean to get him off my back and to see if the story works. Nothing like writing fast only to find what you wrote isn’t worth lining the trash can. Still, I know what I have is good this time. I’m well ahead of schedule as I head to bed. I strip out of my clothes and slip into a pair of pajama bottoms even though back in Texas, I sleep naked. It may be almost summer, but the nights can be cold in the mountains. After the long days I’ve been pulling, sleep comes easy.

My phone goes off, waking me out of my sleep. I don’t even get to say hello before Sean exclaims, “Wow, this is fucking incredible.”

I look at the phone and see the time through blurry eyes. “It’s six-thirty, Sean. If you didn’t notice I sent you that at three in the morning.”

“Well that’s what you get for sending it to me when I couldn’t fucking sleep. Now, I need the rest. How much do you have left to finish?” Sean questions with that excited energy that makes me forget that I’ve only just fallen asleep. His enthusiasm triggers my own and I’m grinning from ear to ear.

“I’ve got another ten chapters to go. I’ll be done by next week and I can send it off to my editor for his thoughts.” When I love something I’m writing, so does my editor. With Sean’s excitement, I know this will hit all the bestsellers lists, which makes me feel incredible.

“Next week, you prick? I could choke you. I want the rest now.”

“That long? Shit okay. I’ll talk to you later. Get some damn sleep. I know I am.” I hang up on him and power down my phone before tossing it onto the chair across the room. I don’t want to hear from another soul until I wake up on my own. I burrow down under the covers and pass out.

It’s ten in the morning before I wake up again and I finally need to feed my inner beast. My stomach’s rumbling like a motherfucker. I probably shouldn’t have skipped breakfast and lunch yesterday. The sandwich for dinner wasn’t enough for my larger build. I pad into the kitchen and get to making some bacon and eggs with toast. The sun hits the front porch as I flip my eggs. It seems like a good day for a hike.

As I sit down to eat a loud crack rips through the morning sky and the clouds roll in. A sudden downpour follows seconds later. Fuck, okay. No hiking today. I still have plenty of time to kill before going back to Texas anyway. I’m sure the sky will be clear at least one more day during my stay, but for now, I’ll stick to why I came here. Thinking about the rest of my book, an idea hits me. “I’ll end it at the lake.”

As I look over to my computer, I think I can perhaps finish the book early. Maybe the next two days will be enough to complete the first draft. My food goes down smoothly, and then I sit back down at my desk to write.