Time Spell by T.A. Foster Page A

choices he made and never wavered on the direction of the story.
    I knew what it felt like to rely on your own instincts. I trusted mine infinitely more than anyone else’s around me and I admired Jack for always standing his ground. Publishing houses were a business that needed customers. Those customers wanted sex, love, and intrigue, but he wasn’t always ready to feed the masses. He tried to protect the writing, protect the craft, and even in my short stint in the writing world, I knew that type of loyalty was rare.
    Before my whirlwind trip to New York for the Vegas Star premiere, I was so engrossed with selecting outfits to pack, scheduling my stylist appointment, and setting up press interviews that I didn’t call Jack before I left for the airport. I had just enough time to lock the front door, hug Cooper good-bye, and lug my suitcases into the back of the cab before racing off to make my flight. I needed to blend in like a normal girl, and flying in and out of airports added to that normalcy factor. Plus, what a pain to conjure up a flying spell for my luggage and me.
    Gina informed me a few weeks before the big trip that no one else from Raven Publishing would be accompanying me to New York. There were little funds for marketing, and the accountants deemed it more important to send me to New York with first class arrangements versus sending Jack or Gina with me on a low-rent budget. My heart sank when I heard the budget cuts would keep Jack in Sullen’s Grove. I wanted to see the city with him. I really wanted to see him in a tuxedo at the premiere of Vegas Star . Maybe it would even be a chance to chip away at the professional wall he had built between us. I pushed the disappointment to the side and focused on what was ahead of me—a fabulous, all-expense paid trip to New York City and a stroll on the red carpet. I told myself as long as I kept writing, there would be another chance to see Jack out of the confines of the office.
    On the way to the airport, I wrestled with the questions that kept sneaking into my mind. Should I contact him before the flight? Should I call when I landed? Outwardly, I tried to respect the boundaries he’d established for us as working partners, but on the inside, I let my daydreams cross boundaries with him at every encounter. Maybe I could call once I got settled in my hotel or maybe right before the premier. Loaded with my laptop, I boarded the plane. I stretched out in my reclined first class upgrade seat. Thank you, Raven Publishing. I smiled. One last email check before takeoff, and there it was sitting in my inbox, a message from Jack Coleman:
     
Ivy,
Sorry I’m going to miss your big debut. The world is going to love Vegas Star and you. I’m just glad I got to know you first. See you when you get back—let’s start on the sequel.
Jack
     
    I blinked hard and stared at the screen again while the coiffed flight attendant requested all electronic devices be turned off before taxiing. The two gentlemen across the aisle mumbled under their breaths and powered down their laptops while reaching out for another Bloody Mary refill. I tucked my phone in the front pocket of my purse, and shoved it under the seat. I couldn’t think of a better way to start my New York weekend.
    That trip was weeks ago and tonight everything had changed. In this moment, it was hard to imagine Jack and I working together on my next book. I couldn’t imagine he wanted anything to do with me. A growing emptiness churned in my stomach.
    The ring from Jack’s cell phone broke the silence that had settled over the room. He reached into his front pocket and looked puzzled at the number flashing on the screen.
    “Yeah? Yes, we got it.” Jack raised his voice and roared into the phone, “Who do you think you are? … Wait, just wait… Yeah, I understand.” Someone had cut him off, and he shoved the phone back in his pocket.
    “Who was it?” I searched his eyes for an answer. “What did they