Page 43 of Family Bonds- Emma & Warren

“Are you kidding me? You’re really going to do it?”

“You know why I haven’t,” her mother said.

Because her mother didn’t want people to think she was getting preferential treatment being a Bond. And over thirty years ago, male writers got more attention when it came to mystery and suspense.

“Times have changed,” she said. “Aunt Melanie will be the first to tell you that you’d be doing a good thing coming out now.” She burst into a fresh round of giggles. “Sorry. You’re coming out of the closet, Mom.”

“Hilarious, Emma. What do you think? It will bring a lot of light onto the family. Your father is fine with it.”

“I know you worried about him for years and his career.”

“I have,” her mother said. “But not one of my books is anything like a case he’s tried, nor your brother’s. There is never any worry of someone suing us for stealing a story.”

She grinned at that. It was a line she made sure she never crossed too closely either, but Roark had her covered there.

“We aren’t stupid,” she said.

“I was going to wait until your series was a done deal. That’s why Connor is pushing it now.”

“Oh,” she said. Her shoulders dropped. “People are going to think I only got it because of you, aren’t they?”

“It doesn’t matter what people think,” her mother said. “It’s what we know. You deserve this mini-series. Connor has been trying to sell a few of your books for years.”

“I know,” she said. “I do have to get over it. I got where I am because of me and not you. Well, that’s a lie.”

“Don’t think otherwise,” Melissa said. “You got one door opened for you. Connor wouldn’t have taken you on if he didn’t think you were exceptional. It’s a cutthroat business and no one wants to sign a dud.”

She did know that.

“The right place at the right time,” she said.

“However you want to look at it. You didn’t go to Connor, he came to you.”

She’d won several writing awards in college and had gotten a few short stories published. It was one of her professors who opened that door for her.

When her mother’s agent found out, he was offended no one had gone to him first.

The week of her college graduation, she signed her first contract for a three-book deal and hadn’t looked back since.

“I know,” Emma said. “I’m happy for you. I say go for it. Let the world know you’ve deceived them for years.”

Her mother laughed. “We’ll see. I don’t have to answer now. The producers are still trying to figure out their cast and they won’t know for a few months. Maybe they won’t go with who the rumor is.”

“Either way,” she said. “Do it. I mean it.”

“You and Roark will be the first to know,” her mother said. “Then everyone else. It’s not just my immediate family that will be under a microscope.”

“No one is going to care and everyone will love it,” she said.

“I’m sure you’re right,” her mother said. “What was the other reason you were calling?”

“Well,” she said, tongue in cheek. “Speaking of under a microscope. I have to tell you I’ve been on a few dates.”

“Do I need to sit down for this?” her mother said.

“I can’t talk long. Grace is coming over with food. She knows what is going on and wants the deets and I told her she has to pay me for them.”

Emma ran her hand over her belly and couldn’t wait to see what kind of yummy deliciousness she got this time.