At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads Book #1): A Novel (38 page)

He poured himself another cup of coffee. Perhaps an infusion of caffeine would help. When he’d drained half the cup, Blake settled back in the chair whose superb ergonomics ensured that he never suffered from back pain or excessive fatigue and positioned his hands over the keyboard. Nothing. Not even a glimmer of an idea. Why had he expected anything different?

He hadn’t worried the first day. After all, everyone had bad
days. But as the days turned to weeks, Blake had begun to wonder whether he would ever be able to write again. The inspiration well that had once required only light priming was now bone dry. He emptied the coffee cup and rose. There had to be something he could do.

Taking three long strides, he stood next to the window with its million-dollar view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. The sight never failed to stir him, and it did not disappoint today. He could wax eloquent over the beauty of his adopted hometown. Perhaps he ought to begin writing tourist brochures, since it was clear that was all he could do today. But tourist brochures were not what readers expected from Ken Blake. They wanted another thriller. They wanted to know what disaster Cliff Pearson would encounter, what clever way he would find to foil the evildoers. Unfortunately, Cliff Pearson’s next adventure was nothing more than a blank sheet of paper, all because Blake’s creativity was locked up tighter than Alcatraz’s prisoners used to be.

Caffeine, walking, staring. Nothing was working. He had to find another stimulus. Blake sank into his chair and opened the file drawer on the right side of his desk. He didn’t expect to find inspiration there. That drawer held the files of his few remaining investment clients. While those clients provided a modest but steady source of income, he knew nothing in the files would trigger ideas for a new book.

He fingered the folders, stopping when he reached the last one. Vange, Gregory. The image of his former college roommate flashed before him, the man’s expression more enigmatic than ever. Maybe Greg was the answer. A glance at his watch told Blake there was enough time to get to Greg’s office before noon. Why not?

He picked up the phone. “Greg Vange, please,” he said when the receptionist answered. With some luck, Greg would be free.
If not, they could meet for an early dinner. Blake didn’t delude himself into believing that his friend and client would have any ideas for the next foe Cliff would defeat, but perhaps all Blake needed was a change of scenery and a bit of friendly conversation.

“I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Vange is no longer with Sys=Simpl.”

He blinked in surprise. Had the earth suddenly stopped rotating around the sun? Sys=Simpl was the company Greg had founded when they’d still been at Stanford. Surely nothing less than an earthshaking event would have caused him to leave. The receptionist must be mistaken.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, sir.”

Sensing that she would not be forthcoming with details, Blake asked for Drew Carroll, Greg’s former partner and another of his college friends.

“Hey, Drew, it’s Blake,” he said when they were connected. “I was trying to get ahold of Greg. The woman who answered the phone said he doesn’t work there anymore.”

“It’s true.” There was an unexpected terseness to Drew’s voice that made Blake suspect there was much he wanted to say but couldn’t. “We sold the company, and Greg left.”

Without telling Blake. That was almost as odd as the fact that he’d abandoned Sys=Simpl. Though they saw each other only a couple times a year, Blake and Greg usually talked every quarter when Greg asked for a review of his investments.

Blake pulled out the file and frowned. They’d missed their second quarter review. How had he not noticed that? His frown deepened as he realized that the MIA muse had affected more than his writing.

“Where is he now?”

“I’m not sure.” This time there was no question. Drew was angry. “The last I knew he was at the most pathetic excuse for a resort I’ve ever seen.”

That didn’t sound like Greg. As far as Blake knew, he’d never taken a vacation. But then, Blake wouldn’t have predicted that Greg would sell his firm. It had been his brainchild and, at least from what Blake had seen, the most important part of his life.

“Is the resort on the coast?” If so, perhaps there was still time for Blake to find Greg today.

“Nope. He was in the Texas Hill Country, if you can believe that. I haven’t heard from him since Easter, but I can give you his cell number if you don’t have it.” Blake heard a keyboard clacking and realized Drew was searching for the number. “I’ve got to warn you, though. There’s no cell service there, so you’ll probably get voice mail.”

Greg Vange, the man who believed in being connected 24/7, living in a place with no cell service. The story became stranger by the minute. “Do you remember the name of the resort?” Presumably they’d have a landline.

“Rainbow something. Trust me, Blake, you don’t want to go there.”

But Blake wanted to talk to Greg. The urge he’d felt when he looked at the file had intensified. His friend had made a life-changing decision. Drew might not understand, but Blake wanted to find out what had happened and why.

Drew was right. The call to Greg’s cell went to voice mail, but a quick Google search revealed a resort in the Texas Hill Country called Rainbow’s End. It had to be the one.

“I’m trying to reach Greg Vange,” Blake said when a teenager answered the phone. “Is he by any chance still a guest?”

“Not exactly.” Blake heard a peal of laughter in the distance as the girl called out, “Greg! Phone for you.”

A second later, a familiar voice said, “Greg Vange speaking. How can I help you?”

“Blake Kendall here.” He matched his friend’s formality, then
chuckled, more relieved than he’d expected that he’d been able to reach Greg. “What on earth are you doing in Texas?”

“You won’t believe it.” Greg took a deep breath and exhaled slowly in a technique Blake had seen him use when he wanted to increase the suspense. “You’d better sit down for this. Ready?” When Blake assured him that he was prepared for whatever Greg was going to send his way, Greg said, “I bought a resort, and I’m getting married in four days and three hours.”

Though he’d been leaning back in his chair, Blake bolted upright. “You what?” He’d never thought Greg would leave his company, but to buy a rundown resort in the middle of Texas was even more incomprehensible. And then there was the almost casual announcement that he was getting married this Saturday. To the best of Blake’s knowledge, Greg had never dated seriously. He’d been too busy making Sys=Simpl one of the most successful companies of its kind to have time for falling in love.

Though he felt as if the world had indeed spun off its axis, Blake knew he owed his friend a response. “It seems congratulations are in order.”

“Thanks, pal.” If Greg heard the shock in Blake’s voice, he gave no sign. “It all happened pretty fast. Now, what can I do for you?”

“I was hoping to buy you lunch, but I guess that won’t happen unless . . .” The appeal of sitting down with Greg, even if it was only for a couple hours, to learn what had caused him to remake his life continued to grow. “You say you own a resort. Any chance you have a room for an old buddy?”

The hesitation, though only momentary, told Blake his question was unexpected. “We’re in the middle of renovations. The grand opening is in a month.”

“I can’t wait a month.” There was no guarantee that seeing Greg would break through his writer’s block, but he had to try. And though he hadn’t thought it possible, Blake found himself
excited by the prospect of visiting the Hill Country. It was supposed to be beautiful and very different from California. Perhaps that was what he needed to jump-start his imagination. “Can you recommend someplace else?”

This time there was no hesitation. “You can have my cabin starting Saturday. Kate and I’ll be on our honeymoon for two weeks, and we’re moving into the owners’ suite when we return.” Greg chuckled. “In case you were wondering, Kate is the wonderful woman who agreed to take a chance on me.” The happiness that radiated from his voice left no doubt that whatever had happened to Greg at Rainbow’s End, it had been good.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Something tells me you need Rainbow’s End right now.”

Blake did indeed. When he’d gotten directions to Greg’s new home and made his plane reservations, he called Drew.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded when Drew answered.

“Tell you what?”

“That Greg’s getting married. You could have knocked me over. I thought he was a confirmed bachelor like me.” Drew had always been one step from the altar, but Greg and Blake had, for different reasons, steered clear of matrimony.

“So he’s really doing it. This is something I’ve got to see.”

“Me too.”

About the Author

D
reams have always been an important part of Amanda Cabot’s life. For almost as long as she can remember, she dreamt of being an author. Fortunately for the world, her grade-school attempts as a playwright were not successful, and she turned her attention to novels. Her dream of selling a book before her thirtieth birthday came true, and she’s been spinning tales ever since. She now has more than thirty novels to her credit under a variety of pen names.

Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Award as well as the Bookseller’s Best and have appeared on the CBA bestseller list.

A popular speaker, Amanda is a member of ACFW and a charter member of Romance Writers of America. She married her high school sweetheart, who shares her love of travel and who’s driven thousands of miles to help her research her books. After years as Easterners, they fulfilled a longtime dream and are now living in the American West.