Chapter Twenty-FiveIt had been more than three weeks since Margo had threatened to publish their unholy book. Sam was keeping busy working for his dad, gamely trying to muddle through with the next Lottie book, but the ideas weren't coming. If they were ever there. He was beginning to think Ellie was right. He was just a hack.
His main solace was the Lady Phoenix. The boat, not the book. The book languished in a scattered sheaf of papers in the cabin. And now, he was prepping the boat for a trip upriver. To where and for how long, exactly, he wasn't sure. When he'd said goodbye to his dad, he'd gotten that sideways glance and shrug Joe Price used when he wanted to say “figure it out, kid” with his eyes. Right. If only it were that simple.
Sam focused on the boat. October on the river had
