Interview with Ella Blair

From A Matter of Trust

By Susan May Warren

Meet Ella Blair

Ella Blair is waiting for me at a booth at the Summit café in Mercy Falls, having already ordered a cup of hot cocoa as I slip into the booth. She is exactly as pretty as I imagined, long auburn hair, blue-gray eyes, a sort of intelligence in them as she sizes me up. She’s wearing a white parka, her hair loose, and gives me a practiced smile as I introduce myself and slide in opposite her.

“I know you’ve already talked to Gage,” she says in greeting.

“So, you know how I forced myself to go with him to rescue my brother.” I hold up my hand.

“Wait. Let’s back up. First, thank you for talking to me today about A Matter of Trust, your upcoming book.”

She nods, clearly not ruffled by the press. And why should she be—she’s spent two years in the limelight as the youngest state senator in the country, filling a seat left by her mother’s illness in the Vermont chambers. That and her training as a trial lawyer shows through as she assesses me.

“Yes, Gage told me a little about your background. Something about you dating before, and how you prosecuted him for the death of one of his students?”

She pulls in a breath. “Let’s get this straight. I did not prosecute him. He wasn’t charged criminally. But the victim’s family did bring a lawsuit against him and yes…” and here her voice falls. She looks away, a tinge of regret on her face. “I was on the team who brought the case against him.”

“You won. And he quit freeriding after that.”

Her voice stays low. “I know. And with everything inside me, I longed to set that right.”

I frown. “How? Wasn’t he guilty?”

She looks at me then, unflinching. “There’s simply more to the story than you know.”

“Then why—”

She holds up her hand. “I thought you wanted to talk about the rescue?”

“Okay. Why did you force yourself to go with Gage?”

“That’s easy. Because I knew Gage couldn’t go alone. He’s an amazing freerider, but if he got hurt, he would have no one to save him.”

“So, you’re good enough to keep up with a world champion freerider?”

“Gage is a good leader. All I had to do was stay on his route.” Her stare is even. “But more, I couldn’t let him risk his life for my brother, not without me risking the same.”

I offer a smile. “And it’s not because you were pining for him just as much as he was missing you?”

Emotion flashes through her eyes. “He wasn’t missing me. He was trying to forget me.”

Hmm. “And were you trying to forget him?”

She took a breath. “Do you seriously think that anyone could forget Gage Watson?”

Those brown eyes, that long hair…I pause, remembering Gage’s words. “He said he nearly got you killed.”

She swallows, then, and I know she’s surprised that he revealed that.

But not as surprised as I am when she says, “Clearly he left out the part where he saved my life. Or, the part where I nearly got him killed.”

Oh.

“Gage might look like trouble on the outside, but he’s every bit of a hero on the inside. I knew that before, during, and after I destroyed his life.”

“And now?”

She smiles at me, then. “And now I remember exactly why I couldn’t forget him.” She winks. “But you’ll just have to read the story to find out.”

The waiter appears, holding a hot cocoa. Sets it in front of me as Ella gets up. “It’s on me. Enjoy your stay in Mercy Falls.”

Then she heads out the door, leaving me to my chocolate and the hope of a great read.

Experience Ella and Gage’s adventure in A Matter of Trust, book #3 in the Montana Rescue series.

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