Then I Met You: A single dad romance (Love in Everton Book 6)

by Fabiola Francisco

  “Is she your best friend?”

  “Yeah. I met her when I first moved to Nashville and rented the extra room in her apartment. She’s the good kind of people.” I’m so excited for her to see where I’ll be living, visit the places I love in Everton, and meet my new friends.

  Gavin focuses on what I say, listening intently. The way he pays attention turns me on. Goodness, I love it when men are actually interested in what I have to say, whether talking about a friendship or my career.

  “I should probably get going,” Gavin says as his phone buzzes on the table. “I’ll drop you off at The Farmhouse.”

  “Thanks. I’m sure Penny is wondering where you went. Should we get her a cupcake?” I cringe, the thought of coming here without her makes me feel guilty.

  Gavin laughs and nods. “Yeah, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  After grabbing some cupcakes to go, Gavin and I walk toward his truck. The short drive to the bed and breakfast is quiet. Although I know today was not a date, Gavin and I have had the opportunity to get to know each other, and a sliver of hope blossoms in my chest.

  “Thanks again for today.” I turn and smile at Gavin when he parks his truck. “I appreciate you letting me tag along. It definitely helped clear my mood, even if you did steal half my cupcake.”

  “Payback,” he shrugs. “And I’m glad it helped. Like I said earlier, everything will sort itself out.”

  “Thanks.” I squeeze his arm and open the door, climbing out of his truck.

  There’s a skip in my step as I walk to the guest house at the back and open the door. A wide grin takes over as my heart soars, and I step into the house. I can’t help the excitement bubbling inside of me right now. Grabbing my guitar, I sit on the couch and begin strumming a new tune.

  Gavin

  Penny spins around in her new dress and giggles as the skirt lifts. “Look, Daddy!” she calls out from the living room. With a smile, I lean against the wall and watch her.

  She’s been talking about the sock hop all week, each day more excited than the one before. She even has a countdown in her room that she made one afternoon. Every day that she’d get home from school, she’d scratch a day off.

  As for me, I’ve had Sutton on my mind all week. I haven’t seen her since we spent the day together on Sunday. The way we eased into conversation, the simplicity she carries despite her new stardom, and the way her hand touched mine in the most natural of ways. All of it has been playing in my head as I figure out what I feel toward her.

  I can’t be blind that she’s found a way to open me up. It was fun to hang out with her and get to know her better. Maybe she can be the woman that proves to me it’s worth opening my heart again.

  “Are you ready?” Penny pulls the sleeve on my leather jacket. She picked out my outfit, using pictures from the internet that show how men dress in a sock hop. She does the same thing every year, and every year chooses a white tee shirt and my black leather jacket with jeans.

  “First, we have to take a picture.” I lift her up and walk toward the kitchen where my mom is.

  “Hey, Mom, can you take a picture of us?” I fish my phone out of my pocket and hand it to her.

  After a whole photoshoot, mostly of Penny by herself in all different poses, we head out to the sock hop. Penny is a chatterbox the whole drive over to the hall where the party is being hosted.

  “My friends from school are all going to the party. We even made some decorations to hang on the wall. Will they have snacks like they did last year?” Her words fly out of her mouth, giving me whiplash.

  Laughing at her excitement, I reach my hand back toward her. “Take a deep breath, sweetheart.” Penny gasps for air, making me laugh harder.

  “They’ll have snacks. I can’t wait for you to show me what you created for the sock hop, and I’m sure you’ll have a great time with your friends. You will dance with your dad, though, right?”

  On a giggle, Penny nods. “Yes.” I catch her huge smile through the rearview mirror. All is right in the world when my little girl is with me.

  “We’re here,” I announce as I pull into a parking spot. Crowds of people dressed from the 1950s walk into the hall as they laugh and talk with each other.

  “Let’s go,” Penny demands, opening the car door.

  “Wait for me,” I instruct and make my way to help her down from the truck.

  “Come on.” She drags my hand toward the entrance, adding all of her force into the pull.

  Stepping into the hall is like being transformed into a different era. Everyone is dressed up, and the music playing is appropriate for the times.

  “Wow,” she whispers. Penny stares up and around, taking in all the details.

  Near the entrance, we find a section for photos, with a white and black checkered backdrop and props. Tables are set up around a dance floor, with the same checkered pattern table cloths and mini jukeboxes as centerpieces.

  “Daddy, look!” Penny points at a real jukebox near the stage, where I presume Knox and Sutton will perform.

  Balloons are placed throughout the space, and plastic vinyl records decorate the walls. We walk around the hall, taking in all the details.

  “This is what my class made!” Penny exclaims. “This one is mine.” A proud smile pops up on her face as she points to a little girl cutout in a poodle skirt and shirt.

  “I colored it and drew the poodle all by myself. The boys did the boy ones,” she states what I had assumed was the case.

  I smile and bend down. “You did a great job.”

  She jumps toward me in a hug and laughs. “Let’s go.”

  I hold her to me to carry her, but Penny stops me. “Daddy, I can walk on my own.”

  A furrow deepens between my brows, but I nod, holding her hand. She’s growing up way too fast.

  “Penny!” A girl with tight curls bounces toward Penny. Releasing my hand, she hugs the girl and begins to tell her how pretty her skirt is. I stare at their interaction with raised eyebrows, wondering where my shy little girl went and who this talkative and smart one is.

  “I’ll be back, Daddy,” she says over her shoulder before she’s whisked away from me, and I’m standing alone in a corner. With hands in my pockets, I look around the hall in search of a familiar face before my eyes land on Penny again, laughing and dancing with her friends.

  What my mom told me not too long ago hits me like a freight train. Before I know it, Penny will have her own life, and she won’t want to hang out with her dad. I’ll officially become like all the dads I knew growing up who wanted their children’s attention, but their kids had better things to do with their friends.

  In this moment, I realize how right my mom was about having my own life. Hadley’s gone, and the life I thought we’d have will never happen. Penny will never have her real mom, but maybe she can have someone who will care for her, teach her things I won’t know how to.

  It was just a year ago that we were at this same event, and Penny wouldn’t leave my side, making me dance with her. I grin at the memory. I wonder where Abbie and Finn are. They confirmed they were coming.

  I scan the place again and head over to the drinks table to grab a pop. At least this will make me look busy. I face the crowd again and find hazel eyes locked on me. A smile brushes Sutton’s face as we make contact, and she waves from her spot beside the stage. Waving back, I mouth, Good luck.

  “Hey!” My head whips to the left. Poppy stands with a huge smile and her hand on her chin. Light catches something on her hand, and my eyebrows shoot up.

  “I see congratulations are in order?” I smirk.

  “Yes!” She jumps up and down, her loud shriek turning heads. “Harris proposed earlier today. I’m so freaking excited.” She shoves her left hand in my face. I laugh and hold it, nodding as I look at the ring.

  “I’m happy for you, Poppy.” I give her a hug.

  “Thanks! Where’s Abbie? I want to tell her.”

  “I was looking for her, bu
t I don’t think she’s here yet.” My eyes move around again.

  “Ugh,” Poppy groans. She pulls her phone out and taps the screen. I’m sure she’s sending Abbie a message demanding she show up.

  “She’ll be here soon,” Poppy announces. “Let’s go sit.”

  We make our way to the tables, sitting at an empty one that will fit most of us coming to the sock hop. The tables are informally set since we won’t have a sit-down dinner, but snacks will be placed on a table for everyone to grab.

  Shortly after, Axel and Lia arrive and sit with us. I catch up with Axel and talk about our ranches as Lia and Poppy seem to start wedding planning. When Abbie arrives, she goes crazy, pulling Poppy into a hug. Finn stares at me with wide eyes and back at his girlfriend.

  “I take it she’ll be really excited whenever I propose.” He drops on a seat next to me.

  “Yup.” I nod and look out on the dance floor to make sure Penny’s still there. She knows better than to run off without telling me where she’s going, but I know how excited you get as a kid when you’re with your friends.

  We talk and catch up until Mr. Powell introduces Knox and Sutton. Once they’re on stage, Ainsley and Harris head over to the table, whispered congratulations said before the music starts to play.

  My eyes are glued to the stage as I watch Sutton strum her guitar and smile at the crowd while Knox opens up the song. She’s dressed the part, full pink skirt with a silver poodle, white button-down shirt tucked into her skirt, and her short blonde hair curled and some kind of bandana thing tied around her head.

  She looks beautiful, and I can’t help but admire her as her voice rings around the hall. I’m mesmerized watching her perform song after song. She looks innocent dressed that way, but when I see the heat in her eyes when they lock on mine, I know her thoughts are right there with me. There’s no denying our attraction. I can’t even turn a blind eye to it after the day we spent on Sunday.

  Penny comes up to me and climbs my lap, placing her head on my shoulder.

  “She’s really good,” she whispers as she watches the performance with me. I hold my little girl and kiss the top of her head. Sometimes I wonder if she’d be different had she had a mother in her life. Would she still love to go horseback riding with me and hang out at the ranch? Would she be more girly?

  “Yeah, sweetheart, she is.” I sway her to the beat of the music and sing the songs I know into her ear. Knox and Ainsley play some of their songs, but then they switch to oldies, including Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.

  “Wanna dance?” I look down at Penny, hoping I’ll hold the place of dance partner in her life for a little while longer.

  “Yeah.” Her face lights up.

  Our friends join us, singing and dancing along as Knox and Sutton give us an amazing performance, either singing duets or solo performances. When a slower song comes on, Penny hugs my body and steps on my toes like she’s seen girls do in television shows and movies before. I smile down at her and move us around the dance floor as she giggles.

  After a few more songs, Knox and Sutton thank the crowd and step off stage to a wave of claps and cheers.

  “I’m thirsty,” Penny says as she leans into me.

  “Let’s get you some lemonade.” I walk her over to the drinks table and serve her a cup of lemonade from the pitcher.

  “Oh, I want popcorn, too.” She eyes the table next to us that has some snacks placed already. Grabbing a prepared bag of popcorn, we head back to the table.

  “Oh man, did I take your seat?” Sutton stands.

  “No, stay.” I motion for her to remain seated and turn to the table next to us. “May I?” I ask the couple sitting at the table.

  When they give me the okay, I bring the chair over. Before I can tell Penny to sit, we hear her name being called from across the room. She leaves her lemonade and uneaten popcorn and runs off to her friends.

  I drop on the seat with a loud sigh and run a hand down my face.

  “She’s quite the social butterfly today,” Abbie mentions.

  “I know. I have no idea when she came out of her shell.”

  “Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You were Mr. Popular in school,” Abbie smirks, and I roll my eyes, taking a drink of pop. I may have been popular in high school thanks to my football talent, but I was always more reserved than the rest of the guys.

  “Really?” Sutton scrunches her nose next to me.

  Before I can answer, Abbie cuts in. “Yeah, Gavin was always making up a reason to get together with friends.”

  “Captain of the football team, too. He took our town to State,” Axel pipes in.

  “Interesting.” Sutton looks at me with curious eyes.

  “That was a long time ago. People change.” Silence falls over the table, pity smiles directed at me.

  “And they can change back,” Abbie challenges me. I stare at her with narrowed eyes.

  “Oh, I love this song.” Sutton jumps up, breaking the tension around the table and dragging Ainsley to the dance floor while asking her if she knows something about hand jive.

  I turn to look at them as more people head to dance, enjoying the party. Penny races up to Sutton, leaving her friends behind, and cackles at the hand dance Sutton is doing with Ainsley.

  Taking her time, she teaches Penny each move from slapping her thighs to crossing her hands and throwing her thumbs over her shoulders. Penny gets mixed up a few times, looking up to Sutton and trying to follow along. Sutton slows down, not caring that the music is a faster beat, and keeps in time with Penny.

  “She’s something,” Abbie whispers next to me.

  “Yeah, she definitely is.” I nod, keeping my eyes on my daughter and the woman who has entered our lives unexpectedly.

  “Ohhhh, are those hearts I’m seeing in your eyes?” Abbie teases.

  I turn to glare at her. “You’re a pest,” I deadpan.

  “Not the first time you tell me that.” She puts her arm around my shoulder and places her head against mine. “I want you to be happy, Gav. It’s obvious Sutton likes you, and if you haven’t noticed, then you’re more blind than I can help you with.”

  I take a deep breath and remain silent.

  “And I think you like her, too, but you’ve been stuck on this idea that you can never be happy with another woman that isn’t Hadley that you aren’t even being honest with yourself.” Abbie is right. When Hadley left, I vowed to never give my heart to another woman, but that’s only harmed Penny and me.

  “I’ve thought about asking her out after we went fishing on Sunday,” I confess. “But I don’t know, Abbs. Look at her with Penny. She’s already so attached.”

  “That’s a good thing. I know you’d probably want to first get to know a woman before getting your daughter involved, but you do live in Everton. Privacy is impossible.” We both chuckle at the truth in her statement.

  “I think it’s good that Penny gets along with her. She’s growing up and more mature than you give her credit for. You can talk to her openly and explain that you and Sutton are getting to know each other. I don’t know, word it like a dad would, that’s why you are one,” Abbie laughs. “You know how to talk to Penny, but give her and yourself more credit. You both deserve it.”

  I nod, pensive. “Thanks, cuz.”

  “That’s what I’m here for, to knock sense into you.”

  I pull her to me for a hug, and she almost falls off her chair. I laugh as she yells at me.

  “Let’s go dance.”

  Abbie and I join the others on the dance floor, and immediately Penny shows me the new dance she learned. Pride fills her face as she teaches me the hand movements the same way Sutton had taught her.

  I look over Penny’s head toward Sutton and catch her eyes. The corners of my lips lift gratefully before I look back at Penny when she says I’m doing it wrong.

  Sutton could be really good for us, great even. She could be the saving grace I’ve been in denial about.

&nb
sp; Sutton

  The sock hop was a blast yesterday, and my feet are still throbbing from all the dancing I did in my new saddle shoes. I should’ve broken them in around the house before wearing them. The pain was well worth it, though. Not only did we put on a great performance, but I got to spend the evening with most of my friends. I also got a call from Kelsey, confirming that she’ll be visiting next week.

  Locking up the house, I jump in my car, which thankfully arrived a few days ago, along with my belongings and head toward the town center. I pull into a parking spot and begin to walk around. It’s a beautiful day, finally feeling spring weather, and if my feet didn’t hurt, I’d have come walking from the house.

  Priorities in place, I step into Cup-O-Joe and order the biggest cup of coffee they offer. The entire town is still buzzing about yesterday’s event. I love that all ages were present. It’s charming to watch the entire town come together.

  I take a seat to enjoy my coffee, and a few people congratulate me on yesterday’s performance. I smile and thank them in between sips of the warm deliciousness.

  The only plan I have today is to walk around town, maybe a little shopping, and stock up my house with food. A lazy Sunday is exactly what I need. I settle back on the cushioned chair, twisting the white quartz on the end of my long necklace with my free hand. I smile to myself as I observe the people that come in and out of the coffee shop as well as those sitting at tables.

  People watching has always inspired my music. I create stories based on my observations and write songs about them. Other songs are personal experiences, but sometimes it’s more fun to seek inspiration from outside of myself.

  My head lifts when someone new walks in, and a small smile betrays me. Gavin tips his hat toward me with a crooked smile and waits in line until it’s his turn to order.

  I keep my eyes on him. So many songs can be written by the careful observations I’ve made of him. It was interesting to hear about a different side of him yesterday. I never would’ve guessed that at one point, he wasn’t the reserved man he is now, but I understand that life changes people. While I still don’t know exactly what happened between him and Penny’s mom, I can only imagine it was something that impacted him greatly.