“Ummm…” He looks around, avoiding her eyes.
“You don’t want to tell me the name of your town? I’d love to visit, take some pictures of your wife and kids one day. Introduce the world to one of the many paparazzi that brings them their favorite gossip.” I bite down my lips and cover my mouth with my hand.
“You can’t do that,” he argues, his eyes bulging.
“Really? Because that’s what you’re doing to me.” She lifts a hand, and I can guess that she’s pointing a finger at him.
“This is different.” This guy is clearly mistaken. How is following one person any different than another?
“Why? Because I’m a singer? Well, you’re the man behind the camera.”
“What are you doing?” The man’s voice sounds panicked as Sutton reaches for her phone in her back pocket and aims at him.
“Taking your picture. Smile, or it’s not going to be a flattering one. I’m sure with your photo, I’ll be able to find out where your family lives. After all, you use contacts to find my whereabouts, right?”
“Hey!” The man lifts his hands to cover his face, the camera falling against his chest on the strap around his neck. A few other locals have gathered around to see what is going on.
“I’m just doing what you’ve done to the people I care about and me. It doesn’t feel good, right? Imagine having your picture taken without even being aware. At least I’m giving you a head’s up. Imagine waking up and seeing a picture of your wife and kids online for anyone to see. With the way the world is nowadays, I’m sure you wouldn’t want photos of your children easily accessible to creeps on the internet, with your location constantly published so people can track you down. It’s dangerous, isn’t it?”
“I’m just doing my job,” the man argues. I look around and notice the crowd has grown.
“And I’m just doing mine. That doesn’t give you a right to take photos of innocent people, especially children. You have no idea the repercussions that could come of it. You could destroy a family. Do you really want that on your shoulders, Stan? Karma is a bitch.”
“How… How do you know my name?” His eyes grow wide.
I stare on in disbelief.
“I told you I have my connections. If I find out you post one more photo of that girl, your family becomes public. After all, it isn’t illegal to take photos of people on public property, right?”
Stan pales and shakes his head. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop.”
“Now, if you want to photograph me performing, on tour, or anything business-related, you’re welcome to. I know what I signed up for, but my relationship and the people involved are off-limits. Got it?” The man nods rapidly and scurries away.
Witnessing Sutton stand up for Penny and protect her just as I would, fuck… There are no words for that. A few people standing around praise Sutton for standing up for herself, and she smiles at them in gratitude. When she’s fully turned, her eyes catch mine and widen. Her mouth falls open.
A small smile marks my lips, and I nod once, tipping my hat. The answer to Abbie’s question becomes clear as day—Sutton is definitely the woman I want in my life. And a part of me knows I’ve already fallen for her.
Before I can talk to Sutton, my phone rings. I hastily answer when I see the elementary school’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Gavin, it’s Poppy.”
“Is everything okay?” My heart races.
“Yes, but I think you should come to pick up Penny. She’s okay, I promise, but it seems some of the students heard about the photos on the internet, and she’s been getting more attention than she’s used to. She came to talk to me and told me the kids were asking her about you and Sutton being ‘boyfriend and girlfriend.’”
My eyes fall shut, and my heart gallops. She’s been getting more attention than I’d like from kids lately. “Thanks, Poppy. I’ll be right there.”
Before I can hang up, she calls out. “She’s with Faith in the office.”
I breathe out, stressed and upset about this. Running to my car, I hop in my truck and fly down the street to the school.
As soon as I walk into the office, Penny rushes toward me and hugs my waist. I pick her up and kiss her forehead.
“Hey, baby.” Penny sneaks her face into my neck.
“You can sign her out here,” Faith says behind the counter.
“Thanks.”
Faith smiles and nods. I’m lucky as hell that two friends work at the school. If ever I knew how important it was to have Poppy and Faith working here, today proved it.
As soon as I buckle Penny into the seat, I stare at her sad eyes. “Tell me what happened.”
“Dana told me that she saw pictures of you and me on the computer. Her mom was looking at them and said it was because you are Sutton’s boyfriend. Then, the other students started making fun of me. They said I was going to finally have a mommy because I was the only girl in class that didn’t have one.”
My eyes shut, and I will my heart to slow down. Tears prickle my eyes, but I control them before looking at Penny.
“You do have a mommy. That’s how you were born.”
“Then, where is she?” Penny’s furrowed eyebrows are full of confusion. I don’t blame her. This was never an issue until now, but I knew it was inevitable.
Taking a deep breath, I prepare for a conversation I wish I could avoid for the rest of my life.
“She doesn’t live here anymore.”
“Why not?” Penny’s small voice interrupts me.
“Your mommy’s name is Hadley, but she had to move out of Everton. However, you are so loved. You know how much Grandma, Grandpa, and I love you, right?” Penny nods. “And Abbie, Emily, Sienna, your aunt and uncle.” I name all the people who love her in hopes that it will dilute the fact that her mother isn’t here.
“I know, Daddy,” she whispers.
“We’re just a different kind of a family. It makes us unique. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad because of that.”
“So, I do have a mom?” Her eyes widen.
“Yeah, sweetheart.” I unbuckle her seatbelt and hug her to me. “You’ve got a mom and a dad who loves you very much. You’re the most important person in my life.”
“If you and Sutton get married, she wouldn’t be my mom?”
I move back to look at Penny in the eyes. I run a hand through my hair and exhale loudly. This is a lot more to explain than I anticipated. Abbie told me to be honest with her, and it’s all I can do, or Penny will live in confusion. I want her to understand the world around her, but I also want to keep her safe. However, keeping her in a fake bubble isn’t the solution either.
“I don’t know if Sutton and I will get married. If I were to ever marry someone again, that person would be a different kind of mom. I’m sure that she’d love you so much, too.” Remembering how Sutton stood up for Penny earlier, I realize that she already loves Penny.
“I like Sutton,” Penny whispers.
“I do, too.”
“Then why haven’t we seen her?” Her lips press into a straight line, and her furrow deepens.
“We have had adult things to work on. Also, you know Sutton travels a lot for work. Sometimes, she’ll be in concerts for some months.”
“Could we go with her?” Her eyes widen.
I chuckle and shake my head. “You have school, and I have work. We can’t go away for such a long time, but maybe we can go to a concert that’s closer to Everton.” I say this to her without thinking about the uncertainty of my current relationship with Sutton.
“Yes!” Penny smiles.
“Are you okay?” I lean my head back and observe her with narrowed eyes.
Penny nods. “I was sad thinking I didn’t have a mom, but I do.”
“Yeah. One day, I can show you pictures of her. Would you like that?”
“Yes. Was she pretty?”
“Very. You look like her.” My heart beats against my ribs as I rec
all Hadley and how much Penny reminds me of her at times. People say Penny is the spitting image of me, but when she laughs and dances around, she’s just like her mother.
“How about we go home, and you teach me how to make that ice cream experiment you did in school?”
“Really?” Her smile brightens her entire face, and I sigh in relief.
“Yes.” I kiss her forehead and buckle her again before driving home.
After telling me what ingredients we need and teaching me what to do as if she were a teacher, Penny and I sit on the counter in the kitchen, eating spoonfuls of ice cream from a ziplock bag.
Penny giggles as we talk, and I tell her about the kind of baby she was. Her happiness is back in full force, and I’m grateful I was able to talk to her without feeling guilty. My girl is tough as nails, and she’s so happy. I’m even more grateful that she understood our conversation earlier. I know she’ll have more questions about her mom. It would be normal for her to be curious.
“We should’ve put sprinkles in the ice cream,” Penny says.
“How about we put some in now?” I jump off the counter and reach for the container full of colorful sprinkles.
“Yes!” Penny hisses in glee. She opens up the bag, and I shake the container until the top layer of ice cream is full of sprinkles.
“More,” Penny demands. I laugh and shake my head.
“That’s enough for now. We’ll add more as we go.” It’s not the best ice cream I’ve had, but it’s worth every bite as I sit with Penny and spend time with her. Moments like this make life worth living. They make the fight tolerable. I realize now that my fear of hurting Penny with the truth was self-inflicted. It was a projection of my own insecurities and hurt.
Seeing her be okay with the reality of our lives, continuing to be the same girl, gives me hope. She’s a lesson for me to understand that the past doesn’t have to control the way we feel and act. Penny knows that she is loved, and one incident isn’t going to change her complete outlook in life. I could learn a thing or two from her.
Sutton
My hands tremble as I drive up the dusty road. I normally wouldn’t show up somewhere unannounced, but after seeing Gavin witness my face-off with the photographer and walking away, I feel like I owe him an apology. Maybe I don’t. Maybe this is an excuse to see him and talk to him.
This week has been hell. When I spotted the photographer today, I didn’t think as I walked toward him. I was impressed that he watched me approach him instead of getting in his car and driving away. I wanted to knock some sense into him. He can take as many pictures of me as he wants. Okay, not as many as he wants, but I know what I signed up for. However, I couldn’t allow him to continue photographing Penny. She’s just a girl.
It was pure luck that I guessed he had kids. After that, I wasn’t backing down until he got a taste of his own medicine. So, he may tell the world I’m crazy. Or, he may respect what I said and leave Gavin and Penny alone.
There’s no telling until the next photo is published.
I park the car in front of the house and take a deep breath. My heart thunders against my ribcage. I wipe my hands down my jeans and step out of my car. Here goes nothing.
Walking through the damp ground, I step onto the porch and knock on the wooden door. A pair of boots sit on the porch by the door. I pick at my nails while I wait for someone to answer, shifting from foot to foot, unable to stand comfortably.
The door swings open, and my head snaps up. I come face to face with wide brown eyes that quickly collect themselves.
“Hey,” Gavin says, gripping the side of the door.
“Hi.” I smile tightly as I take a deep breath. “I’m sorry to show up without calling first, but I wanted to apologize for earlier. I’m sure you didn’t want half the town to hear me talk to the photographer about you and Penny. I know you probably hated that. I didn’t think so many people would gather around and listen. I didn’t mean for it to become such a spectacle.” I put my hands in my pockets and shrug.
“Do you want to come inside?” Gavin opens the door wider.
“Um, okay…” I nod and walk into the rustic home that is exactly what I’d imagine his farmhouse to look like—white walls with wooden beams spanning across the ceiling. Family photos hang on the walls as I follow Gavin into the living room.
I sit on the sofa when Gavin invites me to and cross my legs, waiting for him to say something. I’ll take any kind of response.
“You don’t need to apologize. Thank you for standing up for Penny like that. I got a call from the school and had to run off.”
“Is Penny okay?” I look around the living room for any sign of her.
“She is now,” Gavin nods. “She went with my mom to the store. There was an incident with the students teasing her about the photographs that were posted on the internet.”
“Goodness, I’m so sorry, Gavin.” I shake my head, realizing how much worse this situation is than I could’ve imagined. I didn’t expect kids to know about this.
“She’s okay,” he promises with a firm nod. “Some of the kids were saying she would finally have a mom since she was the only girl in the class without one.” His throat bobs as he swallows thickly.
“I talked to her and explained she did have a mom, who doesn’t live in Everton anymore.” My hand covers my mouth. I can’t imagine how that conversation must’ve gone. As if reading my mind, Gavin adds, “Penny understood, much to my surprise. My fear of her feeling as if she wasn’t good enough didn’t even become a problem. She had questions, which is normal.”
I nod, looking around the living room as my breath hitches. On the coffee table, I see a stack of photos next to an opened box that I missed when I first walked in. I bite down my lips and take a slow breath as my heart pounds in the base of my throat.
Gavin must notice my discomfort because he scoots closer and reaches for my hand.
“I was sorting those for Penny,” he whispers. I turn to look at him. “She asked about Hadley, and I couldn’t just pretend she didn’t exist, as much as I’d like to. I told her I had pictures that I could show her one day.”
I nod, silent. The elephant in the room sits on the edge of that coffee table, and I can’t ignore it. It’s as if its trunk is poking me incessantly until I pay attention.
“Maybe it’s for the best that we decided to go our separate ways,” I say, so quietly I’m not sure Gavin hears me.
“You made that choice for me. You didn’t give me a chance to respond, to process.” I look from the pictures to him with furrowed eyebrows.
“Gavin—”
“No, it’s time for you to listen to me now.” He turns his body and stretches his long legs out.
“You dropped a bomb on me and didn’t let me speak. It’s true that I was caught off-guard and scared that my past was being splayed for everyone to read. I was scared Hadley would see the news and come after Penny, which I know is ridiculous since I have full custody.” He pauses and clears his throat as his face grows serious. “She’s my whole world, so you have to understand that I panicked. All I could think about was protecting her.”
“I know,” I whisper. “It’s why I gave you the chance to walk.”
“But you didn’t give me time to talk, time to actually grasp what you were telling me. I like you, Sutton, and that’s something you can’t give me an out for. I’ve been living these past few years like a miserable man, sure that I’d never be as happy as I once was. I resigned myself to raising Penny, putting on a happy face for her, and sleeping at night with the painful memories of being abandoned.”
“Gavin…” My eyebrows knit together.
“Let’s start over,” he suggests. “Hi, I’m Gavin.” He reaches his hand out.
I stare at it, and then my eyes flicker back to his. Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t want to start over. I don’t want to pretend that we haven’t already built memories. This is part of our story.” My tense jaw relaxes. I can’t forget everything w
e’ve already lived, running into him, our first kiss. Starting over isn’t possible.
Gavin runs his outstretched hand over his face. When I get a clear view of him again, a crooked smile lifts one side of his lips.
“I want you in my life. I want you in Penny’s life. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too. I wanted to call you so badly, but I didn’t want to hurt you more than I had.”
“You didn’t hurt me.” He shakes his head, his jaw ticking. “Understand that.”
“Hurt by association. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to stress about being in the media. Penny wouldn’t have been hurt by her classmates.”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have found myself again. This helped. It gave me the chance to talk to Penny. It allowed me to release some of the weight I’ve been carrying by keeping her mother hidden from her for fear that the truth would hurt her.”
“And that it would hurt you,” I say, tilting my head. Gavin nods, blowing air from between his lips.
“I thought it would. But then I met you, and everything changed. You reminded me of the man I was, the man I’ve missed, the man Penny should know as her father.”
I bite my trembling lower lip as my eyes water. My breath comes out shaky, full of emotion.
“You’re perfect for me…for us.”
Before I can respond, the front door bursts open, and I jump. Penny runs into the living room, and her eyes light up when she sees me. A wide smile appears on her face.
“I knew it was you! Didn’t I tell you, Grandma?” she shouts, looking at her grandmother over her shoulder.
I smile at Penny and look at Alicia. “I’m sorry for coming unannounced.”
“Nonsense.” She waves my apology away with a kind smile. “You’re always welcome here.”
“Thank you,” I grin and look back at Gavin. He winks, his smile reflecting back at me and that one dimple I love seeing pop up on his cheek.
“Are you staying for supper? We’re making steaks. Can she stay?” Penny’s wide eyes turn to Gavin.
“No, I was getting ready to leave.” I don’t want to impose more than I have.
Then I Met You: A single dad romance (Love in Everton Book 6) Page 19
