Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
"Sutton? Honey, is that you?"
A blush steals across my face at the sound of my mom's voice in my ear. Crap. Definitely not Caleb.
"Oh. Hey, Mama."
"Hey, sweet girl." Her voice is laced with an unease that instantly has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. My fingers go still on the keys, the melody dying a slow death.
Koda seems to pick up on the sudden tension in the room and scampers under the piano, his fluffy tail hidden between his legs
I swallow hard, suddenly nervous. "What's up, Mama?"
There's a pause and then she speaks in a low, worried voice. "Honey, you should check Celebrity Teatime."
Her words shatter the peace of the morning. I turn slightly cold at the mention of the popular gossip blog that has been my worst nightmare for years. "Why?" I ask trying to keep my tone casual, even as my heart starts pounding like it's trying to escape my chest.
"Oh, honey… someone got pictures of you and Caleb kissing outside of a hardware store. They're all over the internet right now."
My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach, fear gripping me like a vise. How did they find me? The answer immediately drifts to the surface of my mind. Darla. She was standing at the door, watching us when we were in the parking lot. She must have taken photos.
"Alright, Mama… I'll check it out," I whisper, dread coiling in my gut.
She murmurs something comforting but I'm barely listening as I stumble toward my laptop, my mind racing with thoughts of exposure and paparazzi descending on our little haven in the mountains.
Koda whimpers from beneath the piano, sensing my distress. A soft sob escapes me as I pull up the website and see the headline.
Country Star Packs on the PDA with Hot New Man in Cozy Mountain Hideaway!
In the first photo, our bodies are entwined in a tender embrace. It feels intimate and vulnerable, like we are the only two people in the world. Our faces are partially hidden from view, adding to the sense of intimacy. The second photo captures us in conversation, with Caleb's back turned to the camera but my face fully visible. Our body language speaks volumes.
In the third photo, Caleb stands alone outside of his truck. His strong figure is silhouetted against the sun's warm glow, making him look absolutely striking and beautiful.
My secret is out. The whole world knows where I am now. They know about Caleb.
"Mama," I whisper, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes. "What am I going to do?"
"You have to tell him, sweet girl," my mom says, her voice full of empathetic understanding. If anyone knows what it's like to be the center of media attention, it's her. "It won't be long before photographers show up."
"He knows who I am."
Her silence speaks volume.
'I…I told him the day before yesterday." I swallow convulsively. "He knows about you and Dad too."
"You told him?" she whispers.
"I'm in love with him, Mama."
"Oh, Sutton," she breathes. "Of course you are, sweet girl. It was obvious the first time you told me about him."
She knows me better than anyone. She knows how protective I am of my family and how careful I've been to keep my time here carefully concealed. She also knows that I've never let myself get close to anyone. The fact that I was getting close to Caleb meant something. She saw it before I did.
"He loves me too."
"Of course he does, Sutton," she says with a soft laugh. "I may be biased because I've spent your whole life being your mama, but I know you. And I know that anyone who has the fortune of knowing you is blessed because you're one of the most giving, loyal people I've ever met. You always pour your whole self into loving others. How could he not love you if he truly knows you?"
"Mama," I sob. "You aren't supposed to make me cry. I'm already crying!"
"No tears, sweet girl. I'm just saying, if Caleb is a smart man, of course he loves you. And of course, you picked a good man, Sutton. You've lived with one your entire life. You know how to spot one when you find one."
I sniffle, wiping the back of my hand across my eyes. "Will you and Dad come? I w-want you to meet him." If the paparazzi are going to descend on town and turn this place into a madhouse trying to get photos of us, I want my parents to meet him first. It's important to me that they meet the man I love before the whole world inserts themselves into our relationship and turns it into something it isn't. I want them to know the Caleb I do…the incredible, caring man who loves me beyond all reason.
"Of course we'll come, Sutton. Do you honestly think we'll be able to keep your daddy away?"