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

  Table of Contents

  title page

  copyright

  social media

  dedication

  reader note

  prologue

  chapter 1

  chapter 2

  chapter 3

  chapter 4

  chapter 5

  chapter 6

  chapter 7

  chapter 8

  chapter 9

  chapter 10

  chapter 11

  chapter 12

  chapter 13

  chapter 14

  chapter 15

  chapter 16

  chapter 17

  chapter 18

  chapter 19

  chapter 20

  chapter 21

  chapter 22

  chapter 23

  chapter 24

  chapter 25

  chapter 26

  chapter 27

  chapter 28

  epilogue

  sneak peek — my way to you

  books by fabiola francisco

  acknowledgments

  about the author

  Copyright © 2020 by Fabiola Francisco

  Publication Date: October 7, 2020

  Then I Met You (Love in Everton, Book 6)

  All rights reserved

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction. Any trademarks, service marks, product names or names featured are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and contains material protected under the International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of the material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the author. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover design by Amy Queau, Q Designs

  Editing by Rebecca Kettner, Editing Ninja

  Cover photo by Deposit Photo

  Interior Design by Cary Hart

  Instagram

  Facebook

  Facebook Reader Group

  Twitter

  Goodreads

  Website

  BookBub

  Newsletter

  For Ally—You finally did it. You made me love the single daddies (without cringing). This one’s for you.

  Gavin

  Five years earlier…

  I press my hand to my cheek, where the feel of a kiss still lingers. My begs and pleas still sounding in my mind as I watched Hadley leave. This can’t be happening. My heart cracks, stops working altogether, and pounds heavily all at the same time—a contradiction that fits this moment.

  Hadley wouldn’t do this to me, to us. She wouldn’t. I refuse to believe it. She’ll be back soon, realizing how wrong she was. She’ll realize how much she loves us and return with her things, saying it was some kind of joke. A sick one, but she’ll be here to make up for it.

  She’s the one—the love of my life. We beat the odds. She’s supposed to be here, raising our daughter together, creating memories we’ll reminisce about when we’re old.

  A piercing wail hits my ears, and my eyes fall shut. Penny. My beautiful baby girl. How do I do this? How do I raise her on my own?

  My body moves on autopilot. I carry Penny and cradle her in my arms, trying to soothe her cries. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

  Dropping onto the couch, I look at my daughter, her gummy mouth as she screams. The way she looks on the outside is how I feel inside. I rock her back and forth, words choking against my dry throat as I attempt to soothe her. When it’s no use, I continue to rock her silently, my own tears falling.

  Maybe I’ll wake up, and this will have just been a nightmare. I’ll have the love of my life lying in my arms and my beautiful baby girl sleeping peacefully in her crib.

  This is just a bad dream…except it’s not, and I have no idea how to move forward from here. I break down, hugging my daughter to my chest, and pray I’ll be strong enough for her. She doesn’t deserve to be abandoned by both parents. Just because one parent didn’t love her enough to stay doesn’t mean I can’t love her for both of us.

  My body wracks with emotions, but I stare at Penny’s tiny face and whisper, “You’ll always be my girl. I promise I’ll always be there.” Then, my cries deepen, and I pray that I’ll be enough for the innocent child that never deserved to be left behind.

  Sutton

  “Oh. My. God. I am so sorry!” I push back against the hard chest I just rammed into, horrified that I wasn’t paying enough attention to notice someone was walking in my direction.

  “’T’s okay.” The deep, gravelly voice hits me with greater embarrassment. I look up into the brown eyes I’ve been craving to see again all these months.

  How can you be part of the same circle of friends and only see each other once? Granted, I don’t live in Everton, but the small Wyoming town has become my second home with all the traveling I do here.

  “You’re the famous singer, right?” The sweet voice reminds me of the main reason why I probably haven’t seen the hunky cowboy since Labor Day, six months ago.

  Hunky? Did I really just use that word?

  I bend down, and my lips split into a genuine smile. “Well, I’m not famous yet, but hopefully one day I will be.”

  I thought there was nothing hotter than a southern gentleman. Until I met a single dad cowboy.

  Penny, Gavin’s daughter, smiles at my response.

  “You’re friends with Knox and Harris,” Gavin finally speaks a full sentence.

  “Yeah.” I nod, standing awkwardly in the middle of the sidewalk with the guy I’ve been crushing on. I thought that by twenty-five I wouldn’t crush on guys anymore. It doesn’t help that lately, the guys I’ve met haven’t been good picks. Most don’t understand the importance of my music career, let alone want the woman to be the star in the relationship.

  “Daddy, the feed store is gonna close.” Penny pulls on her dad’s jean jacket sleeve.

  “We should get going. She loves buying feed for the horses with me.”

  “Yeah, sure. Have fun. Sorry about running into you like that.” My face screws up in a grimace.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  I awkwardly wave them off, watching Gavin and his daughter cross the street and head in the direction of the store.

  I continue walking toward Cup-O-Joe, the local coffee shop in town, to meet Ainsley, Knox Bentley’s wife, for coffee.

  The last thing I ever expected was for this Southern girl to sign a country music contract with a label in Wyoming instead of Nashville, but when Knox Bentley, one of country music’s biggest stars, is one of the founders of said label, it was a no-brainer. I’ve admired his music for far too long to give up the chance to work alongside him.

  I wrap my arms around my body as a gust of wind swooshes by me and focus on keeping my footing. It’s spring for goodness sa
ke, and yet the weather here feels like it’s dead of winter. When Nashville’s temperature is in the low seventies, Everton still threatens with snowfall.

  I pull the door open when I arrive at Cup-O-Joe and welcome the warmth mixed with the soothing, rich scent of roasted coffee.

  “Hey,” Ainsley calls out from a table. Her laptop is opened, covering half of her face.

  “Hey, sorry, I’m late.” I smile, warmth heating my cheeks. I take a seat across from her.

  “What happened?” Her blue eyes twinkle as she watches my blush.

  “Ugh.” I drop my head forward, landing with a thud on the table.

  Ainsley giggles across from me, and I lift my head enough to glare at her.

  “First, I need coffee. Do you want anything?”

  Ainsley asks for a latte, and I walk up to the counter to order two lattes, a muffin, and a chocolate chip cookie. Whoever said cookies can’t be breakfast food didn’t know what the good stuff in life is.

  Once I sit back down, Ainsley raises her eyebrows. “Okay, spill.”

  “I ran into Gavin, Abbie’s cousin. You know him.” She nods in acknowledgment. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and slammed into him. It was so embarrassing,” I groan.

  “I think it’s adorable you have a crush on him. It reminds me of being young again,” Ainsley sighs, a hint of mockery in her tone.

  “You’re so obnoxious.” I steal her muffin.

  “Hey,” Ainsley calls out.

  I chuckle and wave the muffin over my head.

  Ainsley’s eyes widen, and she leans forward. “Guess who just walked in.” Her voice comes out in a rushed whisper.

  “Pfftt… As if I’m going to fall for that. Remember, we toured together. I’ve learned to read you.” Knox and I went on our first tour together, three months around the United States, going to major cities in the hopes we can add more. It was an amazing experience opening for him and spending time on the road. The best part was that Ainsley was with us, so I wasn't stuck with Knox and Harris, the label’s co-owner. I had another woman on my side, who knows the difference between fringe and sequins.

  “Okay.” She leans back on her chair and crosses her arms over her chest. When she waves at someone behind me, I turn around and drop the muffin on the floor.

  Gavin tips his hat at Ainsley before bending down to hear what Penny is telling him. My head snaps back to her, and I glare.

  “I told you,” she smiles. “You owe me a new muffin.” She points to the counter where Gavin is.

  “Now?”

  “You’d think someone who was so confident on a stage wouldn’t be afraid to talk to a guy she likes.”

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” I lean forward on my elbows and confess. “I’m usually outgoing, but Gavin is so reserved that he intimidates me.”

  “Could it be that he’s a dad,” she shrugs, pinching her lips to the side as she ponders her own question.

  “Maybe. It’s kinda weird, right? I never thought I’d like someone who already has a child.”

  “Humph.” I look up to see an older woman standing by our table, staring at the muffin I dropped with narrowed eyes of disappointment.

  “Sorry,” I mumble and reach down to pick up the pastry that offended the woman.

  I stand and dump it, getting in line to buy Ainsley a new one. She gives me a triumphant smile, and I glare in return.

  “We meet again.” I flick my wrist in a half-wave when Gavin turns to look at me.

  “Yeah,” he nods. Thankfully, Penny giggles at my awkward greeting.

  “We just saw you!”

  “You did. Did you buy all the feed you needed?” I bend down and focus on her instead of her distant father.

  “Yes, and then Daddy promised me hot cocoa since I was such a good helper.” She twirls around, messy pigtails flying around her face. Her plaid button-down shirt and small cowboy boots tucked into her jeans are the perfect cowgirl outfit.

  “Good job,” I pat her head.

  With a tight smile, I order Ainsley’s muffin and wait for the barista to hand it to me.

  “Bye, Famous Singer,” Penny sing-songs with an enthusiastic wave.

  I laugh and wave back, not bothering to correct her. Gavin whispers something as he leads her out of the coffee shop.

  Ainsley’s shoulders shake with laughter as I sit back down and shove the muffin in her face. “At least Penny likes you.” Her amused observation does not make me laugh.

  “Ugh.” I tilt my head back. “Why do I even care when I don’t live in Everton? It’s not like I could actually have a relationship with someone from here, let alone a single father.” Everton isn’t my home, and daydreaming of a man who lives here is pretty pointless, especially when my career is only getting more chaotic.

  I love what I do, and I’ve been fighting for my break into the music industry for a few years now, even auditioning for Music Unplugged. I almost gave up when I didn’t get accepted into the singing competition.

  It’s hard living away from my Mississippi home. I miss my family and the friends I left behind when I decided to move to Nashville, but when we have a dream, we risk it all to accomplish it. Leaving Mississippi was out of my comfort zone, and yet here I am living out something I’ve wanted since I was a little girl. It was worth taking a leap of faith, even with the years of work it took to get here.

  I used to help my dad around his ranch with cowgirl boots and messy blonde hair, tangled with strands of hay from swiping my hands through it after attempting to help pack hay. I’d sing to old country songs and imagine performing for a huge crowd.

  “Are you still thinking about getting a place here?” Ainsley interrupts my nostalgic thoughts.

  I shrug. “I don’t know if it’s worth it. I know I spend a lot of time here, but I already have my apartment in Nashville. I can’t really afford two places. Averly has been kind enough to give me a discount at her bed and breakfast for booking weeks at a time, but I feel the hit financially.”

  Averly is another friend I’ve made here in Everton. She’s married to Eli, Knox’s best friend, and it’s been so helpful staying at her bed and breakfast.

  “It feels like lately, you’ve spent more time here than Nashville.”

  “I was while we were preparing for the tour. It was just easier to be here, but I play in a lot more bars in Nashville than here.” I have a schedule of gigs I play weekly at some bars in Nashville. I know once my record goes out and I begin touring, that will change. By then, I’ll be able to afford two apartments if I want, but right now, it’s not possible.

  Touring with Knox was a great way to get my name out there and my music in front of a lot of people’s ears. My first album is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and a few other streaming sites. I’m moving in the right direction, it just takes a bit to get the ball rolling and royalties to come in.

  “Well, I have good news.” Ainsley’s smile sparkles, lighting up her blue eyes.

  “What?” I lean forward, tense with anticipation.

  “You’ve hit one hundred thousand followers on Instagram and…” Ainsley pauses dramatically.

  “Don’t torture me now,” I beg.

  “Your single, ‘He Ain’t Worth the Heartache’ is featured on Apple Music’s Hot Tracks in Country Music and in the Top 100 for the genre.”

  “Shut the front door,” I exclaim, jumping in my chair.

  “Yup,” she grins widely. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you, but honestly, I couldn’t do it without you. I know you didn’t want to work with the label, but you’ve been a godsend.” I tell her honestly, squeezing her hand across the table.

  Knox tried to get Ainsley to take charge of marketing for the label, but she refused. She didn’t want business to get in the way of their relationship, and later, marriage. I asked her, desperate for her help, over a year ago, and she agreed to work with me.

  The process of writing, producing, and releasing my album has taken l
onger than I could’ve ever imagined, but seeing it succeed like this makes my heart fly. It was a naïve dream to think I’d have an album out in three months, but a year and a half after working with Bentley Records, I’ve got my first album out, opened for Knox on tour, and I am starting to write songs for my second album. Dreams happen when the hustle is strong, and the mindset is right.

  “You don’t need to thank me. You work hard and show up each day with a positive attitude. That makes a huge difference,” Ainsley tells me. I nod and smile.

  “What did Knox and Harris say?” I lift my eyebrows.

  “They don’t know yet.” Ainsley waggles her eyebrows conspiratorially. “Do you want to brag about it?”

  “Hell, yes! Wait…” I lift my hand. “How is Knox’s new single doing?” Knox had taken time off from the music industry and decided to make a comeback once he and Harris started the label.

  “He’s also in the Top 100, right below you,” Ainsley teases, singing the last part.

  “No,” I gasp.

  “Yup.”

  “I’m definitely going to brag! Ready to go?” I smirk.

  Ainsley’s laughter rings around us as she nods and stands. Throwing our trash away, we head out of the coffee shop and toward Ainsley’s car. Everton is small enough that I don’t need to rent a car when I visit since everything is within walking distance, but Knox’s house is a little further away from Main Street, and it’s cold as heck to be walking a couple miles in this weather.

  Ainsley chuckles as I go over ways to break the news to Knox while she drives to their house, where they have the studio. A small amount of friendly competition can’t be a bad thing.

  Sutton

  I sit on the bed of the rustic teal pickup truck, my cowboy boots swaying beneath me, and my guitar propped on my lap. I smile at the camera as Abbie, a friend and the most talented photographer I know, snaps a picture. She also happens to be Gavin’s cousin.

  Six degrees of separation doesn’t exist in Everton. Here, it’s more like three degrees of separation, which has its pros and cons. Thanks to Knox having a group of friends, and Harris moving here and meeting Poppy, who is one of Abbie’s best friends, I have a group of friends I spend time with when I visit. You see, three degrees, and that’s just half of the people I know. I could ramble on for hours about how everyone is connected one way or another.