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

  At times, Everton feels more like home than Nashville because of the close-knit support system I have.

  “Okay, lay the guitar next to you at a small angle, so part of the neck is on your lap.” I do as she instructs and look at her.

  “Yes, that’s perfect. Now, turn your head to the left.” I turn my head and wait for the okay. “A little less.” Abbie walks toward me and holds my face, positioning it exactly where she wants it.

  I hear the snapping of her camera but don’t dare move until she tells me what my next position will be.

  “How’s it going?” Knox’s voice hits my ears.

  “Great,” Abbie responds. “I’m taking a variety of photos like we spoke about. I’m sure one can be used for the album cover, but you’ll have plenty for promotions, social media, posters, and digital teasers and banners.”

  “Perfect. How are you doing?” Knox asks me.

  I finally turn my head to face him and beam. “Let me see, I have a song higher on the Apple Music rank than you,” I brag.

  “You’re such a brat,” Knox chuckles.

  “That’s awesome,” Abbie pipes up. “Congrats!”

  “Thank you. It’s surreal.” I shake my head and bite down my smile. I am still trying to process the news Ainsley gave me two days ago.

  “We should go to Clarke’s tonight to celebrate,” Abbie suggests. Clarke’s is Everton’s local watering hole. “Finn and I are going with Poppy and Harris, and I believe Faith is as well,” she mentions her other best friend.

  “Harris mentioned something,” Knox nods. “We’ll be there.” He turns to look at me.

  “Same. I wouldn’t miss a chance to tell all of Everton that the new singer in town knocked your ass off the charts.”

  Knox rolls his eyes, and a burst of boisterous laughter leaves my lips. “He’s going to kick me off of the label if I keep teasin’ him,” I whisper to Abbie.

  She giggles and shakes her head before we move around Knox’s dad’s ranch to take pictures in the barn.

  The vast land is so different than where I grew up, yet the sense of home brushes in the wind. It’s the rural lifestyle and humility of this place. Granted, Knox’s family has hundreds of acres where my dad has about thirty in his smaller ranch, but being here always pours nostalgia out of me.

  In the year and a half that I’ve known and worked with Knox and Harris, they’ve become like family. A lot of that has to do with the fact that they understand and appreciate the simple things. I may have up and moved to Nashville to chase my dream, but deep down, I’m just a southern girl wanting to share her voice with the world.

  “Oh, I ran into your cousin the other day,” I throw naturally at Abbie.

  “Gavin? Really?” Her eyebrows raise a tiny bit, and a small smile marks her face.

  “Yeah, he was with his daughter. I literally ran into him, it was so embarrassin’.” I recall that incident.

  Abbie giggles. “Like you crashed into him?”

  “Yeah,” I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut.

  “Oh man,” she tries to hold in her giggles. “I’m sure he didn’t care.”

  “No, he was cool about it. I, on the other hand, was mortified. I don’t think he remembered me, which was even more embarrassing.”

  “Is this your way of telling me you have a crush on my cousin?” Abbie’s eyes narrow, and mine pop open.

  “What? No. Why would you say that? Oh my God, Abbie, I just ran into him…” I ramble in defense, sounding like a bitch. When her laughter interrupts me, I glare at her.

  “I’m just teasing you. It was pretty obvious you thought he was cute when you met him on Labor Day.”

  “Really?” My eyes widen, and I cringe. “Do you think he noticed?”

  “No way. Gavin is… Well, he kinda lives in his own world most days.” Abbie frowns.

  I nod. I have no idea what his story is, but I can imagine raising a daughter on your own would keep you preoccupied.

  “Anyway, he’ll be at Clarke’s tonight. I try to get him out of the house and with adult interaction whenever I can.”

  “Cool,” I attempt to be nonchalant. Abbie smiles but doesn’t tease me, for which I’m grateful.

  “Does this mean you don’t want to star in my next blind photoshoot?”

  “I still can’t get over those photos.” I shake my head and sigh dreamily.

  Abbie set up a photoshoot between two strangers last summer, where they met the day of the shoot. The photos she shared were spectacular.

  When Knox and Harris told me they wanted her to shoot my photos for the album cover and promotions, I was on board without thinking twice. Granted, at the end of the day, they make the decisions, being the owners of the label, but I like that they consult some things with me. I don’t feel like a number or moneymaker for them.

  “I could secretly set both you and Gavin up for a photoshoot and not tell you until you showed up there.” I see the wheels turning in her mind.

  “Don’t you dare,” I warn with wide eyes.

  “I’m only kidding,” she chuckles.

  While I wouldn’t mind having to take photos with him, I don’t want his cousin setting us up. That’s more awkward than face-planting into his chest in the middle of town.

  Once Abbie finishes up the photos, I release a heavy exhale. As much fun as it is to work with her, doing a photoshoot is exhausting. All the sitting and standing and put your hand here and there and hold the guitar while always smiling.

  “Ready to go?” Knox approaches us.

  “Yeah. I’m tired and hungry,” I tell him.

  “When aren’t you hungry?” He rubs my head.

  “Hey! I need to keep the hair intact for tonight.” I pat down and make sure the waves on my short hair aren’t frizzy.

  “I’ll edit and send you some pictures after the weekend and have the rest for you in two weeks.” Abbie packs up her camera.

  “Sounds perfect. Thanks,” Knox responds. “We’ll see you tonight.”

  “Yeah.” Abbie waves and walks to her car.

  Knox turns to me and smiles. “Ready to write some music?”

  “Heck, yes.” I skip toward Knox’s truck. His chuckles leave a trail behind me.

  …

  I’m cradling a whiskey soda between both hands as I stand next to Ainsley at Clarke’s. Axel, Knox’s brother, is telling us how his wife, Lia, and him, helped birth one of their mares today. Fortunately, Lia is a veterinarian, and Axel has been raised on a ranch and helps his dad run it.

  “Sutton, Harris told me about your single,” Poppy, Harris’s girlfriend beams. “This is so great. You deserve it, big time.”

  “Thank you,” I smile as warmth sneaks up my cheeks.

  “What happened?” Lia asks.

  “Her single is in the Top 100 ranks for country music on Apple,” Poppy explains.

  “No way! Congrats,” Lia beams. “Is this ‘He Ain’t Worth the Heartache’?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I love that song,” Lia sighs. “Such an empowering one.” Everyone around us says their congratulations. In the time I’ve known them, I’ve become like a little sister to this group, with being the youngest and all. It’s nice since I’m the oldest in my family. It gives me a break from the big sister role to have people I admire and can lean on when I need to.

  “Abbie told me she took your photo today,” Faith, another one of Abbie’s friends, says.

  “Yes, it was a lot of fun.”

  “I’m glad. Are you guys going back on tour?” Faith looks from me to Knox.

  “Not at the moment. We’re working on the second album and performing at more local shows,” Knox speaks up.

  “Yeah, what he said.” I fling my thumb over my shoulder in his direction, and Faith laughs.

  “That’s cool.”

  I nod, taking a sip of my cocktail.

  “Oh, I love this song.” Lia drags Axel to dance, who smirks and begins moving to the beat.

  “Let’s go.”
Ainsley reaches for Knox’s hand and looks at me.

  “Y’all go ahead, I’ll be there in a bit.”

  Poppy and Harris follow them, leaving Faith and me by the bar.

  “Single life, am I right?” Faith giggles, waving down the bartender to order another martini.

  “Yeah,” I sigh. I won’t lie and say I’ve never dreamed of meeting that perfect guy for me. Harris teases me about it all the time. I wish what I wrote into my songs was inspired by real life, but my love life isn’t as exciting as a country song.

  “Hey, where’s everyone?” A deep voice draws my attention, filling me with tingles.

  “Hi, they’re dancin’.” I point to the dance floor while I smile at Gavin, standing before me in jeans, a plaid shirt, and a cowboy hat.

  “Hey, Gav, you want a drink? I just ordered,” Faith calls over her shoulder. She talks to him with such ease, I feel a pang of envy. Why do I feel so shy around him? Usually, I’m great at talking to people.

  “A beer would be great. Thanks, Faith.”

  I watch as he reaches for his wallet in his back pocket, the brim of his hat shadowing his face as he lowers his head.

  “Don’t worry about it. This one’s on me. You can grab the next round.” Faith swats his cash away when he tries to pay the bill.

  “Thanks.” He rolls his eyes and takes a sip of beer. “Abbie told me your song is doing really well,” Gavin directs his attention to me.

  “It is, thanks. I’m really excited.”

  “Congrats.” A shy smile frames his lips, showing off one dimple on his left cheek.

  From the little bit I know, Gavin is an introvert like Abbie. I can see that as I watch him drink his beer and scan the bar with a careful eye. He sticks to himself mostly, talking here and there, but never giving too much of himself away.

  “I love this song,” Faith squeals when Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” begins to play. “Let’s go dance.”

  “You two go,” Gavin says, leaning against the bar.

  “Aw, come on, cowboy.” I reach for his hand and drag him behind me, the effects of two whiskey sodas hitting the pit of my stomach like a wildfire.

  Gavin fights me a bit, trying to halt my pull, but he lets me drag him toward our friends. Dancing and singing, Faith and I yell the lyrics. Gavin stands awkwardly, swaying a little and drinking his beer. I dance toward him, grabbing his free hand and shaking a bit to get him to loosen up. He humors me by moving his feet, but I shake my head.

  “You can dance.” I lean up to his ear and say loud enough so he can hear me, breaking the nervous streak I’ve been carrying around him.

  “I’m a terrible dancer.”

  “You can’t be that bad. Just do this.” I show him by dancing in front of him, feeling free as I move to the music and continue my sing-along. Gavin chuckles and shakes his head, starting to move more of his body.

  “That’s better.” I twirl around, leaning in at the same time Ainsley does as if we were in a band singing into the same microphone. Laughter mixes with the music as one song transitions to another.

  My favorite part of being on stage is dancing along to my songs. It’s such a natural part of me.

  When I’m out of breath and parched, I walk to the bar and order another drink. Tonight, I’m celebrating. Tomorrow, I’ll nurse my probable hangover.

  Gavin

  I wipe my brow with the back of my gloved hand and lift a wood board. Carrying it toward the fence, my uncle holds the other side and helps me steady it. Fixing fence lines is one of the most tedious jobs on a ranch and one of my favorites when I need to clear my mind. Few things calm me as much as riding around the quiet ranch and using my hands to fix things. The only thing that keeps me grounded more than manual labor and ranch work is my daughter.

  Penny is my reason for living and working so hard. She deserves to have everything she wants, and I’ll make sure she’s the happiest girl despite the circumstances in our lives.

  “You got it steady?” Uncle Mark asks me as he angles a nail onto the slab of wood.

  “Yup. Go for it.” I hold the board as he hammers in one end to the post.

  Weather, animals, and time deteriorate the wood fences around the ranch. Periodically checking on them is important if we don’t want to risk losing any cattle or horses. It wouldn’t be the first time an animal runs off because it isn’t secured properly.

  “All right,” my uncle says, carrying the hammer and nails over to my side and repeating the job.

  Once we’re done fixing the fence line, we ride back to the house in his truck and drop off the extra supplies in the storage shed.

  “Hey, there, cuz.” I look to the right with a smile.

  “Hey, Abbie. What are you doing here?”

  “Thought I’d come by and visit. Emily and Sienna have been giving me a hard time about being too busy with Finn to see them.” She rolls her eyes.

  I chuckle. “That sounds like them.”

  I am close to my cousins, but Abbie and I are like siblings since we grew up together. Uncle Mark and Aunt Rose had Emily and Sienna after Abbie and I were older. I’m thankful for all of them, regardless of the age difference. They’ve been a huge support when it’s come to raising Penny and having positive female role models in her life.

  “Anyway, last night was fun, right?” Abbie smiles.

  “It was,” I nod, knowing she tries to get me out of the house whenever she can convince me to.

  “You even danced.” Her eyes beam.

  “Uh, more like got dragged out onto the dance floor,” I correct her.

  Abbie giggles. “Sutton is something else.” She shakes her head.

  She sure is. Ever since I met her a few months ago, she’s randomly popped into my mind. When she crashed into me this past week, I was surprised to see her. Rumor was that Knox had taken her on tour, and they were traveling around the United States for some months.

  “She’s pretty, too,” Abbie interrupts my thoughts.

  “Huh?” I lift my head and look at her.

  “Sutton? She’s pretty.”

  “Yeah,” I shrug, tying a loop around a rope.

  “Gavin,” Abbie cries out.

  “Abbie,” I imitate her cry.

  “You’re such a pain.” She swats my arm and laughs. “I know you don’t want a relationship, and I get it with what happened, but…”

  I shake my head. “Let it be.” I leave no room for argument.

  Abbie pouts but nods, dropping the subject. “Anyway, Averly and Eli wanted me to invite you over tomorrow for lunch after church. Since they haven’t really been able to leave the house much since Mason was born, they wanted everyone to go over.”

  “Sounds good. What do I take?”

  “Just yourself and Penny.”

  “Thanks.” I smile at Abbie as she says goodbye and walks back toward the house, leaving me alone in the barn with my thoughts.

  For years, I focused on staying home, raising Penny, and working. Fatherhood wasn’t something I expected to do alone, so when those circumstances changed, my entire world was flipped upside down. As a baby, I didn’t know what to do to make Penny stop crying when all she probably wanted was to feel her mother.

  I shake my head and run a hand down my face, not willing to go down that black trail right now. I’ve got work to do, and it’s thanks to my uncle and dad and this job that I can support my daughter. Well, that and the fact that I moved back into my parents’ house. Without them, who knows where Penny and I’d be right now.

  My family has been my rock, and now that Penny’s older, I can take her to more places and feel like I have a tiny sense of control. Thankfully, the desperately crying baby is a beautiful and smart little girl, tough as hell. When all seems wrong in the world, she smiles my way, and I know things will be all right. I never understood the love of a parent until she came into my life. I also never knew heartbreak until her mom walked out of mine.

  I shake my head, inhale deeply and rel
ease the knot in the back of my throat. Ain’t no time to be revisiting the past right now.

  I walk into the stable where Dusty Buckaroo is—name courtesy of my five-year-old—and climb on, ready to round up the cattle grazing the fields.

  …

  When I walk into my house, the sweet smell of cookies swirls around me as I inhale. “It smells good,” I call out, hanging my hat on the hook by the door and kicking off my boots.

  “We made cookies, Daddy,” Penny’s excited voice rings through the hall that leads to the kitchen.

  “You don’t say.” I walk in to find her and my mom eating sugar cookies with melted sprinkles on top of them.

  “Hi, honey. Where’s your dad?”

  I lean in and kiss my mom’s cheek before hugging Penny and carrying her. Her squeals and laughter fill the kitchen.

  “Daddy! My cookie’s gonna fall,” she complains.

  “Nah.” I shake my head and place her back on the counter where she was sitting.

  “Dad was talking to Mark about business. He’ll be home soon.” One day, the ranch will be mine and my cousins’ when our dads retire, and I’m not sure Abbie, Emily, or Sienna will want to work it with their own dreams to chase. I’ve been working my whole life to take over the ranch, and I hope to be able to one day.

  “What’s for dinner?” I ask, washing my hands before I steal a cookie from the cookie sheet.

  “Cookies!” Penny cheers.

  “I said you could have one before dinner, and then you’d have to wait until after dinner to have another,” my mom reminds Penny.

  Penny pouts and scrunches up her nose. I’ve never met anyone with a bigger sweet tooth than her.

  “Grandma’s right, sweetheart.”

  “Fine.” She drops her arms and glances at the cookies with longing, as if they’ll disappear any minute now. I chuckle and hug her. When her little arms wrap around me, all is right in the world, and the sacrifice to be her father feels minimal.