“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
