Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“You won’t have to, I promise. Write the damn song, hell Ryan is in town with you, write a bunch of songs, and let people guess which one is about the pretty farm girl.”
I nodded as an idea started to take shape. “You’re right. I’ll do just that,” I told him just before I hung up. The studio would be ready soon, this was the perfect time, and I had the perfect motivation to get started producing songs and albums.
I spent a few more minutes staring at those photos, okay too many minutes, and I decided that staring at the photos was a distant second to staring at the woman in person. Bella probably wouldn’t be happy to see me, at first, but she would warm up to me after a few minutes.
She always did.
I knocked and waited, enjoying the vibrant shades of green that surrounded the farmhouse, the herbs and vegetables planted on the side of the house were for personal use, I guessed.
Footsteps sounded and Everest appeared. “We gave at the office,” he deadpanned.
I laughed. “Funny.”
“Almost as funny as you ogling Aunt Bella for the world to see?”
“Ogling?”
Everest nodded and whipped out his phone to show me a photo I hadn’t seen from the night before. Bella stood slightly bent over, her fingers reaching for the little holes in the bowling ball, and I’m staring at her ass. Blatantly. Obviously.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. What are you doing here? Came for another show?”
I smiled at the protective boy. “If that’s on the table, I won’t say no, but that’s not the reason I’m here. Is Bella around?”
Everest nodded once and then waved me inside. “She’s in the kitchen.”
I found Bella hunched over her laptop, a mug of coffee on one side, and a small stack of papers on the other. “Need some help?”
She gasped and looked up with an almost smile on her lips. “Derek. Hey. What are you doing here?”
“I came to make sure you were all right with the photos and the online hoopla.”
Her brows dipped in confusion. “What hoopla?”
“The one you and I caused by having the best time ever bowling? The photos and speculation about our relationship? Any of this ringing a bell.”
She shook her head and ran one hand through her thick hair. “I spent a total of twenty minutes online updating photos of the new crops and announcing times for the weekend markets, oh and I checked my email. I found no hoopla.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Are you afraid of social media Bella?”
“No, I just don’t have time for it unless it helps the business.” She let out a slow breath and leaned back in her chair. “I guess I’ll have to start being more diligent about what Ev does online though, given everything that’s going on.”
“They have parental controls for that these days, don’t sweat it.”
That earned me a genuine smile. “Thanks. I’m not concerned about the exposure Derek, so you don’t need to worry about me. I know what comes with dating you.”
A sense of relief washed over me, but it took me a moment to realize why. “No woman has ever said that to me before.”
Her dark brows arched in surprise and her lips curled into a mischievous smile. “So you’re saying I’m the best girlfriend you ever had?”
Her playfulness was irresistible. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Too bad for you,” she teased just as her phone vibrated on the table. One glance at the screen and her demeanor changed immediately. “Ian, hi. What’s up?” Tension flooded her body, making her shoulders stiff and turning her lush lips into a thin white line. “I see. What do I need to do to prepare?” She glanced at me, and I saw even more stress in her eyes. “Thanks for letting me know. If you hear anything about a date…oh okay. Thanks Ian.” Bella ended the call and sighed heavily.
“Something wrong?” She hesitated, her look assessing. “Come on Bella, talk to me. Maybe it’ll help.”
She nodded. “Nothing. Everything,” she amended with another sigh. “Ian just called to let me know to expect a home visit from a local social worker in the next few days. This is ridiculous, I mean what in the hell do I have to prove?” She let out a low growl, and my eyes snapped shut, to wipe out the image created by the carnal noise. Now was not the time for that. “Nicola chose me, not them. If anyone should have to prove a damn thing, it’s them.”
I didn’t know what to do to console her, so I stood behind her chair and wrapped my arms around her, hoping it would provide some comfort. “You’re kind of sexy when you get all Mama Bear Warrior Princess.”
Bella laughed as I meant her to, and gave me a playful shove.
“From what I understand, they will also have to prove themselves, but only if they find you lacking as a parent somehow.”