to dump it on the other.
Tia laughed. “Thanks. Everyone thought we
were crazy for having two so close together, but I think it’s worth it. They’re
so close. I hope they’ll grow up as best friends.”
“I’m sure they will.” Elle thought of her
own sister, her parents real daughter. She wished they could have seen
past their differences and developed a loving relationship.
“So, you and Caleb,” Tia said, squeezing
Elle’s forearm. “That’s so cool! I can hardly believe one of my best friends is
dating the reigning queen of country music. The other moms at my play group
will go crazy when I tell them I met you.”
Elle laughed at her enthusiasm. She still
had a hard time believing people got so excited about meeting her. When she
looked in the mirror, she saw the same simple girl she’d always been. Okay, she
had a better hairdresser now, and her skin had never looked better thanks to
her high priced aesthetician. And who could forget the celebrity dentist who’d
talked her into laser whitening? Maybe Elle didn’t look the same, but she
definitely felt like the same person.
“I’m really glad Caleb came into my life.”
She watched him flip burgers with Ewan. “He’s a great guy.”
“He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” Tia
asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Tia was a pretty, petite brunette who made
jokes about her extra baby weight and had an infectious laugh. She clearly
loved being a stay-at-home mom. She made Elle question how her own life would
have turned out if she hadn’t found her place in the music business. Would she
be living the suburban dream complete with the mini-van, kids, and a dog? Would
she be content just to have a man like Caleb by her side, or would she be a
frustrated musician who felt she’d sacrificed her gift to be a mom?
“He does mean a lot to me,” Elle said.
“I’ve never met anyone quite like him. He’s so giving. So compassionate. The
way he treats his parents—”
“You know what they say,” Tia said. “Pay
attention to the way a man treats his mama. It’s a good indication of how he’ll
treat his wife.”
Elle coughed and sputtered when her wine
went down the wrong way. Wife? No way. She liked Caleb, and they had a
great time together, but she didn’t see their relationship ending with a trip
to the altar. She had a commitment to her label and her fans. Her music had to
come first.
“Did you know his ex-girlfriend very well?”
Elle asked, trying to change the subject.
“Well enough to know she wasn’t right for
him.” Tia’s eyes tracked her daughters’ movements. When the younger one picked
up a fistful of sand and prepared to throw it at the other, she yelled, “Put
that down, young lady! You know the rule about throwing sand. It could get it
in your sister’s eyes.”
Elle waited until the drama on the beach
died down before she asked, “How can you be sure she wasn’t right for him?”
Part of her felt guilty for monopolizing
Caleb’s time. His ex-girlfriend obviously wanted a second chance with him, and
for all she knew, she could be the only thing standing in the way of their
happiness. As much as Elle hated to think of him with someone else, he deserved
to be happy, and he clearly loved the quiet life of domestic bliss his friends
enjoyed.
“She was all about the show,” Tia said.
“She only cared about looking good, not about the way Caleb made her feel or the
way she felt about him. The appeal for her was the things his money could buy
her.”
“Sounds like he’s lucky to be rid of her.”
Elle felt infinitely better after hearing Tia’s take on the situation. Knowing
she was protecting Caleb from a gold-digger cemented her decision to continue
their relationship as long as they could.
“You can say that again.” Tia laughed when
Caleb chased her girls down the beach, threatening to throw them in the water.
“He’s gonna be a great dad someday.”
“You think that’s important to him?” Elle
felt a
Tia laughed. “Thanks. Everyone thought we
were crazy for having two so close together, but I think it’s worth it. They’re
so close. I hope they’ll grow up as best friends.”
“I’m sure they will.” Elle thought of her
own sister, her parents real daughter. She wished they could have seen
past their differences and developed a loving relationship.
“So, you and Caleb,” Tia said, squeezing
Elle’s forearm. “That’s so cool! I can hardly believe one of my best friends is
dating the reigning queen of country music. The other moms at my play group
will go crazy when I tell them I met you.”
Elle laughed at her enthusiasm. She still
had a hard time believing people got so excited about meeting her. When she
looked in the mirror, she saw the same simple girl she’d always been. Okay, she
had a better hairdresser now, and her skin had never looked better thanks to
her high priced aesthetician. And who could forget the celebrity dentist who’d
talked her into laser whitening? Maybe Elle didn’t look the same, but she
definitely felt like the same person.
“I’m really glad Caleb came into my life.”
She watched him flip burgers with Ewan. “He’s a great guy.”
“He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” Tia
asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Tia was a pretty, petite brunette who made
jokes about her extra baby weight and had an infectious laugh. She clearly
loved being a stay-at-home mom. She made Elle question how her own life would
have turned out if she hadn’t found her place in the music business. Would she
be living the suburban dream complete with the mini-van, kids, and a dog? Would
she be content just to have a man like Caleb by her side, or would she be a
frustrated musician who felt she’d sacrificed her gift to be a mom?
“He does mean a lot to me,” Elle said.
“I’ve never met anyone quite like him. He’s so giving. So compassionate. The
way he treats his parents—”
“You know what they say,” Tia said. “Pay
attention to the way a man treats his mama. It’s a good indication of how he’ll
treat his wife.”
Elle coughed and sputtered when her wine
went down the wrong way. Wife? No way. She liked Caleb, and they had a
great time together, but she didn’t see their relationship ending with a trip
to the altar. She had a commitment to her label and her fans. Her music had to
come first.
“Did you know his ex-girlfriend very well?”
Elle asked, trying to change the subject.
“Well enough to know she wasn’t right for
him.” Tia’s eyes tracked her daughters’ movements. When the younger one picked
up a fistful of sand and prepared to throw it at the other, she yelled, “Put
that down, young lady! You know the rule about throwing sand. It could get it
in your sister’s eyes.”
Elle waited until the drama on the beach
died down before she asked, “How can you be sure she wasn’t right for him?”
Part of her felt guilty for monopolizing
Caleb’s time. His ex-girlfriend obviously wanted a second chance with him, and
for all she knew, she could be the only thing standing in the way of their
happiness. As much as Elle hated to think of him with someone else, he deserved
to be happy, and he clearly loved the quiet life of domestic bliss his friends
enjoyed.
“She was all about the show,” Tia said.
“She only cared about looking good, not about the way Caleb made her feel or the
way she felt about him. The appeal for her was the things his money could buy
her.”
“Sounds like he’s lucky to be rid of her.”
Elle felt infinitely better after hearing Tia’s take on the situation. Knowing
she was protecting Caleb from a gold-digger cemented her decision to continue
their relationship as long as they could.
“You can say that again.” Tia laughed when
Caleb chased her girls down the beach, threatening to throw them in the water.
“He’s gonna be a great dad someday.”
“You think that’s important to him?” Elle
felt a
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