“Zander. There’s something I think?—”
But she stops again. I’m desperate to get something from her, even if it’s her wrath. If she lets it out, we can move on maybe.
Then I hear the click of a camera shutter.
I whip around to find a photographer ducking behind a tree.
“Fuck,” I say. “We gotta go.” I shoot up off the blanket, quickly pack up what’s left of the food, and lead her back to the UTV.
Who did I think I was out here? Some average Joe who can just roam around? Of course, the paps are going to find a way onto the property and search me out. But it’s not only me. Now I’ve put Romy in this shit situation.
Obviously, word’s gotten out that Zander Shaw is at Plain Daisy Ranch.
I drive fast and get us back on the path in enough time that I’m hoping he didn’t get too many decent shots. By the time we get back to a more public part of the ranch, where a photographer wouldn’t dare push their luck, I’m fuming.
The UTV rattles idle outside The Knotted Barn as I turn to her. I will not allow them to ruin our conversation.
“What were you going to say?” I ask, keeping one hand on the steering wheel, the other braced on my thigh.
She shakes her head, ponytail slipping over her shoulder. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. I just… I hate that we got interrupted.”
The cool breeze whips through the open cab. “Me too. It’s the price you pay for this life, I guess. They’re just trying to make a living.”
“Yeah, but they’re preventing you from having a life in order to chase theirs.” Her voice is edged with frustration. The UTV rocks slightly as she shifts in her seat. “They could do something else to earn money.”
I glance past her toward the barn. “I’m not going to fault someone for trying to feed their family. I put myself in the spotlight. I made that choice. Knew the deal. I have to deal with the consequences.”
She takes me in, gaze sharp. For a second, it’s as if she can see past every wall I’ve ever stacked up.
“That doesn’t mean it’s right or fair to you.” Her hand curls tightly around the grab bar. “So you should sacrifice your life because you make music?”
“All I said is, it’s the price you pay.” My voice is steady. I fought the paps and the shitty, dishonest reporters for a long time. And I lost every time, so now I try not to put myself in that situation.
Her eyes soften. “You pay a lot to be who you are, Zander. Will you ever stop paying for it?”
The engine ticks after I kill it. There’s not much to say. She doesn’t understand the day to day, but I really want to know what she was going to tell me earlier. It felt important.
Before I can press her, she climbs out.
I stay behind the wheel, watching her walk away, and just like that, the perfect day I had with her… is over.
Chapter Fourteen
Romy
Today’s the day. Today’s definitely the day I’m gonna tell him. I have no choice. Yesterday made me realize how much he lost out on, being a foster child and not having a family to call his own. This little one growing inside me is his family. I want Zander to have the opportunity to have everything that comes along with that, should he choose to.
If only all the feelings I developed for him had gone away, it would make this whole situation feel different.
I walk into The Knotted Barn and am surprised to find he’s already there. My mom too. An entire crew is circled around Zander, who is on top of a ladder explaining how he wants the lights.
I guess I’m the last one to the party. I grab a muffin from the tray and go into my office to figure out how to get him alone now that he’s finally allowed the crew to come in. A touch of sadness that our time alone here is over hits me, but I brush it aside.
My key is in my office door lock when my mom comes down the hall. “Why is your office door always locked now?”
“Well, it’s my office, so…”
“It’s like when you used to lock your bedroom door as a teenager. Nothing good goes on behind a locked door. Plus, you’ve been acting strange lately.” She gives me the once-over with narrowed eyes. Her mom look used to work on me, but not anymore.
