Jake kissed her cheek quickly still in autopilot mode and headed out the door for the clinic. She had a few precious moments of quiet. The kids didn’t know. Jake didn’t know. But someone would soon.
Hours later at the clinic, Rachel was hunched behind the front desk scrolling her phone when she saw it. A photo of Kylee. Legs wrapped around Rio Riot. Her lips on his. The headline blaring:
"MYSTERY WOMAN BEHINDIDAHO SUNSHINEREVEALED"
Her eyes went wide.
“Oh. My. God.” Without hesitation, she stormed down the hallway to Jake’s office, practically bursting through the door. “Jake! You need to see this. Now.”
Jake looked up from a chart, annoyed. “Rachel, I’m with a patient.”
She shoved the phone in his face. “It’s Kylee.”
His eyes narrowed as he grabbed the phone and stared at the screen. His wife. Wrapped around a rock star.
Color drained from his face, and then rage filled it just as fast.
Meanwhile, Kylee was getting dressed in the bathroom, completely unaware. She tossed her phone in her purse, brushed a few strands of hair back, and headed to the game.
As soon as she stepped out of the car, she felt the stares. People weren’t subtle. Heads turned. Mothers whispered. A dad holding a coffee shook his head and looked away. She spotted Cassie and Taylor, rushing toward her like they couldn’t get there fast enough.
“Girl!” Cassie hissed. “What is happening?!”
Taylor grabbed her arm. “Is it true? You and Rio Riot? The song is about you?!”
Kylee tried to play it cool. “It’s… complicated.”
“Complicated?!” Cassie squealed. “That man had you up against a wall like a damn porn star! You looked hot, not gonna lie.”
Taylor nodded. “Everyone’s talking about it. Facebook groups are on fire. It’s like The Bachelor meets TMZ.”
Kylee gave a tight smile. “Can we not do this here? Please?”
They nodded, but their eyes were wide with curiosity and admiration. As Kylee turned to walk toward the bleachers, she could feel it again.
The whispers. The judgment. The fantasy. She wasn’t just Kylee anymore. She was “the woman behind Idaho Sunshine.” Kylee settled onto the bleachers, trying to focus on Jake Jr.’s football warm-up drills, her phone buzzed in her purse. She hesitated, then pulled it out.
Text from Rio:Saw the headlines. Are you okay?
I can have my people get it taken down.
Say the word and I’ll come get you.
Her heart fluttered and clenched at the same time. The world was exploding around her, but somehow he still made her feel safe. She stared at the message for a long moment, blocking out the noise of the crowd, the whispers, the murmur of her name drifting through the air.
Kylee typed back quickly, thumbs trembling:I’m okay. Just overwhelmed. Everyone’s staring at me.
Jake hasn’t called yet… but I know it’s coming.
Another text came in almost instantly
Rio:I’m serious. I’ll fly out right now. You don’t have to go through this alone.
She closed her eyes. The noise around her faded.
Jake Jr. was charging down the field, her son her world was about to make a play, and all she could think about was the man on the other side of the country who wanted to fight for her.
She typed one more message:Let me get through today. I’ll call you tonight. She hit send, then locked her phone and slipped it back in her bag. Whatever happened next there was no hiding anymore.
