Read Small Town Secret: Mayfield Springs Book 1 Online
Authors: Carrie Curtis
Tags: #contemporary romance
Small Town Secret: Mayfield Springs Book 1
Small Town Secret
Carrie Curtis
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2016 Carrie Curtis
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photographing, recording, or otherwise - without the express written permission of the author.
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CHAPTER 1
AMY
"You're real pretty, you know that?" His voice was as rough as his hands.
I watched him fiddle with his napkin for a moment then wipe his mouth clean. There was still a smattering of cherry pie filling across his top lip as he stood up.
"You hear me?"
"Uh? Oh yeah sorry..." I tried my best to feign interest in the old drunk. "Thanks for the compliment Max."
"I come here every night and somehow each time I see you, you look more miserable," Max said as he threw the napkin onto his empty plate. He pushed a ten dollar bill across the counter and after hesitating added another five. "Buy yourself flowers or chocolate or something. You look like you need a treat," he said and then he was gone, the bell above the door signaling his departure.
I quickly shoved the crumpled bills into the pocket of my apron, hoping that my boss Lorraine hadn't seen him tip me. Lorraine was all for pooling the tips between us which worked for her but not for me as most of the money came from my customers. But Max had made it pretty clear he intended the tip to be for me - to buy myself a treat. I sighed. Boy, I could do with a treat beyond a cheap chocolate bar. This money would come in handy, though - my electricity bill was due next week and with the cold weather we'd been having and all the heating we'd been using at home, I dreaded how much it was going to be.
Come on, come on.
I shifted from one foot to the other, just willing the clock to get to ten o'clock. Ten minutes to go and with the diner now empty, every tick of the clock seemed to emphasize how slowly the minutes were passing. I thought again about Max and his comments. I couldn't believe that anyone thought I was pretty, even a drunken regular at the bar. Since having Bella, I'd piled on the kilos, and I couldn't seem to do anything about it. Right now, I didn't feel pretty. I felt exhausted and was just looking forward to getting home.
"You can go if you want," the voice came from behind me.
I turned around to see Lorraine, a burly woman in her forties who'd worked at the diner her entire adult life. Her forehead was damp with sweat, and she ran a dishcloth over her face before tossing it onto the counter.
"You need a ride home?" she asked.
"I'm good thanks," I replied as I pulled off my dirty apron and grabbed my things.
I was halfway out the door when Lorraine turned up the sound on the TV. A voice echoed across the room, one that had been so familiar to me at one time. I spun around, my heart beating wildly.
"Yeah I mean, our shooting schedule was demanding, but I still had time for some fun."
His name was Chris Taylor, and he was the hottest actor on earth right now. I watched in a haze as the interviewer fired questions at him.
"And tell me Chris, are the rumors true? That you have a glamorous new lady in your life?"
"Well... a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," he replied with that gorgeous, cheeky grin of his. The TV screen was alight with his charm.
The interviewer giggled like a schoolgirl before asking, "Tell me about your fitness routine. We can all see you've bulked up massively since your last movie."
"Well, I'm not gonna lie. The boot camp routine my trainer has had me working on has been rough as hell, but after a diet of grass fed protein and organic greens, I gained thirty pounds in lean muscle. I feel better than ever."
"And I'm sure all the ladies watching would agree that you look better than ever as well, " replied the interviewer, flirting with Chris on screen.
Lorraine switched off the television and turned to me. "What is it with you, girl? Every time that boy comes on the TV you go into a trance."
I blushed and laughed nervously, unable to explain that I knew Chris Taylor a lot better than she'd believe. "Oh, you know," I said. "I just find it hard to believe that a boy from Mayfield Springs could make it so big in Hollywood."
"There's hope for us all, I guess," Lorraine joked as she reached into her bag for her keys. "I'm dead on my feet. I'll see you later."
The night was chilled when I stepped outside. The stars were glittering above with not a cloud in the sky. I thought of Bella at home in her bed with her princess blanket and smiled. A warmth always passed through me when I thought of her, and I couldn't wait to plant a kiss on one of her chubby cheeks.
I fidgeted with the car keys resting in my pocket. My old beat up Nissan was a heap of junk, but at least it was mine, and it got me from A to B. Well, sometimes it did...other times it died on me. But as I turned the key in the ignition and listened to the engine cough like a dying old man, I had to admit that I did have to make things better. This car wouldn't last much longer; that's if it even got me home.
Amy, Amy, Amy, you've got to get your life together. Bella deserves so much more than this.
I wished I could give Bella everything she would ever desire. I wanted to be able to give her a fancy home, more toys, a brilliant education, a better car... but at the moment the best I could do was try and make ends meet. As I drove home, I counted numbers in my head, balancing my household budget. Apart from the electricity bill that was on its way, I was doing ok this month. But next month, I had to take time off to be the maid of honor at my best friend Cassie's wedding and pay for my bridesmaid's dress, and that would cost me. I couldn't miss Cassie's wedding, though; it wasn't just the most important day of her life, it meant the world to me too. I couldn't wait to see her walk down the aisle.
At least he wouldn't be there, her brother Chris Taylor. I was happy seeing Chris' success from afar. He looked so hot up there on the TV, so strong and glamorous, just so...ugh, gorgeous! But he had his life now, and I had mine. In my mind, we weren't supposed to cross paths again. I wanted him to remember me as I was the last time he saw me. I wanted him to continue to regret what he did. I sure didn't want him to see me now - a frumpy Mom carrying too much weight. It made things complicated though when his sister was my best friend in the whole world. And when she asked me to be her maid of honor, it was tricky trying to find out whether Chris would be there, before I said yes. Sure, he'd see photos of the wedding - I was in the wedding party after all. But I just didn't want to see that look on his face when he saw what I'd become and compared me to the supermodels on his arm.
How times have changed
, I mused as I pulled into the driveway of my suburban two bedroom home. He lives in a totally different world to me now. I'm sure he doesn't even think about me anymore.
CHAPTER 2
AMY
The heating was up full blast, and it hit me in the face the moment I pushed open the front door. My mom was such a help to me babysitting Bella while I was at work, but I wished that she would be a little more careful with the heating when she was here. I could hear the sounds of the television coming from the living room and I was sure I'd find her asleep in front of the TV.
"Mom?" I whispered, slipping off my shoes and wishing that there was something more comfortable than thin, threadbare carpet under my feet. "Mom, I'm home."
I shook her shoulder gently, and she opened her eyes groggily as though not quite remembering where she was. As she sat up and looked around she familiarized herself with my house and smiled.
"Hello sweetheart," she said, as she reached up and kissed me on the cheek.
"How's Bella been?" I asked as I sat down beside her with an arm linked into hers.
"She's just great Amy, she's such a princess," Mom chuckled. "Tonight she gave a fashion show to her stuffed toys."
I laughed and fell back exhausted onto the back of the couch. Letting out a long sigh, I looked at the television and realized that Mom was watching the same program that had been on at the diner.
Oh God
, I thought,
I hope she didn't see Chris.
Like most women, Mom was infatuated with Chris Taylor and would grow embarrassingly giddy and girlish whenever his chiseled features and tousled, blonde hair appeared on screen.
If only she knew the truth about what he was really like... If only she knew how close I was to him...
"Well, I'd better get myself home," Mom said as she stood up, stretched and yawned. "Your Dad will be waiting for me, no doubt."
"Ah, you two are still so sweet," I said, as I kissed her on the cheek and gave her a tight squeeze. "Drive home safely." I saw her to the door and watched as she drove away into the frosty night.
What an angel
, I thought as I waved after her. I meant it too. I had no idea what I would have done without her. She had never cast opinions on what I had done with my life. She loved me just for who I was. I could imagine that there were plenty of mothers who would have disowned their pregnant 18 year old daughter but Mom had always been completely supportive. She and Dad let me stay at art school interstate to finish my degree and when I returned home to Mayfield Springs earlier this year with Bella in tow she had welcomed us both with open arms. Mom had never pushed me to reveal who Bella's father was. I had told her it was no one she knew. She hadn't asked about it since then. Thank goodness, because I wasn't sure how I would ever tell her the truth.
Climbing the creaky stairs, I did my best not to wake my sleeping princess. Bella was a light sleeper, and if she woke up and saw me, she'd be a bouncing ball of joy and it would take forever to stop her jumping up and down on my bed and get her back to sleep. She melts my heart, but my God is it difficult to get her to sleep sometimes.
I inched my way to her bedroom and poked my head in through the gap in the door. Her pink night light was glowing in the corner, illuminating the stars I had meticulously painted on the ceiling. Her rosy baby cheeks and silky hair were poking up from the top of the covers as I tiptoed into her room.
"I love you my little cookie," I whispered, as I bent down and kissed her cheek, brushing the hair off her face. "Mommy loves you so much."
I tiptoed back out, being careful to miss every creaky floorboard along the way. Exhausted, I made my way to my own room and collapsed on the bed. It was almost 11 pm and in six hours I'd have to be up again to take care of Bella. After months of working grueling evening shifts combined with early three-year-old mornings, I still wasn't used to the lack of sleep.
I climbed under the covers with my makeup still on knowing it was a terrible habit but doing it anyway. My eyelids were already growing heavy as I lay my head on the pillow, and by the time I reached out to turn off the lamp, I was half asleep. My phone beeped, dashing my hopes of a long and peaceful sleep.
I sat up angrily in the dark, flinging the covers off me.
Who the hell was texting me at this time of night?
But when I picked my phone up I couldn't be mad. It was Cassie, and despite being a Mayfield Springs girl, Cassie never remembered that people in Mayfield Springs didn't stay up as late as people in New York. As I read her message I felt a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach.