Page 74 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

ChapterFifteen

Nice job making Stevie cry.

And for what? A broken plate?

As she rocked on the front porch, Lorelei sifted her fingers through her daughter’s silky hair. “I’m sorry, baby.”

She shouldn’t have yelled. Pulling off a wedding for her closest friend was important, but her daughter came first. Always.

Even since taking that pregnancy test, she’d found her purpose. Winning Grammys, touring the world, cutting endorsement deals…all of that had been great, but success was an insatiable gremlin. In the entertainment industry, it was fleeting. And to stay on top, an artist chased relevancy. Hitting one goal only fueled the need to reach the next. There was no end in sight.

At some point, it stopped being about artistry or creativity. If you wanted awards and sold-out stadiums, you sold your soul for them.

But with Stevie, she’d found true meaning.

Before, she’d had a team of people handling the parts of her life she didn’t think mattered. Now that she was a mother, they’d become essential. Nothing was more important than what she put in her child’s body or how she spent her time.

She thought of Slick. It had all started with him. The French press, the cheese, the cocoa. He’d never know how much he’d changed her life. Man, if he could see her now. Growing her own vegetables, cooking three meals a day, fixing toilets…

Between her dad and the internet, she’d learned to become self-sufficient.

“Mommy mean.” Her cheeks glistening with tears, Stevie stuck two fingers in her mouth.

“I was mean. You’re right.”Who cares about a stupid plate anyhow?She’d gotten a little too caught up in planning this wedding. Not that she regretted it.

Are you kidding?Noa had earned this happiness.

I’ll do anything to pull it off.

Thankfully, she couldn’t have a more perfect venue.

Everyone thought she was crazy to buy this big piece of land. But she’d looked at countless homes and properties and, while she’d seen some magnificent places, the only one that stood out was Paintbrush Ranch. Surrounded by national parks, it sat in a valley blooming with Indian Paintbrush flowers.

Comprised of a fifteen-thousand-square-foot lodge, twelve guest cabins, and quarters for the live-in staff, it had one hundred beds. Sure, it was a lot, but the moment she’d toured the place, an idea had formed. One that married this setting with her creative spirit.

For now, of course, it was just a dream. Nothing she’d ever share.

Because what was the point?

Right now, her life was about Stevie.

The greatest surprise she’d ever gotten.

She’d never know why Slick had disappeared like that, but it broke her heart every single day to know her child would never know her father. It had been so jarring to wake up feeling sated and happy, only to discover he’d left without a trace.

Her first thought had been,Well, I drove him outside to shovel more snow.Ha ha. But when she saw the empty space his duffel bag had once filled, her heart had shattered.

The Wi-Fi had come back on, and she knew he had work issues, so he probably had to attend to them.Okay, that’s fine. But why hadn’t he said goodbye?

It wasn’t like she’d expected anything to come of their time together. She’d known they’d never see each other again. But at the very least, couldn’t he have left a note?

Tires crunched over gravel, and her little girl scrambled off her lap. “No-No.” She toddled off the porch, dramatically lifting a leg and aiming for the step below as if it were a moving target. “No-No.”

Her friend came flying out of the passenger side and scooped Stevie into her arms. “I missed you, my little Twinkie.” She loved how her friend matched Stevie’s energy.

Her little girl scrunched her nose and shook her head. “I no Winkie.”

“Oh, come on. What are you if not a yummy little cake treat stuffed with sweet, creamy goodness?”

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