How to Fall For a Rockstar: a single mom, grumpy sunshine, small town, rockstar romantic comedy (Cas

Chapter 15

Child – A small person who can claim to hate you as much as they want but you’ll still love her no matter what

Leia

“Mom!” Isla shouts as if I’m on the other side of Colorado instead of at my desk working three feet away from her.

I swallow my irritation. It’s not her fault I’m still working.

“Yes, my beloved daughter.”

“Can I go to the movies?”

I shut my laptop to focus on my daughter. In my experience, this sort of question often leads to a discussion. Assuming screaming, whining, and tears is a discussion.

“With whom?”

“Storm and my other friends from the community center.”

I’m glad she’s made friends at the center. Starting school next month at a new school in a new town will be easier if she already has friends in the same grade as her.

“Where is the movie?”

Winter Falls doesn’t have a movie theater. It’s too small of a town to have one, although there is a movie night at the library every month. Those movies are not meant for eleven-year-olds though. No matter how much the eleven-year-old in question thinks she’s an adult.

“In White Bridge.”

White Bridge is a town about thirty minutes away from Winter Falls. It’s much bigger and has many of the amenities we lack here.

“How are you planning to get there?” There isn’t exactly a bus service around here.

“Storm’s mom is driving us.”

I’ve met Storm, but I’ve yet to meet her mom.

“I’ll need to phone her to check she’s okay driving you to the movies.”

“Mom,” Isla whines. “You’ll embarrass me.”

Too bad for my daughter I don’t care how embarrassing she thinks I am. “Your safety trumps me embarrassing you every single day.”

“If Storm’s mom says it’s okay, I can go?”

Not so quick, my little schemer. “What movie are you going to?”

She mumbles her answer.

“Can you repeat yourself at a volume normal humans can hear?”

“Blood Rave.”

Blood Rave? My eyes widen. I haven’t heard of the movie, but the title does not bode well. I open my laptop to research it.

“What are you doing? Are you ignoring me?”

“I wouldn’t dare ignore you, my precious daughter. I’m checking whether the movie is appropriate for your age before I agree.”

“It’s appropriate.”

I’ll decide for myself, little Miss manipulator.

I type the title in the search bar and the movie immediately pops up. When I see the movie poster and the content rating, I don’t bother reading the blurb.

“It’s PG-13.”

“I’m almost thirteen.”

“Eleven is—

“Eleven and three-quarters,” Isla interrupts me to say.

She was eleven and a half yesterday. Still. “Eleven and three-quarters is not thirteen.”

I’m grateful she’s not thirteen because I wouldn’t want her watching this movie at sixteen, let alone thirteen. Judging by the poster, this movie is scary and Isla has nightmares whenever we watch anything remotely scary.

Isla stomps her foot. “But Storm’s mom will be there. I’ll be with an adult.”

“I’m sorry, Isla. The answer is no.”

“I hate you! You never let me do anything I want to!” she screeches before marching away.

I sigh before standing to follow her. I won’t yell at her for claiming to hate me but I won’t allow her to yell at me either.

She flies out of the back door and races toward Fender’s house where the band is gathered around the firepit in the backyard. Cash is singing low while Dylan plays his guitar and Jett taps on an upside-down bucket with his drumsticks. I pause to listen.

She”s a fire in the night,

A force that burns so bright,

She calls to me,

In her eyes, I see the key.

With every move she makes,

My heart begins to ache,

She”s the melody I crave,

In her arms, I can be brave.

I haven’t heard this song before. It must be a new one for their upcoming album. Sounds like another hit to me, but what do I know?

“Fender!” Isla shouts to interrupt them. She barrels into him and he picks her up and places her on his lap.

“What’s up, cutie pie?”

“Mom’s being mean.”

He searches the area until he finds me. He raises an eyebrow and I shake my head.

He returns his attention to my daughter. “She is? What did she do?”

“She won’t let me go to the movies with my friends.”

“Why not?”

“Because she hates me.” Isla bursts into tears.

“Now, now.” Fender wipes her tears away and I nearly swoon at the gentle way he handles my child.

Despite having sworn off relationships, I’ve always wanted a father for Isla. I’ve spent countless nights awake in bed feeling guilty she doesn’t have a father after another asshole kid in her class teased her about not having a dad.

“I don’t think your mom hates you.”

“She won’t let me go to the movies,” Isla pouts with her bottom lip stuck out.

“Did she say why she doesn’t want you going to the movies?”

Isla crosses her arms over her chest and refuses to answer.

“Was it because you didn’t clean your room?”

She shakes her head.

“Was it because you didn’t do the dishes?”

She glances away.

“Was it because you didn’t do your other chores?”

“I cleaned my room and did all my chores and she still won’t let me go to the movies!” Isla screeches.

“What movie do you want to see?” Jett asks.

I narrow my eyes on him. “If you offer to take her to the movies after I told her no, I’m going to break those sticks of yours and shove them somewhere deeply unpleasant.”

Gibson chuckles. “How do you know he’ll find it unpleasant? He is a daredevil.”

I wag my finger at him. “Don’t you start. I can cut off your beer supply with one phone call.”

He clutches his chest. “You wouldn’t!”

“Try me.”

“You’re mean.”

I’m about done with people calling me mean today. I’m not looking forward to Isla becoming a teenager.

“I’m a single mom trying to raise a daughter,” I remind him.

“Sorry,” Jett says. “I shouldn’t have interfered.”

I nod to indicate I accept his apology.

“Isla.” I hold my hand out to her. “Why don’t we go home and stop bothering the neighbors?”

“I’m not bothering Fender,” she claims.

Fender smiles at me and those dimples come out. I glare at him. He knows exactly how I feel about those dimples. He shrugs. He obviously isn’t feeling the least bit guilty.

“I can’t jam around the firepit anyway,” he says. “There’s a town ordinance about using an amp outside.”

I snort. He has no idea what he’s done. Isla will never stop bothering him now that he’s practically given her permission.

“Come on, Isla. We can make some cookies and watch a movie at home.”

“I don’t want to watch a movie with you! I want to watch a movie with my friends!”

She’s a pre-teen. She doesn’t mean those words, I remind myself.

“You’re not watching a PG-13 movie when you’re eleven.”

“Fender would let me.” She bats her eyelashes at him. “Wouldn’t you?”

He tweaks her nose. “Sorry, cutie pie. If your mom says no, the answer’s no.”

My heart pounds in my chest. Fender is supporting me? He’s not using the situation to his advantage? Was I wrong about him?

“B-b-but…” A tear leaks from Isla’s eye and he wipes it away.

“But I will come over and watch a movie with you at your house. Assuming your mom says it’s okay.”

“Mom!” Isla hollers. “Fender’s coming over to watch a movie.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Those words did not resemble a question.”

She scrunches up her eyes and does her best to glare at me. I don’t give in. I learned my lesson about giving in more than six years ago. Spoiler alert – it’s never just one candy with a five-year-old.

“Can Fender come over and watch a movie with us?”

I raise my eyebrows and she huffs.

“Can Fender come over and watch a movie with us, please?”

I nod. “Yes, Fender can come over.”

“Yeah!” She jumps off his lap and holds out her hand to him. He doesn’t hesitate to take it.

“What movie are we watching?” he asks as they walk across the yard hand in hand.

I worry my lip as I observe them. Fender supported me, he didn’t pressure me to do what Isla wanted, and he comforted my daughter.

Maybe I can give him a chance.

After all, how much harm can one date do?