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

Chapter 23

Puppy – the best apology a little girl can ask for

Fender

My heart pounds as I march up the walkway to Leia’s house. I wouldn’t blame her if she slammed the door in my face.

But I hope she doesn’t. I need to make things right with her and Isla. I should have never fled this morning. Now, Isla thinks I hate her. I heard her scream the words.

I don’t hate her. I could never hate her. I love the cutie pie. How can I not? She’s perfect.

I knock on Leia’s door. She scowls at me when she opens it. But she doesn’t say a word. Merely points to Isla sitting in the living room.

I make my way to the little girl. I set the box with her gift on the floor before sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

“Hey, Isla.”

She narrows her eyes at me and crosses her arms over her chest. She couldn’t resemble her mother more if she tried. She’s adorable.

“I need to apologize.”

She nods.

“I’m sorry I ran away this morning.”

She doesn’t immediately accept my apology. Not my mini-firecracker.

“Why did you run away?”

Darn. She isn’t going to make this easy for me.

“My reasons have nothing to do with you.”

She sighs. “Mom said the same thing. You have adult reasons.”

“I do have my reasons, but it doesn’t excuse me running away like a bear caught with his hand in a honey jar.”

She giggles the way I hoped she would.

“Do you accept my apology?”

She studies me. “Will you run away again?”

Tough crowd. “I’ll try not to.” I pat her thigh. “But no matter what happens, please remember it’s not your fault. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re perfect.”

Leia snorts from behind me. “A perfect pain in my behind,” she mutters.

“Do you accept my apology?” I ask Isla again.

“As long as you don’t run away again.”

I hold out my hand. “I promise,” I vow as we shake. “I’m glad you accepted my apology because I have a present for you.”

Isla’s eyes widen as I pick up the box and set it on the table. “What is it?”

I stand and motion to the box. “Open it and find out.”

She jumps to her feet and rips the box open. When she sees what’s inside, her bottom lip trembles. “For me?”

“For you.” I reach inside and pick up the puppy before placing her in Isla’s arms.

“She’s mine?” The excitement in her eyes as she asks the question makes me want to buy her a dozen puppies.

“She’s yours.”

“I have a puppy!” she squeals.

I ruffle her hair. “You have a puppy.”

“She’s pretty.” She plops to the floor with the puppy in her arms. “Hi, puppy,” she whispers. “We’re going to be best friends.” Her happiness is worth every second of anxiety and fear I went through today.

“A word?” Leia doesn’t wait for me to answer. She drags me into the kitchen.

“What the hell, Fender?” she hisses.

My brow furrows. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” She clenches her jaw and a vein in her forehead pulses. My little firecracker is pissed off. “What’s wrong is you bought my daughter a puppy without asking me first.”

Oh shit. “I didn’t think.”

Her nostrils flare. “Obviously not.”

“I should have asked you first.”

“Damn straight you should have. I’m her mother. You don’t give a child a living animal without consulting her mother first.”

“I’m sorry.” I want to offer to return the puppy but I can’t. Isla’s face lit up when she first held the dog. I’m not taking it away from her.

“You can’t simply throw money at a problem because you’re rich.”

“I’m not throwing money at a problem. I knew Isla wanted a puppy and I got her one.”

“Without asking me first. Do you know how much extra work a puppy is? She has to be potty trained. And until she is, someone has to clean up her messes.”

“I’ll clean up her messes.”

Her eyes widen in disbelief. “You? The big, bad rockstar is going to clean up puppy pee and poop.”

“I can clean.” I’m not a spoiled brat.

“When I call you at three in the morning, you’re going to rush over here with cleaning supplies in hand and clean up the puppy’s mess?”

“I prefer to leave the cleaning supplies here.”

She ignores me to continue her rant, “And once the little furball is potty trained, she needs to be walked several times a day. You gonna do those walks, too?”

I shrug. “Sure.”

“What about when you’re on tour? Or recording? Or – how about this – when you leave Winter Falls for good?”

“I don’t have any plans to leave.” Especially not if she’s here.

Her nostrils flare and her eyes narrow. “Charles didn’t have any plans to leave either.”

I palm her neck and draw her near. “I am not that asshole. Did I fuck up this morning? Yeah, I did. I admit it.” I squeeze her neck. “I see those wheels turning in your head. You think I ran away from you this morning.”

“I was there. You did run away from me.”

“I didn’t run away from you.”

“I get it, already. You don’t want a relationship.”

“Wrong. I wouldn’t have asked you out if I didn’t want a relationship.”

“You said you could only offer me a one-night stand.”

“That was then. This is now.”

“But—”

“I screwed up this morning. I admit it. Isla’s question about becoming her dad reminded me of everything I thought I had with Vicki and everything she tore away and I lost it. But I promise you, it won’t happen again.”

She raises her eyebrows in disbelief. “You said all women betray you.”

“And you pointed out what an asshat I was to think that.”

“It is pretty stupid to paint all women with the same brush.”

But it’s okay for her to paint all men with the same brush because of how her parents and Isla’s dad abandoned her? Someone’s being a hypocrite but – despite my actions this morning – I’m not a stupid man.

Instead of telling her, I’ll show her she can rely on me, unlike the men in her past.

“I promise I’ll do my best not to let my past ruin my future.”

She gasps and tries to retreat a step. “Future?”

Who’s running now?

“Future,” I insist.

Her eyes dart around as if seeking an escape but she blows out a breath and straightens her back. There’s my firecracker.

“We can take it day by day,” I offer.

“Okay.” She nods. “Day by day.”

She appears relieved and I don’t push her despite knowing I want a future with her. I can give her time to adjust to our new status.

“Mom!” Isla yells, and Leia runs to her without a backward glance. It’s cute how she thinks she can run away from me.

“The puppy had an accident,” Isla announces when we arrive in the living room.

Leia glares at me. I hold up my hands. “I’ll get the cleaning supplies.”

I quickly gather what I need and clean up the mess.

“Shall we take her for a walk?” I ask once I finish. “She might need to go out.”

“Do you have a leash for her? Poop bags? A bed?” Leia throws questions at me. Judging by the twinkle in her eye, she thinks she’s caught me. Wrong, my little firecracker.

“I bought all the supplies.” Somone at the pet store in White Bridge made a very nice commission today. “There’s a box on your porch with everything in it. I’ll get it.”

I set the box of supplies in the hallway and dig out the leash.

Leia giggles when she sees it. “You bought a pink, sparkly leash?”

I shrug. “I thought Isla would like it.”

Isla screeches as she snatches the leash from me. “I love it!”

I show her how to attach the leash to the harness before we go outside for our first walk with the puppy.

“Come on, puppy. Come on,” Isla urges the dog forward.

“You need to name her,” I say.

Isla’s eyes widen. “I get to name her?”

“She’s your dog.”

“Can I name her Princess?”

“You can name her anything you want.”

“I think she’s a princess.”

“Then, her name’s Princess.”

“Come on, Princess.” The puppy perks up at the name as if she recognizes it.

“What kind of dog is she?” Isla asks as we begin down the sidewalk.

“She’s a rescue. As near as the shelter could tell she’s a cross between a chihuahua and a dachshund.”

Her nose wrinkles. “What’s a dachshund?”

“I’ll show you a picture on my phone when we’re back home.”

Home. For the first time in my life, the word means something more than a place to sleep. It’s where my heart is. Home is where these two are. I can’t imagine my life without them.

I love Isla and I’m falling for her mom. I wrap an arm around Leia’s shoulders and draw her near while Isla runs in front of us giggling with her puppy.

This is it. This is what I’ve been looking for. I messed up today, but I won’t mess up again. I’m not letting these two go.

Sage waves from her front porch. “Aren’t you a lovely family?”

“We’re not a family!” Leia shouts back.

Maybe not yet, firecracker. But I’ll do everything in my power to make us one.