Sutton Reed unloaded a half dozen bags from the cargo area of the SUV with the groceries he needed to stock the refrigerator and pantry in the rental home that was to be his temporary dwelling until next spring when the owner was scheduled to return from Ohio.
He had returned to Wickham Falls in July during Major League Baseball’s All-Star break, but for him the break with the sport that had given him the opportunity to live out his dream was finalized months earlier. Sutton had become a free agent at the end of the prior season, and after two stints on the injured list during his fourteen-year career, he’d realized it was time for him to put away his bat and glove and hang up his cleats. Now at thirty-six, he looked forward to life off the baseball diamond and away from the glare of the spotlight.
Sutton knew he had disappointed his agent when he’d declined re-signing with the Atlanta Braves, but his body communicated to him it was time to quit before he seriously reinjured his right knee. Even now, after countless hours of physical therapy, it would stiffen when he least expected.
Yes. He had made the right decision to leave baseball, sell his Atlanta condo and return to his hometown to assist his aunt and uncle in running Powell’s Department Store once their daughter opened her craft shop around the corner in Wickham Falls’ downtown business district. However, after two weeks, he’d felt manning the sporting goods department was not as stimulating as he had expected it to be and living under the same roof with his relatives felt strange for someone who’d become emancipated within weeks of enrolling in college.
He’d contacted Mrs. Reilly, the local Realtor, who’d informed him there was an available rental, but the owner, Sharon Williams, had given her explicit instructions that anyone who leased her house had to submit a two-month security deposit to cover potential damages and undergo an extensive background check, because she did not want to return from Ohio to discover her home not as she’d left it. Sutton did not have to wait long for the local biweekly’s office manager to give her approval, and it had taken only days to finalize the paperwork and for him to move into the comfortably furnished three-bedroom house.
Things had changed since Sutton left the Falls to attend college. However, they hadn’t changed so much that he did not recognize the town in which he’d grown up. There were a few new shops along the four square blocks of the business district in a town that still did not claim a fast-food restaurant or big-box store. Residents were very vocal about preserving their small-town ambience with mom-and-pop shops stocking everything the community wanted and needed for daily existence. Their motto was: Live Local. Buy Local.
Sutton had returned to his hometown since leaving to attend college, but as his baseball career escalated and after his mother decided she wanted to move to Atlanta to be closer to him, his visits became less frequent, and he’d had to rely on his cousin Georgina Powell to keep him abreast of the happenings in the Falls.
It took him less than fifteen minutes to put away the canned goods and perishables. The fully furnished, meticulously clean house with an updated kitchen, full and half baths, living/dining/family rooms, attached garage and three second-story bedrooms was perfect for his current lifestyle. The backyard was spacious, and when he unlocked the shed, he’d found a gas grill, lawnmower, smoker and gardening tools.
Divorced and with a graduate degree in history and an illustrious sports career behind him, Sutton had decided to wait a year before making decisions about his future. He had to choose whether to teach, become an athletic coach or go into business to establish a sports camp for underserved youth. Multiple seven-figure contracts, a number of endorsements and conservative investments would allow him to live comfortably for years to come.
* * *
Sutton had just finished brewing coffee when he heard a familiar ringtone on his cell phone. Tapping the screen, he answered the call, and then activated the speaker feature. “Good morning, Mom.”
“You don’t sound as if I woke you up.”
“I’ve been up for a while,” he told Michelle Reed. “The company transporting my car from Georgia is expected to be here by nine.” He’d stored the car along with his condo’s furnishings until he found permanent housing but did not want to leave the vehicle for the next six months without driving it. While in Atlanta, he tended to take the Aston Martin out of the garage every few weeks to keep it running smoothly.
“Do you have some place to garage it?”
He knew his mother had asked because he’d made it a practice not to park the upscale sports car on the street or in the private parking lot behind the row of warehouses that had been converted into condos. “Yes. Sharon Williams’s house has a garage, and I’m going to leave it in there until I’m ready to take it out.”
“I really didn’t call you to chat long, but to tell you I’ve decided to close up my house for the next six months. After that I must decide whether I want to keep or sell it. I should know one way or the other sometime early next year. I’ve already called Evelyn to let her know I’m willing to stay with her and Bruce. I also told her that I don’t mind helping out in the store.”
“When did you decide this?” he asked. The last time he’d spoken to his mother she’d said nothing about temporarily relocating to the town where her family had lived for generations.
And her coming back to work in Powell’s Department Store with her sister Evelyn and brother-in-law Bruce Powell also surprised Sutton. He recalled his mother refusing a position of maintaining the books at the retail store because with a degree in business management she preferred working in an office. Michelle began her career as clerk with the Johnson County Public Schools system, eventually advancing to budget manager until she resigned to relocate to Atlanta to live closer to him.
Sutton added a splash of cream to his cup of coffee, and took a sip as he listened to his mother drone on about becoming disenchanted with living in Atlanta, while he wanted to remind her that it wasn’t the city but the women in her social circle. Michelle was the pied piper for those always looking for a handout. It had been that way with his father and continued with those she considered her friends. He’d cautioned her over and over that they were users and hangers-on; unfortunately, it had taken years before she’d come to that conclusion on her own.
“You’re closing the house for six months, but what do you intend to do after that?” Sutton asked his mother. Six months meant Michelle would be in the Falls through the new year.
“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. And if I stay here, then I’ll buy a one-bedroom condo. I know you got tired of hearing me complain about trying to get rid of those two-faced heifers who acted as if I was running a bed-and-breakfast. I should’ve taken your advice and chosen a house in a gated community where they’d have to be announced to gain access.”
Sutton had promised his mother he would gift her with a house once she’d decided to leave Wickham Falls and move to Atlanta. Michelle had secured the services of a Realtor to show her a few homes and she finally selected a three-bedroom high ranch in a suburb subdivision. He smiled. His mother was moving back to live with her sister and brother-in-law. And it also meant they didn’t need him to work in the store. The Powells had established a tradition that only those connected to the family were allowed to manage the centuries-old business establishment.
“Now that you’re going to be working at Powell’s, I suppose this means I’m fired.”
“I know you were willing to step up and help Bruce once Georgina opened her own shop, and I also know you didn’t go to college and get a graduate degree to become a salesclerk. I told your uncle that I will fill in wherever I’m needed.”
His mother was right. He didn’t mind helping out his aunt and uncle, but it wasn’t something he’d wanted to do for an extended period. Sutton had enrolled in college on a full academic and athletic scholarship. Following his graduation, he’d signed on with the Braves’ minor league baseball team as a first baseman. After his tenth year in the big leagues, he’d gone online to earn a graduate degree in American history with the intent to teach once his baseball career ended.
He was more than aware that an athlete’s career had an expiration date, and he’d carefully planned for when that day would become a reality. Now that his mother planned to return to Wickham Falls, Sutton knew it was time for him to update his résumé. The new school year was scheduled to begin in two weeks, and he was willing to work as a substitute until he found a permanent position as a history teacher.
“I’m going to ring off because I still need to pack up some of my clothes and ship them to the Falls. I’ll call you again before I leave here for good.”
“No problem, Mom. And please drive carefully.”
Michelle made a sucking sound with her tongue and teeth. “You know I don’t speed.”
“I know that, but just be aware of the other crazies on the road.”
“I will. Love you, son.”
“I love you, too, Mom.”
Sutton ended the call, picked up the coffee mug, left the kitchen and walked out of the house to wait on the porch for the car carrier. He’d just sat on a cushioned chaise when he saw movement out of the side of his eye. He turned to find Zoey sitting on a porch swing reading. He smiled. She looked nothing like the young woman he’d met the day before. A revealing tank top and shorts had replaced the loose-fitting pink smock and matching pants, and he couldn’t pull his gaze away from the smooth brown skin on her bared arms and long legs. When he’d stood next to her, introducing himself, Sutton realized she was taller than the average woman, and the chemically straightened hair she had secured in a knot on the top of her head was now styled in a messy bun on the nape of her long, graceful neck.
Stretching out his legs, he crossed his sandaled feet at the ankles. He would’ve greeted his neighbor if she hadn’t appeared so engrossed in her book. Unlike at the home that he’d shared with his ex-wife or the condo where he’d resided after his divorce, he hadn’t had much contact with his neighbors. But Sharon Williams’s house and the Allens’ were separated by a driveway wide enough for only a single vehicle.
Although his interaction with Zoey hadn’t lasted more than two minutes, it was enough for Sutton to recall her small, round face, wide-set dark eyes that appeared if she’d been suddenly startled, short, pert nose and a lush mouth that had held his rapt attention. He realized he’d been staring, but there was something about Zoey Allen that had enthralled and intrigued him. She appeared totally unfazed by his so-called celebrity persona, unlike a few women who’d fawned over him because that was what they believed he wanted. And there was an air of maturity about her that probably had come from the responsibility of having to raise her younger siblings when she was still a teenager.
He had dated a number of beautiful women, and eventually married one, yet after a while he realized their looks were only window dressing and that he had wanted more. And the more was compatibility. It had taken Sutton a long time to grow emotionally and realize that although he had to strive to become what others wanted him to be, he had to be honest enough with himself to do what made him feel secure. He had become a media darling on and off the field, and there were times when he’d felt like a marionette with someone else pulling the strings. And it wasn’t as if he was ungrateful that baseball had afforded him a lifestyle he never would’ve had if he’d chosen a different career. But now it felt good not to have to perform for the public and that he could be himself in his hometown.
Sutton took a sidelong glance at Zoey’s delicate profile as she appeared completely absorbed in the book on her lap, unable to pull his gaze away from her long legs and narrow feet. When his mother had called to inform him of the accidental deaths of the Allen parents and that the town was setting up a college scholarship fund for the two minor boys, he hadn’t hesitated and had anonymously sent a generous donation. His mother was more familiar with Zoey’s family because she’d attended school with James Allen. His contact with Zoey’s family was limited because they’d lived in another part of town from where he’d grown up, and he estimated that he was at least eight years her senior.
When he’d complimented her for raising her brothers, her reply had been “I’ve tried.” Well, it appeared as if she had done a good job because he knew it couldn’t have been easy for a teenage girl to assume the responsibility of raising her younger brothers.
“Good morning.”
Sutton had just taken another sip of coffee when he heard Zoey’s greeting. Shifting slightly on the chaise, he smiled at her. “Good morning to you, too. I would’ve said something sooner, but you were totally engrossed in your book.”
Zoey closed the book. “I don’t get much time to read, so when I do, I try to take advantage of it.”
She’d wanted to sleep in late because she didn’t have to go to work, but her internal clock refused to cooperate. Monday through Friday she got up at six, made up her bed, showered and dressed before going downstairs to prepare lunch for herself. She always made certain there were leftovers for Harper to microwave before getting into the fifteen-year-old Chrysler Pacifica minivan that had logged so many miles she’d made it a point not to look at the odometer.
“I won’t bother you so you can get back to your book.”
Zoey set the book on glass-topped rattan table. “You’re not bothering me. I just finished it. I’m going to wait a few days before I begin another one.”
“Is reading a hobby for you?” Sutton asked.
She nodded. “Between working and taking care of Harper, reading or bingeing on my favorite television shows are my only guilty pleasures.”
“That sounds very safe.”
“That’s because I can’t afford to take risks until my brother finishes school and hopefully goes off to college.”
Sutton lifted his coffee mug. “Do you drink coffee?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
“Have you had any this morning?”
Zoey shook her head. “Not yet.”
He pushed to his feet. “I made enough for several cups. Miss Williams doesn’t have a single-brew coffeemaker, so I had to resort to the alternative carafe style.”
“Miss Sharon is somewhat old-fashioned when it comes to certain things,” she said in defense of her longtime neighbor. Never-married Sharon Williams had become her guardian angel whenever she needed someone to look after her brothers while she made a last-minute run to the local supermarket before it closed. And if it was too late, then she had to drive to the all-night big-box store off the interstate. “And yes, I would like a cup.”
“How do you take your coffee?”
“Light and sweet.”
Sutton winked at her. “Light and sweet sounds very parochial when I’m so used to hearing caramel Frappuccino with soymilk, caramel drizzle and whipped cream.”
Throwing back her head, Zoey laughed. “It sounds as if you’ve had your share of Starbucks coffees.”
Sutton’s laughter joined hers. “I did until I brought an espresso machine to brew my own coffee concoctions.”
“Lucky you. I have a single-serve coffeemaker that fits perfectly with my lifestyle.” She didn’t entertain people in her home, and if she did want gourmet coffee, then she would use the dwindling supply of Jamaican Blue Mountain in her refrigerator. However, fancy coffees weren’t high on her list of things she needed to make her day.
“I’ll be right back with your light and sweet.”
Zoey stared at Sutton’s back as he turned and went into his house. The black T-shirt hugged his muscular upper body like a second skin, and the relaxed white jeans fit his waist and hips as if they’d been made expressly for his magnificent physique. When she’d gotten up earlier that morning, she went online to google Sutton’s name and she discovered things about her neighbor that left her mouth gaping in shock. The young man who’d been raised by a single mother had made it big, yet with fame and fortune had remained humble. He’d also joined an organization with other professional athletes that mentored at-risk youth, children growing up in single-parent households and families experiencing the loss of a family member while in combat. He had also set up his own charity: the Reed Foundation Road to Success.
She’d also examined the photos of Sutton and his ex-wife, wondering what had gone wrong in their eight-year marriage. Zoey had to admit that the tall, stunningly beautiful supermodel known as Angell was his perfect physical counterpart. Their marriage ended without a hint of scandal and when questioned why they were divorcing, Sutton and Angell refused to discuss it with the press, leaving people to wonder if their marriage was a sham as a cover for other proclivities. She’d found herself staring at some of his publicity photos. The one with him sitting on a chair wearing only a pair of jeans while staring directly into the camera was so sensual that it reminded Zoey of how long it had been since she’d had any sexual interaction with a man. The last and only man she’d ever slept with was her high school boyfriend.
The door to the neighboring house opened and Sutton emerged carrying two mugs. He came over and joined her on the porch swing. “A light and sweet for the pretty lady.”
Zoey felt pinpoints of heat in her face when he’d referred to her as pretty. It was a term she’d occasionally overheard by some men she’d encountered. She wasn’t vain about her looks, but she managed to ignore the overtures whenever men attempted to come on to her because she knew nothing would come of it. And for the few who’d asked her why she was so standoffish, her comeback was as a single woman with two kids, she didn’t have time to date. She hadn’t dated since high school, and once Harper left home her focus would be on nursing school.
But Sutton calling her pretty was different. He wasn’t a stranger but her next-door neighbor. And interacting with him verified his being a celebrity heartthrob was not a fluke. He was the total package. Looks, brawn and brains. Even his voice, low, beautifully modulated with a hint of a drawl, was hypnotic.
Sutton gave Zoey her mug, noticing her hand had trembled slightly when their fingers touched. “Are you all right?”
“I’m good,” she said.
He wanted to believe Zoey was all right but the rigidness in her body said otherwise. He stood and moved to a nearby chair. “I’m sorry if I invaded your personal space.”
She lowered her eyes, staring into the contents of her mug. “It’s okay.”
Sutton drank his coffee, staring at Zoey over the rim. He was perceptive enough to know she had been completely at ease with him the day before, but this morning her body language said otherwise, and he wondered what he’d said or done to make her uneasy.
Suddenly it occurred to Sutton that he may have made a faux pas when he had referred to Zoey as pretty lady, especially when he did not know whether she was involved with someone. “I’m sorry, Zoey.”
She halted putting the mug to her mouth. “For what?”
“For making you uncomfortable because I called you pretty lady. Hell, I don’t even know if you’re involved with someone.”
Zoey swallowed a mouthful of coffee. The corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled. “I really have to give it to you, Sutton Reed.”
A slight frown marred his natural good looks. “What are you talking about?”
“You did not make me uncomfortable, and if you wanted to know if I’m involved with someone, then all you had to do was ask.”
A hint of a smile replaced his frown. “Are you?”
The seconds ticked as she met his eyes. “No. And I can’t afford to because of a promise I made to Kyle and Harper when they were little boys. I told them it would be just the three of us until they were old enough to take care of themselves.”
Sutton set his mug on a side table. “I can understand you making that promise when they were boys, but I doubt if Harper would hold it against you if you decided to start dating.”
“Right now, Harper has no say in how I live my life.”
“Is he giving you a problem?”
Zoey went completely still. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I was sitting out on the porch when he came home last night. Someone had dropped him off and I noticed he was a little unsteady on his feet.”
If Sutton saw Harper coming home obviously under the influence, then Zoey wondered how many of her other neighbors had also witnessed it. Zoey did not want or need people gossiping about the Allen boy drinking or possibly drugging. She had managed to raise Kyle to adulthood without an incident, but life was testing her because Harper had decided he wasn’t going to make it that easy for her.
“I don’t know you and you don’t know me, Sutton, and there’s no way I’m going to dump on you about my problems.”
Sutton angled his head, giving her a long stare. “You’ve lived in the Falls all your life and you should know that folks here always look out for one another. Those who have more than they need always share with those who don’t have enough. And it’s not always about money.”
Zoey knew he was right. The people in the town had been more than generous when tragedy struck her family. Even now some folks still asked if she needed anything. She nodded. “You’re right. I give thanks every day that I live here and not somewhere else, because without the help of Preston McAvoy, the chamber of commerce and the worshippers at the church, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.”
The local law firm had handled her legal problems; local contractors had volunteered their services to make certain the house was free of violations; a company selling and installing gas heaters set up an installment plan for her to pay off the cost of the unit over three years.
“So once Harper graduates you plan to stay here?” Sutton asked.
Zoey smiled. “Where would I go?”
He shrugged broad shoulders under his tee. “I don’t know. Maybe you’d prefer someplace that has a little more excitement.”
She took another sip of the delicious brew. Sutton had made the coffee exactly how she liked it. “The Falls has enough excitement for the four thousand-plus folks who live here. Someone had submitted a proposal to the town council to open a club and it was unanimously voted down. What we don’t need is a club with people getting drunk and acting like fools. The town council in Mineral Springs has closed two clubs in the past four years because of fights and rowdiness.”
“The Springs has almost twice our population, so there’s bound to be a few more incidents than we have here.”
“Speaking of excitement, why did you decide to move back here after spending half your life in Hotlanta?” Zoey had asked the question that had plagued her since hearing word that Sutton Reed was moving back to Wickham Falls.
Sutton closed his eyes for several seconds. “I never really got used to living in a big city. The crowds and noise didn’t upset me whenever I was at the stadium, but once the game was over all I wanted was someplace quiet where I could decompress.”
“Whenever you were interviewed you seemed so confident, so in control of yourself.”
“That was all an act, Zoey. I’d learned early on to switch it on for the cameras and microphones. There was one Sutton for the sports reporters and another Sutton when he was home behind closed doors.”
“There is something I don’t understand.”
He gave her a long, penetrating stare. “What don’t you understand?”
Zoey met his eyes. “If you profess to be a private person, why then did you marry a high-profile supermodel?”
Sutton was preempted from answering her question as a truck drove up and parked in front of his house. He stood. “You’ll have to excuse me, but I have to take care of a delivery.”
She hadn’t meant to ask him a question that was obviously personal, but his revelation that he did not like the spotlight appeared completely incongruous juxtaposed to the photos of him and his glamorous ex-wife. The beautiful Sports Illustrated model was regularly photographed on and off the catwalk and had countless Twitter followers. Angell adored the camera and it in turn loved her, and she’d used it to her advantage to increase her visibility and popularity.
The screen door opened, and Harper joined Zoey on the porch. She smiled. If she hadn’t told him to get up early to clean up the backyard, she knew he wouldn’t have gotten out of bed until late morning or early afternoon. Whenever he didn’t have school, he stayed up half the night watching the sports channels and playing video games and then crawled into bed just before dawn. She did not have a problem with her brother’s waking and sleeping habits because whenever he had classes, he’d set the alarm on his cell phone to get up on time to meet the school bus.
“Holy shit! That’s him.”
“What did I tell you about cursing, Harper?” Zoey snapped angrily. It was as if her brother deliberately used foul language in her presence because he knew it annoyed her. It wasn’t as if she’d never used an expletive, but she had made it a habit not to curse, especially in her home. She was aware that Harper believed using four-letter words made him feel more like an adult, and initially she had deliberately ignored it, but lately everything he said was laced with obscenities.
“Lighten up, Zoey. All kids my age curse.”
Setting down the mug, she stood up, struggling to control her temper. “You’re not all kids, but my brother. And I’m not going to tolerate bad language in my home, Harper Allen.” There must have been something in her voice, body language or Zoey’s using his full name that changed Harper’s expression from cocky to remorseful.
“Okay. I will watch my language.”
She glared at him. “You do that.”
Harper walked to the railing. “Is that Sutton Reed?”
Zoey stood beside her brother. “Yes. He just moved in next door.”
Harper’s hazel eyes grew bigger. “You’re kidding me! He’s living in Miss Sharon’s house?”
She heard the awe in Harper’s voice. “Yes.”
“Have you met him?”
“Yes, Harper, I met him.”
Harper grasped her upper arm, his fingers tightened, unaware of his strength. “Can you introduce me to him?”
Reaching up, Zoey managed to extricate his hand. Sutton stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed over his chest. The driver had opened the rear of the truck and lowered a ramp. “He appears to be busy now.”
“But can you have me meet him when he’s not busy?”
She glanced up at Harper. He’d grown several inches in the past year and now towered over her. There was no doubt he was experiencing hero worship. “Okay.”
Harper dropped a kiss on her hair. “Thanks, sis. I’m going to clean up the yard now.”
“Once you’re finished, you can join me for breakfast with the works.” It was only on weekends that Zoey had time to make Harper’s favorite breakfast foods: grits, eggs, bacon, sausage or ham, biscuits and home fries.
“You’re the best.”
Zoey winked at him. “I try.” She was the best to Harper only when she wasn’t telling him what he should and should not to.
She watched Harper as he sprinted down the porch steps and disappeared around to the back of the house. She hadn’t lied to him. She did try to give him what he needed to avoid the problems that had befallen some of the town’s teenage boys who were dabbling in drugs and alcohol and, increasingly, fathering babies with different girls.
Zoey turned and went back into the house, recalling the time she’d spent most of her waking hours praying and second-guessing herself about whether she had done the right thing to petition the court to assume full responsibility for her brothers when she’d had to be a mother, father and sister. Thankfully it had gotten easier, and the day she witnessed Kyle walk across the stage to receive his high school diploma she felt as if her heart would burst with pride.
Meanwhile, Harper was an above-average student who’d talked about going to college. However, he wasn’t certain what he wanted to study, unlike herself, who’d always wanted to go into nursing. Zoey reassured him that he had a lot of time to decide what he wanted to be when he grew up.
With ten years behind them, the next two were certain to go quickly.