Small Town Secret: Mayfield Springs Book 1 Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Ch 1

  Ch 2

  Ch 3

  Ch 4

  Ch 5

  Ch 6

  Ch 7

  Ch 8

  Ch 9

  Ch 10

  Ch 11

  Ch 12

  Ch 13

  Ch 14

  Ch 15

  Ch 16

  Join Carrie's Crew

  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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  please visit www.carriecurtisbooks.com

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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

&n
bsp; 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.

  Great news! Chris is coming to the wedding. He changed his schedule as a wedding surprise for me. Isn't he a darling. C xx

  "Oh no," I whispered, as the screen illuminated my face in the darkness of my bedroom. " I can't see him, I just can't."

  I flung my phone on the floor and pulled the covers up over my head. Now I wasn't even remotely sleepy, and my stomach churned as I thought about the man who had broken my heart. I couldn't bear to see him. There must be some way I can get out of going to the wedding. I chewed the idea around in my head until I realized I couldn't possibly back out. Cassie needed me and she wouldn't forgive me if I couldn't make it. I clenched my eyelids shut and begged my brain to let me sleep. It can't be true, I thought. Chris wasn't meant to be here. And he doesn't even know about Bella.

  CHAPTER 3

  CHRIS

  A pounding hangover, the third this week, gripped my head and throbbed across my forehead. I felt as though my face was so heavy it couldn't be lifted from the pillow. In those liminal moments between being asleep and awake, it was sometimes difficult to remember where I was. And even worse, I often couldn't remember who I was with and how I got there.

  I propped myself up on one elbow in the bed and looked around. Not at home. Definitely in a hotel room. Mine? I didn't know. And the girl asleep beside me, a mane of golden blonde hair spilling out across the white hotel-grade pillow. Who was she?

  I lay back on the luxurious bed and stared at the ceiling. Shit, you've done it again. You're a dickhead Chris; you know that? I lectured myself, tasting the sour aftermath of overindulgence across my dehydrated tongue. I tried hard to piece together what I could remember of the night before. Memories came to me in flashbulb-lit images. A red carpet...paparazzi...a party. Of course, it had been the premiere of 'Foxglove Fighter'. My new movie. And as they say in the movies, the crowd had loved it.

  For now, I was the man of the moment. The biggest grossing star in Hollywood. The highest paid actor in the world. My name on a movie was a guarantee of box office success. The whirlwind of Hollywood sucked me in the moment I landed my first job, and I knew without a doubt that it would spit me out at some point, but for the time being I was going along for the ride, and it was fun - even if I couldn't remember a lot of it.

  I looked back at the girl beside me, trying to remember who she was and drawing a total blank. Long, blonde, wavy hair, perfectly smooth hairless skin, long tanned arms - she could be anyone. She had probably spent a fortune on hair extensions, hair removal, fake tan, and Botox so she could be the most beautiful version of herself but what these girls didn't realize was they all ended up as carbon copies of each other. She looked the same as a hundred other girls I'd woken up beside in hotel rooms just like this. I didn't feel bad about it. She wouldn't love me. She probably wouldn't even like me. She got what she wanted. She'd be able to boast to her friends that she slept with the Chris Taylor. For me, the novelty of sleeping with all these girls wore off a long time ago, and I longed to be with someone who loved me for who I really was.

  Of course, there once was a girl I loved and who loved me... a beautiful, young artistic girl who was more like a siren than the skinny starlet beside me. What I would do just to hold her right now, be with her in this bed and feel the warmth and touch of a real, proper, curvaceous girl instead of some plastic android. But I wasn't going to get to hold her. I'd had my chance with her, and I blew it.

  My mind flicked back to my present predicament. I knew that these situations got way too complicated if the girl woke up. It was much easier if I could just make a quick exit. I scanned the room. Perfume and makeup on the dressing table. A suitcase full of women's clothes lay open on the floor. Nothing of mine except last ni
ght's designer suit lying crumpled on the floor. Good. It was her room. That made it easier. All I had to do was get myself out of the room without waking her and without being seen leaving.

  The bed made no sound as I edged my way out of it. As I stood up, I caught sight of my naked body in the mirror on the other side of the room. I looked good - even if I said so myself. I allowed myself a moment to take it all in. I'd worked hard to get that rock hard six pack and those tanned guns. My muscled thighs were bulked up like a weightlifter and my dick stood semi-erect. Just looking at it sent a rush of blood to my groin. There was a stirring in the bed behind me. God, I'd better go before I ended up back in bed again.

  I pulled my clothes on and checked myself again in the mirror, smoothing down my hair and trying to straighten my suit jacket to make it look like I hadn't slept in my clothes. Making an escape from a hotel room was never the most dignified of acts.

  Pulling open the door, I prayed I wouldn't wake this girl. For a second she stirred in her sleep and murmured something inaudible. Then she rolled over and began to snore softly. It looked like the coast was clear. I tiptoed out the door into the hotel corridor.

  The maid in the hall smiled at me in recognition, and the bellboy in the elevator tried hard to look at me, but I could tell that he was quivering with excitement at being able to stand next to Chris Taylor even for a few seconds. Fame... it's the weirdest thing.

  As the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, I heard them immediately. Paparazzi. Human vultures who lurked amongst life's landscapes, waiting for their vulnerable prey before pouncing. The bastards.