Breaking Stars (The Celebrity 2)

“Never.”

Tatum leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine, and all thoughts of college, dreams, and goals were wiped from my mind in an instant.

Dinner with Mama

Paige

After everything Tatum and his mom had done for me, I wanted to treat them to a meal in town. Part of me wanted to cook and show off what Mrs. Montgomery had taught me, but the realistic part didn’t want to risk my screwing it up. If Tatum’s mom had to save me in the kitchen, that would have blown the whole point of me trying to do something nice for her. She happily agreed to going out, and Tatum didn’t seem to care where we ate as long as we did. I decided right then and there that guys never stop growing.

Without leaving town, we only had one option: the café. I hadn’t eaten there, but I’d seen it from a distance and knew it was small and homey. I dressed for comfort in a pair of ripped jeans and an oversized tan Diesel tank top. Mrs. Montgomery let me keep her boots in my room so I pushed my feet into them, smiling the whole time. Somewhere in this escape, I’d become the kind of girl who had fallen in love with a pair of cowboy boots. Grabbing my long hair, I swept it up into a ponytail and left wispy pieces falling around my face. I felt like a country girl when I looked in the mirror, and I had to admit that I liked it.

Heading into the living room, I spotted Mrs. Montgomery sitting on the porch, rocking back and forth in one of the wicker chairs. Buster sat at her side. I joined her as we waited for Tatum.

“I’m wearing your boots again, if that’s okay?”

“Of course it’s okay.” Her gaze swept the length of my body before stopping at my feet. “They look adorable on you. You have such great style.”

“Perks of being a celebrity. Free clothes and stylists to help dress you.”

“Do you get a lot of things for free? I mean, I suppose you would.”

I nodded. “I do. Way more than I could ever wear. You’ll have to come raid my closet sometime,” I offered with a wink.

She gave me a grin. “I just might take you up on that.”

I smiled, thinking about her and Tatum visiting me in Los Angeles. “Have you ever been to California,” I asked as she continued to rock in the chair.

She laughed out loud. “Honey, I’ve never even left the state. Tatum’s daddy took him to visit schools and I stayed here. We planned on taking in a game after the holidays, but…well, that didn’t end up happening.”

Her face pinched and I knew her heart was hurting thinking about her late husband. I hated seeing her in pain, so I tried to cheer her up. “After I leave, we’ll have to work something out where you can come visit. I’d love to show you LA and Malibu.”

Tatum’s footsteps interrupted our chat and she leaned in to whisper to me, “I’ve always wanted to go to Hollywood.”

“What are you two whispering about?” He stopped on the porch stairs and stared at us both as my eyes drank him in. His jeans always fit him so well, and tonight’s pair was no exception. The sand-colored shirt he wore actually matched mine, and I wondered if he noticed. The sight of his arms and shoulders caused my pulse to pick up.

Tatum’s mom pushed up out of the chair and stood. “None of your business. Hey, you two match. You look real cute together.”

Tatum glanced at his outfit before looking back at mine. “We do match.”

“Go change,” I said teasingly, and pointed toward the barn.

“You change,” he huffed back in response.

“I was ready first.” I placed one hand on my hip and pretended to snarl.

He cracked a smile. “I’m not changing. Neither are you. Let’s go eat.” He reached for my hand and I grabbed it tightly.

The three of us couldn’t fit into Tatum’s truck comfortably, so we followed behind his mom as she headed toward her car. “Do you want me to drive, Mama?”

Mrs. Montgomery waved her hand around, as though his suggestion were words she could slap out of the air. “You are not driving my baby. You get your behind in the backseat like a gentleman and hush up,” she demanded as she opened her door.

“You’ve been told,” I whispered.

“No shit,” he said as he pushed the seat forward to squeeze into the back. I felt bad that Tatum’s large body had to sit back there, so I moved my seat as close to the dashboard as I could to give him more legroom.

The car came to a stop next to the bowling alley, which had a diner attached to the side. “This will be nice, Paige. Thank you. It’s been far too long since I’ve been out of the house for a meal,” Mrs. Montgomery confessed.

“It’s my pleasure. Really.”