Sutton and the CEO Forever (Bedding the Billionaire #5) - S. Cinders

Prologue

Sutton 6-years-old

“Come on, Sutton Button. We don’t want to be late for the fair!”

“Just one more time, Mama?” I pleaded.

With a relenting smile, Mama nodded. I grinned at her, showing off the space left by my missing front tooth as I twirled around in my new dress. Mama had found it at the thrift store in town. She said that it was only a little bit faded, but to me, it was the most beautiful dress in the entire world.

I skipped up to her and took her outstretched hand. “Are you really going to ride the Ferris wheel with me?”

Mama tucked a stray curl behind her ear and nodded as she gathered up her purse. “A promise is a promise, Sutton.”

I couldn’t contain my squeal of excitement. Mama hated heights more than anything. But she promised if I did all my chores and was extra quiet with her late-night friends, she would take me on a ride.

“I didn’t promise to like it,” she warned. But I could tell from her twinkling eyes that she wasn’t really upset. Mama had the prettiest eyes. She always said that the eyes were the windows to the soul.

We left our little trailer and began to walk toward town. It was a hot summer day that promised pink sun-kissed shoulders and cheeks by early afternoon. I could hardly contain my enthusiasm. Everything about the fair excited me, from the smell of popcorn in the air to the street below our sandals, sticky from fallen snow cones. I could have lived quite happily on this day forever.

As we approached the fairgrounds, I saw how the banners were hung across Main Street. A glorious welcome to one and all.

Mama gave my hand a squeeze. “This is going to be a fantastic day, Button.”

Some kids might have thought they were too old to be called a baby name like Button. But I didn’t care. When Mama called me that she would absentmindedly caress my cheek and often kiss my temple. We didn’t have much, but we did have each other. And Mama said there were plenty of folks who had all the riches in the world, but they didn't do what we do—love.

“Should have known you’d be here, Earl,” Mama teased as we approached our elderly neighbor.

Earl was throwing back a cold beer at ten in the morning. He seemed in a jovial mood as he ruffled my ponytail. “Hey there, squirt.”

I grinned at him and opened my mouth to speak. But before I could utter a word, I heard Martha, his wife’s, sour voice from behind me say. “Why are you talking to that trash, Earl?”

I looked around us, but there weren't any trash bins. I couldn’t imagine what she was talking about. The only thing Earl had been speaking to was people—Mama and me.

Martha approached Earl, tight-lipped and cross as ever. “Stand up straight, girl.”

Immediately I looked at Mama to see how to act. But she simply smiled at the older woman. I didn’t understand it one little bit. Martha was Earl’s wife and quite possibly one of the orneriest women in the entire universe. I liked her just about as well as I liked Father Montgomery, and that wasn’t saying very much.

“Afternoon, Martha,” Mama replied as if she hadn’t heard the older woman tell me what to do.

I never could understand why Mama was so nice to everybody, especially Martha. It didn’t make a lick of sense. I thought she was an old biddy. But I tried to follow Mama’s example and didn’t retaliate by sticking out my tongue. At least, I don’t think Martha saw me.

“You look mighty pretty in that dress, Sutton,” Earl said, trying to smooth the tension.

A wide smile broke across my face. “Thank you, Earl! Mama found it at the thrift shop. Isn’t it the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen?”

Before Earl could answer, Mama let out a mangled cry and snatched my arm rather hard. The pinch made tears spring to my eyes.

“Ouch! Mama, you’re hurting me!” I cried out.

But Mama wasn’t paying any heed to what I was saying. One minute we were standing at the foot of the fair, and the next moment Mama was dragging me away.

“Mama, stop! Please!” I pleaded with her as the fair began to shrink in the background. “I’ll be good. I swear I’ll be good!”

Mama didn’t stop, nor did she explain. If anything, she started to move faster away from town.

When I let out a scream, Mama clamped her hand over my mouth