Page 53 of Rumor Has It

“Just open it.” He tears the edge, eager for me to quit stalling.

I finish removing the tab and fish out a red lanyard emblazoned withRumor Has Itin white lettering. Attached is a square card that reads: All Access.

I hold it up to my nose, hiding my goofy smile. “I’ve already had all the access to you a girl could get.”

“It’s, yeah… I know it isn’t romantic, and that Gatlin was getting you the concert tickets, but you don’t need them anymore. This pass gets you backstage to see me at any venue on the tour.”

“No. No… It’s perfect.” What did I expect, jewelry? “But anywhere in the country?” I’m stunned. “What if want to just watch the show?”

“The pass takes care of that. All Access.” Isaiah taps the card.

My palm flies to my forehead to stop my brain from reading more into this gift than I should. My heart, however, leaps chapters ahead. I’ve known this man for a few days and can’t quite decide what this signifies. Am I supposed to hook up with him in Houston? What if I’m in Austin and want to bring Rhiannon along?

I squelch my confusion and opt to keep the mood cheerful. “I have something for you, too… Except before you open it, the truth is Rhi got it for me as a gag, but it’s way funnier if it’s yours. So, that’s why I’m giving it to you.”

“You’re regifting?”

“Bet that doesn’t happen to you often.”

“Nope.” Isaiah doesn’t wait to dig his hand into the bag. “Cass, you’re biting your lip again.” He pauses, leaning forward and touching our noses together. “I don’t give a damn about how you came by this,” he says, our faces close. “All I care about is what I plan to do to you when I’m on the road and you show up to use my gift.”

I twist my lips. He pecks them twice before pulling a white tee out of the bag. He laughs out loud, holding it to his front. The black and white imprint is of a muscular man’s chest. It’s fairly close to what’s underneath.

“I am wearing this today!” he announces.

Isaiah finds it as hysterical as I did and I double over with relief.

“I’m sure Rhiannon will get a kick out of seeing you wear it when she’s here taking pictures.” I comment.

“I thought dinner tonight was at your parents’?”

“It is. Yesterday was all about the kids getting grubby and having a blast. Today, everyone gets dressed up in their finery. Rhiannon does mini portrait sessions downstairs by the tree.”

Sifting through the proofs is awesome since she posts them on a website with the previous years’ pictures. I love seeing how much Wilder and Emeran have grown.

“Let’s do that, too.” He tugs the shirt on.

“Why?”

It’s not as if Isaiah is as big a frequent flyer at Kingsbrier as Santa is.

“For the memory, chou. I need a picture to remember us by.”

?????

Five days later, a framed five-by-seven sits on my nightstand on top of the book club selection I have yet to read.

Rhiannon snapped a ton of pictures of Isaiah and me before we’d trekked to my mom and dad’s for Christmas dinner. Except, in this snapshot, Isaiah’ has his button down open to reveal the sexy abs t-shirt he’s wearing underneath. His tongue hangs out like a rockstar.

Delighted by the surprise, I played along with his antics and ran to get the tour lanyard to put around my neck. I’m posing, fanning myself as if I’m about to swoon. He has an arm at my back to stop my fall.

Anyhow, the rest of the fam uses a universal passcode for Rhiannon’s website. She dropped off this particular shot, along with a business card that had Isaiah’s own private code printed on it.

Isaiah’s shown me a few of the other proofs on his phone, but I love how flirty and goofy we look in this one the best.

Maybe Rhiannon’s innate ability to capture who people are is why she’s such an amazing photographer. She did snap the photo of Gatlin as a a kid that’s on my phone.

I slip the dress I’m wearing to the New Year’s Eve party at the country club out of the closet and hang it on a hook in the bathroom.

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