Under the Stars

under the stars Cottonwood Cove ~ Book 2 laura pavlov To all the dreamers who beat to their own drum… Keep dreaming my friends. We only get one chance at this life, so, dance in the closet, sing in the rain and embrace everything that makes you unique. The brightest lights were never meant to be dimmed. They were meant to light up the room. Hugs & Love, Laura copyright Under the Stars Cottonwood Cove, Book 2 Copyright © 2023 by Laura Pavlov All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Laura Pavlov https://www.laurapavlov.com Cover Design: Hang Le Cover Photography: Madison Maltby Message from the Author: Under the Stars contains mature content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Click the link below for content warnings. content warnings contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Epilogue Acknowledgments Keep Up On New Releases Other Books by Laura Pavlov Follow Me one Georgia No more dirtbags. I’m officially closed for business. Now and forever. I made this silent promise to myself as my hands gripped the steering wheel, snowflakes falling from the sky and splattering across the windshield as I watched the road in front of me. “I curse the ground you walk on, Dikota Smith,” I hissed to myself. He was the reason I was even in this current situation where I’d needed to lie to my family and borrow a car from my brother’s fiancée. My ex-boyfriend brought the term douchebag to an all-new low. I was grateful that Lila had loaned me her car to take to my interview, as it was freezing in Cottonwood Cove today, and I did not want to walk. I hadn’t told my family the truth about my car because I knew my siblings would lose their minds, and my parents would be upset—I’d have to figure something out in the meantime. I’d wait him out and hope that the morally challenged dickweasel would come to his senses and no one would be the wiser. I’d put Dikota in my rearview, and that was exactly where I intended to keep him—just as soon as I got my car back. Today was a fresh start. A new beginning. And I was here for it. My mom had taken me shopping for a new outfit for my interview, which she’d deemed a graduation gift, as I’d just walked at my commencement ceremony less than a week ago. The town was so festive this time of year. I drove down Main Street, where lights were strung around every light post, and they zigzagged overhead down the length of the entire street. Daylight did not do them justice. I’d been downtown last night having dinner with friends, and it had been all lit up and looked like a winter wonderland. Cottonwood Cove was not only my home, it was my happy place. Lancaster Press had moved into the large three-story brick building not far from my brother’s restaurant, Reynolds’, a few months ago. I was interviewing for a personal assistant position for Maddox Lancaster, who was the president of the company. I’d heard that he was an intimidating rich guy, a bit of a playboy, and a recent resident of my hometown. Apparently, they’d moved the business out of the city, and he’d bought one of the large spec homes in town. Everyone was talking about it. Small-town gossip and all that. Yeah, it was a real thing. Personally, I didn’t know that this was the right career path for me, but I needed a job, seeing as I was temporarily homeless and carless. Yes, I had a flair for the dramatics. Obviously, I had a rock star family, and I could borrow a car from my parents or any of my four siblings, and I wasn’t technically homeless, as I was currently living with my brother Hugh and his fiancée, Lila. But I wanted to prove that I could do things on my own. Being the youngest of five kids when all your older siblings were absolute winners wasn’t always easy when you weren’t sure what you wanted to do with your life. So, first things first. Get a job. Get my own place. And get my car back. I’d already made it past the initial screening with human resources, which we’d done remotely via a Zoom meeting. But the final decision would be up to Maddox Lancaster. I pulled in behind the building and glanced in the mirror one last time before dabbing on a little bit of pink lip gloss. I opened the car door and stepped outside, wishing I’d listened to my mother, who’d insisted I wear tights beneath my skirt. I’d refused because I was already wearing this winter-white suit with a pencil skirt and blazer with gold buttons. I loved it, but I wanted to keep things youthful. I was twenty-two years old, after all. So, I’d paired it with some tan heeled booties, which Lila thought looked adorable, even though my mother had insisted I wear my nude heels. Listen, I was applying to be a personal assistant, not a rocket scientist. And the outfit