Summer Rain

" Summer rain
Whispers me to sleep
And wakes me up again
Sometimes I swear I hear her call my name
To wash away the pain
My summer rain". ~Carl Thomas

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Channon Nicole Carter
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Channon works as a housekeeper for NFL star Walker Reids, a job that pays the bills and keeps her afloat as she rebuilds her life. Cleaning the grand halls of his estate is a far cry from the struggles she's endured, but it offers stability-a chance to move forward.

After losing her son, Ryot, Channon spiraled into grief, seeking comfort at the bottom of a bottle. The weight of her pain cost her everything-her job at the post office, her sense of self, and nearly the bond with her daughters, Raleigh and Raelynn. It wasn't until she found herself on the edge of losing them completely that she made the hardest but most necessary decision: to seek help. A week in rehab didn't erase the past, but it gave her a new beginning.

Now, she's sober, determined, and focused on making a life for her daughters. Each day at work is another step forward, though the lavish world of professional athletes feels lightyears away from her own reality. Walker Reids, the man behind the mansion, is an enigma to her-a powerhouse on the field but reserved and almost distant at home. Their interactions are brief, polite, nothing more than employer and employee.

That changes one evening when Channon, exhausted from a long shift, accidentally knocks over a glass of water in the expansive kitchen. She scrambles to clean it up, only to find Walker crouched beside her, towel in hand.

"You don't have to do that," she murmurs, embarrassed.

He shrugs, offering a rare, easy smile. "Neither do you. But here we are."

For the first time, Channon sees past the fame-the headlines, the screaming fans-and glimpses something deeper in him. A quiet understanding, a familiarity with struggle