Marking Time (29 page)

They were whisked away by their huge bodyguard.

Billy came running up to her. “What the hell was that all about?” he asked, excitement dancing on his face.

“Nothing,” Kate said with a sinking sensation in her stomach. “They just wanted to say hello.”

She managed to hold it together until she got home to Reid’s house. Since Martha quit, Kate had all but moved in with him. He hadn’t said much about what happened with Martha, but Kate suspected it had something to do with her.

He met her at the front door, and she rushed into his arms.

“How’d it go?”

She couldn’t get a word past the sob that closed her throat.

“Honey, what is it? What happened?” He led her into the drawing room to sit.

“Everything,” she finally managed to say. “Everything happened.”

He wiped the tears from her face. “Tell me. I’m dying here.”

“Buddy and Taylor want to take me on the road to open for them this summer. And they want me to record your song so they can release it as a single.”

He gasped. “Are you
serious
?”

Nodding, she sniffled. “But they don’t want the band. Just me.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “How can I do that to them?”

Reid tightened his hold on her. “You have to do what’s best for you, honey.”

“But they’ve done so much for me. I owe them everything. The only reason Buddy and Taylor came in tonight was to see the band. I can’t screw them over like this.”

“You don’t have to decide anything tonight. Why don’t you get some sleep and think about it some more tomorrow?”

“It’s not just that.”

“What?”

“The whole summer on the road,” she whispered. “Away from you.”

“Kate,
Buddy Longstreet
and
Taylor Jones
want you to tour with them. Come on! This is the dream come true.” He tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. “Remember what I told you before? I’ll be right here waiting for you. It’s time to fly, baby.”

She smiled. “That’s my song.”

“It’s your time.”

“I love you. I want to be with you always.”

“You will be.” He touched his lips to hers. “Let’s go to bed. You’re exhausted.”

“Holy shit, man, you weren’t kidding,” Buddy said without preamble when he called Reid the next morning.

“I told you.”

“We were just blown the fuck away!”

“I heard you offered her the whole ball of wax.”

“It was either going to be me or someone else, real soon. She’s amazing.”

“I know,” Reid said with a sigh. “You’ll be careful with her, won’t you?”

“Reid, you know I love you, man. We were raised like brothers, am I right?”

“You know you are.”

“I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to tell me the truth, all right?”

“Okay.” Reid knew what was coming and decided to be honest with Buddy. Hiding what he felt for Kate was becoming harder by the day.

“What’s she to you?”

“Everything.”

Buddy paused before he asked, “Who else knows that?”

“Your mother and Kate’s sister. I’m trusting you to handle her with care, Buddy. I mean it.”

“You have my word.”

A
fter Reid left for work, Kate saddled up Thunder and took him for a long ride along the creek. She loved Reid’s horse almost as much as she loved him. As they galloped along, Kate marveled at how at home she felt in his world after just a few months with him. He’d changed everything for her. Living with him, talking to him, sleeping next to him, making love with him, everything with him. That’s what mattered to her now, but she was torn, so torn by what Buddy and Taylor were offering. It was what she’d thought she wanted—until it was handed to her, forcing her to choose between the career she’d dreamed of forever and the man who made her life complete.

Slowing Thunder to a walk so he could stop for a drink at the creek, Kate remembered the picnic she’d had there with Reid on the day she first realized how important he would be to her.

When Kate returned to the stables, Derek wasn’t around, so she rubbed Thunder down, refilled his water and feed, and put his saddle away in the tack room.

Back in the house, she went upstairs to Reid’s room to find the business card Buddy had given her. Lying on the bed, she held the card in her hand for a long time, turning it back and forth. Buddy Longstreet, President & CEO, Long Road Records. On the back, Buddy had scrawled their home number. Buddy Longstreet and Taylor Jones had given
her
their
home
phone number. The longer she held the card, the more absurd the whole thing became, and suddenly she was giddy.
Buddy Longstreet and Taylor Jones want to work with me! Kate Harrington is going to be a star!

She got up from the bed to find her cell phone and called Ashton’s office.

“I need my attorney,” she said when he came on the line.

“Hello to you, too. What can your attorney do for you today?”

Kate was relieved that he seemed happy to hear from her. She hadn’t talked to him since the night at F. Scott’s. “Well, it seems Buddy Longstreet and Taylor Jones want to work with me.”

Dead silence.

“Ashton?”

“How’d you get hooked up with them?”

“They came into Mabel’s last night when the band was playing, and afterward they asked me to have a drink with them. They want me to open for them this summer, and they want to release one of my songs as a single before the tour.”

More silence.

“Ashton? What’s wrong? Isn’t this a good thing?”

“It’s a very good thing. Congratulations. They’re two of the finest people in this town. You can’t go wrong with them.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Nothing. I have a meeting in five minutes. Can I call you later?”

“Sure.” Kate wondered why he didn’t sound happier for her.

Enjoying a rare night off from the band, Kate snuggled up with Reid to watch a movie in bed.

“I can’t keep my eyes open,” she said with a yawn.

“Don’t bother. It’s not that good anyway.” He shifted a pile of contracts he was reviewing so he could kiss her. “Why don’t you get some sleep?”

She pushed his papers aside. “I don’t want to sleep.”

“Well, what else is there to do?” he asked with a sly grin.

She pulled him down to her. “I’m sure we can think of something.”

A crash downstairs startled them.

“What was that?” Kate asked.

Reid got up and pulled on a pair of jeans. “I don’t know.”

“Dad?”

“Shit!” Reid moved fast to zip up his pants and get to the bedroom door.

“Dad, wake up. I’m coming in.”

The door swung open before Reid or Kate could move.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Ashton’s face twisted with anger as he looked from his father to Kate in the bed. “What a fucking idiot I am!”

“Ashton, wait.” Reid held up a hand to stop his son from coming any farther into the room.

Ashton pushed his father aside. “No, you wait. What the
hell
are you doing? She’s younger than
me
!”

“Ashton,” Kate said as tears rolled down her face.

“You
knew
I cared for you, Kate. You must’ve gotten a real kick out of having a father and son competing for you.”

“No,” she said. “I cared for you, too.”

“But not enough to level with me, huh? Is this the guy you were so heartbroken over, the one you cried about?”

Kate looked away from him.

He snorted with disgust. “You both had ample opportunity to tell me about this. Instead you made a fool out of me. You two liars deserve each other.” He turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Stay here,” Reid said to Kate. He chased Ashton down the stairs and out the front door. Reid was bare-chested and bare-footed, but he never felt the cold, just the chill in his heart over the searing pain on his son’s face. “Ashton, stop!” He grabbed Ashton’s jacket and spun him around. “Don’t leave like this.”

“I asked you
point blank
if you knew who she was involved with, and you said you didn’t. You lied to my face. Is that how it’s going to be between us now? I can’t trust a goddamned word you say?” Ashton’s voice broke along with Reid’s heart.

“Wait, son.” Reid put his hand on Ashton’s shoulder to stop him from walking away. “Talk to me.”

Ashton shook him off. “Would you happen to have
any
idea how Buddy and Taylor found her?”

Reid didn’t answer him.

Ashton released a harsh chuckle. “Does she know?”

Reid looked down at his bare feet. “No,” he said softly.

“I didn’t think so. Are you being truthful with
anyone
?”

“I’m sorry. I hated lying to you, but I love her, and I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

“Maybe you could’ve let me decide that. Instead you lied to my face. Now I’ll never believe another fucking thing you say.” Something else seemed to dawn on him. “This is why Martha left, isn’t it?”

“Martha retired.”

“More lies, Dad? Are you so out of your mind you don’t even recognize the truth anymore?”

“I know you’re mad right now, and you have every right to be—”

“I’m so far beyond mad I don’t even know what it’s called.”

“Be careful what you do with this, Ashton. Remember all the people who depend on me for their livelihoods. If you set out to hurt me, you’ll only hurt them.”

Ashton leaned in so he was an inch from his father’s face. “Maybe you should’ve thought about them before you started banging an eighteen-year-old.” With that he spun around and walked to his car. He was gone a minute later in a cloud of dust and rage.

With a heavy heart, Reid trudged back upstairs to find Kate dressed and crying.

“I’m sorry, Reid,” she said between sobs. “I’m so sorry.”

He took her in his arms. “It’s my fault. I lied to him. He asked me straight out if I knew who you were involved with, and I said no.”

She pushed her way out of his embrace. “He’s your son.”

“And you’re my life, Kate.”

“You need to go to him.”

“He doesn’t want to see me right now.”

“I have to go.”

Reid reached for her. “Don’t. Don’t run away.”

Kate brushed the tears off her face. “I’ve come between you and your son.”

“We’ll work it out. Come here, baby. I need you.” He stretched out next to her on the bed. “I love you. Nothing’s changed.” But as he held her close to him, he couldn’t help but worry that everything had changed.

When Ashton got home, he went straight to the liquor cabinet. With two shots of Jack Daniels burning their way through his gut, his heart finally stopped racing.

“
How could I not have seen this?
I’ve got to be the stupidest asshole in the goddamned world.”

When Kate called about her meeting with Buddy and Taylor, the whole thing clicked into focus with such stunning clarity it had taken his breath away. Buddy was like an uncle to him, and he was the godfather to Buddy and Taylor’s oldest two children. Since Ashton joined the law firm, Buddy had sent so much business his way that Ashton was already on a fast track for partnership.

After he talked to Kate earlier, Ashton left the office and walked along the river for hours trying to figure out what to do. When he couldn’t wait another minute to find out for sure if it was true, he went to the house.

A sigh shuddered through him as he plopped down on the sofa. Resting his head in his hands, disgusted by the memory of the cozy scene he’d interrupted in his father’s bedroom, he cringed when he realized he could’ve walked in on worse.

He really cared about Kate. He could’ve even loved her, but she’d never given him an ounce of encouragement. At least now he knew why.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered as he got up, walked over to his desk, and rifled through a pile of paper until he found what he was looking for. He studied the business card for a long time before he picked up the phone and dialed the number in Rhode Island.

A
idan tore through his bedroom, throwing clothes into a duffel bag.

Clare got up to put on jeans and a sweater.

“What’re you doing?” he asked as he zipped his bag.

“Coming with you.”

“You don’t have to do that. You’ve been so sick. I’ll be all right.”

Clare met his gaze with determination. “I’m coming with you.” Seeing that his eyes were shiny with tears, she went to him. “He’s going to be fine. Colin said he’s alive, right?”

Aidan nodded.

Clare hugged him. “It’s going to be okay. Let’s go.” She picked up her bag, grabbed her toothbrush from the bathroom, and followed him downstairs.

Holding his hand, she rested her head on his shoulder as they hurtled south in his truck through the mountains. Except for a couple of semis, they had the road to themselves. Colin had reported no change a short time ago.

“Hanging in there?” Clare asked.

“Yeah,” he said, but his jaw was clenched with tension.

“Talk to me. What are you thinking?”

“I’m not ready to lose my father.”

“You aren’t going to.” Clare unbuckled her seat belt so she could move closer to him. “He’s where he needs to be, getting the care he needs.”

He lifted his arm to let her in. “I hope you’re right. Thanks for coming. I’d be flipping out by now if I was alone.”

She kissed his cheek. “You’re not alone anymore.”

He leaned in to kiss her, and the spark of fire surprised them both. “How is it possible that even in the midst of a crisis and even at eighty miles an hour, I still want you?” He kissed her again. “I hope you’re prepared for what’ll happen in Chatham when I show up with you.”

“And what’s that?”

“They’ll be all over you.”

“I can take it,” Clare assured him.

He chuckled. “We’ll see what you’re saying in a day or two when you hear my mother and sister planning our wedding.”

“Wedding?” Clare stammered.

“You have no idea what you’re in for.”

“Maybe I can stay in the truck the whole time. They won’t see me.”