Coming Home (31 page)

Buddy seemed relieved by her decision. “Good enough. I need to get home, but keep me posted on everything.”

“We will,” Ashton and Jill said together.

Jill’s face turned bright red. Yes, something was definitely up.

Buddy shook hands with Reid and Ashton, and cuffed Kate on the chin. “Stop giving me heart attacks, will ya?”

Kate looked up at the man who’d meant so much to her as a friend, surrogate big brother and mentor. “I’ll do my best.”

After Buddy left, Kate said, “I’d like to speak to my sister for a minute, if that’s all right.”

“Of course, darlin’,” Reid said. “Take all the time you need.”

“I’ll buy you a coffee in the break room, Dad,” Ashton said, leading his father from the room.

When the door closed behind them, Kate took a good long look at Jill.

“What is going on with Ashton?”

“Let me see your ring.”

“I asked first,” Kate said. “Spill it.”

“What makes you think there’s anything going on?”

“Oh please, Jill. Who knows you better than I do?”

Again, her unflappable sister’s face turned bright red.
 

“Are you
sleeping
with him?”

“Um, well, maybe?”

“Jill! Oh my God! When did this happen?”

“Recently.”

Kate stared at her sister as her mind whirled with shock and questions and disbelief.

“Say something, will you?” Jill said after a long moment of uncomfortable silence. “Are you mad?”

“I’m stunned. I had no idea you thought about him that way.”

“I didn’t want to think about him that way. I know you hate him, and he’s the last guy on earth you’d want me to date, let alone sleep with—”

“Whoa, Jill. Wait a minute. I don’t hate him. I never hated him. I disliked something he did a long time ago that caused me a lot of trouble.”

“He regrets that.”

For the second time in five minutes, Kate was stunned. “He does?”

Jill nodded. “He wishes he had it to do over again, along with the conversation in the parking lot. He’s been ashamed of what he said to you ever since.”

“Wow, I never would’ve guessed that he felt that way.”

“Well, he does.”

“And what about you? How do you feel?”

“I…I like him. I’ve had a bit of a crush for a while now that I barely admitted to myself because of your issues with him. But then he asked me out, and we went to Malibu and—”

“You went
away
with him?”

Jill squirmed under Kate’s intense scrutiny. “Maybe.”

“This is huge! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”

“I thought you’d be mad.”

“Are you happy, Jill? Does he make you happy?”

“He’s amazing, and yes, I’m happy. Very much so.”

Kate hugged her sister. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. I wanted you to know what that was like, and I was so worried you were giving up your own chance at happiness to run my life.”

“Because of running your life, I might’ve found my happiness.”

Kate pulled back to look her sister in the eye. “Are we really going to end up with a father and son?”

“I don’t know about that, but it looks like you’re ending up with the father. Show me the ring. Now.”

Laughing, Kate held out her left hand.

“Oh, Kate. It’s beautiful and so perfect for you.”

“I thought so, too. He did good.”

“Have you talked to Dad?” Jill asked.

“Some. He’s upset that Reid and I are back together. He left me a message last night that he wants to talk some more about it, but I haven’t called him back yet.”

“I’d hate to see you at odds with him again over this.”

“Me, too, but what am I supposed to do? I can’t not be with Reid because Dad doesn’t approve. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I spent years mourning the loss of this relationship. But I love Dad so much. . .”

“I know that, Kate, and so does he.”

“No matter how much I love him, I won’t let him ruin this for me.”

“Maybe you should call him back. See what else he has to say.”

Kate shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t want to fight with him.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“The day after Christmas.”

Jill’s eyes bugged. “Jesus! You don’t mess around.”

“Haven’t we waited long enough?”

“Yes, I suppose you have. Well, since we won’t be going back out on tour in January, I’d better get busy sucking up to the promoter so he doesn’t sue your ass, and we’ve got a wedding to plan.”

“You’ll be my maid of honor, right?”

“Duh. Of course I will. I’d have to kill you if you asked anyone else.”

“There’s no one else I’d ask besides you and Maggie. I’ll probably have Buddy’s girls as junior bridesmaids. For the longest time I’ve thought of them as the kids I’d never have. And now I might get to have some of my own.” Kate’s eyes filled, and she closed them in a failed attempt to contain the tears that leaked from the corners. “I want to pinch myself to believe this is really happening.”

“One thing is for sure, good looks sure do run in their family.”

“I know, right?” Kate said with a laugh.

“So you two picked right up where you left off, huh?”

“Pretty much. If it hadn’t been for his psycho ex, it would’ve been a perfect week.”

“What do you mean?”

As Kate was about to fill Jill in on what had transpired with Mari, a knock on the door stopped her. Ashton and Reid came back in, both looking grim.

“What’s wrong?” Kate asked, immediately on edge.

“I had one of my associates look into the video and where it might’ve come from,” Ashton said.

“They’ve been able to prove that one of Mari’s cousins, who works at the resort next door to Desi’s, took the footage,” Reid said.

“So she must’ve told him I was there.”

“Yes,” Reid said. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. I didn’t want it to be her.”

“It’s not your fault.”
 

“What recourse do we have?” Reid asked Ashton with a hard edge to his voice that was wildly out of character for him. It told Kate just how furious he was at his ex-girlfriend.

“With your permission, we’ll turn over what we uncovered to the local authorities in St. Kitts,” Ashton said. “We can also file a civil suit against her and the cousin.”

“She doesn’t have much money.”

“At the very least, you can make her life almost as uncomfortable as yours has been since the video went public,” Jill said.
 

Reid looked at Kate. “What do you want to do?”

“Whatever you think is appropriate.”

He looked at Ashton. “Put the screws to her.”

Ashton nodded. “I’ll have one of my people take care of it.”

Kate looked up at Reid. “I’d really like to go home, if that’s okay.”

“The media is all over your place,” Ashton reminded her.

“We’ve got a plan,” Reid said with a smile for Kate. “Let’s get going.”

“I’m, ah, going to stay in town until things die down at home,” Jill said.

Kate glanced at her and then at Ashton, before zeroing in on her sister’s red face. “I can’t say I blame you. I’ll give you a call in the morning.”

“Sounds good.”

On the way past Ashton, she squeezed his arm. “Take good care of my sister.”

“You have my word on that.”

Kate nodded and preceded Reid out of the office and down the stairs.
 

When they reached the car, Reid stopped her from getting in. “What was that all about with Ashton just now?”

“He and Jill are seeing each other.”

“Really? He never said a word!”

“He was probably waiting for her to tell me.”

“What do you think of them together?”

“I don’t know what to say. I’ve barely had a chance to get my head around it.”

“I know you don’t think too much of him—”

“That’s not entirely true. My feelings where he’s concerned have been complicated. But Jill just told me that he regrets calling my father about us, and he regrets what he said to me after he found us together.”

“What did he say? You never told me.”

“It’s not worth repeating, and it’s so far in the past it doesn’t matter now. I’m glad to know he regrets it. That matters to me.”

“So you approve of her dating him?”

“I want her to be happy. I don’t think she’s ever been in love before, and it always made me sad to think she might miss out on love because she was taking care of me.”

“You and your sister with a father and son,” Reid said with a grin as he started the car. “Now there’s a hit country song waiting to be written.”

Kate busted up laughing. “So true. What do you think of them together?”

“Well, I only just met Jill, but if she’s anything at all like her sister, my son is a very lucky man.”

“Aww, you’re very sweet to say that. She’s like me in some ways but nothing like me in others. The differences make us a good team, but I’ve always thought that any guy who ended up with her would be very lucky.”

“Then I’m glad for him—and for her.”

Kate withdrew her cell phone from her purse and called Gordon. He agreed to bring Thunder to meet them on the road that ran from her neighbor’s property to hers. A quick call to her neighbor gave her permission to access the road from their side.

“We’re in,” she told Reid when she was done with her calls.

“I can’t wait to see Thunder. I sure have missed that old boy.”
 

“Having him helped me through a rough time, so thank you again for that.”

“That’s good to hear, darlin’. He was meant for you.”

Kate leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his. “So were you.”

He squeezed her hand. “Our little family. Back together again.”

Despite the worries about her dad and what to do about her career, Kate smiled all the way home.

Chapter 14

Gordon was waiting for them with Thunder when they emerged from the woods on Kate’s property. The groom eyed Reid suspiciously, and Thunder whinnied when he recognized them.

Kate released Reid’s hand and broke into a run, delighted to see her horse.
 

Thunder rewarded her hug with a horse kiss to the cheek that made her laugh.
 

“Gordon, this is my fiancé, Reid Matthews.”

“Good to meet you,” Gordon said gruffly.

Reid shook hands with the other man. “Same here.”

Kate couldn’t get enough of Thunder and his nuzzling. “Look who I have with me, pal. Your old friend.”

Reid stroked the horse. “Hi, there, bud. Looking good, old man.”

Kate leaned in close to the horse’s mouth. “What’s that you say? He says same to you.”

Reid laughed and put his arm around Kate.

Gordon cleared his throat. “Will you be set from here, Ms. Kate?”

“We’ll be fine. Thanks again, Gordon.”

“Any time.” With one last suspicious glance at Reid, Gordon mounted the other horse he’d brought and headed back to the stables.

“Chilly around here,” Reid said with a shiver.

“Sorry. My staff is protective of me.”

“He’s probably wondering what a gorgeous young woman is doing with an old man like me.”

“Let him wonder. If he says it out loud, he’ll be looking for a new job.” She raised her foot into one of the stirrups and hoisted herself up onto Thunder—one of the few places on earth she ever felt truly at home. Extending a hand to Reid, she said, “Let’s ride.”

“Are you sure the old guy can handle both of us?” he asked as he swung his leg over Thunder’s back and settled behind Kate.
 

“He says to tell you he can still outrun you.”

Laughing, Reid said, “I don’t doubt that.” He gathered up her hair and moved it to one side, baring her neck for his kisses. “Just like old times, huh?”
 

Kate snuggled into Reid’s embrace and gave Thunder his head. “The best of old times.”

Thunder took them the long way home. Kate pointed out the creek that ran through the south border of her property, took him over the bridge she’d had installed where the creek bisected her land and showed him the grazing field that had once been full of trees. “We used all the trees we removed to build the house.”

“I love that.”

“And then we planted a bunch of new trees to replace the ones we had to take out.”

“Sounds like you put a lot of thought into it.”

“Everyone told me not to buy it. They said it was a wreck and would require too much work to make it habitable, but it was exactly what I had in mind when I set out to find the perfect place. So I made it work.”