Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series) (49 page)

“That explains why it’s so cold,” she muttered. “First things first, go get me both trash cans from outside,” she told him.

Adam did as she ordered and watched her throw away every bottle of alcohol in the house and empty both medicine cabinets. That done, she dragged the bins to the curb just in time for trash pick-up.

“Thank you, I didn’t want to even touch the stuff.”

“I know,” she smiled. “Let’s get started.”

Adam grabbed the boxes he’d had delivered and watched her start. She was a whirlwind; she asked him what was to be kept and what could go.

“Most of it can go with the house,” he admitted.

When they came across Mia’s things still in the master bedroom, Katherine grabbed an arm full of clothes from the closet and unceremoniously dumped it into a large box. A few trips later and a lot of cramming and all of Mia’s designer clothes were packed into one box. Katherine taped it closed and scribbled ‘Mia’s junk’ across the top.

Adam started going through his own things and watched in amusement as Katherine repeated the less than careful packing job with Mia’s drawers of clothing. She pulled each drawer out, dumped it into the box, and replaced it before moving to the next one. Shoes were tossed in on top of the drawer clothing and into the bottom of an empty box before she dumped Mia’s bathroom things in on top of the shoes. Adam figured Mia was getting what she had asked for. He had been telling her for weeks upon weeks to get her things out.

“I think the guest closet has more of her clothing,” Adam admitted and watched her roll her eyes.

“What a prima donna,” she muttered. She came back toting an arm load of clothes and smashed them into the third box. She managed to get it taped closed when she was done.

“There,” Katherine nodded. “Now she has no excuse; she can get her things out of here.”

“I need to call her. I called a lock changing service to come change the locks; she won’t be able to get in after this afternoon,” Adam admitted. He went to the phone and called while Katherine started carefully packing the things Adam wanted to keep.

“Tell her I can take them outside and leave them for her if that would be more convenient,” Katherine offered.

Adam held the phone from his ear and Katherine could hear Mia screaming from where she stood.

Katherine walked over, took the phone from Adam, and hung up on Mia.

“Women like her aren’t worth wasting your breath on; they only hear what they want to hear,” Katherine informed him.

Adam smiled as he watched her walk off to finish packing; Kaitlyn was cute with her cool superior attitude against Mia.

Katherine had traded her own shirt for one of Adam’s and tied it in a knot in the back so it didn’t dwarf her and pulled her hair back in a ponytail before tackling the process of cleaning out the fridge. Adam had run to the store for a few more boxes and was going to bring back some lunch. Katherine was scrubbing out one of the produce drawers when the door opened and Mia came stalking in. She watched Mia survey her a moment; her eyes narrowed.

“Are you the new cleaning girl?” Mia widened her eyes to feign innocence.  Two men stood behind Mia, waiting for her orders.

“Your boxes are in the bedroom; they’re labeled so make sure you get them all,” Katherine returned. “The rest of your things are against the wall in the office.”

Katherine watched her flounce up the stairs. A moment later she was screeching in Russian.

“Did you dump all my things into boxes?” she screamed from the balcony of the second floor.

“Adam gave you plenty of opportunity to get them.”

“Just who do you think you are?” Mia screeched.

“Well, I happen to know who I am, is there some confusion as to who you are on your part?” Katherine asked her.

“You fat cow, I will get you for this!”

“At least I don’t have to show half my pancake breast to prove I’m a woman,” Katherine returned.

Mia was storming down the stairs now, the two men who had come with her looking uncertain about following.

“Ace isn’t over me!” Mia informed her.

“Then why was I the one he escorted around and who shared his room with last night?” Katherine smirked. She didn’t have to clarify that it was a two bed room suite.

Mia drew back her hand as if to slap Katherine.

Katherine squeezed the sponge in her hand and flung her hand in Mia’s direction, dirty brown water splattered all down Mia’s white pant suit. Mia screeched and stumbled backward. Mia stared down at herself and then looked up at Katherine; Mia’s eyes narrowed. She started yelling and cursing in Russian and Katherine braced herself, Mia was taller but Katherine had to outweigh her. She had
never
been in a fight in all her life.

“Ladies!” Adam bellowed.

Mia stopped short, her eyes wide.

“What is going on here?”

“I’m trying to clean,” Katherine turned back to the sink.

“Look what she did!” Mia insisted with a sweep of her hand down the front of her outfit.

“You were going to slap me,” Katherine reminded her.

“You insulted me!”

“You insulted me; if you can’t take it don’t dish it out.”

“Ace, she dumped my things into boxes and made a mess of them,” Mia pouted as she sidled past Katherine where she stood by the sink.

Adam watched Katherine’s eyes narrow; the look she gave Mia could give Scarlet O’Hara a run for her money!

“Get your things and get out, Mia. The men are here to change the locks and the realtor sign goes out this afternoon,” Adam set the food he had bought on the counter and went back to get the boxes. When he returned inside, Katherine had the refrigerator finished and had washed her hands.

“You okay?” he asked her.

“I’m fine; she’s the one going all spastic,” Katherine assured him.

“Spastic is her only setting; I think it’s the diet pills.”

They sat down to eat, things relatively peaceful until they were nearly finished.

“Look at you eating a burger; you cow!” Mia flung at Katherine as she set down another box of her things for the movers to get.

“I’m sorry are you hungry?” Katherine offered her a small piece of lettuce from her burger.

“I think she’s cursing you in Russian,” Adam informed Katherine as Mia stormed from the room. “I swear I think she’s related to Rasputin.”

Her expression still stormy, Katherine stood and started gathering her trash. Adam stood and pulled her into his arms. He had never seen Kaitlyn jealous before, he realized with some amusement. But that was exactly what was going on here; she was jealous of Mia.

“Hey, who told me she wasn’t worth wasting energy on?” Adam’s tone was teasing.

Katherine laid her head against him and closed her eyes.

“I don’t usually let people get to me like this but she seems to have a real knack for getting under my skin,” Katherine admitted.

“I know, she does have a talent for grating the nerves,” he hugged her closer. When his arms slid lower, he encountered the soft skin of her back and hips where she had tied the shirt into a knot. He couldn’t resist lightly rubbing her hips with his thumbs; when she shuddered lightly he smiled. Apparently, he still had the ability to affect her.

Katherine allowed herself to linger in Adam’s arms a moment longer before finally opening her eyes; her intention to pull away. When she found Mia standing in the door to the office glaring at them she decided there was no hurry.

By three o’clock that afternoon, Mia was gone and the house was empty of everything that wasn’t staying. Adam had made arrangement for transporting the things he was keeping and the truck pulled out of the drive just ahead of Adam and Kaitlyn. They returned to the hotel to shower, dress and pack overnight bags before Adam took Kaitlyn to one of his favorite little known gems to eat. He wouldn’t tell her where they were going after dinner.

“Ace, how are you?” a man greeted as they entered.

Katherine’s eyes widened when she recognized Case Taggert, a very well-known rock star and what she assumed was his daughter. She had read that he had just won custody of her after his divorce from his wife. Case was attractive; almost as attractive as Adam. The man had sandy blonde hair with darker brown streaks through it; the choppy style brushed at his blue eyes. He had a nice physique as well and full lips, which at moment were turned up in a smile. Yes, he was
almost
as good looking as Adam.

“Case, good to see you; I’m just going by Adam these days. Hi, Sunny,” he greeted the child.

“Hello,” the child returned; her blue eyes were bright.

“Case, I’d like you to meet, Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn…I know you know who he is, you have his music,” Adam smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Kaitlyn,” Case offered her a hand.

“Thank you, I’m big fan of yours,” she admitted.

“I hear you’re getting out of the business?” Case looked puzzled as he addressed Adam.

“Not entirely, I am hoping to open my own studio in Nashville- nothing real big though.”

“Good luck.”

“Hi,” Katherine squatted to smile at the child seated opposite Case. “I’m Katherine.”

“I’m Sunny. Do you like my Daddy’s music? Almost everybody does,” the child watched her closely; intelligence shone through her eyes.

“I do like his music,” Katherine admitted with a smile. “How old are you, Sunny?”

“I’m four,” she supplied.

“I like your dress,” Katherine told the child. She was wearing a yellow sundress with a white sweater over it.

“Thank you.”

“You ready to eat?” Adam was smiling at the sight of her enamored with the child.

“Yes, I am. It was nice to meet you, Sunny; you too, Case.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

Case was smiling though why he was so amused she wasn’t certain.

“Why is he so amused?” Katherine asked after they were seated.

“It was clear that you were impressed to meet him but instead of flirting and tripping over yourself you started talking to his child; not the typical reaction from single women,” Adam shared.

“He’s a nice looking man,” Katherine admitted, “but Sunny is so adorable!”

“Kaitlyn, you were born to be a mother,” Adam shook his head and smiled at her.

“Yeah, maybe I will be one of these days,” she shrugged. She glanced around the small unassuming place and realized with a start that there were several other famous people scattered through the room.

“It’s a local favorite and so unassuming you aren’t likely to get mobbed,” Adam informed her. “Food’s great too.”

A short time later, Katherine discovered his claim to be true; the food was good. A few more people came over to see Adam, some puzzled that he was leaving California and others seeming to understand. He introduced them to Katherine and smiled at her wide eyed greetings to each. The one that thrilled her most was Samantha Walker, a gorgeous jazz singer with a voice smooth as silk.

“I completely forget that you are famous when it’s just us,” she told him, “I mean, you’re Adam.”

“Good; I prefer it that way,” he smiled at her.

After eating, Adam drove them to a small airfield where a helicopter was waiting.

“What’s this?” Katherine demanded.

“Our chariot; you ready?” he smiled and extended his hand.

“Okay,” she smiled as she took his hand.

A few minutes later they were in the air. The sun was setting; Katherine caught her breath when the ocean came into view in the fading light.

“It’s gorgeous,” she smiled.

“Glad you like it.”

“So where are we going?” she asked yet again.

Adam smiled and shook his head; he refused to answer her.

As the sun faded from the sky, the landscape below them was transformed into one of lights. Katherine craned her neck as she tried to take it all in. When the Golden Gate Bridge, lit against the darkness of the bay came into sight, she gasped. The city blanketed the hillsides and the bay stretched out before them. Katherine could hardly breathe for the beauty of it.

“Wow!” she finally managed.

“I thought you would like it,” Adam smiled beside her.

They circled the city before landing at a small airfield. A limo waited and Adam helped her across the tarmac and into her seat. A few minutes later they were boarding a ferry.

“We cut that closer than I meant to,” Adam smiled at her. “What do you say to a night time tour of Alcatraz?”

“Seriously?” she was smiling widely.

“Seriously,” he smiled back. “I bought out one of the tours so even if we had been late for our ferry I think they would have waited.”

“You bought out…” Katherine shook her head and watched his smile widen.

A guide smiled as he approached, “Mr. Ellington, we’re delighted that you chose to join us tonight.”

Katherine smiled; she somehow figured they were probably going to get a more personalized tour than most did. Hanging out with Adam certainly had its benefits. Over three hours later they were back in the limo. Katherine shuddered lightly as she shook off the last vestiges of the prison and its stories. Adam slid an arm around her as though he understood her chill and she snuggled closer.