Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series) (32 page)

Katherine’s heart lifted at the sight of her parent’s home.

“Kattie!” Julia smiled as she approached. She hugged her daughter and then hurried to do the same with Adam. “Hey, Adam; I am so proud of you for taking on rehab.”

“Thank you, Julia. It was a hard road but worth it.”

“How’s my girl?” Walter stepped from the house and hugged his daughter.

“I’m good, Daddy,” she hugged him back.

“Good to see you, Adam,” Walter offered his hand to him.

“Good to see you too, Mr. Mayfield.”

“Walter, please.”

“Thank you, Walter.”

“Mama is inside, she’s going to grow impatient if we don’t get in there,” Julia shared.

They turned to enter the house and moved to the living room where Gracie sat in an arm chair, a throw over her lap.

“Kattie, girl, you get over here and kiss your ol’ grandma,” Gracie insisted.

“Hi, Grandma; I have missed you,” Katherine hugged her grandmother and kissed her cheek. “Excuse me a moment, please,” Katherine requested to go to the restroom.

“Adam, get over here, son,” Gracie waved him over.

“Hello, Mrs. Ross, how are you?” Adam hugged the woman and kissed her offered cheek.

“I’m alright. I have to say, Adam, when my granddaughter started bringing you around back in college I really thought it was you we’d be welcoming into this family, not this slick man she’s bringing around these days,” Gracie was frowning.

“I lost sight of some things, Mrs. Ross and made some bad decisions,” he admitted.

“Call me Gracie, Adam.”

“Gracie, you are just about the finest woman I’ve ever known,” Adam smiled at her.

“Just about? Who’s the finest then?”

“Kaitlyn, but it’s a close call,” he winked.

Gracie was smiling now, her blue eyes lit. “Mmm hmm; you are a charmer, Adam.”

“Are you flirting with my grandma?” Katherine teased as she approached.

“Paying homage where it’s due; your grandma is a fine lady.”

“Yes, she is,” Katherine agreed.

“Did you bring the pictures of the dresses you’ve been looking at?” Julia asked Katherine; she jumped up to get them and share them with her mom and dad. Adam found himself sitting alone with Gracie.

“How are you holding up since you got out of rehab, Adam?” Gracie asked Adam.

“Pretty good, Gracie, it was hard but I feel better than I have in a long time.”

“How long have you been out?” Gracie was watching him closely.

“A few weeks.”

“And you haven’t gone after my granddaughter? What’s taking you so long?” Gracie demanded.

Adam opened his mouth to speak but could only blink at the woman beside him. He would have thought she was joking except her eyes were steady and questioning; she was completely sincere.

Before he could formulate an answer, the others returned and he found himself being questioned again.

“What made you decide to check into rehab?” Walter asked him.

“To be honest with you I was all but ready to end it all. I had contemplated it many times and it would have been easy and painless enough with all the drugs I had at my disposal. I had been through two rounds of outpatient already. I was ordered there by a judge that I could see expected me to fail. When I came to Nashville on tour I invited Kaitlyn to come and was relieved and somewhat surprised that she did. Something about her certainty that I could beat it made me believe I could.”

The room was quiet for a moment; Julia and Walter exchanged a look Katherine couldn’t quite read.

“Adam needed a dose of confidence,” Katherine shrugged.

“What are you going to do next?” Walter asked him.

“I’m still trying to sort that out but I certainly don’t want to return to where I was. I can’t move backwards and that is exactly what returning to that lifestyle would be.”

“Where’s Derrick this time?” Julia asked her daughter.

“New York City,” Katherine supplied.

“That boy has restless feet,” Gracie accused.

“It’s his job,” Katherine reminded her grandmother. Gracie made no bones about the fact that she didn’t like Derrick; Katherine couldn’t figure out why.

Katherine soaked up the time with her family like a sun baked sponge soaks up water. She missed them. Even though she now lived closer to her parents than she had in college, living away from them felt different now. She could no longer say she was simply away for college, she no longer came home on breaks; Nashville was home. Katherine knew, however, that her parents’ house would always be a haven for her.

Katherine helped her mom prepare a lunch of homemade subs that they shared along with laughter around the table. It felt kind of like old times when life had been far simpler for Katherine. After lunch, Katherine helped her grandmother up the stairs where she planned to nap. Her dad had run to the store to grab some dish detergent for her mom.

Adam smiled as he watched Katherine and Gracie leave the room. It was nice to see Kaitlyn so relaxed. He wondered if she was aware of how tense she was much of the time anymore; he doubted it.

“Can I help clean up?” Adam offered.

“Sure,” Julia smiled.

They were clearing the table when Julia dropped her voice and addressed Adam.

“Adam, you cannot tell Walter or Kattie this conversation took place, understand? Walter has told me not to stick my nose in it but I can’t help it.”

“Okay,” he agreed hesitantly.

“You still love my daughter; are you going to try denying that?” Julia demanded.

“No, I won’t deny it,” Adam’s voice was heavy.

“What do you make of Derrick, Adam?”

“What do I make of Derrick? Julia, I am hardly an impartial party. I just admitted to loving her,” he dropped his own voice.
              “No, but you aren’t blind either.”

“I don’t like him. He manipulates and controls Kaitlyn; he even has her trying to lose weight.”

Julia nodded and stepped closer; laughter from upstairs made her jump. She grabbed Adam’s arm and dragged him into the garage.

“Adam, do you know how easy it would be for you to steal my daughter from Derrick?” she demanded.

Dumbfounded, Adam stared at her. Had she really just encouraged him to come between Kaitlyn her fiancé?

“Julia, how can you say that after I walked away three years ago and broke your daughter’s heart?” he asked.

“You made a stupid decision; we’re all guilty of them. That does not change how you feel about my daughter.”

“No, but it does change how she feels about me, Julia. She moved on. I don’t blame her. I hurt her, not once but twice. The second time I took something that I know mattered to her and then left. She has no reason to trust me. If she loves this man then I am not going to interfere.”

“She is not in love with Derrick, Adam, she in love with the idea of Derrick. He is older, polished, and presents a nice picture. Unfortunately under the glossy finish he isn’t so perfect.”

“Maybe, you’re right, Julia, maybe she is in love with the idea of Derrick and not the man himself but that doesn’t mean that she could love me again,” Adam shrugged.

“Again?” Julia quirked a brow.

“She keeps a very careful distance between us, Julia.”

“Physically, she does.”

“Look, I have no idea what my future holds, my past is nothing to brag on, and I’ve already hurt her more than once.”

“You’re right; you don’t present as pretty of a picture as Derrick does,” Julia shrugged. “But which one of you loves Kattie more? Which one of you loves her just the way she is? Adam he is slowly erasing everything unique about my daughter. He is changing her and molding her and erasing the essence of who she is. Can you watch that happen? Can you watch her marry him knowing that he will keep her under his thumb the rest of their lives?” There were tears in Julia’s eyes now.

“I understand how you feel Julia. I expressed concern; she won’t listen.”

“Woo her, Adam.”

“I cannot believe we are having this conversation,” Adam sighed and shook his head, “Julia, I’ve been out of rehab all of a few weeks. How do you know I will not end up right back in a mess? ”

“The only reason you ended up there was because you were miserable in the first place.”

“You can’t know that; look at my mother,” Adam pointed out.

“Your mother is miserable too; it was all about forgetting for both of you.”

“Julia, I do love Kaitlyn, but I had my shot and I blew it.”

The sound of Walter’s car in the drive sent them both rushing back inside before the garage door started lifting.

Adam shook his head as he entered the living room. He could not believe Julia had just encouraged him to pursue Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn settled into the passenger seat and made herself comfortable as they made the drive home. She had enjoyed visiting with her family. So much so that she felt recharged and ready for the week ahead.

“I called Sam yesterday,” Adam announced.

“How did that go?” she shifted slightly so she could look at him.

“Pretty well but then he isn’t the one who is going to be a problem. He’s promised to buy me some time with Damien but I will have to go out there before too long and deal with things. Word is going to get out of where I am. I can see and feel people staring and trying to figure out already,” he admitted. “I keep waiting to be mobbed.”

“What’s that like? Being mobbed?” she smiled; he chuckled.

“The first time a little scary but flattering, a hundred times in just baffling, and by the time it becomes routine: annoying. You want to just be able to go to the store and chose your own damn fruit and underwear. I’ve been enjoying the anonymity of no one knowing where I am and my new look but that will only last so long. It helps that I’ve been staying tucked away more than not.”

“I can’t imagine worrying that my every move was fodder for gossip columns and the public opinion,” Katherine shook her head.

“It can weigh on a person,” Adam’s voice was heavy. “Sam asked about you.”

“Oh? I’m surprised,” Katherine admitted.

“He’s been hearing about you for years,” Adam grinned. “However,” his expression sobered, “I want to know why you didn’t tell me your home had been broken into.”

“What?” Katherine frowned at him. “How did you hear about that?”

“Damien admitted to Sam that he’d had your place searched; Sam was furious.”

“It made a mess but I was more concerned about them not finding you. Had I called the police they would have asked questions and I couldn’t risk it. It was only a small bump on the head and I couldn’t see that it was worth risking your recovery,” she brushed aside his concern.

“What? Only a small…Kaitlyn are you telling me…” Adam took the off ramp for a rest area at the last moment, bearing down on the brakes before he parked and turned to her.

“What happened?” he demanded.

Katherine winced, clearly he hadn’t known everything. “I came home and found my door partially open and thought I hadn’t pulled it all the way to when I left that morning. When I got inside there was a mess. I was looking that mess over when someone hit me over the head. It wasn’t that bad,” she played it down.

“Kaitlyn…” his eyes were furious.

Katherine watched him jump from the vehicle and stalk off across the grass. She took a deep breath, blew it out slowly and turned the ignition off before taking the key out. She stepped from the car, locked it, and moved to where he now stood his expression stormy.

“I’m okay, Adam. Had I not been I would have gotten medical attention but I was okay,” she said softly; his eyes were tortured when they met hers.

He took her by the elbows and tugged her onto her toes before he spoke. “Do you know what it would have done to me if you had been seriously hurt as a result of trying to help me? Do you?” he demanded.

Katherine stared up at him wide eyed. “I’m okay,” she finally reiterated; he tugged her close and wrapped his arms around her. Katherine hugged him back as her eyes slid closed, being in his arms felt all too familiar.

“I’m sorry, Kaitlyn, I never dreamed for a moment that I was putting you at risk. I know how money hungry Damien is and that he is an asshole. I didn’t realize how big of one.”

“Adam, I don’t regret helping you and I would do it all again. Will continue to do so,” she insisted as she stepped away from him.

“We need to get back on the road,” he noted.

“I’m sorry I upset you and dropped that on you like that. I thought you already knew,” she offered as she handed him the keys and walked with him.

“Only about the break in,” his voice was heavy.

“I’m okay, Adam, so let it go.”

Adam was subdued for much of the rest of the trip; Katherine was wishing she hadn’t mentioned the bump she took to her head at all.

***

Katherine tugged at her shirt to fan herself against the heat. The weather was sweltering and she was soaked in sweat. She’d hit rush hour traffic coming home and her air conditioner didn’t seem to work as well when she was sitting still. She unlocked her door and stood in the doorway letting the cool air wash over her. She let out a sigh of relief, dropped her purse and keys onto the side table by the door and stripped as she headed across the room. After a quick, cool shower, she dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and felt one hundred percent better. She was headed for her kitchen for a glass of ice water when a knock sounded on her door.