Pumpkins, Cowboys & Guitars

by Patti Ann Colt

  The name that popped into mind made her hesitate, emotions tearing at her like dogs at the door.

  “Screw it!” Next town, another small and cozy berg between Parson Corners and Denver, she pulled into a gas station, got some hot chocolate and then called Beau.

  “Leia, what’s wrong now?” His voice held a measure of humor and a measure of wariness. More than aware he probably knew of the argument she and Zach had, she cut to the chase.

  “I need Ryder’s phone number, business number.”

  “Problems?”

  “Maybe, and I may need a big gun.”

  “Ryder’s your man.” He rattled off the phone number. “Anything I can do to help? You know yesterday wasn’t your fault, don’t you? That one is on Carlee.”

  “She’s a young girl who didn’t understand what being a friend with me would entail. I don’t blame her for being angry.” Zach was another matter. “Grannie Dunn’s keeping an eye on my house. Told her to call you if there was a problem.”

  “I can handle that. Give them both time. They’ll come to their senses.”

  Leia snorted and chose not to comment. She had to push that whole thing to the back of her mind and go forward like a warrior. Her whole way of life was at stake, her music, her direction for the future. “Thanks for the number, Beau. I’ve got to go.”

  She hung up and called Ryder. His secretary was the usual guard at the door, but took her number and said she’d pass it on as soon as she could.

  Satisfied, she sipped her hot chocolate and got back on the road. The drive passed quickly, her mind on what she’d say to Ryder. The airport hanger loomed in the distance when her phone rang.

  Unknown.

  Could be Ryder. Could be a reporter. She wasn’t fool enough to believe that her cell phone number would never be compromised, especially in the case of hot, breaking news.

  She answered on the third ring. “Leia.”

  “Ryder. You rang?”

  She smiled for the first time in twenty four hours. “I need help of the legal variety.”

  “Have anything to do with what’s been in the papers?”

  “Well, funny you should ask that. I have no idea.”

  If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with singing and being sick and your brother and his daughter, I might have seen it sooner.

  She didn’t share that thought. “I’m listening to my gut and my gut is telling me something is wrong.”

  “Always trust your gut. Where are you?”

  “Almost at the airport in Denver. I’m on a private flight back to L.A. Where are you?”

  “I’m here in Denver at my offices.”

  “I hate to ask, but can you meet me? Better still, I can hold the jet if you want a lift. I think I’m going to need help.” It galled her to ask, but then she banished that thought.

  She’d started this business as a baby. She hadn’t been expected to understand how things worked, but now she was an adult. Some of the choices she’d made and that were being made for her needed to be stopped. “I know Wyatt’s party was tonight. I can have the pilot bring you back.”

  “Let’s take one thing at a time. Amazingly, my schedule just cleared. I can meet you in forty-five minutes. Where?”

  She gave him instructions to the airfield and hung up. She pulled into a parking place by the hanger and burst into tears.

  She let the waterworks last a few minutes, then sucked it up.

  Help was coming in the solid form of Ryder Murphy. Only one thing was missing.

  Zach to hold her hand.

  Then she let her anger lead. It hadn’t been her choice to walk away, to do the turtle number and protect her heart. She’d laid it all out there, like she usually did, and couldn’t find reason to regret it.

  Banning met her at the bottom of the jet stairs and took her keys. “You look better.”

  “Shows what pissed as hell does for a girl.” She dropped her suitcase for him to handle. “We’re going to have another passenger. We need to wait for him.”

  Banning raised his brow. “Anyone I know?”

  “I don’t think so. Ryder Murphy. Entertainment lawyer.”

  He gave her an approving grin. “Now you’re talking. Hollywood’s going to be a madhouse.”

  “That’s a polite term for it.” She slipped out of her coat and settled in a seat while Banning notified the pilot of the delay and took care of her luggage and car.

  She forced herself to stay still in her seat, to breathe and relax, to close off the parts that were hurt and angry and frustrated and began to think and plan like the superstar she was. She hadn’t gotten to where she was by being a timid, quivering mouse.

  She knew a lot about guts. Took guts to deal with the press, to step out on a stage with thousands of people watching, to fail in front of a national audience and have to apologize. This was just one more fight.

  By the time Ryder appeared at the steps, she’d talked herself into strength.

  She rose and smiled at him. “Welcome to the war.”

  “I brought my sword, milady. Just tell me who I need to slash with it.” He gave her a serious, shark grin. He dropped a bag near the door and shook hands with Banning after a quick introduction.

  “Security? Private flight?”

  “Ambushed by Heidi of Hollywood at my front door last night.”

  Ryder winced. “Bet Zach loved that.”

  “He doesn’t know yet. I’m sure when the press flocks to town, he’ll figure it out. I won’t be there, so hopefully they’ll depart quickly and leave him alone.”

  Ryder settled into a seat and fastened his seatbelt. “I heard about yesterday. Zach hasn’t figured out yet that Carlee’s growing up. This won’t be the last time something like this happens. You shouldn’t blame yourself. Carlee’s pretty headstrong. Zach…well, he’ll put two and two together and get rock star, sister dear. Give him a minute or a week.” He winked at her, then smiled like she was already family. The action brought tears to her eyes.

  Leia gave him a rueful smile. “I wish I believed that. I admit for a minute I wondered if Denise helped spread the news, but that’s not my problem at the moment. My problem is my gut is telling me that my manager has screwed up.”

  “Tell me about it.” He sat back and with a relaxed easy pose, invited her to talk.

  The plane took off, rose in elevation and streaked across the sky. By the time they landed in L.A., Ryder knew as much as she did. She handed over a dollar bill to officially hire him and they sketched out a course of action, one that included an audit and confronting Cale, in office, with lawyer at her side. She liked it. She liked it a lot.

  The buzz and noise from four secretaries in the main office stopped when Leia stepped through the door. She could only surmise it was because of the gossip or because of the six-foot handsome man at her side.

  Cale’s secretary didn’t even bother to use the phone to alert him. She efficiently opened the door and announced the visitors. The welcoming smile on Cale’s face would have made Leia pause and waver in her decision, if she hadn’t seen the tabloids spread across his desk.

  “Leia, darling. Finally you are back in town.” He started around the desk.

  She gave him a glare that stopped him before he hugged her. “Cale, this is Ryder Murphy.”

  The men shook hands, each sizing up the other.

  She finished her introduction. “Attorney at law. Entertainment attorney.”

  Cale’s smile died and he took a step back.

  She gave Ryder a go-ahead look.

  “Cale Bishop, your services as Leia Shae’s manager are no longer needed. Please step away from the desk and vacate the premises.”

  Cale paled. “Leia, what is this?”

  “I asked. You ignored. I asked again. You still ignored. I’m finished with the games. You’re fired. Simple.” She looked at the freshly-cut hair, the tanned skin, the expensive clothes and knew all had been done on her dime. Which would have been fine, except after talkin
g it over with Ryder she realized he’s probably gone further than that. Damn him.

  He laughed in disbelief. “Honey, you can’t run this empire. I built it and know all the ins and outs.”

  “My talent built this empire, so I’ll learn fast.” She softened a bit. “You should have cooperated the first time I asked for the accounting information. It’s time for changes, Cale, and I pray to God I don’t find what I’m afraid I will.”

  Ryder stepped near. His solid presence comforted, reminding her of where she wanted her future to go. He dialed his cell phone.

  “Are you in place?” The answer came and Ryder gave her a nod.

  She crossed her arms and shook herself, not believing she had to take this step. “Mark Banning, you remember him? He’s my head of security and he is in place in the accounting department to ensure cooperation and that all records are left as they are now. He will oversee an audit by an independent auditing firm. All of my interests will be reviewed. All of them, Cale. So if you have anything to say for yourself, say it now. Otherwise, get out.”

  Cale’s face flushed, his lips smashed together, his eyes nearly glowing. “We have a contract, one we’ve had for years.”

  Leia shook her head. “We had a contract. You’re fired. Ryder will offer you a compensatory separation package after the audit.”

  He retreated behind his desk. “There’s a clause in that contract and this is my office. My building.”

  Leia opened her mouth with a snarky reply, but Ryder beat her to the punch. “Do you want to work in this town again?”

  Cale was silent.

  Ryder put his hands on the edge of his desk and leaned in. “I can challenge this little old contract. Might make Leia a tad bit less inclined to be social in any settlement. Understand? The title of this building is listed as belonging to a corporation that is Leia’s. So, technically no. It’s not yours. You hire the staff too or are they being paid on Leia’s dime?”

  The smugness edged to wariness. “You can’t do this.”

  Ryder smiled, full teeth and no compassion. “I just did.”

  Leia looked at Ryder. Sadness overwhelmed her. Her mother had put such trust in Cale.

  Cale stood for a moment, openly defiant, then opened a desk drawer. “I didn’t take a dime that I wasn’t entitled to.”

  “Then you won’t mind leaving with just your wallet, cell phone and keys. Leave everything else here until this is sorted out. We’ll return what rightfully belongs to you.” Ryder’s tone was hard and irrevocable.

  “I hope we find nothing out of order, Cale. But even if it is, I no longer want you managing me. I tried to live up to your expectations and it landed me in the hospital. We have differing opinions on how to proceed with my career. While I was out of sight, you fired my band and as near as I can tell are doing nothing to quell or stop any of the rumors.”

  He swept a hand across his desk, knocking the tabloids to the floor in a flurry of newsprint. “You sold the most CDs ever after being arrested. Rumors sell CDs, something you never understood.”

  “Talent sells CDs. Or it should.”

  “Good luck with that, little girl.” He showed his keys, wallet and cell phone to Ryder and walked out.

  She expected a slamming door. Something to punctuate the end of years of association.

  Instead, there was silence. Even the outer staff weren’t talking, as if waiting for an explosion.

  Tears welled in her eyes, emotion clogging her throat.

  Ryder rubbed her shoulder. “Now we start looking and hope we don’t find anything.”

  Hope warred and lost to the bite of reality. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

  “That’s what they say,” Ryder agreed. “No changing what it is now, but we can make the future better. You want me to send all of them home?” He pointed out the door to the curious staff gathering.

  “Yes.” She walked to the window and stared out over the buildings, the gray of the day and the threat of rain matching her mood.

  Tearing asunder. Trying for different, more, real. But with current circumstances, not necessarily better. Not without Zach.

  Only one other moment in her life had hurt this bad—burying her mother.

  New Year’s Eve brought the usual headaches for Zach and he was glad he’d decided to play it low-key and not drive to Denver for Wyatt’s usual bash. Carlee was mad, but given her disobedience and attitude, he had no problem changing their plans and spending a quiet holiday at home.

  For the moment, the workforce at the office was full-strength, so he enforced a few days off for himself. Being grouchy and short-tempered was not the way to encourage office team work, anyway.

  So here he stood, having not slept again, sipping a cup of coffee and staring across the street at a dark, abandoned house. He rubbed his temple and took another sip of coffee. His head was so full of what ifs and should haves, he couldn’t think.

  With the sun just peeking above the horizon, the morning was awash in quiet and gold. He should have been basking in the simple joy of good coffee and a new day, instead of just noting it and chasing his thoughts around his brain again. He’d had regrets about what he’d said in the kitchen, and they were working on him like regrets tended to do.

  Had Leia been right? Was he just protecting himself? Was he afraid to take the true and real steps with her that would keep her in his life?

  He hadn’t talked to or seen her since she walked out of his kitchen six days ago. She hadn’t made any attempt to argue with him again or wait him out. She’d chucked life in Parson Corners for the bright lights and he really couldn’t blame her.

  What was really here for her? The town was full of honest, hard-working people with simple lives and a core value of hard work, help your neighbor, and love your family. He must have been smoking something to think Leia could fit into all that. She’d have to live two lives and occasionally those worlds would collide. Like now.

  He was avoiding the television, avoiding the tabloids ever since he’d seen the news truck across the street days ago. He’d braced himself, waiting for the onslaught, but it hadn’t happened. No other reporters appeared.

  He went back to the kitchen and refreshed his chilling coffee and vowed to stop thinking about it. He wasn’t wrong.

  He picked up Carlee’s socks and sweatshirt, took the popcorn bowl and soda cans to the kitchen, and collected the remotes to the entertainment center and put them in the basket.

  He looked out the window again and saw someone heavily bundled against the cold trudging up the road.

  Grannie Dunn.

  What was she doing out this early in the morning?

  She walked to Leia’s mailbox and took out her mail and then struggled around the snow banks and up to the front door. What was she doing?

  When the door opened, he realized she had a key and was checking on the place. Hurt flashed through him. That was his job. Why hadn’t Leia asked him to watch her house?

  Because she wasn’t speaking to you, you moron. You’d just turned your relationship with her into a pile of rubble.

  She stayed inside long enough to water the one lone plant and to check the heat and the water. Then she came back out and trudged back down the street to her house.

  Anger put a vise on his chest and squeezed. She wouldn’t be back. It wouldn’t be long until the for sale sign was back in place and his life would go back to the mundane and ordinary. He was good with that, wasn’t he?

  He went to the kitchen and unloaded the dishwasher, wiped counters, swept the floor—anything to keep his hands busy and his mind occupied until Carlee got up.

  Well, his hands busy, anyway.

  His mind, already scraped and raw, shied away from more thoughts about Leia and was making a list of things Carlee needed for school, then for her skiing trip. When those thoughts ran out, he started a list of repairs that needed to be made.

  He vacuumed, sure that would bring Carlee down for breakfast. It didn’t.


  He cleaned the fireplace and carried in wood so they could have a fire later, and resolutely banished the memories of the last fire he’d tended every time it bounced into the front of his mind.

  When the phone rang he was happy to talk to Fiona for a bit. Avoiding his feelings was exhausting.

  “Dear, you and Carlee should come for lunch.”

  “We were just there yesterday, Fiona. You’ll get sick of feeding us.”

  “Never. New recipes. I need some input.”

  “Wouldn’t Wyatt be better?”

  “He’s gone to New York and Ryder’s gone to L.A. That leaves you and Beau and Carlee.”

  Zach dropped the sponge by the faucet. “Why did Ryder go to L.A.?”

  “He’s helping Leia. I thought you knew.”

  “Helping Leia with what?”

  “Oh dear, I guess I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I thought she would have told you.”

  Remorse and a tad bit of anger crowded into his throat. “What happened?”

  “Well, all I know is she fired her manager and Ryder’s helping her with an audit.”

  “She’d talked a bit about how frustrated she was with him. I didn’t realize it had come to that.”

  “Well, come for lunch we can talk about it. And stop at Tiny’s and pick up my bread.”

  He’d agreed and hung before he realized how she maneuvered him. It wasn’t any hardship to drive to Fiona’s for meals, but he always tried to keep them as a family unit and do ordinary meals together.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and walked to the front window. When had things blow up with her manager? Why hadn’t she talked to him about it?

  Maybe she thought you wouldn’t listen. Maybe she thought you didn’t think much of that life and wouldn’t be sympathetic. Maybe she would have been right.

  Bright sunlight skipped off the snow, blinding and refreshing. There’d be lots of skiers today and lots of people out stocking up. He could make time to stop at the hardware store and get a start on a couple of those house repairs. Leia’s problems shouldn’t matter. He’d told her to leave and she’d listened to him and done just that.