What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 9)

by Kristine Cayne

  Another wave of dizziness slammed her body. She wasn’t sure if it was from fatigue or the overwhelming burden of emotions she felt. “That’s good,” she managed to say. She hoped to not alert anyone and slowly made her way to a nearby chair to sit. Randy’s grim expression told her she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding it, and he moved to sit beside her. Avoiding his stare, she continued to watch her mom and Chet’s interactions. Randy’s hands rested on her shoulders, then he started rubbing them.

  He leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You okay?”

  She nodded, not sure if she could speak without crying. She felt relieved, scared, sad, nostalgic, and so many other things that she didn’t know how to handle them hitting her all at once. Her head hurt.

  “Blaine? What’s going on?” Mom stood in front of her, a worried frown on her face.

  “I think it’s a mix of things,” Blaine admitted. “I promise I’ll be fine soon.”

  She put her hand up to Blaine’s forehead. “I bet dinner and rest will help.”

  “Can I do anything?” she asked.

  Mom shook her head. “You just relax. Chet and I have it covered. Are you going to make it home okay tonight?”

  “They could always stay here,” Chet offered, moving the last of the chicken from the stove to a plate.

  “We have to go to the police station in the morning.” The idea of staying here wasn’t a bad one, but it still felt weird. “Randy and I came back in my car. What do you want to do?” She tilted her back and winced. The knot on the back of her head from fainting bumped against his hand.

  Before he spoke, Randy kissed her forehead. “I don’t think you’re in any position to drive. I can if you really want to leave tonight, but I’m not against staying here.”

  “That settles it then?” When her mom made it more like a question, Blaine simply nodded. Randy had a point. She wasn’t in the position to drive, and she didn’t want him to have to drive either if he didn’t feel like it.

  “Dinner’s ready!” Chet announced.

  Randy scooted out of the chair and stood, holding out his hand to Blaine. When she stood, her knees buckled. Randy slid an arm around her waist. “Why don’t you sit back down,” he said softly, concern in his tone. “I’ll get you a plate.”

  She nodded, sliding back onto the seat. Before he moved away, Randy squeezed her shoulder affectionately. Her headache worsened and she wondered if maybe she should have gone to hospital after all. But then again, maybe it was all shock and fatigue. She’d probably feel better after eating.

  Randy slid a paper plate in front of her with a plastic fork and spoon. Then he placed a cup down next. “There you go.”

  “Thank you.” Blaine looked up at him with a grateful smile. He bent to kiss her before going to get his own plate.

  Dinner was good. They had conversations about music. Blaine took in another forkful of chicken, savoring the taste. Chet was a great cook. He sat next to her mom and they kept exchanging smiles. The two acted like lovesick teenagers, but it was sweet. Mom found happiness again, and Blaine began to respect that. If someone could come in and make her mom happy again despite the hell she went through the past few years, then he had to be an all right guy.

  “So I’ve yet to hear your entire band play,” Chet said to Randy. “You’re the piano and keyboard player?”

  “I am. I noticed a piano in your living room earlier. Do you play?”

  Chet’s smile faded a little. He shook his head. “No. My son did. He doesn’t talk to me any more, not after the past few years. I can’t seem to get rid of that piano, though. You’re more than welcome to play while you’re here. I’m always up for some good music.”

  “He’s a great pianist. Whether it’s a grand piano or the keyboard, Randy’s amazing with the keys,” Blaine bragged, a little energy filling her again. The dizziness eased up some.

  Chet nodded. “I’d love to hear something. When is the next time you’re performing? I’d love to go see you. If that’s okay, that is.” He slid a look at Blaine, almost as if he was asking for approval.

  “We’re actually performing at Catered Whims Wednesday. The owner told us about a music producer who was in there recently and they got to talking about Baby Stetson.” Randy set down his fork.

  “That’s excellent!”

  After dinner, they moved to the living room, where Chet and Mom prodded Randy to play something on the piano. Blaine held back a laugh as his face turned a little red. She could tell Randy still wasn’t used to that kind of attention. He’d settled next to her on the couch, holding hands.

  “Play the one you did the night I danced in your living room,” she requested, touching his cheek. “That was was beautiful and I want to hear it again.”

  Randy’s smile grew. “Anything for you,” he replied, leaning over to kiss her before he made his way to the piano. He flexed his fingers before placing them on the keys, hitting a few random ones.

  Blaine sat up straighter, her eyes on the man she loved. When he played the familiar notes, she almost had an urge to get up and dance again. She wasn’t sure if her unstable body would let her without falling down. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on Randy as his eyes were half open, focusing on the piano. She got lost in the music.

  When Randy finished, her mom and Chet shot to their feet, applauding wildly. Blaine followed the action, ignoring the fatigue.

  “That was beautiful, Randy! Is that an original piece?” Mom asked.

  He nodded. “It was something I had in my head a few nights ago. Blaine was the first to hear it.”

  “I enjoyed it. Do you have a name?”

  “I was kind of leaning towards The Key To My Heart.” Randy’s eyes met Blaine’s as she remembered the night she’d been goofy and told him to play a specific key and had said those words.

  “Are you serious?” she asked him as he stood up and headed toward her.

  “Very,” he promised, kissing her lips.

  She caught a glimpse of her mom’s knowing smile. Hand in hand, Randy sat down next to her again and pulled her closer. Chet and Randy ended up having a conversation about music, but after a while Blaine lost track of what they were saying as sleep consumed her. She found it hard to keep her eyes open, and every so often one of their voices made her body jolt. She kept falling asleep.

  “You look like you could use a nap,” Mom commented.

  Blaine nodded. “I’m sorry. I wanted to try to stay up and be sociable. I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

  “No worries, honey. After tonight I’m sure you need it.”

  Chet directed Blaine and Randy to a room to sleep in for the night. Randy aided her in getting ready. She found it hard to keep her eyes open.

  “Get some sleep, beautiful.” He kissed her cheek as her head hit the pillow. “I’m not too far behind. I’m going to hold you close to me all night.”

  “Randy?” she mumbled.

  “Yeah?”

  “Frederic was married. Not just to me. Is it wrong to hate him even though we weren’t meant to be together?”

  He sat beside her, brushing her hair back. “Of course not. You felt something for him at one time, and he broke your trust and lied to you.” His lips grazed her cheek. “Just know that I’ll always do my best to take care of you for as long as you’ll have me around. I love you.”

  She fell asleep with those words echoing in her mind.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Blaine woke up sometime in the middle of the night feeling almost dehydrated. It took her a while to figure out her surroundings. Chet’s house. That’s right. Randy was passed out beside her. She carefully moved out of bed to go grab a glass of water from the kitchen. She moved slowly along the edges of the room, trying to adjust to her surroundings in the darkness in order to not wake Randy, or anyone else for that matter. She found her way to the kitchen with the outside porch light shining through the window. Remembering where the plastic cups were, Blaine grabbed one, turned on the faucet to c
old and filled the cup. After she drank half of it in big gulps, a door opened. The hall light flicked on and the sound of footsteps loomed closer.

  “Hi,” she said, hoping not to startle whoever it was.

  “Blaine?” It was Chet.

  “Yeah. I figured I’d say something so I don’t scare you. I came out for a drink of water.”

  “Are you feeling any better?” he asked as he appeared in the doorway.

  “A little. Thanks for letting us crash here for the night.” She sipped the water now, leaning against the counter.

  “I’m glad you were able to come by, especially after what happened.” He moved closer. “I came to get a drink myself. Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping at night.”

  Blaine moved out of the way so Chet could fill up his cup.

  “Are you still tired? Care to sit and talk with me a little?” he asked.

  “I’m a little tired, but I could sit for a while.” She was curious about him and wanted to know the man her mom had been so smitten with lately.

  “Great.” He sounded relieved. He led the way to the living room. The two made themselves comfortable on the couch. Chet flicked on one of the small lamps and faced her. “I can only guess that you aren’t comfortable with me dating your mom.”

  Well, he didn’t beat around the bush. Blaine liked that about him. “To be honest, yes. It’s weird.”

  “I get it.” Chet set his cup down on the end table. “I knew from the start this wasn’t going to be easy. Your mom and I both have a history of making big mistakes. I want you to know I would never bring her back anywhere near that wrong path. Most might say it’s not a good idea for two alcoholics to get together, but I love your mom. Even though you have your reservations about me, you and Jameson still handle this much better than my own kids.”

  “I do want my mom to be happy.”

  “But you miss your dad, right?” Chet asked.

  “Yeah, I do. I wasn’t around for the last few years of his life. It’s one of my biggest regrets. To come back a few times in the last couple years to all these changes has been hard. This one was one of the biggest surprises.” Surprisingly, she found it comfortable to be talking to Chet about this. It was nice for the two of them to get past their last few tense encounters.

  “I was married for thirty one years before my wife died. She was the only one I ever wanted to spend my life with. It’s not easy letting go and moving on. Like your mom, I found solace in the wrong place- the bottle. It took me years and many mistakes to get my life in order. I know all about changes and regrets. The one thing that helped your mom get through in the last few months was her love for you and Jameson. She realized how much she’d missed and wanted to be better so she could have more time to be with you two. I have so much admiration for her and how far she’s come.”

  Blaine had to put her own cup down, taking in Chet’s words. She could tell he really had feelings for her mom. With a shaky hand, she brushed her hair back, trying to figure out what to say. “Look, I can’t say I’m fully comfortable with all this, but it’s obvious you and my mom are serious about each other. You seem like a great guy. If you make Mom happy, then you deserve a fair shot. I haven’t had the best time trusting people lately.”

  “I know, and I don’t expect you to just accept me without any question. I’d love to marry your mother one day. I know it seems fast. At our age, we’ve got to go with what feels right. I want you and Jameson to be okay with this, too.”

  “I’m trying, I really am,” Blaine said softly. “I missed out on a lot, being gone so long and wrapped up in my own misery.”

  “I know the feeling. Sometimes I look at my life and wonder where I fit in, ya know?”

  She nodded, knowing the feeling all too well.

  “I should probably get some rest. Your mom asked if I’d help move some furniture from the house today. I’m really glad we got a chance to talk.” Chet stood and picked up his cup.

  “I am too.” Blaine also got to her feet, unsure what else to say.

  “I hope you know I’m not out to replace your dad. That’s not my intention.” Chet stood at the hallway entrance now, looking back at her.

  Her heart felt like it was breaking at the thought of her dad. She nodded. “Thank you for that,” she said, her voice all choked up. “Good night.”

  Chet waved and headed off down the hallway. She turned off the light, picked up her cup and went back to the room, eager to climb back under the covers and fall asleep in Randy’s arms. Today was a brand new day and she was ready to embrace it. Time to look forward to a better future, no matter how hard she had to work at it or how many ghosts of the past she had to lay to rest.

  “You did good in there,” Randy assured Blaine. They’d spent the last few hours in the police station and their names were officially cleared. The news was all over the place about the arrest of Isabelle, Frederic’s secret wife. Not every single detail was revealed, though. They still didn’t know who recorded the video the night they were at the creek. Isabelle denied having anything to do with that or with being outside of Jameson and Blaine’s the other night. The hardest part for Blaine, he thought, was when she was asked about pressing charges against Frederic over the videos. He wondered if she’d back out, knowing how much she didn’t want to be in the news any more. But she went ahead and did it.

  She sighed as they sat in her car. “I really hope the worst is over. I can’t believe Isabelle thinks I’m the one who got Frederic into recording sex tapes!”

  “I think it is,” he replied, really hoping it to be true. Blaine deserved some peace and a chance to start over like she’d wanted to do this entire time. “Just ignore what she said. I know it’s hard, but she’s got a lot of issues. I’m glad she’s locked up, especially since she doesn’t want to say why she was hiding by your car. I feel safe knowing she can’t hurt you.” He leaned over to give her a quick kiss.

  “I guess I should take you back to your car, huh?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got to go into work today. I can’t keep hiding. I know Dad and Mom are going to be all over this story and I’d better give my part.” He’d rather just stay with Blaine all day.

  “I’m supposed to be in later, too. I’m kinda not looking forward to it, but I can’t keep hiding either.” Blaine started the car.

  “You could offer up your own piece, write your exclusive.” He probably shouldn’t have brought it up, but it was an unspoken issue to deal with. He knew his father would talk to him about it anyway, especially with the latest news.

  Blaine sighed. Randy noticed her knuckles were white as she gripped the wheel.

  “I’m not trying to be on any sides-”

  “I know, Randy. This isn’t easy. The whole world is going to know I married Frederic. They’re going to know he emotionally abused me. They’re going to know what a weak woman I’ve been-”

  “Hey, stop that,” he directed, putting a hand on her knee. “You’re not weak. You got out of there and walked away. Sure, it took you years, a divorce and a whole lot of depression, but you’re past it. When I look at you, I don’t see weak.”

  Blaine sniffed. “You’re not just a little biased?”

  “Not in this case.” He said firmly. “Hey, we’ve come this far. This is going to be over before you know it. Just believe that.”

  The rest of the ride to pick up his truck was in silence. Blaine pulled into the parking lot. He knew he had to, but he didn’t want to leave her. “I’ll see you in a few hours at the office?”

  She nodded, her blue eyes fixed on him.

  “No OCD cleaning, you hear? Stay away from the news,” Randy ordered. If he knew Blaine, she’d drive herself crazy. He reached for her hand, lifting it to his lips. “I want my favorite girl in one piece when I see her again.”

  “That means I can’t go to work later.” She quirked a brow. “Favorite girl?”

  He laughed. “No, you can. I’ll be there. That news is the only exception.” He went for anoth
er kiss. “Take it easy, okay? You gave me quite a scare last night with how out of it you were. I know today isn’t going to be an easy day. And yes, you’re my favorite girl. I think that’s an old song, come to think of it.”

  “It is. New Kids on the Block. But please don’t try to sing it,” she teased, her eyes lighting up.

  “I’ll stick to the keys, I promise. I’d better go. Call or text me if you need anything.” He pressed his lips against hers for one last kiss. He finally forced himself to climb out of her car so he could go home to shower and change before heading to the office. Blaine drove away just as he climbed into his truck.

  Not even an hour later, Randy walked through the Harmony’s Echo News office, anticipating the questions and comments. He got them.

  “Is is true that Blaine…?”

  “Your name is cleared! I didn’t really think you had anything to do with hitting that dancer!”

  “Do you think Blaine is hiding anything else? She married that dude?”

  Randy curled his fists at his side, wishing everyone would leave Blaine alone. This was her business! Just because she was with a man who was kinda famous didn’t mean they all needed to poke into her life. Was this how it would be if Baby Stetson made it big? He’d already seen some of it with Avery and her birth mother. He ignored all the questions and stormed to his desk, halting at the sight of his father standing there. He scowled and folded his arms over his chest.

  “Where have you been?” Dad’s voice matched his mood, angry and frustrated.

  “With Blaine.” Randy leveled his father with a glare.

  “At least your name is cleared, but we’ve had a frenzy of calls and questions in here today. Speaking of Blaine, why didn’t you ask her?”