“It is tempting, but I can’t. Mason will—”
“Mason can hang out with Julia and her kids in the apartment down the hall. She already said it was okay.”
Katie crinkled her forehead. He’d already made plans for a babysitter? “I don’t know Julia.”
“Not yet, but I do. Mason will have a blast. Her kids are a little older, but they’re boys and they’ll keep him entertained. She told us to stay out as late as we wanted.” He lifted his eyebrows suggestively, and Katie scoffed.
“Well, that was nice of her. But I still don’t—”
“We can go for an hour and leave if you’re not enjoying it. It’s just an evening out.”
“I can’t—”
“One night.”
“Fine!” Katie laughed. “But I get to meet Julie before Saturday night.”
A victorious grin flashed across Jay’s face. “Deal.”
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAD
The festivities hadn’t even begun yet, and already Chad was wishing he could disappear out the back door. Unfortunately, that was a little difficult to do when you were the guest of honor.
His record label had pulled out all the stops in order to promote his new single, mostly—he figured, anyway—in an attempt to make sure the general population knew that Chad Ashton was still around, still making music, and planning a stellar new album despite the vague speculations that he’d suffered from some kind of breakdown and given up on his career. Those gossip magazines would print anything and call it the truth, no matter how little they actually knew about the real situation.
Then again, he was well aware he’d brought those rumors on himself. His publicity team constantly reminded him that he needed to regain the trust of his fan base and follow up his hit, Take Me Home, with something that would make them all forget the drama and just enjoy the music.
And Chad knew that was exactly what this new single would accomplish. Crossing That Line was country—something he could picture George Strait singing, and the thought of that made him smile. He knew that singing this twangy, heartfelt song about the boundaries between friendship and love would resonate within most people’s hearts. The lyrics were something pretty much everyone would identify with, and he couldn’t wait until they had a chance to do just that.
But first, he had to make it through this overcrowded, noisy party. Everyone who was anyone on Music Row was here, it seemed. Hell, Chad had been wearing his wide, fake smile for the past forty-five minutes, shaking hands and laughing at jokes told by people whom he either recognized, didn’t know, or probably should know. As quickly as they introduced themselves, he soon forgot each name as it was followed up with the next fleeting introduction.
Oh well, that was the way these kinds of functions always were. His only real purpose at this particular one was to sing his song for everyone, say something meaningful to show his gratitude that they’d all come out to celebrate, and then mingle for the remainder of the evening, pretending he actually wanted to be there, surrounded by a couple hundred of his closest friends.
That was okay, though. The single would be released on the radio tomorrow, and Chad sincerely hoped listeners would hear it and feel the same way he did when he played the recording back to himself. But it would be heard here first, tonight, when he sang it live for all the attendees of his release party. His nerves were buzzing at the thought, but he was excited just the same.
He was ready. Prepared for whatever came from the release of it, good or bad. But his gut was telling him he’d made the right decision by choosing it as the next single. He believed in it, and he had to trust in that. He would bounce back from his hiatus and overcome everything he’d been through only months before. He had to believe that, too.
“Chad, the band is ready to gear up for the show.” Barry appeared out of the masses of people around him, his voice a few octaves louder than usual to be heard over the multiple conversations melding together all around him.
“It’s that time already, is it?” Chad followed his manager’s lead through the different circles of people, doing his best to acknowledge each “Congrats, Chad!” and “There you are!” he heard as he made his way behind the small stage at the far wall of the convention centre. His eyes flickered from one face to the next, his less-than-genuine smile still plastered across his face. But, his feet suddenly stopped moving when his gaze landed on a pair of green eyes he would never be able to erase from his mind.
“Katie?” The name fell from his lips, though it was lost amongst the talking and laughter. He blinked only once, but the crowd had shifted again, obstructing his view of the entrance doors. He craned his neck from one side to the other, ignoring the odd looks he was getting from those near him, but she was gone.
Had she been there at all?
It was her, he assured himself. Based on the width of her eyes and the shock on her face, he was also sure she’d recognized him as well.
Of course, she did. She’s at a party with your stage name and publicity photo plastered all over the damn place. It’s impossible she came here by chance.
So, what the hell did that mean?
If he was honest, he’d daydreamed repeatedly about the day he would see Katie in Nashville for the first time since they’d parted ways, but he never expected that day to be here, in front of hundreds of watchful glances. His chest clenched tightly at the thought of being close to her again—though whether from elation or the purest form of fear, he couldn’t be sure.
He took a step in the direction he thought he’d seen her, only to be held back by a strong hand on his shoulder.
“What are you doing? Come on. We need you at the stage. We’re ready.” Barry’s tone was lacking patience, and Chad knew he felt the weight of what was riding on the success of this single, too.
He glanced once more toward the entrance doors, but they were completely obscured from view. There was no sign of the bright, mossy eyes that had haunted his thoughts since autumn, and he reluctantly turned away to head to the stage.
Things seemed to go in fast-forward after that. There were less people backstage, but the small group seemed to swarm him, invading his personal space and shouting questions and commands in rushed hostility. Everyone was on edge, hoping to make a lasting impression on the room full of artists, executives, and radio personalities.
But all Chad suddenly wanted to do was remove the guitar that had been slung over his shoulder and head back out into the throngs of people to search for the only person he wanted to see. Thankfully, he hadn’t completely lost his mind, though, and he understood that his career was riding on the next ten minutes.
He shook his head, shaking the intrusive thoughts of Katie back into the depths of his mind. He would deal with her as soon as he’d sung his song to the best of his ability. If she wanted to show up at his party, then she’d damn well get to see him during one of his finest moments. He would make sure of it.
***
“Are y’all ready for this? Here he is, the man of the hour...Chad Ashton!”
Chad took one last, long exhale and bounded forward onto the stage, his acoustic guitar at the ready as the bright stage lights beat down on him.
An eruption of applause, whistles, and hollering greeted him, and his smile widened because of it—a true smile. The welcoming from a cheering crowd would never get old, no matter how long he was able to maintain his career. The drummer tapped his drumsticks together to count everyone in, and the musicians immediately started into the first chords of Crossing That Line. Chad’s heart swelled with pride at the melodic sound as his song was played for the people before him; a musician’s dream.
“On the other side of goodbye...” He began to croon into the microphone, closing his eyes as he sang. “We’ll see each other again...” His fingers strummed the guitar strings with a cool confidence, allowing the rhythm and lyrics that had poured out of him to set his mind on an easy drift.
He opened his eyes to see a couple of ligh
ters waving among the partygoers, and his smile widened. A woman in the front row was holding her hand to her chest, her eyes glistening as she listened. The showing of clear emotion urged him on, and the huskiness in his voice became even more pronounced. “And now I’m crossing that line with you...”
He broke into the instrumental portion of the song and stole the chance to turn and peer back at the band. The reception from the crowd was pleasing them, too. They were playing their instruments with such fervor and energy that Chad couldn’t help but send an accepting nod towards Barry, who stood just off the stage behind them, hidden from the audience by the edge of a curtain. He made eye contact and tipped his head forward knowingly in return.
They’d done it. Chad was back, and his true country roots were showing. And people loved it. He scanned the crowd, wondering what Katie might think of his performance, but he couldn’t find her within the swaying bodies of the crowd.
***
Chad took another pull from his beer—or pretended to, anyway. As long as he held the bottle in his hands and acted like he was actually drinking it, no one tried to offer him another.
He made his way amongst the crowd. He had to keep up appearances, making sure he said hello to all the right people, and making a point of being seen with more of the right people.
It occurred to him that he would love nothing better than to slip out the back entrance and trade the warm beer he’d been nursing all evening for some iced tea and a little relaxation—less people, more serenity. His mind pushed forth a memory from deep within its folds; the image of a sinking sunset over distant trees, the scent wafting through the open window of dinner bubbling away on the stovetop, and a warm hand within his as he gazed out from his chair on the porch with...
Katie.
Even with all the bustling going on around him, she still had the allure to push everything else from his mind. He focused on this mental image so intently he could almost feel her next to him.
He looked down at the bottle of beer in his hand, silently wishing it would reveal life’s answers to him. Instead, he gave up the ruse and set the beer down on the appetizer table—he’d never found solace in alcohol, anyway.
Enjoying the lull in social interaction, he relished in having a moment to take in everything that was going on around him. He had to admit, his team had worked hard to make him look good in front of all these people. The album cover art he’d just chosen last week was hung around the room on signs of various sizes, boasting the new song’s title and that the album would be available soon—which Chad found humorous since he knew no one had confirmed the album’s release date yet. Every beer, wine, or spirit anyone could ever want seemed to be available at the bar, and judging by the staggering gait and loud, obnoxious laughter from some of the attendees, he’d say most of them were utilizing the bar’s well-stocked status to its full potential. The food and appetizers were just as plentiful as the booze supply, and tables of handmade, catered appetizers and hors d’oeuvres lined two of the walls. He was scanning the table beside him so thoroughly for cornbread that he didn’t see her until she spoke.
“This is quite the party.”
Chad whirled around, so struck by how close Katie was to him that he attempted to take an unsteady step backward. He tried to catch his balance, which did result in him remaining upright, but the beer he’d intended to discard toddled from the table to the floor, its odorous contents splashing their feet.
“Christ! I’m sorry!” Chad flung his hands out for a pile of napkins and dove to the floor, trying to clean up the mess before it spread any further. He was frantically sopping up the puddle when the sound of her laughter drifted through the noise surrounding him. He glanced up, slowing his efforts to clean up, and saw that she was holding out her hand to him.
“Get up, Chad.” She laughed softly again. “I guarantee your beer is not the only one that’ll be spilled tonight.”
He rose to his feet, a small smile dancing on his lips. He didn’t dare to touch her hand. His mind might be over-thinking things, but he was sure the heat of her skin would be too much to bear. Seeing her had already reopened the wounds he was sure he’d roughly mended and hidden away.
“This, right here, is my biggest fear and my greatest hope.” The words rolled from his tongue without thinking them through.
“What is?” Katie pulled her hand away, confused.
“Seeing you again.”
She looked unsure how to respond, but he decided not to elaborate. She’d shown up at his party, so it wasn’t up to him to explain himself.
“I didn’t plan on being here, trust me.”
Her words cut through him, slicing through his resolve. He flinched. She must have realized how crass her statement sounded, and she held up her hands.
“Wait, that’s not at all what I meant. I just meant—” Katie lowered her hands, obviously trying to calm her nerves. “I had no idea the party Jay was taking me to was for...well, you.”
“And you wouldn’t have come if you’d known I would be here?” Again, words were formulating before he thought them through. He sighed, shaking his head mournfully. “I’m sorry, Katie. Forget I said that. It’s just—I feel like two worlds are colliding right now, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for it.”
“That makes two of us.” She offered him a sad smile. “I can’t even bring myself to look at Jay right now. I’m not sure what he thought he was going to accomplish by bringing me here.”
Chad did. He’d brought her here on purpose, gloating that he had won the war. That said, Jay was not a stupid man. He also had to know the hailstorm of anger that would be coming from Katie after pulling a stunt like that.
“Are you okay?” Chad asked instead. Katie wasn’t a stupid woman, either. She’d be putting Jay’s selfish reasons together, too.
“Yeah, of course.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Looks like things are going well for you, too. Congrats, by the way. Your new song was great. You’ll be burning up the charts with it in no time.”
Pride beamed within him. “Thanks, Katie. That means a lot, especially coming from you.” He watched as a deep, pink blush crept up her cheeks, and a wave of satisfaction spread through him.
“I’m really glad you got back into doing what you love. Your passion for music was so clear when you were up on that stage singing. No one should walk away from something that they feel that passionate about.”
Instinctively, Chad’s hand twitched. He caught himself just before he reached up to brush his thumb across her cheek.
That’s how I felt about you, Katie... The swell of emotion burned within him. It would be so easy to tell her nothing has changed since—
“Are you happy with him?” He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Not only because it wasn’t a polite thing to ask, but also because her face shadowed in response, and he knew then what her answer would be.
“I...” She struggled to find the words to answer him. “I’m trying,” she stated finally.
Chad raised an eyebrow.
It had been months—since she chose to work things out with Jay, and since she told him she loved him but couldn’t be with him. She had said then that she was going to try. The thought crossed his mind that no one should have to try that hard to love someone, but he was polite enough to keep that anecdote to himself.
“Mason and I are staying here in Nashville for three weeks over Christmas, so I’ll know better afterwards where Jay and I truly stand. It’s been a big adjustment—the traveling back and forth, keeping Mason up to date in school, only being here for days at a time. It’s all made it very hard to really figure out if we’re—I don’t know—solid.”
“You mean like we were?” Chad grinned mischievously, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We were good, you and I. There was definitely a foundation there. You know...solid.”
“Chad...”
He held up his hands. “I know. Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You walked in here in that pretty lit
tle red dress and just turned my world on its axis. I thought maybe I was finally dealing well with everything that happened. Seeing you has proved that is obviously not the case.” A strangled chuckle erupted from his throat, and he removed his cowboy hat momentarily to run his hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry, Chad. If I’d known—”
“Katie, please stop apologizing. This is not your fault. It’s Jay’s, and I blame no one but him and his pride for it.”
“Well, there is something we can definitely agree on. If I had a drink, I’d clink it together with yours,” she said brightly.
“It’s safer if you don’t, seeing as I’d probably spill it again.”
Laughter erupted between them. The tension eased slightly, and the moment of brutal honesty and emotional truths passed.
“You really do look beautiful tonight. That’s quite the outfit, Katie. Your hair barrette even matches.”
Her eyes lowered to the floor, reaching up to touch the intricate barrette tenderly. The heat crept up into her cheeks again. “Thanks. It’s all a bit too fancy, I think. But I quite like your countrified look, too. Especially the scruff. I’m a fan of the facial hair, I must say.”
“I’m glad someone approves.” Just this morning, Barry had given him a hard time about needing to shave.
Katie’s eyes scanned the room. When they finally rested on him again, she said, “I should probably get going.”
“Sure, of course. That’s probably wise, actually.”
“I think I know what you mean.”
“This is hard.” Chad swallowed audibly.
“It’ll be easier if I don’t see you, to be honest. Probably easier for you, too.” She bit her lip, her eyes searching his for understanding.
All he could do was nod. It might be easier, but he didn’t want easier.
He wanted Katie.
CHAPTER FIVE
KATIE
“I just can’t believe you would do that to me! Or to him, for that matter.” Katie barked at Jay, unable to bring herself to glance over at him as he drove home. Instead, she focused her attention on her seatbelt, fiddling with it as she tried unsuccessfully to get it buckled before he put to car into gear.
My Kind Of Country: The Complete Series Page 17
