The Hottest Ticket in Town

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “Of course, sweetheart. And I’m sorry for being so gruff with you earlier. It’s just hard. Cora’s a tough old bird, but this treatment...it’s taking its toll. Can’t hardly watch to see what it’s doing to her. I think I might’ve made a mistake in bringing her here.”

  Fresh tears pricked her eyes at his admission. “It’s okay. I understand. And I’m sure the treatment is doing Cora some good. Those doctors know what they’re doing. You just got to keep the faith.”

  “I’m trying. I really am.”

  The lump returned to her throat, but she tried to reassure Warren in the only way she knew how. “Don’t you worry about the ranch. Kane will keep it running smooth for you, and if there’s anything you can think of that I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Warren said, even though Laci knew with a certain amount of frustration that he wouldn’t ask. Warren was old-school. It was something she loved about him, but it came with its drawbacks, too. He suddenly perked up to add, “Hey, since you’re in town, you ought to check out the harvest festival. Should start tonight. I remember your loving that little carnival.”

  The Woodsville Harvest Festival was the little town’s big shindig, where home-baked goodies, crafts, carnival rides and nostalgia were everywhere. She’d even won a blue ribbon or two with Cora’s help with a few of her pies—peach and blueberry, to be exact—and, of course, she and Kane had sneaked quite a few kisses on the Ferris wheel.

  “I’ll see if Kane wants to go,” she said, wondering what Kane’s reaction would be. He’d never been a huge fan, only going when they were kids because she’d begged and pleaded. Kane had more bad memories of Woodsville than anyone she knew and he didn’t find the same appeal in the country carnival, but maybe he’d do it for her. She said her goodbyes to Warren and then, after popping her cherry pie into the oven, she went to find Kane.

  She found him securing the gate for the cattle as they ambled in for their morning meal. A few clouds scuttled across the hazy sky and a cool breeze swept a few turning leaves from the trees, heralding the coming season. Laci drank in the beauty and perfection of the moment with a heavy heart. Soon enough, she’d find herself back on a tour bus, eating up the miles between cities, and her life would become a blur.

  She couldn’t imagine Kane cooped up in a bus for hours on end, only to stand in the shadows while she performed. She supposed her daddy had been right; a man like Kane wasn’t meant to be caged. And she’d never want him to be. That’s what she liked most about the man—his strength and virile presence.

  He caught her standing there and waved before coming toward her. Muscle rippled beneath his worn T-shirt as it clung to his perfect form and Laci caught her breath. He was, without a doubt, the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on. Funny how, even though years had passed since they were kids, learning about physical attraction and all that came with it, that little tingle in her belly whenever she saw him had never gone away. It was still there—reminding her that Kane, for all the improbability of things working out, would only ever be the man for her.

  * * *

  KANE SAW—NO, that wasn’t accurate, he felt—Laci standing there, watching him, and a grin found him easily. The cattle were happily chowing down on their feed and the horses were taken care of, as well. Dundee, Warren’s old yellow Lab, loped alongside Kane, happy to be out in the field, sniffing and exploring, though he was half-blind and probably half-deaf, too, but still happy. “C’mon, old man,” he said to Dundee, rolling his eyes when the goofy dog stared up at him with his tongue lolling out and what looked like a grin on his mug. “Warren must have a knack for keeping animals going long past their expiration date. You’re a damn miracle dog to still be alive after all this time.”

  Dundee’s response to that was an enthusiastic bark, but as far as Kane knew, the dog couldn’t tell what or who he was barking at because then he shambled off, going a little sidewise, back to the house where he knew a nice comfy bed awaited him—and probably a treat.

  He met Laci on the porch and she gave him a fresh sweet tea to wet his whistle. He could count on his hand the things he missed about living in the South and sweet tea was one of them. He finished his tea in a few gulps and leaned in for a quick kiss. “That hit the spot. The humidity is kicking my ass. I’m used to a dry heat now, not this wet, collapse-your-lungs-when-you-breathe stuff.”

  She laughed. “It brings back memories. Honestly, my home base is Los Angeles, so I know what you’re saying.”

  He cast a surprised glance at Laci. “You live in LA?”

  “Well, as much as you can call it living. I feel as if I’m hardly there enough to qualify as actually living there.” He took a moment to process that. He’d been living in Los Angeles for years and he’d never realized that Laci was in the same city. Now, granted, he also made a point to avoid any reference to Laci and he wasn’t one to peruse the gossip rags, so missing that piece of information wasn’t too surprising, but still...it rocked him a little that they’d always been relatively close to one another.

  Laci frowned at his sudden silence. “You okay?”

  “Just surprised, is all. I didn’t realize you lived in the same city.”

  She risked a shy glance before admitting, “When you mentioned that you and Rian were working in SoCal, I wanted to ask if you lived there, too, but it didn’t seem appropriate to ask, you know? I mean, there’s so many questions between us, I hardly know which ones are safe to ask and which ones I ought to leave be.”

  “You can ask me anything,” he told her quietly, and he meant it. He wouldn’t shy away from her questions even if the answer wouldn’t do him any favors. “You were right earlier...some of these questions should’ve been answered a long time ago.”

  “Thank you, that means a lot,” she said, her gaze softening. “You know, I’ve dreamed up all sorts of scenarios between us, but none were as perfect as the real deal right now.”

  He smiled, but her admission cut. If things were perfect, they wouldn’t be ignoring the fact that reality was waiting to bust up their happy peace like a bully in the school yard, punching his palm with a gleeful expression. “I’m all yours, sugar,” he told her with a playful grin to cover the pain in his heart. “I’m at your mercy.”

  Her delighted smile warmed and soothed as she said playfully, “Is that so? Well then, I might as well ask every question I’ve ever wondered, seeing as I have a captive audience.”

  “Be gentle,” he begged, and she laughed. He sobered and said, “Okay, what do you want to know?”

  “How’d you end up in California, of all places? I would’ve thought maybe Montana or someplace with mountains and plenty of space. I know how you value your privacy. Los Angeles isn’t what you’d call a mecca for guarding your privacy. I should know...I’ve had three people arrested for trying to climb my gate.”

  “You really need better security,” he said, frowning. “What kind of alarm system are you using? If it’s the Iron King 2000, it’s crap. It’s the easiest to disarm and a virtual joke, but every celebrity client I have seems to buy into their propaganda. Personally, I always suggest—”

  She silenced him with a finger against his lips. “I don’t want to talk about alarm systems,” she said, shaking her head. “I want to talk about how you ended up in the same city as me and I never knew it.”

  He settled down, realizing he’d been way too eager to jump into a whole different conversation than what they were inching toward, but Laci wanted answers and he’d promised he would give them. “I moved there after I left the military. It seemed the best place for me and Rian to start up our business. It was either LA or New York and neither of us wanted to deal with New York winters, so we settled on SoCal.”

  “Do you like it?”

  He shrugged. “It’s all right. I like that everything’s within driving d
istance that I need, but I wish I had more open space. That’s one thing I haven’t gotten used to...all the people.”

  “Growing up in the country, you take certain things for granted.”

  “Like being able to breathe,” he quipped, and she grinned. It felt good to joke even though they were both processing the information they were sharing in their own way. He supposed she was just as startled as he that they’d always been so geographically close to one another. “You know, I always thought you would’ve picked a place in the South as your home base,” he admitted.

  “Like you, Los Angeles is just convenient. Can’t say I love it, but I have a small ranch in Ojai that’s far enough away from the city with enough acreage for some semblance of privacy. It’s the best that I can get under the circumstances, but it’s nowhere near as homey as this place right here.”

  His place was small and functional with a parcel that was just big enough to justify the millions he’d paid for it, but, just like Laci said, it was nowhere near what he’d really like.

  She went to him and looped her arms around him. “Maybe you could come visit me sometime,” she suggested, brushing a kiss across his lips. “Would you like that?”

  He sighed, knowing there was no good answer to that question. If all things were equal, he wouldn’t hesitate to pick up where they left off here in Kentucky, but then what? Heartache and misery. He’d hate the idea of her going off on tour, leaving him for months on end, and he wasn’t about to hop a tour bus to be her backstage boyfriend. “Let’s just keep it simple for now,” he said gruffly, and she nodded, trying to hide the disappointment in her eyes.

  “Of course,” she said, forcing a smile as she briskly switched gears. “In that case, tonight we’re going to the Woodsville Harvest Festival.”

  “What?” he groaned, unable to believe what’d popped from her mouth. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack. I used to love the harvest festival and I thought you did, too.”

  “Yeah, when we were kids and we could sneak away for a few stolen kisses.” He tightened his grip on her with a seductive smile. “But we’re not kids anymore and I don’t have to steal what I’ve got in my arms right now. Let’s just see what kind of trouble we can get into right here.”

  “But I can’t get homemade candied apples right here,” she countered, laughing when he nuzzled her neck. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. I’ll even let you steal a kiss on the Ferris wheel for old time’s sake.”

  She was really serious about this? He pulled away with a subtle frown. “You’re not kidding?”

  “Nope. Besides, we need a change of scenery. We’ve been cooped up here on the ranch for days. Time to get some fresh air, so to speak. Can you be ready by six?”

  He could tell by the firm set of her jaw that she had her mind set. When he thought of the town of Woodsville, he had nothing good to fall back on, except for the harvest festival, but only because he’d been a love-struck kid with hearts in his eyes, and if Laci had asked him to rope the moon, he would’ve tried. But other than that...a small-town festival, filled with the small-town cronies who’d done nothing to lift a finger to help him or his brother? Nope, not big on that idea. However, he knew just as he was standing there that he’d go because Laci wanted it.

  Some things hadn’t changed—he just couldn’t say no to the woman.

  15

  LIKE ANTS SPILLING out of a colony, everyone and their grandmother came to sell their wares, socialize and have a good time at the Woodsville Harvest Festival.

  Kane and Laci stepped out of the truck, and Kane prepared himself for a mildly unpleasant walk down memory lane until Laci caught his attention with a blinding smile and he momentarily forgot why he hadn’t wanted to come.

  Maybe if she wasn’t so damn hot. The woman had cornered the market on sexy, and if there ever was a stereotypical country-girl look, Laci had nailed it. Cowboy boots, short white skirt and a cute blouse with her hair tied up in a bandanna, Laci looked like something out of one of her own music videos.

  Kane paid for their tickets and, as they walked through the arched entryway and into the festival, he was immediately assaulted by memories. To a passing stranger, Woodsville was a place where the South lived and breathed in all its colorful splendor, pretty as a picture and just about as chock-full of Americana as one could get without landing on a movie set where everything was carefully placed and planned for effect. But Woodsville was the real deal. People didn’t lock their doors at night and it wasn’t unheard of to hear tell that a barn raising was happening, but it wasn’t all maple syrup and corn-husk dolls; there was an ugly side that he was well acquainted with. The poverty level was abysmal and those living under that federally recognized line of misery were often overlooked and forgotten because they were country folk who kept to themselves, which also meant that if there was abuse happening, of any sort, it would just keep on happening because there wasn’t anyone who was going to step in to stop it. And guess where Kane and his brother had landed on that line? On the messed-up side.

  Laci, sensing the tension, curled her arm around his biceps and pressed herself closer to him. Just having her on his arm had a calming effect, but he wasn’t only on edge for himself—he was worried about someone recognizing Laci and causing a scene. He was no one but she was a bona fide country star. Sooner or later, if they kept pressing their luck, someone was going to recognize her. And then what? He didn’t like the idea of people clamoring around Laci as if it were their right to do so. Given his line of work, it should’ve come easier to him, but he didn’t care about his clients the way he cared about Laci. When he was working, it was all about the job. He wasn’t emotionally involved in the clients’ lives. And he sure as hell wasn’t sleeping with them.

  “You’re rigid as an oak plank,” she teased. “What are you so afraid of? You’re a successful man with your own business and there’s no one here who can take that away from you. Just try to enjoy yourself.”

  Laci knew of his demons, his nightmares, and the fact that she was readily on his side, defending him, warmed his heart, but he had to come clean. “It’s not me I’m worried about. What if someone recognizes you?” he asked, voicing his fear. “What am I supposed to do? What if someone gets crazy?”

  “Let’s not borrow trouble. Cora used to say, ‘Don’t build bridges for rivers you don’t have to cross yet,’” she said, smiling, not the least bit concerned. “I’m here with you and that’s all that matters. Besides, I doubt anyone will recognize me.”

  He didn’t know about that. People would have to be damn blind not to recognize her but he supposed there was nothing he could do until the situation came up, so why ruin the moment? “Okay, I’ll follow your lead.”

  She brightened. “Excellent. Then I say the first order of business is getting a candied apple. You would not believe how much I’ve craved Woodsville candied apples. I swear, there’s something magic in those apples because I’ve been to countless states and fairs and there’s never been a single one to measure up to those delicious goodies they sell here at this festival.”

  Her enthusiasm softened him up a bit and he realized he’d do almost anything to see her smile. So he’d just have to keep a watchful eye so that Laci could have a good time. “Then a candied apple you shall have. Let’s go find one.”

  They wandered around the festival, stopping here and there, found the candied-apple booth and then just when he thought Laci might want to call it a night, she dragged him to the Ferris wheel. He groaned, eyeing the contraption without a whole lot of confidence and said, “The Ferris wheel? Look at that thing. It looks like a health hazard. It’s probably held together with string and bubble gum.”

  She laughed and tugged at him. “Don’t be such a spoilsport. I’m sure it’s fine. It’ll be an adventure.”

  “I don’t need adventure,” he grumbled, still eyein
g the ride with mistrust. “Did I mention I get plenty of an adrenaline rush in my job? I don’t really feel the need to tempt fate and board that rolling lawsuit.”

  “Oh, yes you are and you are going to kiss me at the top just like you did when we were teenagers.”

  He caught her gaze and couldn’t help the smile creeping onto the edges of his mouth. The girl knew just how to push his buttons.

  “Do you have a problem with that?” she teased.

  “Far be it from me to keep you from what you want. Ferris wheel it is.”

  “You’re adorable when you pretend to be a pushover,” she said, giggling.

  The night air was filled with laughter, savory country smells, the buzzing activity of countless individual ongoing events, and Kane wondered if he’d been holding on to anger for too long. The festival wasn’t half-bad and so far the night had been pretty enjoyable. They climbed into their bucket and began their slow ascent to the top. The stars twinkled in the night sky, as if winking at them both, and Kane was sucked into the sweetness of the moment.

  “I believe the lady wanted a kiss,” he reminded her softly as he leaned in to press his lips against hers. She grinned and kissed him back. Their tongues danced lightly with one another, teasing, exploring, much like when they were teenagers, and Kane’s heart beat as quickly as it had back then. He pulled away, happy to see the haze in her eyes from his kiss and said, “I guess memory lane’s not so bad, after all.”

  “Not at all. So far it’s been my favorite place to visit,” she murmured. “Tell me why it’s taken this long?”

  “Do you want the nice answer or the real answer?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s been such a wonderful night, maybe I’ll take the nice answer.”

  He chuckled. “Probably a good decision. Let’s say we both know what we have is special but not meant to last. And maybe we were just saving ourselves the inevitable heartache.”