Libby checked if George had noticed but he had his own laptop out and was typing away, oblivious to Kate’s yawns. She didn’t want to suggest that Kate should go to sleep, in case he thought she should mind her own business.
Someone banged on the door and George went to answer it.
“We’ve got a problem,” a male voice said as George opened it.
George moved toward the man, angling himself to block the view, and spoke quietly, so Libby couldn’t hear what he was saying. He looked at Kate, back at the person who was speaking and then back to Kate.
“If you need to go somewhere, I’ll be here with Kate,” Libby said.
The indecision was clear on George’s face. Though Libby had spent the evening with them, she wasn’t one of the group and he’d told Adrian he’d take care of Kate.
The person at the door said something, his voice low and urgent.
“Will you be all right without me for a little while, Shorty?” George asked.
“Duh. I’ve got Libby to keep me company. Go save the world.” She yawned.
“If you need me, call me on my cell.” He thrust a card at Libby.
“We’ll be fine.”
George hesitated, then was out of the door.
Kate yawned again.
Now George was out of the room, Libby didn’t have any qualms. “How about you lie down on the couch and have a rest? You look tired.”
“But I haven’t finished.”
“There’s always tomorrow.”
“But you won’t be here to help me.”
Libby didn’t deliberate. Kate was a delight to be around and with an uncle like hers, she would know how to keep a secret. Libby reached into her bag and drew out a business card. Flipping it over, she wrote her email address on it before handing it to Kate.
“This is my personal email, so make sure you don’t give it out to anyone.”
Kate nodded vigorously.
“You can email me whenever you have a question and I’ll answer you as soon as I can.”
“Really?” The girl clutched the card tightly to her chest.
“Really.”
Kate yawned and looked between her laptop and the couch, still undecided. “You’re my guest. I can’t go to sleep with you here. It would be rude.”
So that was the problem. Kate had been brought up with good manners.
“How much longer will the concert go for?” Libby asked.
“Another hour or so.”
Libby leaned forward toward Kate. “Can I tell you a guilty writer secret?”
Kate straightened and leaned forward. “Yes.”
Libby reached into her bag and drew out her notebook and pen. “I carry this everywhere I go so I can write down ideas, or descriptions. Sometimes I jot down a sentence or two and sometimes I write pages.” She handed it over so Kate could flick through it. “Tonight I’ve been itching to write down some of the ideas I’ve had for stories, but I haven’t because I know it would be rude.”
Kate’s eyes squinted as she read some of the entries in the notebook. She nodded in understanding.
“So we could make a deal. If you lie down and have a nap, I can write down my ideas while you sleep. That way we cancel out each other’s rudeness and it’s not rude at all.”
Kate handed back the notebook. “So I’d be doing you a favor if I had a nap?”
Libby nodded. “But only if you’re tired. I don’t want you to feel you have to have a nap, because I’m happy to keep working on your story if you want,” she added in a rush.
“It has been a long day.” Kate paused. “And I can really email you if I have any questions?”
“Of course.”
“All right, I’ll have a rest.” She shut down the computer, got up and fetched a pillow and blanket from a corner of the room.
Libby took the blanket from Kate and waited for her to lie down on the couch. Libby then tucked the blanket around Kate and smoothed back her hair, remembering how Piper’s mother used to do that when Libby slept over. “Enjoy your nap.”
Kate grinned. “Enjoy your writing.” She closed her eyes and snuggled down.
Libby sat on the sofa opposite and settled her notebook in her lap. She hoped Adrian wouldn’t think she’d made Kate go to sleep so she could write.
Kate’s quiet, steady breathing showed she had already fallen asleep. Libby had done the right thing. The poor girl was tired.
Relieved, she started writing.
***
The door opened, allowing the noise of the audience to flood in. Libby expected George to walk in, but instead Kent stood there, sweaty and hyped.
Their eyes met, drawn like magnets for a split second, and Libby saw his confusion. He’d forgotten she’d be there. He looked to where Kate still slept on the couch, his entrance not noisy enough to wake her.
Kent closed the door quietly behind him and shook his arms and legs, as if shaking off the adrenaline still pumping through him. “Where’s George?” He spoke softly.
“There was some problem he had to fix.”
“He left Kate alone?”
Libby arched her brows. “I’ve been with her the whole time. She was tired, so I suggested she have a nap.”
“While you wrote down what you observed tonight so you can go to the media?” he asked, pointing at her notebook.
He was still coming off his performance high, Libby told herself. Still, it stung. She closed the notebook and held it out to him. “I don’t like to be idle. Would you like to have a look at what I’ve written?”
He took it and browsed through the last few pages. His lips quirked upward. “Like a cheetah?” he asked as he handed it back.
Mortified, Libby felt heat flood her cheeks. He was referring to her description of him. She ignored his question, tucked her notebook back in her bag and stood up. “You’ll want to get changed. Do you want me to wake Kate and take her with me?”
Kent was still smiling as he said, “Let her sleep. I’ll use the bathroom.”
“I’ll wait outside then.” She didn’t wait for his response, wanting to get out as quickly as possible.
She should have thought about what she’d written before offering him her notebook, but it galled to have him think so poorly of her. As if she’d go to the media. She wasn’t that desperate for publicity.
She should have expected that kind of reaction. It had happened before. Accuse first, without asking for an explanation. Were all men the same? Or did most of them have secrets they wanted to hide?
She sighed. She was used to it. What did it matter? He didn’t know her and they wouldn’t see each other again after tonight.
George strode over to her. “He’s back, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Darn it. I was hoping I’d be done before he finished.” He grimaced. “How mad was he?”
Libby considered it. Kent hadn’t yelled but there had definitely been a thread of anger in his words. “Not furious, but I’d definitely say annoyed.”
“All right.” He let out a breath. “I need to find a new nanny for Kate so this doesn’t happen again.” He paused and then studied Libby. “You’re from Australia. Do you know of anyone who’d want the job?”
She needed a job. “What does it entail?”
“Australia’s the last leg of the tour. We’re here a month. Basically we need someone to care for Kate when Adrian’s working. It would be every concert night, plus when he’s got publicity. When he’s not working, Adrian spends his time with Kate, so the nanny would be free to do what she wants. I’ve got a schedule.”
The idea crept into Libby’s mind. She tried to shake it away, but it was sticky.
“The pay is a grand a week, plus all meals, hotel accommodation and travel expenses.” He paused. “And she has to sign a confidentiality agreement.”
“I’ll think about it. I might know someone.” This could solve her financial problems.
“I’ll send you the schedule, so you have an
idea of the hours.” He exhaled a deep breath. “I’d better go face the music. There’s a seat down the hall if you want to wait there.” He tapped on the door and entered without waiting for a response.
Libby wandered down the corridor to the seat and sank slowly into it. Would the schedule allow her enough writing time? She had been planning to use the month between temp jobs to finish her manuscript, but that was before her car had died and she had used all her savings fixing it. Now she was flat broke and there was no guarantee she’d get another job quickly when she returned home to Western Australia. All she had to eat was a small stock of instant noodle meals, a few frozen dinners and her vegetable patch. And if her fridge finally died, as it had been threatening to do for the last six months, she’d really be in trouble.
The pay George was offering was more than she’d ever earned and would mean she could save a little for emergencies. And she’d probably have time to write when Adrian wasn’t working. Surely she’d have enough time to finish her manuscript.
It couldn’t just be about the money, though. Kate deserved better than that.
No. It was foolish to think about offering to care for Kate. She’d never cared for a child before, unless she counted the occasional time she’d helped to look after Piper’s younger brother when Piper’s parents went out. She had very little experience with children at all.
But Kate was a fantastic kid; she was smart, keen and fun to be around. And it wasn’t healthy for her to be dragged around after Adrian every night.
Libby looked at it from another angle. It would be great to spend some time travelling around Australia. She hadn’t had the opportunity during her book tour to see any of the sights; it had been bookstore after bookstore, with the occasional library talk thrown in. If she was Kate’s nanny, they could explore the cities together, fill her writer’s well.
She tapped her fingers on her thigh and took a deep breath.
Then there was Adrian.
Or Kent.
She wasn’t entirely sure who was the real man, but she suspected it was Adrian. If she was being honest with herself, he intrigued her far too much. He was good-looking, sure, and an amazing singer, but there was that shyness she’d seen when they’d had coffee that was appealing. Was that why he went to such measures to protect his identity? Libby was itching to know more. He’d make an interesting character study. But that’s all it was – a professional interest. What kind of person willingly faced their phobia every single night? She was curious to find out more about Adrian – if she could manage to put up with Kent, who just rubbed her the wrong way.
She tucked her hair behind her ears and thought about Kate.
How long would Kate’s interest in writing a book last? It had been more fun than Libby had expected, taking her through the different phases of developing a character. If Libby became Kate’s nanny, she could continue helping her with her story and potentially have time to write herself. She would definitely have time on the days when Adrian wasn’t working, and she was used to working part time.
What was she thinking?
Adrian wouldn’t be interested in hiring her. She had no experience.
Dare she risk the rejection?
***
Adrian turned from the sink as the door to the dressing-room opened. He wiped the last of the mascara off and tossed the wipe in the trash as he walked out to see George taking stock of the sleeping Kate.
“You left her alone.” Adrian couldn’t believe it. Though Kate didn’t show it, she was still vulnerable, still scared about losing people she loved.
He’d trusted George with Kate and George had left her because some problem had come up.
“Libby was with her the whole time.”
Libby was a whole other problem Adrian didn’t want to think about right now. He’d forgotten she would be there and his initial reaction after the surprise had been a very unwanted spear of lust. It was just his body’s reaction from coming off the stage high, but he resented it all the same. It wasn’t the time or the place. “How much do you know about Libby? She could be anyone.” He kept his voice low so he didn’t wake Kate.
“I googled her before the concert. She’s got four books out, works short-term contracts in administration, is twenty-eight years old and there are no nasty rumors. Every social media site made her seem like she was a nice person.” George paused. “Plus she was helping Kate write a book when I left.”
That stopped him. “What?”
“Kate wants to write a book with a superhero in it and Libby was helping her develop her character.”
Darn it. It was a nice thing for her to do. And it gave Kate something to keep her occupied, but it didn’t mean George should have left. “What was so urgent?”
“A fan.” George said it as if it was a swear word. “Eight months pregnant and swearing it was your baby. God knows how she got in, but she was threatening to go to the press if she didn’t get to see you.”
It was then Adrian noticed the exhaustion in his friend’s eyes. He gestured for George to sit on one of the stools near the mirror and took the one opposite. “What happened?”
“I told her who I was and said what she claimed could easily be proven with a paternity test. I took her contact details and told her I’d be in touch.” He slumped down. “I don’t need to ask the question, do I?”
“No.” He hadn’t slept with anyone in over a year. He’d been too busy caring for Kate and figuring out how to be a parent.
“Good.”
Kate was sleeping peacefully on the couch, her red curls covering part of her face. She shouldn’t be here. What if the fan had made it to his dressing-room?
Adrian didn’t even want to consider it.
“I need to replace Emily.”
“I’ve asked Libby if she knows of anyone,” George said.
Adrian opened his mouth to protest.
George held up a hand. “She lives here. She may know of someone reliable. If she doesn’t, no harm.”
Adrian didn’t know what it was about the writer that irritated him. No, irritation was the wrong word. She made him uncomfortable because she’d slipped into his inner circle without so much as a ripple. He had been himself while playing Clue before the show and it made him edgy. It usually took him ages before he was comfortable with someone new. Few people could be trusted.
Besides, he had Kate to think about now, not just himself. “Let me have a shower and get changed. Then we can talk about it.”
He needed to get back to being Adrian.
***
Twenty minutes later Adrian was clean, refreshed and had shed the last of the high from being on stage. Damn, he was hungry.
He walked into the dressing-room. Kate was still asleep on the couch and George was working on his laptop.
“You all right?” George asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll go and scope the crowd outside. Do you want me to send Libby back in?”
Adrian didn’t really want to face her, but he’d been rude and he couldn’t leave her out in the corridor. “Sure.” As George left, Adrian sat down and loaded up a plate from the platter.
At the quiet knock on the door, he put down his plate and stood up to answer it. Libby stood straight, perhaps slightly defiantly, but smiled at him. It was the smile that unnerved him. It was so friendly, so kind, and it made him want to smile back, made him want to drop his defenses, made him want. He didn’t know if her smile could be trusted and he didn’t need the complication.
He waved her inside.
Kate was still asleep on the couch. Libby kept her voice low. “I’m sorry if you’re not happy that George left Kate with me. I can assure you I didn’t leave her for a moment.”
“It was unexpected,” he said. Damn, he needed to apologize. “I was still hyped from the concert and wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m glad you were here for her.”
She softened. “I hope George was able to solve the problem.”
“Yeah.
” They couldn’t keep standing like this. He gestured her to a seat. “Do you want something to eat?” He sat back down.
“No, thank you. Kate and I ate earlier.”
“George tells me you were helping her write a book.” He dipped a carrot stick into some dip and took a bite.
Libby smiled and Adrian almost choked. He’d thought her other smile was good but this one was something else. Her grin was wide, showing a row of even white teeth, and her eyes sparkled. It socked him in the gut like a well-pitched baseball. He took a deep breath in.
“Yes.” Libby said. “She wants to write about a superhero her age.” She paused. “I hope you don’t mind, but I gave her my email address so she could email me if she had any questions.”
He put down his plate. “You would do that?” Libby barely knew Kate. What did she want in return?
“Of course. For as long as the interest is there. Tomorrow she might wake up and decide she wants to do something else.”
“She’s tenacious,” Adrian warned.
“It’s fine. I’m happy to pass on what I’ve learned to others. Writing is often a lonely and difficult road.”
Was there sadness to her tone? “You’ve managed it all right.”
“I’ve been lucky.”
Luck might be a portion of it but he doubted that was all. If getting a book deal was anything like getting a record deal, she would have put in a great deal of effort to get where she was.
George returned. “The crowd’s beginning to thin. By the time you’ve finished eating we should be good to go.”
Adrian turned to Libby to explain.
“Fans wait outside the back entrance hoping to catch a glimpse of Kent leaving. Most nights I get straight off the stage and into a car, but there’re always people waiting. I didn’t want to expose Kate. It wouldn’t be good to have her associated with Kent.” Some of his fans were fairly intense, which was another reason he needed to be careful. He glanced at his niece. “She doesn’t need to be part of that.”
“I imagine it could be a little scary.”
“They can get a little wild.” Between them and the mothers who thought he was a bad influence, it could get quite messy. It was Adrian’s job to protect Kate. She’d seen enough in her short life and he was determined to make the rest of her life as trouble free as possible.
The Texan Quartet (Books 1-4) Omnibus Page 5
