Treading Water: Coming Home Part 32

"Debi!" Ashton called down the stairs. "Quit playing fan girl and send them up."

Debi's face turned bright red. "Right this way."

"Don't listen to him," Kate whispered. "I never do."

Debi giggled and stepped aside so they could head up the stairs.

"That was nice of you, darlin'," Reid said when they were out of Debi's earshot. "You made her year."

"She and people like her made my career," Kate said with a shrug. "Where would I be without them?"

"It's fun to watch you with your fans. I've never gotten to see that before."

Kate hadn't thought about what it might be like for him to experience her fans for the first time with Bertha's family and now with Debi.

His hand on the small of her back fortified her as they stepped into Ashton's office.

Jill rushed over to hug Kate, who held on to her sister for dear life. She'd been fine until she saw her sister, and then the roller coaster of emotions she'd experienced over the last week had tears flooding her eyes as Jill's familiar fragrance filled her senses.

"Good to see you," Kate said, blinking back tears.

"You, too." Jill drew back to study her. "You look good."

"So do you."

"Vacation agrees with us," Jill said. "Scandal, on the other hand..."

"I know, believe me. This is Reid. Reid, my sister Jill."

Jill shook his hand. "Nice to finally meet you after all this time."

"Likewise. Thank you for taking such good care of Kate when I wasn't around to do it."

"Oh," Jill said, seeming surprised-and charmed. "It was certainly my pleasure."

"Sorry about the mess at home," Kate said.

"Buddy was just suggesting we send some of his security guys over there to move them away from the gate," Jill said.

Kate sent her mentor and friend a grateful smile.

Buddy got up and came over to give her a hug. "Every time you come within five feet of this guy, you get yourself in trouble." Buddy released her to hug Reid.

"That's why we figured we ought to get married," Reid said.

Kate watched as he sought out his son across the room.

Ashton was standing, watching them warily.

Reid went over to hug his son.

Ashton returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm, which was a relief to Kate.

"So what're we going to do about this fine mess you've gotten yourself into?" Buddy asked as he returned to his post behind Ashton's desk.

"Are you a guest in your own office these days, son?" Reid asked Ashton.

"It appears that way," Ashton said dryly.

Buddy sent them one of his famous s.h.i.+t-eating grins.

Reid and Kate settled into chairs that Ashton got for them. She appreciated that Reid sat right next to her and reached for her hand the minute they were settled.

All eyes landed on her.

"I've made some decisions in the last few days," Kate said haltingly. She glanced at Jill. "I should probably talk to you privately before I tell everyone else."

"It's fine," Jill said. "Your plans affect all of us, so it would save us some time if you told us at the same time."

Grateful for her sister's clear, unemotional thinking, Kate steeled herself to say the words, to step away from the career that had defined her life. Perhaps for good.

Reid squeezed her hand and smiled at her, filling her with strength and determination. For him, for them, she was willing to do whatever it took to ensure they had a somewhat normal life. With that in mind, she met the golden gaze of Buddy Longstreet and said, "I'm done."

Buddy sat up a little straighter, but his feet remained planted on Ashton's desk. "With?"

"The music. The business. The career."

"Wait a minute," Jill said.

Ashton crossed his arms and shook his head, seeming disgusted and annoyed at the same time. Kate expected nothing less than both from him.

"Hear her out," Reid said, his gaze never leaving Kate as she struggled to find the words.

She tried to stay focused on her goal of a real, authentic life. "I've given this career everything I've had to give for a very long time. I've sacrificed any semblance of normal life, and you have, too, Jill. I don't enjoy it anymore, and I haven't in a very long time." She paused and looked at Reid. "I did it because I didn't have anything better to do. Now I have other things I want to do. I want a home and a family and the simple things most people take for granted. I want out of the whirlwind, off the treadmill, off the stage."

Buddy stared at her as if she were speaking a language he simply couldn't understand.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," she said, looking again at Buddy. "You've done so much for me. You've made everything possible. But this is the right move for me now. I really believe that."

A pervasive silence hung over the room.

"Please," Kate finally said, glancing between Buddy and Jill. "Say something, will you?"

"You're the boss," Jill said flatly. "Whatever you want is what I want."

"I think you're a G.o.dd.a.m.ned fool," Buddy said in a tone Kate had never heard from him before.

"Buddy..." Reid's voice held a note of warning.

"This isn't personal, Reid, so don't get your knickers in a twist."

Kate could tell that Reid was dying to respond to that, but he held his tongue.

"This is business," Buddy said, addressing Kate now. "Big business. It's the kind of business all the young ingenues and wannabes would give their right t.i.tties for. h.e.l.l, I remember a time-not all that long ago-when you'd give your right t.i.tty for it."

"Just for the record," Kate said, "I was never that desperate."

Ashton snorted with what might've been a laugh.

Buddy slammed his fist on the desk, making them all jump. "It's not funny! I've busted my a.s.s making you into a star. It's what you told me you wanted. I gave you everything, and I'll be G.o.dd.a.m.ned if I'm going to let you walk away at the peak of your career all because you want to get laid."

"Buddy!" Reid said. "You will not talk to her that way!"

Kate tightened her grip on Reid's hand to keep him from launching out of the chair to beat the c.r.a.p out of his best friend. "While I appreciate your candor, Buddy, this really has nothing at all to do with s.e.x, although as you and the rest of the world now know, the s.e.x is pretty d.a.m.ned good."

That made Ashton laugh out loud, which spurred nervous laughter from Jill.

A warm look of camaraderie and-maybe something else-pa.s.sed between them. But before Kate could examine the vibe more closely, Buddy was launching into a tirade about contracts and schedules and tours and other words that had once defined Kate's life. Not anymore.

"I'm sorry you're upset," Kate said. "But my decision is final. I want out."

"For how long?" Buddy asked.

"I don't know."

"So we're not talking about a vacation?"

"No. We're talking about a life. I want a life. I want a family. I want to know my little brothers and see my parents for more than a rushed dinner every couple of months. I want to actually live at the house I spent so much time and money building. I want to ride the horse that isn't going to live forever, as much as I might wish to believe otherwise." She stopped, glanced at Reid, who was gazing up at her with love and pride. Tearing her eyes off him, she looked at Buddy. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I can't help how I feel."

"And I can't help thinking you're making an impulsive decision in the midst of what's been a rough stretch for you, between the pneumonia, the fainting, the video. No one would blame you for being sick of it. h.e.l.l, a big part of me doesn't blame you. Don't you think I get sick of the demands on my time, the rigors of running a business while trying to be creative, the endless string of nameless, faceless venues that all run together in one big blur of stage lights? Do you think I don't get sick of being away from my wife and kids?"

"I don't know," Kate said. It had never occurred to her that Buddy didn't love every b.l.o.o.d.y minute of it. No one did a better job of balancing a career and family than Buddy Longstreet.

"I do. I get G.o.dd.a.m.ned sick of it. But I have a s.h.i.+tload of people depending on me for their livelihood. I don't have the luxury of walking away, and you know what? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, sweetheart, but you don't have that luxury either. While you were out becoming a big star, you might not have noticed that you employ a lot of people. What about them? What becomes of them?"

A pervasive sense of guilt filled Kate as it occurred to her that beyond Jill, she hadn't given much thought to what would become of the rest of her employees. Ashamed, she forced herself to look at Buddy. "I a.s.sumed I could give them severance packages-"

Buddy's scoff ended the sentence prematurely. "And then what do they do?"

"You're not being fair, Buddy," Reid said. "The music business is the backbone of this city. Don't make it sound like they won't be able to get other jobs."

"Sure, they can get other jobs. But there's a big difference between being a roady for Kate Harrington and hauling speakers for John Q. Up-and-coming singer-and you know it. You're acting like they don't matter at all."

"Of course they matter to me," Kate said. "You know they do."

"Then don't do this to them. Don't do it to yourself. If you need a break, take one, but to completely walk away is not only irresponsible, it's downright mean to your fans and your employees."

When it came to laying down guilt trips, Buddy Longstreet had written the book. He had her questioning everything she'd so recently decided.

"Surely," Ashton said, startling Kate, "there's something in the middle between going full tilt and quitting entirely."

Intrigued, Kate forced herself to look directly at him for the first time since she entered the room. She half expected him to be looking back at her with acrimony, but rather she saw something far more conciliatory. "Like what?" she asked.

"What if you confined your touring to summer months only and spent the other nine months of the year at home. You've got the studio at home, so you could work on new music the rest of the year. That way you wouldn't have to quit or fire your employees, but you could have the normalcy you seem to crave."

"That's a fine idea, son," Reid said. "What do you think, darlin'?"

"I sort of had my heart set on not working at all," Kate said.

"And you really think you could do that?" Jill asked. "When you're not performing, you're composing. If my phone is my Siamese twin, your guitar is yours. Sometimes I wonder if you sleep with it."

That drew a laugh from everyone and went a long way toward easing some of the tension that had crept into the conversation.

"She's right," Buddy said. "I can't picture you without the music, and I can't picture music without you."

"Ashton's idea does have merit," Kate said. Though she felt somewhat begrudging about admitting that, she kept it out of her tone in deference to Reid.

"I agree," Jill said. "It would allow you to have the best of both worlds."

"And if we have children," Reid said, "they could tour with you in the summer so you'd never have to be away from them."

Kate really liked that idea.

"Kids?" Ashton said. "Seriously?"

Reid sent him a sheepish grin. "What can I say? The girl wants a baby."

"And you want that? At your age?"

"Watch it," Kate said. "He's not exactly senile-yet."

"Like Jill," Reid said, smiling at her, "I want what Kate wants. She's convinced me that our children would be lucky to have whatever time I've got to give them, and she'll finish the job for me if it comes to that."

"Which it won't," Kate said. "I appreciate everything y'all have said, and I promise to think about it before I do anything hasty."

"Well," Buddy said, sagging into his chair, "that's a G.o.dd.a.m.ned relief."

"I thought Taylor had broken you of your swearing habit," Kate said.

"s.h.i.+t," Buddy guffawed. "That'll be the f.u.c.kin' day."

They all busted up laughing, filling Kate with relief. They'd figure something out where her career was concerned, but she'd just taken a huge first step toward the life she wanted so badly. And it seemed that she'd broken the ice with Ashton, which was also a welcome development.

She turned to Reid. "I'd really like to go home."

"Before you do," Buddy said, "we need to talk about this video and what you're going to do about it."

Kate felt her good mood start to evaporate. "Do we have to?"