“They did. I just don’t know if we should stay since Mama still isn’t feeling well.”
“Oh. Well, I guess I need to make a few phone calls then?”
“Why? What’s the big deal?”
“Well, it’s what I needed to discuss with you. Are you sure I can’t get you a coffee? Water? Iced tea?”
“Alec, you’re stalling. What is it?”
“Trevor’s attorney wants to arrange a meeting. A visitation with Madison and with you.”
“Why?”
“He wants to talk to you, before you go to court.”
“But I don’t want to talk to him.”
“I explained that, but as your attorney, I think you should.”
“Again, why?”
“To see what he really wants, get an idea of what his reasoning for all this is.”
“I think we both already know that.”
“Look. I think it’s a good idea. This is already going to be difficult since he now has the proof of being Madison’s biological father.”
“I still don’t see what that has to do with me being here.”
“I told them that if they wanted to meet, we’d meet here in Dothan. They should be here today.”
“Today?”
“Yes. Any time now.”
“But I have to prepare Madison. She’s still not sure about all this, I don’t want them speaking to her alone.”
“They won’t. I insisted it was strictly supervised or no deal.”
“I guess I really have no choice, do I?”
“Like I said in the beginning, the more you’re willing to compromise, the better you’ll look in the judge’s eyes.”
“Fine, where are we meeting?”
“I told them the fairgrounds. We’ll sit down for a visit and then I thought Madison could have some fun at the fair, so she isn’t uncomfortable in an office somewhere.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” she said coldly.
“No problem. Okay, I’m just going to come out and ask this. Did I do something to make you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad at you,” she protested.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem like yourself.”
“I have a lot on my mind and I’m not really thrilled to see Trevor again.”
Alec once again felt bad to put her and Madison through this. Things between them were still shaky after the incident at the ball. They still hadn’t had their talk and now he was about to drop another bombshell on her.
“I’m sorry. You know I would never put you two in danger, right?”
“Yeah, I hear you know a lot of things,” she mumbled and wouldn’t look at him.
Then it clicked. What Madison told him last night. She must have told her mother what she said.
“Maddie told you what she said to me last night, didn’t she?”
“My daughter tells me everything.”
“Okay, since we’re discussing this I need to know. Did Trevor know about your disability?”
“Yes.”
“Did his lawyer?”
“No. Why should he?”
“You have to be honest with me. You didn’t read the divorce paperwork, did you?”
“I think you already know the answer to that.”
“When you met Trevor to sign the divorce papers, did you explain to the lawyer you couldn’t read?”
“He was in a hurry, and so was Trevor. If I didn’t sign it, they said it could drag out for months.”
“Did he threaten you if you didn’t sign?”
“No. Not threaten as in to hurt me physically. He agreed if I would sign right away, he’d get my guitar back.
“Guitar? He has your guitar?”
“Not anymore. He said if I wouldn’t protest the divorce and just sign it, he’d give me my guitar back.”
“Did he, now?” Alec was getting angrier by the second. Trevor Howell was definitely a crook.
“Yes.”
“So, he blackmailed you.”
“I guess he did.”
“No. No guessing necessary. He held something over you, something you loved dearly, to get you to sign papers he knew you couldn’t read without help.
“I can use that against his case and have at least the money portion of it dropped. You had no idea you were signing that. The whole thing is void.”
“But that would mean my divorce is void, too, and that we would still be legally married, right?”
“Yeah. I suppose it would, but I could fix that, too.”
“I guess you think I’m really stupid, don’t you?” She looked down to avoid eye contact with him. He hated when she did that. She was much too beautiful to hide her face in shame.
“No. Having a disability doesn’t make you stupid. I would never think that about you.” He reached over and softly touched her chin to raise it to look at him again.
“Then what do you think about me?”
“I think you’re a remarkable, talented and beautiful woman. I think you’re an amazing mother to that bright and delightful daughter of yours. And I think I’m very much in love with you,” he said before leaning in and kissing her.
15
“Leave it to him to be late. He was always late. One of the reasons he could never hold down a job,” Katie Lyn said as she fixed Madison’s ponytail for the fifth time since they arrived at the fairgrounds.
A very agitated Alec looked at this phone to check the time. Trevor Howell wanted this meeting and was now fifteen minutes late. It was bad enough that he had to put Katie Lyn and Madison through this, the least the jerk could do was show up on time. They were waiting in a secluded area at a picnic table with a view of the walkway open toward all the fairground activities. It was getting chilly outside and Madison had already complained to her mother about being cold.
“We’ll give him five minutes and then we’re out of here. This is absolutely ridiculous.”
Katie Lyn smiled at him, catching him off guard. She didn’t want to even do this and now she was smiling.
“What?” He looked at her, confused.
“Oh, nothing.” Her smile grew and she looked like she was about to laugh at any moment.
He wasn’t letting her off the hook so easy.
“Okay, what’s so funny?”
“You are.” She started laughing as she hugged Madison to keep her warm.
“What did I do that’s so funny?”
“You’re the one that’s supposed to be calming me down, and you look so mad right now that you could spit nails.”
It was true. Earlier, he had coached her and reminded her to remain calm no matter what her ex said. This meeting was strictly about seeing Madison and Alec assured her that he’d make sure the conversation stayed focused on that. Now, she was the one acting calm and he was the one fighting mad. But that smile of hers worked its magic and he started calming down.
After their little disagreement yesterday, and his confession on how he was in love with her, they went to dinner. It was finally good to talk about what happened the day Madison was born. He was so happy to hear that she did remember him, even if she didn’t remember all the details as much as he did. He told her everything, from working for Waylon as her security, to contacting her realtor about a house he had for sale. She was a little upset at first but later thanked him for making sure they were always safe.
He also informed her what Waylon wanted. A meeting. First with the band and then a private meeting with just his ex-wife and daughter. She immediately declined.
“Alec, I can’t do this right now. It’s too much. Maybe after the holidays or the tour. Please just explain it to him.”
He agreed to put Waylon off for now.
“Do you want me to see if we could find a warmer place?” he asked as he noticed she was shivering.
“We’re okay,” she said, but then suddenly her face lost its smile and she held onto Madison even tighter, clueing him in that they were no longer alone.
“Trevor,�
�� she said as Alec tried to hold his professionalism and his tongue.
“Katie Lyn. You're looking good. Being a star definitely looks good on you.”
“Hi Daddy.” Madison said as she remained close to her mother.
“Hi kid.” He said barely acknowledging the child.
Alec stood and made his way behind Katie Lyn and Madison.
“Howell, you’re fifteen minutes late.”
Trevor looked at him with a smug look on his face that Alec would gladly help him wipe off.
“I thought it was just going to be us, if I’d known we were bringing our attorneys, I would have brought mine.”
“Maybe you should have, I’m sure she could tell time.”
Alec was waiting for Trevor to say something else, but Katie Lyn stood and guided Madison over to him.
“Trevor, I’d like to speak with you a moment please,” she requested and caught them by surprise.
“Fine by me. It’s a little crowded right now. Get the kid and let’s go.”
Alec could feel his blood boiling.
“Her name is Madison. Not kid!” Alec warned.
“I know exactly what her name is. She’s my daughter, not yours,” Trevor spat back.
“Please, Trevor, let’s go over there.” She pointed to a vacant table on the other side of the tent and started walking that direction, without Madison.
“Why are you leaving our daughter with him?” Trevor began to protest but followed her anyway.
“I want to speak to you alone, first,” Katie Lyn said as she kept walking.
“But he’s just your lawyer. How can you trust him with my daughter?” Alec overheard him say.
Alec looked at Madison, who was more interested in the stuffed dolphin in her hands than the adult conversation going on. He understood what Katie Lyn was doing, but he still didn’t like it. He did like the fact that she entrusted Madison’s safety to him.
“Are you warm enough, sweetheart?” he asked as he sat back down next to her.
“Uh huh. But I want to go ride the merry-go-round. It has a seahorse on it like in the Little Mermaid.”
“We will, sweetie, I promise. Your mommy just needs to speak to your dad first.”
“He’s not as nice as he was the other day,” Madison said as she sat there petting the stuffed animal.
“Why do you say that, sweetie?”
“He’s acting mean to you and Mommy.”
Her words broke his heart.
“It’s okay, sweetie. They just needed a minute for some grown-up talk.”
Alec didn’t know what to say to her, so he just held her little hand in his, while he watched the other side of the tent. It was then he realized, he could do what it takes to protect them physically, but unfortunately there was no way he could protect their hearts.
* * *
“I still don’t understand why you’re leaving her with him,” Trevor protested as he sat down at the table.
“I trust him with her life. She’s in good hands.”
“He’s your lawyer, not your boyfriend.”
“Actually, he’s both.”
“Well, excuse me, Miss Country Music Star.”
Trevor sat back and put his hands up and Katie Lyn knew he was about to say something completely rude. It may have been a few years, but he hadn’t changed much.
To see Trevor Howell, walking past, you’d think, “Now there’s a good-looking man.” His sandy blond hair, with green eyes and tan complexion, dressed in stylish jeans, fitted T-shirt, denim jacket and, of course, cowboy boots, got him lots of female attention.
Katie Lyn fell for those looks years ago, but she was older now and wiser and knew even weasels could look cute, but you better watch your back. She was glad to know Alec was only a few yards away and more than willing and capable of jumping to her rescue if need be. It gave her the confidence she needed to face Trevor once again.
“So, you wanted to say something. I’m waiting.”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked him.
“Well, I think that should be obvious, don’t you?”
“Why now, though? You could have been there from day one. I never told you couldn’t be a part of Madison’s life. That was your choice. You left me, remember?”
Katie Lyn noticed her words hit him when he was no longer looking as smug as he was only moments ago. Maybe she stood a chance of reasoning with him.
“I’ve regretted it for a long time, Katie girl. I’ve missed you. You were my muse and I didn’t even know it. Since I left you, I don’t have the spark in my music that I once did. I thought you were holding me back, but I realize now you were what inspired me. Now that you’re making it in Nashville, we can become big stars like we always dreamed of, baby. Don’t you see, we could be the next Johnny and June, or Tim and Faith,” he said as he tried to reach for her hands, but she pulled them out of reach.
“Trevor, I already have a band.”
“Yeah, I know and it’s a good start, but you’re the star. Everyone sees that. You could go solo and be even greater. I have some great ideas of duets we could do.”
“I love being with Lipstick Outlaws and I have no desire to leave them.”
“Of course, you have to wait until your tour is over, I understand that. I know a lot about labels and contracts. So, how long does Storm music have you under contract for? We can wait it out, maybe you could just sing with me on a couple of songs on my album.”
“You have an album coming up?”
“No, not yet. I thought you could talk to that guy Nigel Lange with Storm Music. Help me out there. I could get my album going and then when your contract is up, you could come on tour with me.”
Katie Lyn was shocked as she listened to him go on and on. His music . . . his album . . . his tour. The next Tim and Faith? Really? Had he fallen somewhere and hit his head? But the biggest thing she noticed as he sat there and spilled out all his plans, was that not once did he mention Madison.
“So, you want me to help you and you decided the best way to do that was to sue me for custody of Madison.”
“I wasn’t going to go through with it. I had to get your attention somehow and it worked. I mean, I’m sure me and the kid will get along okay. I like kids, really, I do. Maybe after a few years we could have more. The press loves family stories like that.”
“What about the contract you didn’t tell me about? You know I would have never agreed to sign that if I knew what it said.”
“Not my fault you’re too stupid to read. You’re making big bucks now, maybe you should take some classes.”
Katie Lyn thought she was about to be sick. How on earth did this person in front of her share the same genetics as her precious baby? Her eyes were wide open now. Trevor Howell never loved her. He used her. It was no coincidence he asked her to marry him just days after she told him about Waylon. She was his meal ticket, plain and simple. He neither had the devotion nor the talent to pursue music on his own. He wanted an easy ride, and there was no way Katie Lyn was going to give it to him.
Katie Lyn had heard enough. She wasn’t only mad, she was fighting mad and there was no way she was going to let this gold-digger, get his hands on her daughter. She’d fight him, and she not only had her band, her manager, her crew, her mom, to back her up, she had Alec, the best attorney in Nashville. Trevor didn’t stand a chance.
She stood without saying a word.
“Where are you going?”
“Discussion time is over. I promised Madison she could ride some rides.”
“But I haven’t even got a chance to talk to her. I can take her on some rides.”
“No way. You’re done and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you do not take my daughter away from me.”
“Our daughter, remember?” he said sternly and took her by the arm.
Katie Lyn didn’t flinch; she didn’t need to. He wasn’t hurting her, and she knew he didn’t have the power to hurt her anymore. She saw him
for what he was, a coward, and she knew any second now, help would be right beside her.
“No, my daughter. I would give everything up in one second for her. The music, the band, the records, the tour, all of it. Would you do the same?”
He looked at her, and she knew he was thinking. He was no longer dealing with the naïve eighteen-year-old Katie Lyn.
“You continue with this, and I drop everything. There’s no way I would help you, after you threaten to take my baby. One more thing. I would never get back with you or record a song with you. You’re delusional if you ever thought that was going to happen. Also, I’m going to make sure you never see a penny of the money I earned.”
“What are you going to do, run to daddy and have him take care of it?”
“If I have to, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
“You have less than two seconds to remove your hand from her arm,” Alec said as he handed Madison over to her. She had watched him stand and hurry over to her the moment she felt Trevor grab her arm.
“Or what?” Trevor asked.
“Or I remove it,” Alec warned.
For once in his life, Trevor Howell did something smart, and removed his hand from her arm immediately.
“This isn’t over. I will see you in court,” Trevor said as he started backing away.
“See you then,” Katie Lyn said as the three of them watched him leave. He was no longer walking with the confidence he once had.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Alec asked as he looked at her arm, while she held Madison on her hip with the other one. She felt confident and strong.
“I’m fine. Let’s go ride the merry-go-around.”
“Yay!” Madison cheered.
Alec looked at her and she knew he was concerned, and she’d have to tell him all that Trevor said, but now wasn’t the time. So, she smiled at him and hoped he’d understand.
“I need a favor when we’re done here,” she said.
“Anything.”
“I need to get home and I need you to set up a meeting between Waylon and me.”
Alec nodded as he lifted Madison in his arms and held his hand out to Katie Lyn, which she gladly accepted.
Katie Lyn’s Guarded Heart: Sweethearts of Country Music, Book 4 Page 12