“At least you still have a house. A lot of junkies sell everything they have to buy one more hit.”
“Oh, believe me, if I hadn’t tried to kill myself, I’d have eventually sold everything to support my habit.” She shrugged. “Probably even myself.”
Skyler looked at her for a long moment, wondering at her ability to adjust so quickly. “So what are your plans? Or have you made any?”
“Not really. I guess I’ve been kind of marking time, hoping that I’d have some other options open up. But nothing has.” Billy looked desolate.
“Have you talked to your manager since all this happened?” he asked, unaware of the relationship she’d had with Alan Rothe.
Billy laughed out loud. “Not hardly. Oh,” she said then, realizing his lack of knowledge on the issue. “I guess you don’t know. Alan and I… Well, we were a thing for a while on the tour—things didn’t exactly go well.” She looked chagrined then. “I even tried to fire him at one point, but he had a contract.” She shrugged.
“Does he still have a contract?”
Billy thought about it for a minute, then shrugged again. “Probably, but what difference does that make? Billy and the Kid is kaput, remember?”
“Yeah, well, I’d have a lawyer check it out, and see if he still has to represent one of the parties of the band. I’m sure Jerith’s not using him…” he said, trailing off as Billy looked at him strangely.
“You think I should get back into the business?” She sounded surprised.
“I think you are a fantastic singer and you need to do something with it,” Skyler said noncommittally.
“You don’t understand, Sky. Nobody would trust me anymore. I’m an addict,” she said simply, as if referring to her religion.
“What about Jerith?” Skyler asked, but Billy shook her head immediately.
“No way. I won’t even ask him.”
“Why not?”
“Duh, Skyler, don’t you read the papers? Don’t you remember what happened in Washington? I almost got the man killed—you think he wants to get a band back together with me? He’s doin’ just fine on his own, anyway. He doesn’t need me.” She shrugged, looking almost depressed. “Hell, with a voice like that, he never really did need me.”
“I don’t think that’s a very accurate statement,” Skyler said quietly.
“Why not?” Billy asked cynically.
“Because you were half of Billy and the Kid, and there was more to the two of you than just your voice and his guitar.”
Billy looked at him for a long moment, not sure what to say. Eventually she just shrugged, and dropped the subject. Skyler didn’t forget about it though. He knew he was right.
“So you never did tell me what you’re doing here in LA,” Billy said, moving to stand between his legs. She looked up at him, her blue eyes searching his.
“I didn’t?” Skyler said wryly.
“You aren’t just here because of me.”
“What if I said I was?”
Billy stared up at him for a long moment, then shook her head. “I’m not fallin’ for it, Skyler James.”
Skyler smiled, holding up his hands. “Okay, you got me. I’m workin’ here now.”
Billy was stunned. “No way…”
“Yep, I’m in charge of the Long Beach office.”
“How long have you been down here?”
Skyler looked at his watch. “’Bout six hours,” he said, grinning.
“You mean you haven’t really started yet?”
“I mean I have two weeks off, and you were the first person I wanted to see when I brought the plane in,” Skyler said, his look direct.
“Wow.” She grinned. “And all this time—” she started to say, referring to Theresa, but then shook her head.
“All this time you’ve been wrong,” Skyler said as he tipped her face up to his and bent to kiss her. The kiss quickly turned passionate again, as if their time apart had given them something to make up for. They made love in her kitchen with most of the lights off, and eventually went back to her bedroom.
Later Billy lay next to him, with her hand placed possessively on his chest. “Sky,” she said hesitantly.
“Yeah?” He sounded tired, but relaxed.
“What does this mean for us?” she asked, wanting to know where she stood with him.
“This?” He raised his eyebrow at her as he indicated their bodies lying together.
Billy flexed the hand that rested on his chest, digging her nails in just slightly, even as Skyler laughed. “Don’t be difficult, Skyler James,” she said, grinning at him.
“Okay, okay,” he said, sliding his hand up her bare arm and looking down at her. “Would you kill me if I said that I just want us to be together and see how things go?”
Billy gave him a brilliant smile. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
He grinned sardonically. “Glad I could oblige.”
With that settled they drifted off to sleep.
They spent the next two weeks looking for a place for Skyler to live. He had sold his house in Sacramento and was looking to buy something reasonable.
“You’re in the wrong town,” Billy chided him.
“No, I’m not,” he said, looking over at her, his eyes serious.
Billy was warmed by his words. Things between them were better than ever. It was as if all the undercurrents of anger, jealously, and abuse were gone. They had easily settled into a comfortable relationship.
Skyler didn’t bring up her career again, but when Jerith returned from Europe with Nicolette, he went to talk to him.
****
Jerith was still jubilant over returning to the States to find that his album had gone to number one. He was surprised when Skyler showed up at the house, but invited him in nonetheless.
“I heard about your album on the way over here,” Skyler said, extending his hand. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Jerith said, his ecstatic smile impossible to hide.
Nicolette walked into the room then, and was surprised to see Skyler. She went over and reached out her hand. “Hi,” she said. “How are you?” She gestured for Skyler to sit down, and she and Jerith did the same.
“Oh, fine,” Skyler said, looking around. “Nice place.” He grinned, thinking of some of the dumps he’d been looking at over the last couple of weeks.
“Thanks,” Jerith said, but he was already looking at him seriously. “So, what brings you here?” He was sure that it had something to do with Billy. Even in Paris, he and Nicolette had seen the reports of Billy Montague with her mystery man again.
Skyler could tell by Jerith’s tone that he already had an inkling, so he decided to be direct. “Well, I want to talk to you about the odds of a reunion.”
Nicolette looked at Jerith, and Jerith just stared back at Skyler. “Did Billy ask you to come here?” he said, surprised. Billy hadn’t said anything to him about wanting to get the band back together.
“Billy is still mortified by what happened. She’d probably kill me if she knew I was here… but I know it’s what she wants,” Skyler said, his concern for her clear.
Jerith didn’t say anything for a long moment, his blue eyes trailing over to his wife. Skyler looked at Nicolette, wondering at Jerith’s apparent desire for her approval. He could see the obvious respect and adoration on both faces, and he found himself envious of them. He had heard about Jerith’s album up in Sacramento, and he’d heard the stories about his apparent devotion to his wife and son. Skyler thought it was great. Now, watching them, he could see that Jerith wanted Nicolette’s opinion on the matter. Skyler was about to offer to leave them alone when he saw Nicolette’s nod as her eyes trailed back over to him.
Jerith looked at Skyler then. “I’ll talk to Billy,” he said, his tone noncommittal—but Skyler was pleased that he’d even consider it.
A week later, at lunch, Jerith asked Billy about what she was doing.
“Not much,” she said, shrugging, bu
t looking happy all the same. “I guess you saw that Skyler’s back in my life.” Her voice took on a cautious note then; she knew how Jerith had always felt about her unhealthy relationship with Skyler Kristiani.
Jerith surprised her by smiling. “Yeah, I heard. How are things with the two of you?”
“You know, I thought I was over him. I thought he’d just been a product of all my baggage, but he’s not. He’s been wonderful.”
“I’m glad,” Jerith said honestly. “What about your career? What do you want to do?” he asked, his voice deceptively casual.
“Skyler asked me the same thing, and I just don’t know.” She shook her head sadly. “I guess I never realized that singing was all I ever really knew.”
“How’s your voice?” Jerith said, still nonchalant.
“To tell you the truth, Kid… I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I’ve only been singing with the radio—hard to tell.”
Jerith nodded, his chin resting on his hand with his elbow on the table. “Well,” he said, moving to clasp his hands in front of him as he leaned toward her. “If you want to stop by the studio sometime, I could run you through, and you could see what shape you’re in…”
“That’d be great, Kid,” Billy said, smiling. “Although even if I can still sing, it’s probably a moot point anyway. My name is basically Mudd in the music industry right now.”
“Well, maybe with the right representation…” Jerith said, indicating that she might be able to get something. “I hear commercial work is profitable,” he said, looking serious.
Billy nodded, not even wanting to think about singing jingles for commercials. But the idea of testing out her voice was appealing to her; that way she’d at least know if she could still sing.
Two weeks later, she called Jerith, asking him if today would be a good day to come by. Jerith hesitated for a long moment, and then told her it would be fine, that he’d meet her there after lunch. She agreed and hung up, looking over at Skyler, who was standing in her bedroom buttoning his shirt. He’d moved into her place “for the time being,” he’d said, but Billy was determined to keep him there with her.
“What’d he say?” Skyler asked, glancing at her as he reached for his holster, gun, and badge.
“He said he’d meet me there,” Billy said, standing from the bed and walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him. “Have I told you how gorgeous you are yet this morning?”
“No.” Skyler grinned down at her. “But I do believe you demonstrated how appealing I am to you this morning…” He trailed off, and Billy started to laugh. Their lovemaking had remained as exciting as ever, as if they couldn’t get enough of each other.
“And you’re sure you have to go in this morning…”
“Yes, Billy, I’m sure,” Skyler said, reaching for his watch even as she rested her head against his chest. “I told you, I have the SAC meeting today.”
“And a SAC is what, again?”
“A special agent in charge, babe.” Skyler knew she was just stalling him. He looked at his watch as he put it on, holding his arm above her head. “And I’m already runnin’ late.”
Billy reluctantly released her hold on his waist and reached up to kiss him, her lips lingering on his. Skyler had to force himself away from her. “Damn, you drive me crazy,” he said, but Billy knew he meant it in a good way.
“I do try,” she said.
Skyler only nodded as he turned and grabbed his jacket off the back of the Eastlake chair in the corner of her room, then picked his keys up off the dresser.
“I gotta go. But I want you to call me and tell me how the studio went, okay?”
“I will,” Billy said, following him to the front door. There she kissed him goodbye, and stood watching until his red Mustang drove out of sight. Then she turned and went to prepare for her day.
At one o’clock that afternoon, she stood nervously outside the same studio where she and the band had always worked. She knew Jerith was already there; his black BMW Z4 was sitting in the parking lot. Taking a deep breath, she went inside and walked down the long hallway. When she walked into the studio, she was stunned to see Tommy and Dave, the drummer and bassist for Billy and the Kid, talking to Jerith, who was standing with his back to her. They stopped when she walked in, and looked over at her. Jerith turned around, and with a wide smile said, “I thought this might be a good day for a reunion.”
Billy stared at him for a long moment, stunned, then understanding dawned—or at least what she hoped she understood. “You mean…”
Jerith looked back at her, his eyes on hers. “I mean, Billy and the Kid.”
Without hesitating for an instant, Billy ran to Jerith and threw her arms around him, laughing and crying at the same time. “Thank you, thank you,” she whispered over and over into his hair.
♫ Epilogue ♫
The sound of soft singing awoke Nicolette. She sat up in bed, feeling for Jerith. He wasn’t there. She reached for the monitor on the nightstand and turned up the volume. Jerith’s voice came through clearly. She got out of bed and padded down the hall, stopping in a doorway not too far way. Jerith was standing in the room, his long blond hair flowing loose down his bare back. Nicolette leaned against the door jamb, watching him and listening to his voice as he crooned softly. As if sensing her there, Jerith turned around.
The small child in his arms was enchanted by her father’s singing. Her halo of blond curls made her look angelic as the green eyes that matched her mother’s gazed up at her father with obvious adoration. Angelica Marie Michaels was only four months old, but it was obvious that she loved her daddy’s voice. Jerith laid her down in her crib and turned to walk back toward Nicolette.
He noticed that she was giving him a measured look. “What?” he said, grinning.
“If over three years ago someone would have told me that I’d be standing in a doorway, watching my gorgeous, long-haired superstar husband sing our daughter back to sleep, I would have locked them up as a 5150—a nut.”
Jerith smiled, reaching out to pull her close. “And if anyone had told me that I could be this happy and have literally everything I want, I would have walked on fire for it.”
“Everything okay?” Ryan said surreptitiously from the hallway. He had just come in from a night out with friends. He had just started college and was loving every minute of it.
Jerith glanced over at him, nodding. “Angel just woke up, that’s all.”
“When doesn’t she?” Ryan said, rolling his eyes, but he walked toward the room all the same. He liked to pretend that he wasn’t absolutely in love with his little sister, but he was. He walked past Jerith and his mother, and over to the crib, gazing down at the small child sleeping peacefully there. Then he turned and looked at the people he considered his parents.
“Shouldn’t you two be getting some sleep? Big day tomorrow.” The event of the year—next to the Grammys, that is. The Grammys were the following month.
“You’re right,” Jerith said, nodding and looking down at his wife.
“I usually am,” Ryan shot back with a grin.
They went their separate ways then, and the next morning they were up late.
“Don’t get us lost, Ryan,” Nicolette said, looking back at her son.
“I’m not. It’s really a shortcut, Mom.”
Jerith grinned from the driver’s seat. “Will you two shut up? I’m tryin’ to drive here. Besides, we’re here.”
The site overlooked the ocean, and a slight breeze stirred the guests, but no one noticed an hour later when Billy Montague walked down the aisle toward Skyler. She looked beautiful in a high-low satin-and-lace gown, her jet black curls pinned up with stray stands cascading down her back. Her makeup was soft and elegant, and Skyler just about dropped dead at the sight of her. When she strolled up to him, he smiled brilliantly at her.
“You look… God…” was all he could manage, in a whisper.
“Well, Mr. Kristiani, you loo
k pretty god-like yourself,” she said, smiling. He was dressed in black with a starched white shirt and hunter green tie and cummerbund. Skyler laughed softly as he took her hand in his. Billy thought of his comment the night before, that he was taking an extra swing at this marriage thing and that it better work out this time, or he was definitely through.
As they said their vows, the guests, which included Chelsea and Michael, couldn’t help but think that these two would really make it work. Everyone knew about Billy’s drug problem and that she had fought back valiantly.
Billy and the Kid were back on top again. Their album Free from the Fire was breaking all sorts of records. Billy and Jerith had both handled lead singing, and Billy had finally had the opportunity to take up keyboard, which was something she’d wanted to do for a long time. The album was surpassing their previous ones easily. Jerith’s own solo album seemed to have brought them even more fans than before. Billy credited the article in Rolling Stone, as well as the interviews he’d done since going solo. Jerith took it all in his stride. Becoming a father had been much more important to him, and Billy knew it. She had already been trying to talk Skyler into just one child… but she hadn’t convinced him yet.
Free from the Fire had been nominated for a Grammy for best new album of the year. And the rumor was that it was a shoo-in. Billy felt great. She’d stayed totally drug-free for almost two years now, and since Skyler had come back into her life, she hadn’t even craved the cocaine that had ruled her before. She had told Skyler about the lack of desire for the drug; he had laughed, telling her she had something far more satisfying to crave now, and had subsequently shown her what he was talking about.
At the reception, the song “If You Could Only See” by Tonic was played, and the chorus was so true for the happy couple. Skyler sang the words to her as she stood next to him, with his arm wrapped tightly around her. The song was about others seeing the way she loved him, that only then could they understand.
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