When he opened them, he was looking right at Libby.
She didn’t flinch.
She wasn’t sorry for what she’d done.
God, it cut him to the core.
Adrian broke his hug with Kate and said to her, “I think they’ll leave us alone for a while now. What would you like to do for the rest of the day?”
“Libby can show us the city,” Kate said, glancing back at Libby.
He could barely look at the woman, let alone spend any time with her. How could he have been so wrong? “I think Libby probably has some editing to do. We can explore the city on our own.” His tone was light but there was no compromise to it.
Kate looked back at Libby, her eyes full of apology.
Adrian’s cell rang. Relieved at the interruption, he snatched it, but then his heart sunk. Susan.
Surely she hadn’t seen this already. It was close to midnight in Houston.
“Susan,” he said.
He heard Kate’s quiet gasp but focused on what Susan was saying.
“You promised me Kate wouldn’t be hounded by the media and yet you let her speak directly to them. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Adrian had never heard Susan so mad. “It wasn’t my intention to let her speak to the media. She did it while she was with her nanny.”
“You obviously haven’t chosen someone who will care for her properly. I’ve given you enough chances, Adrian. I can’t risk Kate’s welfare anymore. I will be suing for custody.”
No, this couldn’t be happening.
Adrian sunk down on the couch. “I’ll fight it.” He had to. He loved Kate and he’d promised Daniel he would take care of her.
“You won’t win.” Susan hung up.
Adrian sat holding the phone, staring at it as if he could make it disappear.
“Adrian?” George’s voice.
“She’s going for custody of Kate.” He lowered his head into his hands as Kate wailed, “No, no. I don’t want to live with her.”
Adrian didn’t want to turn around, didn’t want to face Libby, but he had to soothe Kate. He half-turned and motioned to Kate. “Come here.”
George was leading Libby toward the entrance. Adrian didn’t know what he’d do without George there to help him.
Kate dashed over and Adrian pulled her onto his lap. He’d prepared for this conversation even as he hoped he’d never have to have it.
“You need to think about what you want, kiddo. If you lived with Aunt Susan, you wouldn’t have to worry about the media and you’d get to be with Jemma all the time.”
“Don’t you want me to stay with you?” Her voice was small.
“Of course I do. We have a lot of fun and I love having you here, but I want the best for you. If you want to live with Susan and Jemma, I would understand.”
Kate’s face got that set, stubborn look, so like her father that Adrian’s heart ached. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I want to stay with you. You’re so much more fun than Aunt Susan. She never has the time to play games.”
The relief washed over him like a wave. If Kate wanted to stay with him, he would fight with everything he had to keep her.
He wouldn’t let Susan have her.
And the fight would keep his mind off the pain of Libby’s betrayal.
Chapter 18
Libby drove home in a daze.
After Susan had called, George had taken her by the arm and led her to the door, telling her Adrian needed some time to think things through.
She’d wanted to refuse to leave, to explain the situation, but then Adrian had said Susan was suing for custody. Libby knew he wouldn’t listen to anything she had to say right then. His mind would be on the bigger issue.
Still, Libby couldn’t quite believe Adrian hadn’t given her the chance to explain. Had their relationship meant nothing to him? Had he just grasped the opportunity to end it now, rather than in a few days’ time?
The doubt threatened to overwhelm her, but she pushed it back.
No, she would see them in a couple of days when Adrian had his first concert in Perth. Then she would have a chance to explain.
She pulled in to her drive and turned off the car. As if on cue her phone rang. She checked the display. “Hi, George.” She tried to make her voice sound normal.
“Adrian has asked me to call you and let you know your services will no longer be required for the rest of the tour.” His tone was pure business.
Libby’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“You won’t be needed as Kate’s nanny. The rest of your contract will of course be paid out.”
Libby could barely believe what she was hearing. “But –”
“I’m sorry, Libby. Adrian can’t afford any more stunts like the one today.”
“He doesn’t want to hear my explanation?” She hated the quiver in her voice.
George paused. “No.”
Tears welled in her eyes and she forced them back. The lump in her throat was hard to swallow. “Tell them both I’m sorry and if there’s anything I can do to help, they just need to ask.”
“I will.” George hung up.
Libby sat there trying to stem the tears. She wouldn’t cry over this. She’d known it wasn’t going to last. She’d told herself she wouldn’t cry when it ended. It had just ended before she’d expected it to.
Losing her battle against the tears, she forced open her car door and rushed up the porch. When she finally got her front door open, she stumbled through and slammed it behind her. Then she gave in to the urge, sank to the ground and sobbed.
***
Libby didn’t know how long she sat there for, just that the warmth of the day was dissipating, being replaced with a chill. Slowly she got to her feet and went into the bathroom to wash her face.
Staring in the mirror she examined herself critically. Her eyes were red, her cheeks were blotchy and her plain brown hair hung straight and boring to her shoulders. Really, when she looked at herself, it was a surprise that Adrian had wanted to spend any time with her. Maybe all she had been to him was a convenient body.
She pressed her eyes shut.
No, surely she’d learned from Clint. Surely the way Adrian had behaved showed her he cared.
Or was she so desperate to be loved that she had imagined something that hadn’t been there?
Again.
Libby splashed water on her face, patting it dry with a handtowel. She had to find something to do. She couldn’t spend the rest of the day questioning her relationship or lack thereof with Adrian. She had to keep busy.
Her writing wouldn’t help her now. Her concentration was shot.
Instead Libby rang her real estate agent and arranged to go through the unit she’d rented sight unseen.
Half an hour later she was in front of the ten unit complex. It had been built in the seventies with typical brown brick and decorative white metal railings. There was nothing inspiring about it at all, but it was a roof over her head. Libby greeted the estate agent and followed him to the ground floor apartment.
The door opened straight in to the main living room. The orange shag carpet had been flattened from years of use and there were several large brown stains on it. Libby forced a smile as she walked through to the original seventies brown kitchen. The tiny bathroom with shower and basin was also the same brown.
No wonder no one was keen to rent the apartment.
The main bedroom was just big enough to fit her double bed and a single wardrobe, as long as she didn’t want to open the doors fully, and the second bedroom would fit her desk.
At least it was relatively clean.
“You can move in whenever you’re ready,” the agent said.
Libby still had two weeks left at her other rental, but there was little point in delaying the inevitable. Moving would keep her mind off other matters. She blocked the thought of Adrian from her mind as she accompanied the real estate agent back to the office to sign the papers and get the key
. On her way home she picked up a stack of packing boxes and then rang a removalist to arrange for her furniture to be moved at the end of the week.
Now all she had to do was pack up her life.
And put her heart back together.
***
The media had calmed down somewhat since Kate gave her statement, but George kept monitoring the situation. Adrian wasn’t interested. The only thing that mattered was that he could lose Kate. The promise he’d made his brother – to always care for Kate if anything happened to him – would be broken and there was little he could do about it.
Thoughts of Libby popped into his head with irritating frequency, but whenever they did he tried to block them. She was to blame for this. If she hadn’t let Kate speak to the media, Susan wouldn’t have sued for custody.
He wished it didn’t hurt so much.
“Ade, you need to watch this.” George beckoned him over to the laptop.
Adrian walked over and peered over his shoulder at the news clip playing on the screen. When Emily’s face appeared, he tensed. “What’s she doing now?”
Emily was sitting across from a female reporter with short, honey blond hair.
The interview began with the reporter asking Emily about her history with Kent. Emily went into detail about working as Kate’s nanny and how she had fallen in love with Kent and thought he loved her too. Emily’s eyes welled up.
Adrian had seen enough. The reporter wouldn’t question her but would show sympathy, and he didn’t need that now. He reached for the mouse as the reporter said, “Can you give me more detail?” Her tone was mild, but there was something in it that implied she didn’t believe Emily.
When Adrian turned to walk away, George said, “Keep watching.”
The question caught Emily off guard. “What do you mean?”
“Can you give an example of what Kent did to make you believe he cared for you?”
Emily paused a moment too long. “Of course.” Another pause while she thought of something to say. “He held the door open for me.”
The reporter smiled. “How gallant of him. You don’t get many gentlemen around these days. Did he hold the door open for Kate as well?”
Emily hesitated and then nodded, her movement jerky.
“Then perhaps Kent was being polite. Can you give another example?”
“He kissed me,” Emily blurted, staring at the reporter as if daring her to contradict what she’d said.
The reporter tilted her head to the side. “If that was true, you would have said it first.”
Emily opened her mouth to respond but the reporter didn’t give her a chance. “Why don’t you tell the truth? Why don’t you tell the people watching how you offered yourself to Kent and he rejected you? Why don’t you tell the viewers how you wanted to leave an orphaned girl alone in a strange hotel room while you had sex with Kent? A young girl who, I might add, still suffers from nightmares after the tragic death of both her parents less than a year ago.” The reporter paused and the camera zoomed in on Emily’s face, which was as startled as a rabbit. “You put your own desires before the safety and care of your charge.”
Adrian stared at the screen, not quite believing what he was hearing. Where had the reporter got those details from?
Emily was silent for too long.
“You don’t deny it. Being Kate’s nanny was an easy job, wasn’t it? Does she deserve the trouble you’ve caused her? All she wants is to spend time with her uncle and now that is jeopardized because of your lies.”
Under the reporter’s stern gaze Emily crumpled. Tears streamed down her face. “I only wanted to get back at Kent. I didn’t think of how it would affect Kate.”
“Go on,” the reporter encouraged. “Why don’t you tell the truth?”
Emily sniffed. “It’s true. Kent rejected me when I suggested we take our relationship further. Then he hired a new nanny and started seeing her almost straightaway.” Her tone was bitter.
“Is Kent a good guardian for Kate?” the reporter asked.
Emily nodded. “He spent every spare minute he had with her. They never invited me to go with them. It was the Kent, Kate and George show. I had to amuse myself.”
Despite himself, Adrian felt a surge of sadness for Emily. She sounded lonely. He hadn’t ever considered that.
“So to get back at him you started these rumors and revealed his true identity.”
Emily looked miserable. “I’m sorry.”
“You only thought of yourself.” The reporter was showing no sympathy. She turned to the camera. “You’ve heard it from the source. The accusations about Kent Downer are untrue. I’m Piper Atkinson for Houston News.”
The video went black.
“How’d you find the interview?” Adrian asked.
“Piper emailed it to me.” George hesitated. “She’s Libby’s friend.”
Adrian shut his eyes at the rush of emotions flooding through him. Libby must have given her the information. This was another betrayal. She’d promised to keep his secrets and she’d told her reporter friend.
He really couldn’t trust her.
“Ade, this has got to help in our case to keep Kate.”
Adrian paused and thought about what Emily had said. George was right, but it still didn’t change the fact that Libby had broken her promise. And she’d told the reporter details about Kate that were private. Had she ever cared about either of them?
Kate wandered into the room. “What’s going on?”
George pointed at the laptop. “Watch this, kiddo.”
Kate screwed up her face. “What’s she saying this time?” she asked.
“Watch.”
The interview played through and when it ended Kate whooped. “Yes! High five.” She and George slapped hands. “This is awesome. We should celebrate.” She turned to Adrian. “Aunt Susan has got to see this and know it’s all been lies. Then she’ll let me stay with you and we’ll take care of each other.”
Adrian’s chest was so tight he wasn’t sure he could breathe. He wasn’t so confident Susan would give in so easily.
He leaned over and hugged her. “I love you, Katie.”
“I love you too, Uncle Ade.” She hugged him and then sat back. “I’m starved. What’s for lunch?”
Adrian smile at her exaggeration. “Spaghetti.” He stood and went to the sink to drain the pasta.
Kate turned around in her chair. “Why do you think the reporter asked different questions?”
George answered her. “The reporter is Libby’s friend Piper.”
Kate grinned. “I bet Libby asked her to do this.”
Adrian paused. “What makes you think that?”
“’Cause Libby always said you’ve got to fight for what you love and she loves us.”
Adrian couldn’t answer. The lump in his throat was too large.
She didn’t love them.
If she did, she wouldn’t have gone behind his back the way she had.
She didn’t care about him at all.
***
When Libby didn’t arrive before Adrian’s first concert in Perth, Kate was furious. “You lied to me, Uncle Adrian. What have you done to Libby?”
Adrian ignored the ache in his heart and stood up from the couch where they had been watching a movie. “She broke her contract when she let you speak with the reporters. She can’t look after you anymore.” He was still coming to terms with the fact she thought she knew more about Kate’s needs than he did. He walked toward the sink to place his mug in it.
“It wasn’t her fault. She thought I was getting her laptop when I went outside.”
Adrian stopped mid-step. “What did you say?” He must have misheard.
Kate had her hands on her hips. “I went outside by myself. She thought I was going to her room. She had nothing to do with it. I wanted to speak to the reporters and you wouldn’t let me.”
Libby hadn’t betrayed him? But the footage had showed her supporting Kate.
&nbs
p; “I thought if I spoke to them they would leave us alone. I wanted to go out.” Kate’s voice was soft.
Adrian covered his shock and continued across to the kitchenette. “She should have kept a closer eye on you.” Dread curled in his stomach. If what Kate said was true, he’d made a huge mistake. He hadn’t let Libby explain, had believed the worst of her, had blocked her out. He’d gone back to his defensiveness.
“But what about you? Don’t you miss Libby too?”
Adrian’s heart clenched. He missed her more than he’d thought was possible. He’d wake up already looking forward to seeing her and then remember what she’d done. He’d finish sound check thinking ahead to when he’d return to the hotel and then remember she wouldn’t be waiting for him. He shouldn’t have such strong feelings for someone he’d known for three weeks.
He wasn’t going to tell Kate the truth. “First and foremost Libby was your nanny. She failed in her duties to protect you and I can’t risk it again.”
“But you love her! You can’t punish her because of something I did.” Kate’s anger melted and became wails of anguish.
Adrian paused. Did he love Libby?
No, he couldn’t possibly. It was ridiculous to fall in love in so few days. She was just easy to be around.
He turned to face Kate. “We’re going home to Texas in a couple of days. Libby’s home is here. Do you think it’s right to ask her to leave her parents behind?” He hated himself for playing the parent card, but it was the only thing that might stop Kate wanting something she couldn’t have.
“She might if you asked her.” Kate’s voice was quiet but he saw her thinking things through.
“Why don’t you get your backpack? George is waiting.”
Kate picked up her bag and, subdued, followed Adrian to the door.
He felt like the biggest jerk in the world.
***
Libby threw herself into moving. She packed like she was doing a time trial and had everything arranged within a day. As she reviewed the boxes she realized she didn’t have a whole lot to show for her life.
The only person she’d spoken with was her neighbor, who had dropped by to give Libby the mail she’d collected. She’d promised to forward along any more mail that came after Libby left.
What Goes on Tour Page 24