Above Rubies (Rockland Ranch)

by Jaclyn Hawkes

  When Nick stepped out of the limo to take their bags, he looked at her hard and she knew he could tell she'd cried a good portion of the trip. After they got to the studio and he came to her to go over the agenda for the day, he stood looking at her in silence with a hand on her shoulder, until he finally asked, "Are you okay?" His gentle question started her tears again and he hugged her. "Rough morning?"

  She shook her head without looking up as he held her. "It's just really hard to say goodbye at home sometimes."

  With sheer will power, she pulled herself together enough to find a smile and play and sing. It was a little easier to focus with the amps up loud and a thumping back beat egging on their guitars. By lunch she felt markedly better, but that afternoon when Bryan showed up to sing another love theme to a movie with her, she struggled again. It was a mellow country ballad about a cowboy and his love, and Kit felt like a marshmallow by the end of the day.

  She knew she was playing and singing okay. She actually performed better in her quiet mood with the sweet, slow song, but even Bryan sang along beside her, looking into her eyes, obviously concerned about the deep sadness he saw there.

  She pleaded a headache and went back to the hotel and ordered room service while the others went to dinner that night. She'd known Nick was watching her as she stepped out of the car and went through the revolving door to the lobby, but her spirit was too tired to do anything about it. She turned and gave him a tentative smile and told herself she'd snap out of this by morning. He deserved better than this. They all did. She ate and watched an old movie and then decided to call home.

  Rossen answered on the second ring and she could tell from the tone of his voice that he knew she was struggling. They only talked for a few minutes, but his strong, gentle, deep voice telling her she was going to be okay, was all she needed to make her world right. She said goodbye, showered and prayed and he was right. By morning she was fine.

  They made amazing progress that day as Kit tried to perform better than ever to make up for her dismal energy of the previous one. Shane was in rare form at lunch and had her in stitches as they went back in for the afternoon. She sang and danced happily with Nick and by about mid-afternoon, he'd quit watching her like he expected her to vaporize at any moment. He asked her to dinner with him that night. This time they drove out to the ocean again and ate at a tiny quaint cafe right on the water with marvelous seafood and the tang of the sea in the air. After they'd eaten, he pushed her to eat dessert. She had to smile when he asked her, "Are you eating okay?"

  "I'm fine. Really. A little busy, and I guess food is not necessarily a priority enough. You're about the fourth person who has tried to get me to eat better this week. Buy me two desserts. I'll eat them both."

  Nick laughed. "Good, because there are several things I want to talk you into and sweets just might be the ticket."

  As they sat over their dessert, they talked for the next hour. He was getting ready to release a new album, and wanted to include several songs she'd worked on, one of which, she was the featured vocalist and he basically backed her up, instead of the other way around. He wanted to get the legal rights to produce it and, in fact, had written another song he wanted her to sing with him as well.

  She agreed, but asked him if instead of paying her outright, he could let her have a small percentage of record sales instead. He nodded his head looking at her with obvious respect. "You're wise beyond your years, Kit. Most people your age would take the cash and run, but in the big picture you'll make far better money."

  He continued, "I also wanted to see if you would be willing to come more often. I know you're busy with school and Mimi, but I could use you as often as you could come."

  She sighed, "Actually, I'll be done with school in just over five weeks, and I'm not going back next semester. Someday I might, but for now it's too much. I just want to go home and be a mom and sculptor and part-time musician. By about mid-December most of the pressure will be off and I can come more if you need me. I might have someone come with, so I can bring Mimi and not have to leave her, but more time here could be worked out."

  "Cool. My business manager has been after me to get more time arranged and get contracts with you and the others. I'm excited about the contracts. That way, even if you dump me socially, I can still enjoy your incredible talent.” He smiled as he said it. “I need you to be here professionally as well as personally. You've become an integral part of my studio work and we get a lot done with you here."

  He’d been joking, but he looked at her steadily and said, "You're an incredible talent, in spite of being as sexy as all get out, and I've never once had to wait for you to recover from a hangover or bail you out of jail! Definitely a plus! You're like the guitarist of my dreams." He smiled and reached across the table to take her hand. After a moment, he added, “Seriously, you’re a good person and I’ve grown to admire you a lot. The strength of your convictions has renewed my faith in the human race and especially God.” He squeezed her hand. "Thanks.

  After another short pause he continued, "I'm also going to do a concert here in LA on the fifteenth of December. I'm not on tour, so I'm not sure how I got into this, but it's for a good cause. It's a benefit concert for organ donation. Would you be willing to come and be in the band for it? Concerts are incredibly draining, but there's nothing like it in the world. You'll love it!"

  The thought scared her to death. "Nick, I can't play in a concert with you. I've never played in front of anyone but you and the guys or my family in my life. How do you know I won't just freeze up and panic?"

  He only shook his head. "Kit, Kit, Kit. I'm surprised that you even question your personal strength. I've only known you how long? And even I know you have whatever it takes. I can't imagine anything that would even fluster you. You're bulletproof. Don't you know that by now? You'll be fine and we really need you. My band will never be the same since you came."

  Hesitantly, she said, "That's what I'm afraid of."

  His voice softened as he said, "My last request is completely personal. That's all the business. I'm going to be the MC for a big show next month. It's going to be a big deal, with all the who's who of both the music and film industry. I want to be there with the most beautiful, talented, and smart woman I know. Will you go with me?"

  She looked up at him and searched his eyes. This was the most he had intimated about his feelings the whole two days she'd been here. She'd almost been hoping he'd forgotten he thought he was in love with her. Looking now into their chocolate depths, she knew he'd forgotten nothing. What she saw there was stronger than ever and she inhaled as she asked, "Are we talking the whole red carpet, Entertainment Tonight, designer dress, Emmy kind of deal or is it just another performance for you?"

  "If I tell you the whole big deal are you going to turn me down?" He was smiling, but his question was sincere.

  "No.” She shook her head. “Of course I'll go with you, Nick. I'd be honored, but you'll have to help me know what to do and what to wear. I'd never forgive myself if I embarrassed you in public." She grimaced. "I'm afraid I'm a clueless wonder in Hollywood society."

  He smiled a huge, gorgeous smile. "Baby, I could never be embarrassed to be seen with you. Everyone there and those watching on TV will be absolutely jealous. The only problem will be that then everyone will want to steal you away from me and I already hate sharing you." They stood up to get ready to go. "As far as what to wear. I’ll help you with whatever you want. We'll call one of those consultants who help people find clothes and they'll bring a whole bunch of things right to your hotel to let you choose what you want. Do whatever you like. Just tell my manager Joe, and I'll pay for it all. I think Bryan is going to ask Joey too, and you can shop together." He put his arm around her on the way out the door. "Thank you for saying yes. I think it will be a memorable night for you."

  On the drive home he casually asked her if she had thought about coming to LA permanently. The way he'd worded his questions made her hope she could t
alk about this without discussing his feelings, but when she answered him by saying she needed to stay with her daughter, he said, "Kit, I wasn't asking you to leave your daughter. I wouldn’t ask that. I want you and her to come." He pulled into the hotel and parked in the parking garage instead of driving up to the front door.

  He switched off the car and turned to her. "Kit, I'm not sure what you think I'm asking, but I love you. I want you to come to California to marry me and I'll adopt your daughter. We'll get a nanny to take care of her while you're working."

  She turned to look into his steady brown eyes, wondering how she ever got into this situation. She was going to school to appease Rossen, and in a way was even here to make sure he knew when she came home that she hadn't missed out on anything. She prayed in her mind to know what to say to the man in front of her, then wondered if Rossen had had any idea of the places she would find herself when he'd encouraged her to come.

  When she answered Nick, she followed the thoughts that popped into her head, hoping her answer would be a no that was buffered enough to not weaken their friendship or belittle this strong man's feelings. She so didn’t want to cheapen the fact that he'd asked her to be his wife and offered to adopt her fatherless child. "Nick, this is all too fast for me. How can you even know you love me in this short of time together? And you've never even met my daughter. How can we make plans this fast?"

  He was quiet for a moment, watching her as he considered what she said. Finally, he answered, "I'm twenty nine years old, Kit. I know what I feel for you is something I've never felt before. I've never been married before. Never even wanted to be, but for the first time, I want to spend the rest of my life with one person. I've thought about it and I actually do believe you're right; there are people who stay married forever and are devoted only to each other. You've helped me to understand that there's a point to all this life. For some reason, before you there wasn't much of one."

  He sighed. "I know this is sudden and I understand that this is too fast for you and I'm sorry. I'll try not to pressure you, but please don't tell me no. At least leave the offer on the table and we'll continue to work together and see each other. Maybe someday you'll take me up on it. I'd be a good husband, even if I am a rocker dude." He ended on a teasing note with a smile.

  She smiled back, although she was somewhat sad about all this. "You will be a great husband someday. Okay, I won't say no, but you have to understand that I can't marry you if I'm not in love with you. That wouldn't be fair to either one of us."

  His smile was somewhat sad too, as he answered, "I understand. But you have to understand that I'm going to keep trying to make you fall in love with me."

  The next evening was the masquerade ball. They stopped playing mid-afternoon so everyone could go and get ready. Joey and Kit had fun even before the party as they were trying to get each other into their costumes and get ready to go. Kit began to strap Joey into her corset and they both ended up on the bed in fits of giggles, when Joey said, "Now I know just how Miss Swan felt in Pirates of the Caribbean, when she said ‘the women of Paris must have learned how not to breathe.’"

  When they were dressed they went down to the hotel salon to have their hair done and got laughing again when they tried to fit Joey’s hoop skirt into the styling chair.

  Their two costumes were polar opposites, but when they went to meet their dates for the evening neither one of them doubted they could hold their own with the best of the California beauties. Neither of the men in the sports cars doubted it either.

  Nick's eyes lit up to the bottom of their cocoa colored depths as he came around to open Kit's door. He was dressed as a cowboy, and other than the fact that he still had that pretty boy California glitz that she knew, from close personal experience with cowboys, would have embarrassed a real cowboy to death, he looked incredibly handsome.

  Activity in front of the hotel pretty much came to a grinding halt when passers-by stopped to stare, as the famous pirate and his damsel in a full hoop gown stepped into the shiny Porsche, while beside them a wildly popular rockin' cowboy helped an exquisite fairy into his racy black Maserati.

  Kit had almost gotten the giggles watching Joey try to gracefully wrestle her dress into the small space, but she'd thought with that many people watching her, it wouldn't be prudent. She controlled herself until they got rolling, and then burst into laughter as Nick's car squealed past Bryan's.

  The actual party was a blast. Kit decided before hand that she wasn't going to worry about being socially adept. She knew Nick cared for her and that he would help her to do what was expected of her. She laughed and smiled up into his eyes as they danced and mingled, without worrying about impressing any of these people she didn't know anyway. There were a couple of occurrences to dampen the atmosphere, but the girls handled them in stride and enjoyed themselves. Alcohol was the cause of the negatives. Many of those present had been imbibing and there were a few women who weren't very happy to find Nick with a new unknown. The more they drank, the cattier they became, and shortly Nick found himself apologizing for the rudeness of one in particular.

  Joey actually handled that one. As she was standing next to the woman near a buffet table laden with drinks, she simply picked up a tall brilliant red frappe' of some sort and when the tipsy woman bumped into her roughly, Joey let the full drink tip all over the other woman's tight fitting, white Vegas Showgirl costume. Joey quickly stepped back to save her own dress and then graciously offered to help wipe off the red stain that had utterly destroyed the immodest costume. The obnoxious woman disappeared after that.

  The other instance happened near the women's restroom. Kit had noticed several times during the evening that there was a man watching her. She finally even asked Nick if he knew who it was. Nick said he was the boyfriend of some movie starlet she wasn't familiar with, but at any rate, the guy made Kit’s skin crawl.

  She and Joey were just coming out of the ladies room around the corner from the ballroom when he staggered away from the wall, slurring as he addressed her, "There you are. I've been trying to catch your eye all night." Kit looked at Joey nervously as he walked toward them eyeing everything he could get his eyeballs on.

  As he approached them, he actually put out his hand as if he was going to touch her chest. Kit's reaction was instantaneous and decisive and surprised even herself. He made his disgusting gesture and she whirled and kicked his hand in a lightning fast spin. He was knocked back against the wall where he slowly slumped to the floor, gripping his arm with a shocked look on his face. Kit and Joey continued walking as if nothing at all had happened and as they rounded the corner into the ball room, Joey whispered, "Dang! Matt would be proud!"

  They continued on toward Nick and Bryan who led them out onto the dance floor for a slow dance. Kit and Nick had only been dancing for a minute when he pulled back marginally to look down into her face and ask, "Are you okay? You're heart is beating like crazy."

  She just looked up at him and smiled. "Must be your animal attraction." He looked at her again in obvious skepticism and pulled her back in close to dance.

  That evening as he walked her to her hotel room door he asked, "Am I ever going to feel like I dare kiss you good night?"

  She looked up at him, wishing he hadn't asked that. She hated feeling like she was toying with him. He bent to place the gentlest of kisses on her mouth, watching her eyes as he did. "Goodnight, Just Kit. Call me when you make it home safe."

  This time Bryan took them to the airport, by way of Isabel's horse farm to see the bronzes. They only had a few minutes to admire them, but Kit couldn't have been happier. They'd turned out just as she had envisioned them. Three spirited foals bucking and kicking at the gated entrance to the beautiful sprawling farm. They were magnificent!

  Bryan hadn't understood why he was bringing them here and he asked, "Now why are we here looking at these statues?"

  Joey grinned and gave Kit an exuberant high five. "Kit made these, Bryan! These are her latest pieces of
work!"

  Bryan looked from one to the other in amazement as they climbed back into his Porsche and said, “No way! Serious?”

  Chapter 19

  They made it back to school and the Stab in the Dark party was fun. Matt was always good for a laugh and Kit enjoyed him a lot. Every once in a while she still wondered if he didn't have a thing for her, but then she'd decide everything was fine. She took another CLEP test the next day and she and Joey finally went home. It felt like she'd been gone a month.

  When they arrived, Naomi told her she'd gotten word that the trials in Arizona had been postponed due to some minor legal detail. Kit wasn't sure what to think about it, but Naomi was disgusted.

  That afternoon when the girls had had a chance to nap, Rossen showed up with horses saddled and Mimi bundled into a heavy coat. The leaves were all gone and the weather had turned cold, but Kit didn't have to be asked twice.

  They rode for almost two hours in the foothills around the ranch and although she hadn't seen much of the ranch in this late fall, she thought it was as beautiful as ever. The grasses and brush were all browns and tans and grays, and the trees were like stately black and white skeletons against the muted background. Behind it all was the deep green of the thick pines and then the flat sky, just now low and gray with the threat of the season's first snow. It was so different from the brilliant green of summer and the stark whites of the snow, but it had its own sense of waiting for the coming winter. Riding beside Rossen in the cool wind off the ridges made her feel vigorous and alive.

  She loved to watch him ride. Even just walking his horse along the trails, he was so masculine and in control. His confidence was maddeningly attractive and she let her horse have its head to follow as she focused on watching him. All too soon Mimi began to fuss and they headed back. Rossen took the baby in to his mom and then came back out to help Kit unsaddle the horses and put them away.