Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series)

by Michelle Maness

  “I’d challenge that idea but I remember very well how true that statement is,” she lifted her head to smile at him.

  “Sleep is overrated, right?” he asked before he flipped her onto her back; Katherine laughed and wrapped him in her arms.

  “Kaitlyn.”

  Katherine woke to Adam leaning over her. She blinked up at him.

  “Breakfast is here,” he smiled at the way she was blinking.

  “Okay,” she nodded and sat up. Katherine looked around and then accepted the robe Adam offered her.

  Katherine followed him to the dining area and sat down at the table as she accepted the cup of coffee Adam prepared her.

  “So it’s later at home, getting up should be easy,” she informed him.

  “Yes, except that we stayed out late by west coast time meaning really late by home time,” he reminded her.

  “True,” she sipped her coffee. “What are we doing today?” she asked.

  “After you eat, you need to dress in the jeans and t-shirt I recommended you bring, pack your bags and leave them by the door and trust me,” he grinned. “Oh, and put your hair up.”

  Katherine smiled at him and took him at his word. When he led her outside and handed her a leather jacket and helmet, a Harley in front of them; she hesitated. She had never been on a motorcycle before.

  “It’ll be fun,” Adam promised.

  “I hope you’re right,” she smiled.

  Adam drove her through some of the historic neighborhoods and smiled when her eyes lit up, especially in Alamo square where the old city and new city met. He wondered if she was even aware that much of their actions were being photographed. If she was, she was ignoring it.

  He took her to lunch at one of his favorite seafood restaurants before they rode the cable cars down the California Street line. A walk across the Golden Gate Bridge capped off the afternoon. Katherine had taken so many pictures she had been forced to buy more film.

  Later that afternoon, Katherine freshened her hair and makeup before they prepared to check out of their room. Adam had gone downstairs to make arrangements and she was making use of the restroom before they left for their room in Hollywood. She smiled at the healthy glow in her cheeks and the light in her eyes. She was happy, happier than she had been in a long time.

  “Hey, you ready?” Adam tugged her into his arms.

  “Ready,” she smiled.

  Katherine allowed him to lead her from the room and held her questions when they didn’t head toward the lobby. She was even more confused when Adam took two helmets from a man before they entered a parking garage.

  “What are we doing?” she demanded.

  “We are going to put these on and sneak out of here while two people who look enough like us to throw off the press leave the front door and head for the airport. We’ve been trailed most the day,” he explained.

  “Oh,” she blinked in surprise and then smiled. “I don’t mind being seen with you.”

  “Nor I with you but I’d like this evening to only me and you,” he kissed her lightly before he pulled on his helmet.

  A few minutes later they were leaving the parking garage and leaving San Francisco on Highway One. As the sun began to set, Katherine wrapped her arms more tightly around Adam and laid her head against his back. She was unable to do anything more than drink in the view. Adam pulled off just as the sun was making its final descent and led her to the beach where they sat, Katherine in Adam’s arms. Katherine she sighed in contentment.

  “I don’t think this moment could get any more perfect,” she said dreamily.

  “I hope it can,” Adam told her.

  “What?” she twisted to frown up at him; he smiled at her. She turned back around and gasped. Adam had produced a ring and held it with the box open.

  “Kaitlyn, there is a lot I don’t know. I don’t know for certain that this business will last or that I’ll never struggle but I do know I love you and that you drive me to be a better man. I promise you there will be no more boxes kept in the closet for a quick move.”

  “Adam…” her eyes came to his.

  “I love you, Kaitlyn, marry me?”

  “Yes,” she nodded as tears slid down her cheeks. “Yes!” she twisted to kiss him. “I love you so much,” she whispered when she pulled back.

  “I know it isn’t the usual solitaire but I really think it suits you,” he said of the stunning emerald ring in his hand.

  “I love it,” she assured him.

  Katherine found that the view in front of her paled compared to the man behind her and turned to kiss him deeply. By the time they came up for air, the sun had set and darkness descended.

  “Come on,” Adam took her hand and led her back to the bike. She was confused when he drove to a nearby airfield.

  “Too long of a drive for tonight,” he explained. “I’ve arranged for my bike to be transported to Tennessee from here. Tonight we fly back to Hollywood.”

  “Are you sure you can settle in Tennessee?” she demanded; he laughed.

  “This was all to impress you and convince you that I saw you as more than a friend. Convinced yet?” he tugged her close as they waited for their cue to load into the helicopter.

  “Almost, you can finish off the job back at the hotel,” she offered.

  “I can do that,” he agreed before he kissed her. A moment later they were loaded into the helicopter and in the air.

  Twenty-Four

  Katherine woke the next morning to her cell phone ringing and light pouring into the room. She could hear the shower running; that explained the empty bed beside her. Katherine jumped up and wrapped a sheet around her as she scurried to grab her phone.

  “Hello,” she was slightly winded.

  “You okay?” her mother asked.

  “I left my phone on the end table by the couch last night,” she explained. “I was in the next room and heard it ringing.”

  “Were you still asleep?”

  “Yes, we had a late night last night after an amazing but busy and long few days,” Katherine shared.

  “So, what has my daughter been up to besides dancing with movie stars and musicians?”

  “Oh, gracious, what all have we done…um… after I got settled in at the hotel, we went sightseeing. That night was dinner; Dominic is an amazing chef, Mom, if you ever make it to California you have to eat at his restaurant. Then from there was the premier and the premier party. I got to meet Joel Bradford; he’s really nice incidentally.”

  “Then yesterday morning I helped Adam get his house ready to go on the market and nearly got in my first fight ever with Mia; that woman is hideous! That night we went to eat at this great little place and I met Case Taggert and his daughter, Sunny; she is adorable. I also met Samantha Walker. Oh! And at the premier party I met Tyler Lucas and Lance Langley.”

  “Wow, you did all of that by night before last?”

  “That’s not all, we then took a helicopter to San Francisco; you should see the Golden Gate Bridge lit up at night! We took a night time tour of Alcatraz; that kind of creeped me out but was cool.

  “Then yesterday, oh, yesterday was amazing! We rode his motorcycle around San Francisco and saw all the old houses! They have the most beautiful old houses, Mom. We drove down Lombard Street, which is like the most crooked road ever. We took the cable cars through the city and had amazing seafood. We walked across the Golden Gate, and came back down Highway One part way before we came back the rest of the way in a helicopter. You should have seen the sun setting over the ocean, Mom; it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”

  “Wow, Kattie, it sounds like Adam has been trying to sweep you off your feet,” Julia sounded amused.

  “No, he isn’t trying, he has. He proposed last night and I accepted.”

  “Kattie!”

  “Mom, I love him.”

  “I know,” Julia laughed. “You’ve loved him for years and he has loved you just as long.”

  “You aren’t upse
t?”

  “No, caught off guard slightly, given you two weren’t even officially dating but no, not upset.”

  “I’m so excited, Mom.”

  “I can hear it in your voice, Kattie, and it makes me happy too.”

  Katherine watched Adam come in the room, his expression curious when he spotted her on the phone.

  “What are you doing today?”

  “I have no idea what we’re doing today,” Katherine admitted.

  “So, is Adam there with you?” Julia asked.

  Katherine looked at the phone in her hand; how did her mom do that?

  “You don’t have to answer that, just tell him I said congratulations when you get off the phone.”

  “Mom…”

  “I love you, Kattie.”

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  Katherine disconnected the call and shook her head.

  “Mom says congratulations. She knew you were here and I said absolutely nothing to give that away!”

  “How does she do that?” he asked as he leaned over to kiss her.

  “I have no idea,” she laughed.

  “Go shower and we’ll go get something to eat.”

  “We could stay in,” she teased.

  “I really have corrupted you. I thought we would do a few things today and then I would take you out tonight for dinner; then we can come lock ourselves away.”

  “Okay, I guess we can do that,” she smiled as she stood.

  “Oh, before we get out, is there anyone besides your mom you want to tell first hand that we’re engaged?”

  “Probably Amy, Tessa, and Kristen, why?”

  “Because by the end of the day I wouldn’t be surprised if our engagement isn’t common knowledge in the media,” he grinned.

  “I’ll make a few calls,” she laughed.

  She started with Amy; she called her at work.

  “Hello, Amy,” she greeted.

  “Hello, Kattie, from what I’ve seen you are having a nice time,” Amy teased.

  “Better than a nice time; I am engaged!”

  “Kattie!” Amy sounded flabbergasted. “Wow! When, how?”

  “Last night as we were sitting beside the ocean off Highway One and watching the sun set.”

  “You two didn’t waste any time,” her friend teased.

  “On the contrary, we wasted too much time and we want to make up for it,” Katherine countered.

  “I think that’s true,” Amy agreed.

  “I should go but I wanted you to hear it from me.”

  “Thanks and congratulations.”

  “Love ya, Amy.”

  “Love you too, Kattie.”

  Katherine next called Tessa; her friend squealed in her ear in excitement.

  “It is about time!” Tessa insisted.

  Kristen laughed, “I am not the least bit surprised.”

  Katherine was smiling as she disconnected her phone and looked to where Adam was closing his own.

  “Mom is happy for us,” Adam shared.

  “So are all my friends,” Katherine smiled.

  Adam came over and pulled her to her feet.

  “I love you so much, Kaitlyn.” Adam leaned in to kiss her and Katherine leaned against him to return it.

  “I love you too,” she returned when he broke the kiss.

  Adam took Kaitlyn to eat before taking her to a specialty boutique. Katherine didn’t realize it was bridal store until she was inside.

  “You can wait until we’re home and have your mom go with you but I thought you might like this place. If you don’t want me to see, I’ll wait out here,” he offered.

  “I love Mom but I’d like to go ahead and look anyway and you can look with me but you can’t know what I choose if I do,” she informed him with a smile.

  “Works for me,” he smiled back. “Do you know what kind of wedding you’re going to want?”

  “As long as it is with you…just something pretty, though I do have some ideas,” she admitted.

  “May I help you?” A woman asked as she approached.

  “Yes, this is Kaitlyn, my fiancée; she needs a wedding gown,” Adam informed her.

  “Certainly,” the woman smiled. “Come with me, dear,” the woman smiled. “I’m Cynthia; do you have any idea what you might like?”

  “I’m not entirely certain. The first time I went to look at wedding gowns I was leaning toward a ballroom but…”

  “Not with your height,” the woman nodded knowledgably.

  “Right,” Katherine smiled. “My former, mother-in-law to be was insistent I had to wear an A-line or something full skirted but I wasn’t really taken with any of the dresses I tried.”

  “With your height and shape I would recommend a sheath, but that is merely my opinion.”

  “I would like to try one,” Katherine admitted.

  “You’ll be gorgeous in one,” Cynthia assured her as she led her into a room with a small platform before mirrors. A dressing room opened off the space. Adam seated himself in a chair against the wall.

  “Do you know what kind of wedding you’re planning?”

  “Nothing too elaborate,” Katherine shrugged.

  “Whatever she wants,” Adam added.

  “Doesn’t your mom want to order me around?” she joked.

  “I’m pretty sure Mom would say that it’s your day to plan,” Adam smiled back.

  Cynthia gave them a curious look.

  “I stole her from another man. Until a few weeks ago she was set to walk down the aisle with someone else,” Adam supplied.

  “You didn’t exactly steal me,” she argued.

  “Didn’t I?” he arched one brow. “I may not have brought you flowers everyday but you said it yourself; you contrasted his treatment of you to mine,” he was grinning now.

  Katherine shook her head. “Are you saying you were trying to sabotage my engagement?”

  “He treated you like crap!”

  “I’m not complaining, I’m just wondering how I missed this.” Katherine admitted.

  “Because I didn’t treat you any differently than I’ve ever treated you. Kaitlyn, you and I have never been capable of mere friendship. Even before I kissed you in your parents’ basement, there was a connection between us,” he told her.

  Katherine smiled at him then and shook her head again. “Wow. I guess I owe Derrick an apology; I insisted we were just friends.”

  “If you feel the need to,” Adam shrugged.

  “I guess I should get down to dress shopping,” Katherine laughed.

  “When is the wedding?” the woman, who had been waiting patiently through their exchange, inquired.

  “Soon,” they both answered together.

  “Right, well then we need to consider that as well. I have a few ideas; I’ll return in a moment,” Cynthia promised.

  Katherine sat down by Adam while they waited.

  “Were you really trying to steal me?” she asked him.

  “Perhaps I never just out and out decided that’s what I was doing, but yeah; I wanted you for myself,” he admitted.

  “You should have just flat out told me so,” she smiled at him.

  “I think it would have freaked you out if I had.”

  “Probably,” she conceded.

  “Here we go,” Cynthia brought in several dresses.

  She and Katherine stepped into the dressing room; a few minutes later Katherine returned back into the viewing room to see herself in the mirrors. Katherine laughed at some, ooohhhed and aaahhhed over others, and blushed over a couple.

  “I like that but you aren’t wearing that one in public,” Adam said of one that had deep V in front and open lacing to low on the back.

  “I think something a little more traditional suits you,” Cynthia agreed.

  “Me too,” Katherine nodded.

  “My niece is a big fan, by the way,” Cynthia addressed Adam while helping Katherine off the platform. “She’s going to be crushed to learn you are getting mar
ried.”

  “I couldn’t be any happier about it,” Adam grinned.

  “She was furious at me for not getting your autograph when the shop provided the gown for your video; I don’t suppose I could get one from you before you leave?”

  “Sure,” Adam smiled.

  Katherine narrowed her choices to three dresses before running Adam out to try them on again. She finally settled on an ivory sheath with a trumpet skirt that created a chapel train. It had a V-neck, with narrow straps, and was covered in beading and lace. The natural waist line hugged her slender waist and the material flowed nicely over her hips and accentuated her well-proportioned figure.

  “It’s gorgeous,” the sales lady smiled.

  “How much is it?” Katherine was frowning at her reflection.

  “I am under strict orders not to tell you the cost of any of the items you view today.”

  “When did Adam say this?” she frowned.

  “When he made the appointment this morning,” Cynthia smiled.

  “That man,” Katherine shook her head. “I want it,” she admitted.

  “Are you going to wear a veil?”

  “I am,” Katherine nodded.

  “Let’s try it with the dress then.” She asked a few questions to gage what Katherine wanted and disappeared. Katherine settled on a simple veil that came to her elbows in length. Several minutes later, she gathered the accessories she would need. The lady bagged and boxed everything before leaving the room so Adam would not know what she had chosen.

  “I take it you found something,” Adam was smiling as she approached.

  “I did,” she smiled.

  “Good, that should help us get the ball rolling when we get back home,” he told her.

  “I have no idea what anything costs,” she fussed.

  “You’re not supposed to,” he grinned.

  “Yes, I am,” she countered.

  “No, you’re supposed to let me spoil you,” he argued.

  “You’re doing that,” she shook her head at him. “My mom and dad were prepared to at least help with my wedding, they may feel a little hurt that we’re doing this without them,” she shared.

  “When we get back to Tennessee we’ll involve them,” he promised her.

  “How am I going to transport all of this back home?” her eyes were twinkling.

  “We can make arrangements if need be,” he assured her.