by Brooklyn Ann
Scolding herself for being ungrateful, she vowed instead to appreciate the fact that he was spending Thanksgiving with her. He even got along with her aunt and grandma. Seeing his genuine kindness and respect to her family made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
After the table was cleared, Klement ushered Kat and Kinley and Quinn over to him. “I have advance copies of the album,” he announced.
They gathered excitedly as he reached in his bag and pulled out freshly made CDs and passed them out. Kat remained frozen as she cradled the disk in her hand. The album art was spectacular as usual, with their ghoulish mascot, “Fred,” emerging from flames wielding a bloody machete.
“I love how it hearkens back to the old-school album art,” she said finally.
Klement nodded. “Now check out the inner sleeve.”
Reverently, she pulled it out and gasped to see herself pictured with the band. She truly was one of them now. Perusing the song lists, she gasped to see her name listed in the writing credits to a few. She’d known that would happen, but there was just something about seeing the proof.
The surreal joy multiplied as her mom and grandma looked at her picture and exclaimed over her name listed in multiple places on the sleeve. Grandma wrinkled her nose at the cover art but still declared that she was proud of Kat.
Later, as Kat helped Mom with the dishes, Esmeralda turned to her daughter. “Klement seems like a very nice man. And he’s head over heels for you, it’s obvious. But”—she pointed a soapy spoon at Kat—“this going back and forth between Denver and Coeur d’Alene isn’t going to work forever.”
“I know,” Kat said glumly. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to spend more time with Klement, but she didn’t want to neglect her mom, either.
“But Klement told me I’m welcome to come to Denver and stay in one of his guest rooms,” Mom continued.
Kat’s jaw dropped. “He talked with you about it?” Her mind spun at the implications. “Still, it’s too soon for that sort of commitment.”
“I agree,” Esmeralda said firmly. “I am not ready to consider uprooting myself and becoming a live-in mother-in-law. However, it’s not too soon for you.”
“But what about you?” Kat said doubtfully. “Won’t you be lonely?”
“Yes, but you can’t cling to my skirts forever, no matter how much I love you for it. It’s past time you left the nest and lived your own life.” Her lips curved in an arch smile. “Besides, your aunt Monique is devastated by her son going away to college and wants to move in.”
Kat laughed, though the tension in her shoulders eased at the relief that her mom wouldn’t be neglected. “I see. Well, I’ll talk to Klement and see what he says. At least we have a year to figure it out, since we’ll be touring soon.”
When they headed back into the living room and saw Klement laughing and talking with her family, her heart pulsed with warmth. She’d been so nervous about how he would react to her humble home and background, since he was so rich. Instead, he fit right in. And when she saw the utter joy in his eyes when her grandma hugged him, she couldn’t help but think of when he’d told her about his own family’s neglect. Kat couldn’t help but hope that together they could fill that void.
She joined him on the couch and basked in the warmth of his smile.
Suddenly, Kinley rose from her seat. “Quinn and I have an announcement.”
Kat gripped Klement’s hand and hoped the news was what she’d guessed.
“We’re getting married,” Kinley and Quinn said together.
Kat leapt up from the couch and hugged them. “Congratulations!”
Klement high-fived the happy couple and pulled Kat into his arms. “Maybe you’ll catch the bouquet,” he whispered.
She held him tightly, heart swelling with happiness. “Maybe I will.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Formerly an auto-mechanic, Brooklyn Ann thrives on writing romance featuring unconventional heroines and heroes who adore them. An author of historical paranormal romance in her critically acclaimed Scandals with Bite series, urban fantasy in the cult favorite, Brides of Prophecy novels, and the Reader’s Choice Award Winning, Hearts of Metal series, she provides love for the broken and strange.
She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her son, her cat, and a 1980 Datsun 210.
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The Hearts of Metal Series
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