by Karen Cimms
He nodded.
“Well?”
He leaned back. “Yeah.”
“Yeah, what?”
“Yeah, I’m going after her, okay?”
“Then what?”
“Beats the hell outta me. First I have to find her.”
A customer signaled for Susie. She patted his hand. “You’ll figure it out.”
As he spooned sugar into his cup, trying to figure it out, it dawned on him that something hadn’t been right with the hotel bill. He pulled it from his pocket and unfolded it. One night, plus tax. Under additional charges there was $25 for the stupid chair leg, and $11.85 for a phone call.
He threw a ten on the counter, called his thanks to Susie, and bolted out the door. A few minutes later he was back at the hotel, pounding on the front desk bell.
“Look at this,” he said when the clerk appeared, stabbing the paper repeatedly with his finger. “Right here. What’s this?” She looked nervous. He pointed again. “Here.”
“That’s for a phone call.”
“When? Do you know when it was made and to where?”
“That may take a few minutes.”
“Look it up,” he demanded. “I need to know.”
Fifteen minutes later, he was on his way to New Jersey. The call had been made last night, 6:46 p.m., a 201 number.
Katie had called her parents.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Billy rang the bell, then knocked impatiently. Peering through the front windows, he could see the parlor was empty. It was the same when he peeked through the lace curtains at the back door. He circled the house, then sat on the porch. He’d wait all day if he had to.
He’d been there about twenty minutes when a girl about Kate’s age came out of the neighboring house, walking a small dog.
“You okay?” she asked when she saw him.
“No,” he answered. “Do you know where Katie is?”
“Katie?” She seemed confused. “Oh, Kate! No. I haven’t seen her since Christmas. Sorry. Apparently she ran off with some deadbeat. Quit school and everything. Broke her parents’ hearts.” She laughed, which seemed odd given what she was saying. “She’s a cautionary tale around here.”
He shook his head. “I think her parents brought her home last night.”
“I don’t think so. There was a school board meeting, and my dad went with Mr. Daniels. Mrs. Daniels’ car was parked out front all night.” She pointed toward her house. “That’s my room. I was up pretty late. Unless she came home in the middle of the night, she’s not here.”
“I’m almost positive.”
“Nope.”
This was getting him nowhere. “Do you know where her parents are?”
“School, I guess. I have the Dragon Lady this year for English.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Honestly, if they were my parents, I’d have run away a long time ago.”
“Why aren’t you in school?”
She coughed. “I have a headache.”
“Where’s the school?”
“Just keep going that way.” She pointed back in the direction he’d come. “You can’t miss it. I’m Debby, by the way. Who’re you?”
“I’m the deadbeat,” he said as he headed for his van.
Classes were changing as Billy entered the high school. He pushed his way through the crowded lobby to the office and waited at the counter. An older woman, her back to him, was leafing through a filing cabinet. Stella Blazczykowski read the sign on her desk.
When she turned, he flashed his best smile. “Stella? Is it okay if I call you Stella?”
Her hand floated up to pat a hairdo that roughly resembled a football helmet. “Of course.” She smiled as if they were old friends.
“Stella,” he said, lowering his voice, forcing her to lean closer. “I need to see Mr. and Mrs. Daniels.”
“They’re probably in class, but let me check.” She flipped through a log book on her desk. “Here we go. Mr. Daniels has a class, but Mrs. Daniels should be free.”
“Where can I find them?”
She directed him toward an adjacent conference room. “You can wait in there while I page them. Who should I say is here?”
“It’s a surprise.” He winked. “You wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise, would you?”
“I guess not.” She flushed a warm pink. “Have a seat. I’ll see what I can do.”
He wasn’t about to sit. Instead, he leaned against the table, arms folded and waited.
Mrs. Daniels arrived first. Judging by the sour expression on her face, she was not happy to see him.
“What do you want?”
Before he could answer, Mr. Daniels joined them. Billy got a sick feeling when he saw them exchange curious glances.
“What’s going on here?” Kate’s father asked. Unlike his wife, who didn’t have a single wrinkle in her navy dress or a hair out of place, his suit was rumpled and he looked as if he’d combed his hair with his fingers.
“Where’s Katie?” Billy asked.
“Kate,” her mother corrected. “And what do you mean, where is she? Did you lose her?”
He could do without the sarcasm. He lowered his head and began to count. When he looked up, he met her icy glare with equal hostility.
“I know she called last night. I want to know where she is.”
Mr. Daniels shook his head. “We haven’t spoken to Kate since she left.”
His wife touched his arm. “Yes, she called.”
“What?” he stammered. “Evelyn, you never—”
She silenced him with a wave of her hand.
“I spoke with Kate. She said she was fine. I asked if she was in trouble, she said no, then she apologized for running off.” She leveled a smug gaze at Billy. “I asked if there was anything else, she said there wasn’t, and I thanked her for calling.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mr. Daniels asked.
She gave him a cursory glance. “There was no need to concern you. Kate needs to suffer the consequences of her actions or she’ll never learn. She said she was fine. I saw no reason to believe otherwise.”
Returning her attention to Billy, she continued. “I don’t know your reason for showing up here, but if you’re looking for money, you’re out of luck. Kate emptied her bank account, and if you’ve blown through that already, I suggest you both find jobs. I’m sure she would make a competent waitress.”
He had never hit a woman, but this bitch was begging for it.
“Look, if Evelyn says she doesn’t know where Kate is, then she doesn’t know,” Mr. Daniels insisted. “If anyone knows, it would be Joey. Other than that, I’m afraid we can’t help you.”
Disgusted by their lack of concern, Billy stared down at them. “Aren’t you the least bit concerned about her?”
“No,” her mother answered. “Kate has always been flighty and headstrong. She demonstrated that when she threw away a promising future to run off with you. The fact that she left you just proves I’m right.”
One more word, and his head might explode. “Was she adopted or something? I mean, man—I had some shitty parents, but at least I had grandparents who loved me. You two? Unbelievable. Sad thing is, I don’t think you even know her. She’s sweet and funny. She’s the kindest person I’ve ever known, and let me tell you, my grandma was a saint. Katie? Hell, she even puts her to shame.”
“Kate,” her mother corrected.
“You are fucking unbelievable, lady!” He took a step toward her and almost smiled when she stumbled backwards.
“I’m outta here, but let me say this. I’d rather our kid have no grandparents than to have either of you in his life.”
“What?” Mr. Daniels stammered, but Billy just kept on walking. As far as he was concerned, they didn’t deserve one more second of his time.
The apartment was empty. He hadn’t expected Kate to be there, but knowing she hadn’t come home made him feel worse. She had to be with Joey. Why didn’t he know where that fucker lived?
&
nbsp; Although he doubted he would take the call, especially after firing him, the only person he could think of who might know how to reach Joey was Davy Steinman. Or maybe Christa, since she’d been quick to glom onto him. He wasn’t ready to wake that hornet yet.
“I’m sorry,” the woman at Steinman’s service said. “He’s attending a benefit this evening, then heading for the airport. I don’t expect he’ll call for his messages until sometime tomorrow afternoon when he reaches LA.”
Dammit. “Look, I know he’s probably not gonna want to talk to me, but could you please ask him to call? It’s an emergency.”
All he could do now was wait. And think. He wasn’t a fan of either.
Since the day Kate had moved in, Billy couldn’t remember being in the apartment without her. And even though he’d lived there for almost three years, alone, it suddenly felt empty. His body quivered with exhaustion, but he couldn’t bear the thought of climbing into his empty bed. He grabbed Kate’s pillow and a blanket. Then he snatched the ratty-looking tiger she kept on her nightstand, the one he teased her about, and carried them into the living room.
He was a grown man about to curl up on the couch with a stuffed tiger.
At best, he’d slept no more than an hour or two. His brain wouldn’t shut off. Different scenarios kept running through his mind. What if she wouldn’t forgive him? What if she hated him? The worst one, the one that kept him awake the rest of the night, was what if she’d never made it to Joey’s? If ever there was a time he needed to chill, it was now, but he wouldn’t dare. Not even a little Jack or weed to take the edge off.
By the time Steinman called the following afternoon, he was damn near losing his mind.
“I’m sorry we had to let you go, Billy,” Steinman began, “but you walked out on an expensive project, and that girl you recommended never showed either. You’re a talented musician, but—”
“I don’t blame you for firing me,” Billy interrupted. “I’m sorry about what happened, but that’s not why I’m calling. I need to get hold of Joey Buccacino. I need his address.”
“I thought he was a friend of yours.”
“He’s a friend of Katie’s. I don’t know where he lives.”
All Steinman had was a phone number. His office, however, had all of Joey’s information. He promised to have his secretary call with the address.
Billy was out the door seconds after she called. There was just one quick stop he needed to make.
“What do you want?” Joey scowled when he opened the door.
Billy refrained from grabbing him around the throat. “Where is she?”
Joey glanced at the apricot-colored roses Billy held, then stepped out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him. “She’s sleeping. Just go.”
“I’m not going anywhere, even if that means I have to shove you down that trash chute.” He pointed to the metal box in the wall.
“You think behaving like a caveman is going to win her back? You don’t deserve her.”
He had him there. “You’re right. But I’m not leaving until I see her, even if I have to sit here all night.”
“Suit yourself.” Joey opened the door, but before he could step inside and close it, Billy blocked him.
“Please,” he said, nearly choking on the word. “I was wrong.”
“I’ll say.” He stared Billy up and down, but made no move to head inside. He did nothing for so long, Billy assumed the next move was his.
“I over-reacted,” he said after a long sigh.
Joey narrowed his eyes, then finally, he spoke. “What took you so long?”
“I didn’t have your number or know where you lived,” Billy said, unable to contain the sarcasm.
“Why didn’t you just look in the little yellow address book Kate keeps next to the phone in your kitchen?”
Address book? Shit. “Why don’t you just shut the fuck up?”
Joey reached back, grudgingly, and opened the door. “Kate really hit the jackpot the day she met you.”
Two steps into the apartment, Billy found himself already halfway across the living room. “Holy crap, this is small.” The ceiling was high, but if he stood with his arms outstretched, he could probably touch the walls on either side of him.
“It’s New York. What did you expect?”
“Where is she?”
Joey pointed to a door on the opposite wall. “Like I said, she’s sleeping. She’s had a rough couple days.”
“Can I wait in there?”
“You asking my permission?”
“I guess I am.”
Joey sized him up before answering. “Look, I kinda have a date. I was gonna cancel, but since you’re here, and if you promise not to upset her—”
“I won’t upset her.”
“The flowers are a nice start, but don’t hold your breath.” After what seemed like some internal debating, Joey grabbed his coat from a rack by the door. “I’ll call in about an hour. If she’s still sleeping, be by the phone. It’s on the wall by the fridge. If she wants you gone, you better be gone before I get back.”
“Or what?” Billy sneered.
“Or you may destroy whatever slim chance you might still have with her.”
Billy stood in the doorway of the tiny bedroom. Kate lay on her side, knee up, her hand curled against her chest like a kitten. Wanting desperately to touch her, he crammed his hands into his pockets until he could finally trust himself. When he was sure, he sat on the floor across from the bed. It was uncomfortable, but it was the closest to heaven he’d been in days. He watched the rise and fall of her chest, and with each breath she took, he felt his fear slowly dissipate. For the first time in forty-eight hours he was able to take a full breath. If he could just close his eyes for one minute.
It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. His body jerked and his head snapped up. Kate was watching him, her eyes pink and rimmed with tears.
“Katie. Baby.” His voice thick, he scrambled to his knees. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.” The sadness in her eyes was killing him. He handed her the roses. “Please.”
She held the flowers to her nose, then cradled them beside her. Her lip quivered, but she didn’t speak.
“I’ve been trying to find you for the past two days, which has given me a lot of time to think, and a lot of time to panic.” When she looked like she would start to cry, he spoke faster. “Not about the baby. I mean I did at first, but the real panic, the real fear set in when I thought I might’ve lost you. That scared me more than I could’ve thought possible.”
Emotion—and more than a little fear—was making it difficult for him to speak clearly. No girl had ever made him feel this way; made him trip over his words like this. He’d built walls. He was immune to this. Or so he’d thought. He held his hand to his mouth until he was confident he could say what he needed to say.
Might as well do this right. He shifted his body so that he balanced on one knee.
“There was always a place in me that was dark and empty. I don’t know when it happened, maybe from the very beginning, you filled that space, made me whole. I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want a life without you.”
He reached into his shirt pocket.
“Marry me. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t want to spend another day without you.”
He helped her to sit up, then he placed the modest engagement ring on the tip of her finger.
“Like I said, I did a lot of thinking, and I know I would’ve asked you sooner or later. I love you, and I want to marry you. I want a big, noisy, crazy life with you.”
“Are you sure?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Oh, Katie.” He held her face in his hands. “Way more than sure.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Christa demanded as soon as Billy walked through the door of her borrowed office.
“Nice to see you, too.” He dropped defiantly
into the chair across from her, his don’t-fuck-with-me attitude turned up as high as it would go.
Too bad she didn’t notice. “I don’t know what you expect from me. Bad enough I tell you to keep the girlfriend under wraps, and you listen for all of two minutes. Next thing I know, I’m fielding threatening phone calls from Davy Steinman and Bailey’s manager!”
He twisted the guitar-string bracelet on his wrist and was getting close to telling this bitch where she could get off. Yeah, he’d fucked up, but he wasn’t going to be screamed at like he was some stupid, snot-nosed kid.
“It’s too late to fix it, but I’d still like to know what the hell happened.”
He cleared his throat. “I had a situation with Kate.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You walked off the set of a music video because of some girl?”
“Not just some girl.”
“Billy. Baby.” Christa lowered her voice as she came around the front of the desk. “I keep telling you, you can have any girl you want. You can have a thousand girls. But didn’t I warn you that a girlfriend right now is foolish? She’s never going to understand what you need or what you have to do to succeed.” She leaned forward and caressed his cheek. “You have to cut this off now or this kind of thing is going to happen over and over.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Well, sweetheart you better make it an option.” She reached for a cigarette.
His teeth were clenched so tightly his jaw began to ache. “Not an option.”
“Billy. Listen to me, and you can really go places.” She was practically purring. “With your looks and your talent, you’ll be unstoppable. But you have to trust me. I know what I’m doing. You need to cut your losses and move on.”
“I’m getting married.”
She froze.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” She yanked the unlit cigarette from her mouth. “You said yourself you’ve only known her a short time. Why the hell are you getting married?” Her eyes widened. “She’s pregnant, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“But nothing.” She jabbed a finger in his direction. “Are you certain? Have you spoken to her doctor? This shit happens all the time. She’s probably trying to trap you. Then what? Then you’re stuck. Well, not really, but it could get messy.”