“You might say that. I’m also the wife. You must be Steven and Karen. Come in. We weren’t expecting you obviously, but I’m sure your father would like to see you.”
John got credit for trying to be polite, which was a lot more than Kate could say about them. They spoke to him briefly and wondered what was going on with him selling the restaurants and frankly, Kate was taken aback by their blatant selfishness. John told them in a rather nebulous way that he was simply downsizing his work load so he could look at retiring. At least they didn’t seem to notice he wasn’t well.
She didn’t think they had, so she was surprised when a couple of weeks later she got a letter from an attorney representing them who demanded that Kate relinquish any and all business assets and responsibilities to them. Apparently they had heard about the brain tumor somewhere.
She sent the letter straight to John’s attorney and simply mentioned it to John in passing that afternoon. He sighed and gave her a tired smile. “I told you they’d come. Don’t let them intimidate you. They are far more bluff than they seem unless their mother is with them. Now her y’all should watch out for.”
He paused for a moment and then went on sadly, “I loved her dearly at one time. I probably still do, truth be told. But she isn’t a very nice person. I had to learn that the hard way. I’m sorry you have to deal with things like this, Kate. But I’m incredibly comforted to know my life is in your good hands. You’ve been such a relief to me. Thank you.”
Kate did, in actuality, get the opportunity to meet John’s ex, Ms. Terry Garland, just a few days later. Mark was there at the time, meeting with Kate and she was incredibly grateful for that as this woman swept inside as Kate opened the door like she was still the queen of John’s kingdom. She looked Kate up and down with almost a sneer and then fairly stomped into the living room demanding to see John.
John was down in bed with a horrible headache at the time and Kate politely said, “I’m sorry, he’s not available just now. Is there something I could help you with?”
Terry made a sound of disgust in her throat. “No, thank you. John may not have any qualms about dealing with an adolescent, but I certainly do. When will he be back?”
“He’s not gone, he’s just not available. I’m sorry; you’ll have to come back later if you want to visit with him. It might be a good idea to call first and see if he can see you. He has a rather tight schedule as far as time to visit actually.”
Terry literally stomped her expensively clad foot as she demanded, “Stop playing games and take me to him. Tell him it’s his wife and he’ll find the time to see me.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Garland, but I am his wife, not you, and he’s not available just now. You’ll have to come back.” She reached back and opened the door and looked at it pointedly but Terry ignored her.
At this point Mark came into the front entry hall and Terry turned to him and seemed relieved. “Oh, good, Mark, I’m so glad you’re here. Go and tell John I want to see him, would you? I want to get to the bottom of the sale of all of these restaurants.”
Mark smiled, but absolutely stood his ground as he said, “I’m sorry, Terry, but John is busy, which doesn’t matter anyway if you want to discuss business. John’s wife, Kate here, is his manager and I’m sure she could tell you everything you want to know.”
“His manager! Since when does John have a teenager managing multi million dollar businesses?”
Mark smiled blandly as Kate struggled to hold her tongue. “Oh, he’s had her managing things for a while now. Her managing has added considerably to John’s bottom line actually.
She turned back to Kate in anger. “All right then, why is he selling everything he owns? I’ve already checked and know what he hasn’t already sold is listed. Where is the money being invested?”
At that point, Kate shook her head. “I’m sorry, Ms. Garland, but that is really none of your business. What John chooses to invest in has nothing to do with you. Is there something else that does involve you I could help you with?”
Amber peeked around the corner and Kate handed her the baby, glad to have him away from this woman as Terry went off calling Kate several choice names before ending with, “If you think you can keep me in the dark while y’all take my children’s and my inheritance and stash it away for your own baby, you’ve got another think coming. I’ll have my attorney involved and you’ll be out of here on you and that baby’s ear. Don’t y’all even try to mess with me, honey. You’ll regret it for as long as you live.”
“Trust me. I do already. I think you should leave now. If you have questions in the future, why don’t you just contact John’s attorney directly.” The door still stood open, and Kate motioned to it again and repeated, “I said, I think y’all should leave now.”
Terry glanced at Mark who nodded and indicated the door himself and then she went toward it. “Fine. I’ll leave now, but don’t think this is the end of this. I’m the one who spent years struggling while John started his businesses. Don’t even begin to think I’m going to let some adolescent bimbo come in and take what is rightfully mine. I’ll fight to the nth degree. You’ll see.”
“I already do. Actually, not that it’s any of your affair, but John and I have a solid prenuptial agreement which prohibits me from making any decisions about his assets. Those decisions are all set between John and his attorney. But I’m so glad you are concerned for him. That’s very kind of you. Thank you so much for dropping by. It was so nice to finally meet y’all.” Kate gave her the biggest smile she could muster and then used all of her will power not to slam the door behind her. She glanced up at Mark and shook her head. “Poor John. He had to wake up next to that. Can you imagine?”
“No. I can’t, thank goodness. I hope John’s attorney has both a thick skin and a bullet proof plan, because John’s going to need it.”
Kate had been going to leave the next day to fly to Tulsa, but she changed her mind. She was hesitant to leave John and Amber and the baby alone without someone to protect them from that dragon woman and her spawn. She worried about it for four days and then finally hired a security firm to send a licensed security guard to come and stay with them as well. John’s house was huge and he could certainly afford it. For that matter, Kate would pay for the guy herself just to know everyone here would be safe while she was gone.
Once they’d gotten to know the men who would be coming to stay and she felt like she could trust them, she headed on out to Tulsa. It had been several weeks since she’d been there and she needed to check on how things were going.
She stayed in Tulsa for two days, going over the books and double checking the way things were being managed and triple checking the things the board of health would look at. She had just walked out of the manager’s office with her brief case to leave for home, when she nearly walked into Cody and a couple of other guys from the band.
Cody stared at her, and she stared at Cody and for a second neither one knew what to say. And then Kate couldn’t help herself. She set down her case, walked right over to him and threw her arms around him and said, “Cody Rawlings, I have missed you!” He may have messed up a few things for her and Jason, but they’d been friends since they were children and she knew he’d take a bullet for Jason any day.
Cody hugged her back and then pulled back to look at her, still in shock and Kate was embarrassed when tears filled her eyes as Cody asked, “Where have y’all been, Kate? Jason has looked over the whole planet for you. What are you doing in Tulsa?”
“I’m working. I travel around to different restaurants as a sort of consultant. What are you guys doing here?”
“What do you think, Kate? We’ve got a gig tonight. Haven’t you heard the advertisements all over the radio?”
She hesitated and then shook her head. “I don’t listen much to the country stations anymore. I’m more of a rock and roll and classical girl now. A little rhythm and blues, some new wave. Whatever. Country is just a touch hard for me lately.”
She tried to keep her voice light as she said, “Oh, for the last eight or nine months anyway. So what have you been up to?”
“Touring, two platinum records, trying to help Jason find his smile. It walked out on him about the same time you quit listening to country. What a coincidence. What about you?”
“Just working. I’ve tried to stay busy with this kind of thing.” She waved her hand to indicate the restaurant and Cody grabbed it out of the air and stared at the ring.
“Kate! You didn’t! You didn’t get married!” He groaned and looked at her in horrified accusation. “Oh, Kate, what have you done? Jason’ll die!”
She pulled her hand away and tried to keep the emotion out of her voice as she assured him. “Don’t be ridiculous, Cody. Yes, I got married a few months ago, in fact.”
Cody groaned again and asked quietly, “Why, Kate? Why when you knew Jason worshipped you?”
At that, she felt her heart quiver within in her chest and she was tempted to tell Cody just what she thought and felt about a comment like that. Jason had loved her, but he’d let other things get in the way. Kate wasn’t the one who had caused this whole mess. Not by a long shot. She felt that old familiar pain rip into her just as it did every time she thought about Lubbock. She swallowed the lump that threatened to choke her.
Instead of snapping at Cody about who had worshipped who, she glanced at her watch. She’d just been on her way out to head for the airport. “Look, Cody. It was great to see y’all. I’ve got a plane to catch. Tell everyone hello for me.”
She picked up her case and turned to go, but Cody rushed after her. “Wait! Kate! Don’t go. Can’t you stay and visit? Jason will be here in fifteen minutes. He’ll be devastated that he missed you. Hang out for a minute.”
Shaking her head, she looked down and then back up. “That would be a bad idea, Cody and you know it. Plus I’m already going to have to speed to get my rental car turned in on time. You talk to him for me, okay?”
“Kate.” Cody was almost pleading. “You don’t understand. Jason has all but quit living. Don’t leave without at least just saying hi.”
“No, Cody. It would hurt both of us. I have to go. Take care.”
“Then can I at least have a phone number? Where are you living? Can we keep in touch? We’ve been friends our whole lives, Kate.”
Tears finally filled her eyes. “I wish we could, Cody, but we can’t. I’m sorry. More sorry than you can imagine. Good luck with your concert tonight. I’m sure it will be amazing. See ya around.”
***
She walked out the door of the elegant steak and ribs restaurant and didn’t look back and Cody began to swear as her heels clicked away on the sidewalk. Jason was going to kill him. And then Jason was going to lose it when he told him she was married. And he’d have to. There was no way he couldn’t. They were too good of friends to keep something like that from him.
Cody stepped back to the door and hit his number one speed dial. Jason picked up on the second ring and Cody asked, “Where are you, man?”
“I’m almost there. I’m on highway two-forty-four headed your way. I’ll be to the restaurant in like six minutes.”
“Jason, without you getting in a wreck, I want you to take the next exit and then get back on and go to the airport. I just ran into Kate and that’s where she’s headed. She just left and said she had to speed to get her rental car back and make her plane. I’m sorry, I don’t know what airline.”
For just a second there was dead silence on the other end of the line and then Jason must have pushed end. Cody stood there for another few seconds and then began to pray silently to himself as he turned to go back inside the restaurant. He’d been doing a lot of that the last eight or nine months. What a coincidence.
***
Jason seriously considered driving down through the median to reach the other side of the freeway, but then an exit appeared just up ahead. He drove like a madman and at the airport nearly slid his car sideways as he headed into the rental car return. He drove all the way to the other end without seeing her and then gave up and parked and headed into the terminal at a run.
He stopped at one of the TVs that listed the incoming and outgoing flights and tried to figure out which gate she’d be heading to from the flights leaving in the next while. It had to be Jacksonville, San Antonio or Detroit. Taking a chance, he headed for the terminal with the flight into San Antonio. Texas had usually worked for her in the past. Usually. There was that one time that had been disastrous for them both. He started to run. He had to catch her before she made it past security.
He’d been literally running when he sighted her just placing her small brief case and a carry on on the tray to go through the x-ray machine. He could never catch her in time. He thought about yelling, but then looked at all the armed guards working right there and decided against it. That’s all he needed today was to be arrested by Homeland Security in front of Kate.
Still rushing forward, he tried to find her again in the crowd that was making its way through the check point. There! She walked out of the throng and he felt all the blood rush to his heart and whispered, “Kate. Just turn around. Just wonder if Cody called me and if I’ve rushed here to find you. Just turn around, baby. Give me two minutes. Just two.”
As if she’d been listening, she did. She turned and looked back as if someone had called her and he knew exactly when she saw him standing there as close as he could get to the divider. She froze as she looked at him for a long, slow thirty seconds and then even from a distance he could tell she started to cry, and then obviously reluctantly, she slowly turned and walked up the ramp.
With tears starting in his own eyes, he swore bitterly and watched her until she disappeared toward a gate on the right, he couldn’t tell which. He turned and began making his way back to his car. At least he’d seen she definitely wasn’t indifferent to him. She still hurt enough to cry the second she saw him. He couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing and prayed as he walked, “God, watch over her, wherever she’s headed. And talk her into coming home soon. I need her. You know that. You know how much I need her.”
Chapter 18
Kate struggled not to cry during the entire two hour flight back to San Antonio and for the most part it was a rout and she landed with red swollen eyes and a tired heart. She got her car out of long term parking and made her way out of the airport, wondering why seeing him standing there after so many months could still hurt so badly.
She’d known she would never get over him. That she would love him to the day she died, but she’d been so hoping that at least the pain would dull and she could get on with her life without this heartache.
On the way home, she stopped and got groceries and picked up the dry cleaning, hoping the extra time would erase the signs of her deep sadness, and then stopped and got take out Chinese. She really wasn’t up to cooking tonight. At least walking into John’s house from the garage was a comfort. Even though John was going down hill fast, this home had always been a haven for her.
***
The band was long gone from the restaurant when Jason got there, but he needed to talk to the manager anyway. He needed to find out who Kate was working for and find a way to contact her.
When he was ushered into the manager’s office amidst a great deal of whispering, he tried to explain what he wanted and the manager looked at him strangely when he asked, “There was a girl here earlier today. Tall, with short, dark, curly hair. Her name is Kate. Kate Birch. Could you tell me the company she works for? I believe she’s a consultant of some sort. I need to get in touch with her. It’s very important.”
Shaking his head, the manager said, “The only Kate that was here I know of who fits that description is Kate Garland and she’s not a consultant. She and her husband own the place. Y’all must be mistaken. I’m sorry. We have a Kathy, but she’s short and red. Are you sure
you have the right restaurant?”
Jason froze for a moment in shock. Kate married. He couldn’t even begin to process it. She would never marry someone else. She couldn’t. It just wasn’t possible. She knew that no matter what had happened, Jason loved her forever. Didn’t she? She would never go back on the pinky promise they’d made that day at the lake. He knew she wouldn’t. That promise had been the biggest deal of their lives. It had meant forever. More than forever.
Then he remembered that they’d also promised to stay pure until they were married and then that night with the champagne they’d ruined it all and his heart felt like it imploded.
He didn’t even hear the manager ask, “Is there something else I could help you with?” He just walked out the door in a shocked silence. Kate was married. His Kate. The other half of his soul was married to someone else. No wonder she had cried and then turned and walked away. How could she do this to him? He’d thought she’d cared too much to ever marry someone else. Especially after only nine months.
When he got back to the hotel, he went straight to Cody’s room instead of to his own. When Cody opened the door, he took one look at Jason and pulled him inside with a sigh. “I guess I shouldn’t have even told you. I guess it would have been better to just not have mentioned seeing her. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I just knew you’d been looking so long. I’m sorry man.”
Jason sat down in a chair and leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “No. I needed to know.” There was silence in the room for several minutes and then Jason asked without sitting up and opening his eyes. “I didn’t ever get to see her up close. Is she okay? How did she look?”
Cody thought about that for a moment. “She looked good, Jason. She’s a beautiful girl. You know that. She looked older. Maybe a little more mature. I’m not sure how to describe it.”
“Did she look happy, Rawlings? She’s married to the guy who owns the restaurant. Apparently she’s been that way for a while. Is she happy?”
Falcon Song: A love story Page 19