“I see that. I’m sorry.”
She waved the apology away, offering him a half-hearted smile. “It’s okay. I’m just a bit jumpy, I think.”
“I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your mind.” He crossed the kitchen floor and reached out to put his hands around her waist just as she finished eyeing his outfit.
“You clean up quite nicely, you know.” She smirked, but her comment succeeded in easing the tension she felt. “I didn’t realize you actually had dressy clothes hidden in the depths of that old truck of yours.”
“You’d be surprised what’s hidden in that truck,” he laughed. “Look, Katie, I know it’s not a good—”
The crunch of gravel under tires cut Chad’s sentence off, and Katie put her hands on his chest to push him away gently, holding up one finger as she headed over to the window to see whose vehicle was approaching. Glimpses of red flashed between the rustling tree branches, announcing Jay’s arrival. Mason was already facing the window from the backseat, and Katie could see the worry lining his face from where she stood.
“Something’s wrong,” she announced, already heading for the door.
“I thought we were meeting them at the party?” Chad was on her heels, confusion setting in.
“We were supposed to.” Katie swung the door wide and headed for the car, but Mason had already unbuckled himself and gotten out of his booster seat. “What’s wrong?” she called out to him, her eyes never once turning to Jay, who stood on the driver’s side of the car in silence.
“I fell outside at the apartment and ripped my shirt.” Mason held up his arm to reveal a tattered shirt cuff, dirtied by gravel dust and remnants of blood.
Katie’s eyes widened at the blood stains, immediately turning to glare at Jay. He, in turn, held his hands out as though telling her to calm down, and rather than give in to the persistent desire to scream at him in anger, Katie turned back to Mason and dropped to her knees, not caring about the dirt and dust that would undoubtedly cling to her chiffon dress.
“Are you okay?” She struggled to maintain a soft voice, but even to her own ears, the edginess of anger cut through. She swallowed, hoping it would help to regain her composure.
Mason pulled up his ripped sleeve, revealing an abrasion along his elbow and forearm. It was a couple inches in length, but, thankfully, superficial. “I’m okay, Mom.” As though just realizing that Chad was there, Mason’s gaze went beyond Katie, and he held up his scraped arm proudly. “I’m okay, Chad! I’ll just tell everyone I got in a fight and they should see the other guy! Right?”
Unsure if it was the jovial grin that highlighted Mason’s face or the deep laugh that sounded behind her from Chad, Katie breathed out in relief and brought her hand up to cover the humor visible on her face.
“You got that right, Little Man.” Chad’s entertainment was evident. Obviously, one of his and Mason’s inside jokes was surfacing at a less than opportune time.
“It’s Mason!” The little boy yelled back, but his playfulness was apparent.
“He needs a clean shirt, and there wasn’t one at home.” Jay’s voice was fueled with anger as well, but for a different reason. Katie turned to see his eyes darting back and forth between her and Chad.
Katie stood, a gentle hand placed on her son’s shoulder as she guided him toward the house. “Come on, Mase. We’ll get you cleaned up and ready for your party.”
“I’ll meet you guys there, then. If that’s all right with you, Katie.” From the way he said her name, she could tell Jay didn’t care if it was all right with Chad or not.
“Thanks for bringing him back,” she called out, but Jay was already back in his car and reversing it to head down the laneway.
Katie held the door for Mason, letting him pass by into the house. Chad followed silently.
“Never a dull moment, huh?” She offered him a smile, which he returned, but it didn’t meet his eyes.
“You’re right about that.” He touched her arm gently as he passed her, and Katie silently wondered what was so obviously weighing on his mind.
***
“You okay?”
Katie uttered the question more than once on the way to her aunt’s house in town. Not only was it the last place in the world she wanted to go—she didn’t even like her aunt, but it was the only place big enough to accommodate the other attendees, and her aunt had insisted—but she also didn’t want to go when something was bothering Chad the way it was. He had seemed fine until Jay showed up with Mason, but now he’d remained silent for most of the trip into town, staring aimlessly out the passenger window. Even Mason hadn’t been successful in pulling his spirits from the dark pit they had torpedoed into.
“I’m fine, I promise.” Chad answered the same way each time, with the same fake smile. “We’ll talk later, though, okay?” Katie merely nodded, focusing her eyes on the road. It wasn’t until his hand covered hers that rested on the gear shifter that she relaxed, the tension in her shoulders abating slightly.
She steered the truck into the paved driveway of her aunt’s house, putting it in park before turning around in her seat to face Mason. “We’re all on our best behavior, right?” She reached forward to ruffle his hair. Mason quickly smoothed it back down, chuckling.
“I know,” he said. “But Aunt Belinda smells weird.”
Katie bit back the urge to laugh, not daring to glance over at Chad. She could just imagine his expression, and she wouldn’t be able to contain her amusement if she actually saw it. “That might be true, but we don’t say it out loud, all right?”
Mason nodded in agreement and unbuckled the seatbelt from around his booster seat. He was off in a flash, running full tilt toward the backyard. The scent of barbequed hamburgers and hotdogs wafted through the opened door.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
He reached over and squeezed her hand again. This time, he held on, running his thumb over her knuckles. Her body responded with a shiver, and her eyes met his as the blush crept into her cheeks. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” he responded. “If he tells your Aunt Belinda she smells funny, though, I’m not guaranteeing I can maintain my composure. All bets will be off.”
“Don’t worry, that makes two of us.”
Chapter Twenty-One
CHAD
Katie handed Chad the cake as her hands were already full with the gifts she had stashed in the back before Mason got into the truck. He slammed the door with his hip, allowing her to lead the way into the backyard. A million things ran through his mind as he made his way behind the house, laughter and chatter echoing up the driveway.
His initial thought was how everything would play out. He hoped that both Jay and Katie could put their differences aside long enough for Mason to enjoy his birthday party the way every kid deserves to. After all, it was his day, and his family and loved ones—or not-so-loved ones if you counted Aunt Belinda—had gathered to enjoy it with him. He hoped that everyone could keep their cool and maintain a level of civility, and he hoped the awkward glances and tendencies toward gossip amongst the attendees would remain minimal, at least until after the party was over.
Another thing that crossed his mind was how his gift to Mason would be received; not by the young boy himself, but by Mason’s father and the other onlookers. It hadn’t occurred to him until on the way there that him buying the gift could be misconstrued as an elaborate scheme to buy Mason’s affections. Thankfully, he knew Katie did not view his efforts that way, so he would have to just be content with knowing that no one else’s opinions really mattered.
He rounded the corner of the house, the sunshine gleaming brightly into his eyes. He squinted, searching for a spot to set the cake down. The sooner he found one, the sooner he would be able to shield his eyes. The crowd of people were gathered under the trees, chairs set up and scattered without any order or organized manner. He looked away, not quite ready yet for the piercing glances and awkward introductions. Which brought him to his next thought:
Was it really a good idea for him to come here? It worried him that his presence may actually make this whole ordeal harder on Katie, rather than easier. He could have remained under the radar and she wouldn’t have had to explain to anyone why she was allowing the hired help to tag along. She had seemed adamant, though, and he couldn’t deny it, he would enjoy seeing Jay’s reaction when they came eye to eye.
“You can set that down over there, Chad.” Katie’s words cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the here and now. He shook his head gently, as though ridding himself of the thoughts that plagued him, and lowered the cake onto the table where she had instructed him to. Both he and Katie stood at the table, their backs turned on the crowd. Mason was already laughing and stirring up his family members, so it wouldn’t be long before they decided to come over and greet them. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Katie asked him again, her eyes locked with his.
“I am, if you are.” He grinned, then touched her arm tenderly.
Katie answered with a grin of her own. “Let’s get this over with, then.”
With that, they proceeded to make their way across the yard, mingling in with Katie’s family members. If they weren’t happy to see her, they didn’t show it. Chad could see Jay every now and again from the corner of his eye, but there were enough people around to meet and be introduced to that he actually began to forget about him for the time being. He glanced down at Katie, never wavering from his side, and she, too, seemed to be enjoying herself, the tension in her shoulders lessened by the easy conversation and the welcoming gestures.
Chad’s mind had fabricated a thousand different things that could have gone wrong at this party, but so far, none of those things had come to fruition. Maybe that was why he had failed to see it coming, the moment where everything went from good to beyond repair. Either way, when she tapped him on the shoulder and breathed his name in the voice he’d agonized over for weeks, he whirled around and struggled to comprehend how his past and present had collided so violently without his knowledge.
“Liz,” he whispered hoarsely.
Chapter Twenty-Two
KATIE
She felt, rather than saw, everything change. One minute she and Chad had melded into their surroundings, content to jabber on about the farm and the humorous things Mason did each day, the next, though, everyone stopped talking one by one to watch the interaction between Chad and a woman Katie had never seen before. When Jay appeared beside the woman, Katie’s mind struggled to keep up.
“Chad, what’s wrong?” Her voice was hushed despite the fact that she knew everyone was listening.
“It’s okay, Katie.” Chad put an arm out, blocking her from getting any closer. Her gaze flew upward to look at him, but his eyes were locked unblinking on the brunette before him.
“Do you two know each other?” Katie questioned.
“Funny, I was about to ask the same thing.” Jay crossed his arms.
Chad’s eyes never wavered. “Katie, I’d like you to meet my wife, Liz.”
It was everything Katie could do to stop her jaw from dropping. She gawked from Liz to Jay and back again, unsure of what to say or do.
“What’s going on?” Mason had pushed his way to the front of the crowd, glaring up in sheer confusion at all the serious faces. “Mom?”
His reference to her was enough to make her look down. His face was worried and uncertain. No way, she thought hastily. Not on my son’s birthday. “Everything’s good, Mason. Go with Aunt Belinda and get washed up for lunch, okay?” His reluctance showed through, but Mason headed into the house, guided with the reassuring hand of the aunt he didn’t like to be around. With that, Katie turned back to the group of people standing in front of her and hissed, “If you guys want to hash this out, be my guest. However, be god-damned if we’ll do it in front of my son, on his birthday, no less.”
Chad winced slightly, but gave a curt nod. “You’re right, Katie. Not in front of Mason.”
“I don’t believe he’s your son to make a decision on behalf of,” Jay snapped, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
“Jay!” Katie spat.
“I didn’t mean...” Chad began.
A snide laugh erupted from Jay’s throat. “I know exactly what you meant, Chad Ashton. Or is it Kirkwood nowadays?”
Katie stopped, holding her breath as she watched Chad’s features darken. “Ashton? What the hell are you talking about? Chad, what’s he talking about?”
“I was going to tell you, Katie. Just not like this.” Chad’s features softened as he broke eye contact with Jay and turned to her. Katie said nothing, convinced her throat was closing as she fought to breathe normally. Where the hell had she heard that name before, Chad Ashton? It sounded so familiar, so...
Her eyes searched his face for answers as the puzzle pieces within her mind began to fall into place. “You lied to me. And you—”
“I swear, I tried to tell you—” Chad explained.
“Go.”
“Katie—”
“I said, leave.” She held her hands up, the sureness in her voice surprising even herself. Katie felt her heart tearing open once again as the fear and pain appeared across Chad’s face. “Now,” she insisted. “Take the truck. I’ll get a ride home with someone else.”
“Katie—” Chad started once more, but she wasn’t hearing any of it.
“Chad, I can barely look at them right now,” she struggled to say, pointing in Jay and Liz’s direction. “So, do me a favor and go so I don’t have to face every last betrayal all at once, okay? Go. Please.” Katie swallowed her emotions, holding back the tidal wave of tears on the brink of spilling over her lower eyelids. She wasn’t being fair, and she knew it. However, life wasn’t fair. It never was. For once, she didn’t want to be the only one hurting, and judging by the dejected and broken expression on Chad’s face as he turned away from her and headed for the truck, she had gotten her wish.
Chapter Twenty-Three
CHAD
He sat on the edge of the fence at Rustic Acres longer than he’d expected to, yet he still hadn’t come to terms with how his secret had come out. Immediately, Chad hated himself, knowing full well none of this would have even been an issue if he had just told her the truth the moment he had set foot on the farm property.
You’ve got no one to blame but yourself, he scolded himself. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the rail beneath him, flakes of faded white paint fluttering off where his fingers dug in. It had been well over two hours since the party, and there’d been no sign of Katie and Mason. The idea nagged at his subconscious that perhaps they weren’t going to come back here. Maybe Katie couldn’t stand to see him at all. Maybe, right now, she was advising Mason that he was no longer going to see Chad around at home, that he had to go away. Maybe he would never...
The downward spiral of his thoughts was interrupted by the crunch of gravel under tires, and Chad whipped his body around to see which vehicle was responsible for the sound. His stomach clenched at the sight of the red Mitsubishi, Mason’s tiny face poking out of the passenger side backseat. The little boy’s face lit up in a satisfied grin, and Chad relaxed a bit. So, Katie hadn’t turned the boy against him... yet.
He never moved from the fence, unsure as to whether Katie would want to see him, talk to him, or even be near him at all. This morning, he had felt as though the universe was finally making sense, allowing both her and him a second chance in the aftermath of despair. Now, Chad wasn’t even sure he knew where they stood with each other. And, seeing as Katie had gotten a ride home with his wife and her ex-fiancé, both of which knew more about him than he’d allowed Katie to know, he was pretty confident that the conversation within the Mitsubishi hadn’t helped his cause much.
Mason sprang from the car the moment it had stopped moving and took a few steps in Chad’s direction. Katie, however, had other plans for him and, with a loud clearing of her throat, Mason turned reluctantly on his heel, gave his father a quick hug—
Jay hadn’t even bothered to undo his seatbelt, Chad noticed—and disappeared into the house with both of his hands filled with brightly colored gift bags he’d obviously been intending to show Chad.
Chad stiffened slightly, then, knowing that Mason was the only buffer he had between himself, two exes he was coming to loathe, and the betrayed woman he never meant to hurt. Jay’s face was stone-like, expressionless, and Chad wondered if he somehow was viewing himself as a victim in this whole ordeal.
Too damn bad, Chad thought. You don’t get to be the victim this time, too.
Liz, however, had locked her gaze on him through the windshield, and the faint smile she wore spoke volumes. This wasn’t over between them; he would see her again. Chad breathed a sigh of relief when Katie slammed the car door, not bothering to wave at them as the car backed up and quickly retreated back down the laneway. Good, he wouldn’t have to deal with all of them at once.
She stood there, staring down at the covered half-eaten cake in her hands, and Chad could tell she was torn. Her gaze flickered up to meet his momentarily and he held his breath. Anger and sadness darkened her features, but it was the pain emanating from deep within her, beyond her eyes, that ripped apart Chad’s insides. She was dealing with hurt that he had caused her, that he could have prevented had he not been so set on closing the door on the name he’d made for himself in the music industry.
“Katie, I’m so sorry.” Though he was sure the whispered apology had been lost in the breeze that blew gently from the east, he saw her posture change, giving in to the breath she’d been holding as well. When she turned away from him and headed toward the house, Chad climbed from his perch on the fence, fear rushing through him that he wouldn’t even get the chance to plead with her to listen to his explanation. However, she set the cake pan down on the porch and turned back toward him, making his racing heart calm slightly.
Calm down, he warned himself silently. Or you will lose her for good.
Who I Am With You (My Kind Of Country #1) Page 10