Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies (An Adams Grove Novel) (18 page)

“You’re hurt, and you haven’t had time to even really process everything, but Arty did a lot of good things too. Does that one thing cancel all of the good?”

“I don’t know—maybe. I mean, I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive Arty, and he sure as hell wasn’t a good man, but he was good at what he did.”

“You sound tired.” She could picture him lying across the couch on the bus with his foot up on the back bolster, but she couldn’t even imagine where he’d be or what he’d be doing at home.

“I am tired. I don’t think I’ve been this tired after a world tour.”

“You’re reliving one of the most painful memories you have. Only now it’s with a whole new twist. Everything you thought you knew—”

“Is out the window.”

“And really Lou was the one who betrayed you more than Arty.”

“Yeah. I didn’t even know Arty all that well back then. I’ll sleep on it. Maybe things will be clearer after I’ve had a little more time. I’m sure if Arty planned his own funeral, it’ll be one heckuva throwdown. You know how he was. He liked a lot of attention, a lot of pizzazz.”

“Don’t be surprised if you’re in the lineup as some type of entertainment then.” She could identify with the feeling of betrayal. “Cody, I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Talking to you makes me feel better,” he said.

She heard him take in a deep breath, and her heart hurt for what he was dealing with.

Cody cleared his throat. “I don’t mind admitting that I’m struggling with this. I really appreciate you being here for me.”

It was hard to imagine someone with his bigger-than-life persona having a bad day or struggling with anything. He’d kept her up when she was close to the edge of despair. She wanted to be there for him. “Do you need me to come there?”
I hope I’m doing this for the right reasons.

“No, that’s okay. I know Jake has school, and you’re dealing with your own stuff. I’ll be okay.”

“I know you’ll be okay, but that’s not what I asked.” She waited for a response but he hesitated. Maybe she’d imagined the connection before.

“It would be really nice to have you here. I’d love for you to see Hillcrest. I’m not sure
need
is the right word, but I sure would love to have you here.”

“Done. It’s a short week, and it’s kindergarten. We’ll head your way. I’ll just call his school from there tomorrow.”

“Whoa. Wait a second. I don’t want you driving ten hours. I’ll send my plane.”

“Don’t be silly. You sure don’t need to be spending a small fortune sending your private jet to pick me up.”

“It’s just sitting there. And what I spend on gas will save me on worry, plus it will cut that ten-hour drive into a quick hop. Trust me, Jake will appreciate it and then you can even bring Shutterbug along.”

“On the plane?”

“Sure. I have kennels I put on the plane for my dogs. I’ll have the guys strap one in before they leave Nashville.”

“That
would
make things easier.” She sure as heck couldn’t ask Scott to take care of Shutterbug so she could go see Cody. “Are you sure about all this? You know, having a five-year-old around is not what I’d call relaxing, and you’ve been on the road. I’m sure you need the downtime. I probably should have thought about that before I offered to begin with!”

“Don’t worry. It couldn’t be more perfect, and if I need time to myself there are plenty of places here on the ranch for me to seek refuge. Can you be ready this afternoon?”

“Yes, sure.”

“Okay, I’ll give you a call back shortly with a departure time from Adams Grove.”

“Sounds good.” She pressed End on the phone, laid it down, and then just stared at it.

She burst into a nervous laugh.
I can’t believe I just did that
. She covered her mouth and nose with her hands and breathed in to keep from hyperventilating.
Riley is going to die. I hope Jake’s not going to be upset about missing school. Oh Lord, what am I doing?

Kasey couldn’t even wipe the grin off her face. She went into the living room and sat down on the floor next to Jake.

“Hey, Jake. Would you be upset if you didn’t go back to school this week?”

“Why?”

“I was thinking we might go visit Cody at his ranch.”

“Do I get to go back to school when we come home?”

“Yes.”

“Cool!” Then his delight turned to worry. “Will Shutterbug stay with Mr. Scott?”

“No. We’re going to take her with us.”

His grin told her he was going to be just fine with the decision.

“Why don’t you pack up what toys you want to bring and I’m going to call your Aunt Riley and let her know about our trip. We’ll be leaving later this afternoon.”

Jake jumped to his feet and Shutterbug ran behind him to his room.

She bit down on her lip and dialed Riley’s number.

Riley answered the phone with an “Everything all right?”

“Yep. I just got off the phone with Cody.”

“He’s working on his list?”

“Yeah, and I’ll probably help him with it while I’m there.”

“While you’re… what?”

“Jake and I are heading to Nashville. He’s sending his plane to pick me up.”

“Kasey Phillips. You lucky duck.”

“I’m just being a good friend.”

“Whatever.”

“His PR gal told him that he needs to lay low for a little while and he’s not all that good at sitting still. Plus, he still sounds so sad.”

“Hey, I think it’s great. I can’t wait to hear all about it. In detail.”

She knew that tone. “Don’t get your hopes up for anything like that. I’m not even sure what I’m hoping for yet.”

“Says you. Do you need me to come watch Shutterbug?”

“No. Cody said to bring Shutterbug with us.”

“You’re taking the whole family. This is serious.”

“I’m just being a good friend to him like he was for me. I know how he feels about this Arty mess. It’s like what I went through when Jake was missing.”

“I hadn’t even really thought about it, but you’re right. Someone you knew for years turns around and does something unspeakable.”

“Yeah. It sucks.”

“But you like him. I bet you never come back.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I could never leave this house behind. I love this place.”

“I know you do, but I have this feeling.”

“Don’t go all crazy with those feelings of yours.”
Lord, that’s all I need.
“You can reach me on my cell phone if you need me. Would you mind dropping in to see Grem for me sometime this week? I’ll call her, but I like someone to lay an eyeball on her. You know how sneaky she can be.”

“I have a bunch of those entertainment magazines she likes that I was going to drop by for her. I’ll make a point of getting over there this week.”

“That would be so helpful. Thank you for that.”

“No worries. So, when are you leaving?”

“Not sure. Cody’s supposed to call me back with a time. It’ll be sometime this afternoon.”

“Have you looked this up online? Goodness gracious, his ranch is huge! You better take pictures. I just did a search while we were talking. It’s called Hillcrest. That’s a pretty name. I wonder if it’s on a hill.”

“I have no idea. I looked to see if I could find anything online, but I didn’t really see much.”

“See. You do like him. Why else would you be googling his house? I must be a better searcher than you, because I found some pictures and it’s amazing.”

“Stop. You’re making me nervous. Besides, we know he’s successful.”

“I know, but there’s famous and then there’s
famous
and this house is rock-star-legend stuff. Get online. I’ll message you the link.”

“No. I’m not going to go stalking him. I’ll be there soon enough. I’ll see it then.”

“Kasey, it says right here in this article that it’s rare that he ever entertains at Hillcrest. He says it’s his safe haven.”

“He’s not entertaining me. I’m there to comfort him.”

“That’s even better,” Riley said, and there was no mistaking the sexy vibe in her voice.

“You’re such a hopeless romantic.”

“Say what you want, but seriously, it’s kind of special.”

She was afraid to even say the words aloud, like saying that she wished for a romance with Cody might make it not happen, or make it so.
What do I want out of this? Am I really just trying to be a friend? Or am I hoping for more?
“We’ve been through a lot together.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t fantasize about him. Half the women in the world, maybe more, have fantasized about him at least once. I have. I’ll admit it.”

“Oh, I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about it, but stop. This is not happening.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s a star, and I’m a photographer—”

“Who has quite a following of her own and some pretty awesome awards to prove it.”

“That’s nowhere near the same playing field as Cody Tuggle.”

“You’re beautiful. What’s not to love about you?”

“I’ve got baggage. No man is going to sign up for that.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re way more than that and I think he knows it.”

“If I outlived another man in my life, it might kill me. If it wasn’t for Jake, I’m not sure I’d have made it through this time.”
The bad thing is, I can see it with Cody, and it scares the heck out of me.

“I could see you on his arm at a big Hollywood party, or at the CMA awards. You could be sitting right next to Carrie Underwood or Brad Paisley. Oh, I bet his wife is so sweet. She’s adorable.”

“Stop it.”

“You and Mrs. Paisley could do lunch.”

“Stop it, I said.”

“Well, if you won’t dream, I’ll do it for you. I tell you what, I’ll let it go, but only for now. If this goes anywhere, I reserve the right to a big fat I-told-you-so.”

“Fine,” she said. “Oh, that’s my other line. It’s probably Cody, let me get it. I’ll call you and let you know when I know how long I’m staying.”

“Love you. Have fun.”

She hung up and answered the other line.

Cody sounded excited about the visit. “The pilot is getting the plane ready to head out to Adams Grove. It’s only about an hour flight.”

“Wow. That’s fast.”

“Yeah. Told you it was better than driving ten hours. I’m glad you’re coming.”

“Jake is ecstatic. He didn’t want y’all to leave.”

“You’ll be here in time for dinner. What’s Jake like to eat?”

“Don’t go to special lengths for us.”

“What’s he like? Are hot dogs his favorite? I think I heard him say that.”

He picked up on so many little details.
“Yes. He loves hot dogs.”

“Cool. We’ll cook out. It’ll be great.”

He sounded like his old self, and she was getting caught up in his excitement.

K
asey sat in the lobby of the county airport. Now that she was here and waiting, she couldn’t shake her apprehension. Maybe it wasn’t the fact that she was getting ready to go to Cody’s house that was causing her anxiety. Maybe it was this place. She hadn’t been in this building since the night Cody’s jet landed with Jake on board. The memory of that night was clear. The lights on the plane as it teetered slightly on the approach. The image of Cody walking down the narrow stairs with Jake on his hip. Jake’s face. His sweet, smiling face.

Her heart raced, and her hands shook slightly at the memory. She’d prayed so hard for that moment, and yet when it finally came she’d been afraid to believe it until Jake was in her arms.

She swallowed back the nerves.
Think about the positive side of that night. Her whole life had changed, for the better, once Jake was back home.

Jake stood at the window fascinated by a colorful wind sock flapping and snapping in the breeze.

Shutterbug lay at Kasey’s feet unimpressed. Kasey hoped the yellow Lab wouldn’t freak out on the flight. At least she’d be right there in the cabin and not in cargo.
Shutterbug was such a laid-back dog she’d probably be fine as long as she had Jake in her sights. Kasey’s mind fluttered like that wind sock, hopping from one thing to the next looking for something to worry about.

She flipped her wrist to glance at her watch. She’d gotten ready so quickly that even though she’d stopped in town to get bear claws as a host gift, she’d still arrived here before the plane.

Boing.
She dug her phone from the front pocket of her handbag to retrieve the text.

P
LANE SHOULD BE THERE ANY TIME NOW
.

She texted back. W
E’RE HERE AND READY
.

C
OOL
. S
EE YOU SOON
.

O
KAY
.

“Mom! Mom! It’s landing. Look!”

She got up and walked to the window. “I think that’s our plane.”

“Is it the same plane I rode in last time?”

“It is. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah. It was fun.” His eyes lit up. “Can we go out there?”

Same situation. Two completely different memories for us. It’s all in the perspective.
“Not yet. The pilot has to come in and file his flight plan and stuff. He’ll let us know when he’s ready.”

Jake knelt and wrapped an arm around Shutterbug’s neck as the plane taxied down the runway and came to a stop just a little ways from the small terminal building.

A few minutes later the pilot walked into the building. “You must be Kasey and Jake.” He extended his hand. “I’m Captain Rogers and I’ll be taking y’all to Nashville.” He leaned over and petted Shutterbug on the head. “We’ve got a special seat for this girl too. She’ll have to be belted in for
takeoff and landing, but I’ll go over all that with you when we get on the plane.”

“Thanks. I think we’re ready then,” Kasey said.

He bent down to talk to Jake. “I brought you some pilot wings since you didn’t get any last time we flew together.”

“Thank you.” Jake looked a little puzzled but when the pilot pinned the wings on his shirt he beamed. “Look, Mom.” He puffed out his chest. “Can I drive the airplane too?”

The pilot gave him a wink. “I’ll bring you up to see everything.”

Kasey flashed an apologetic look toward the pilot. “Sorry. He loves anything with a motor.”

The pilot laughed. “I was the very same way, and both my boys were too. Of course they’ve grown up to have their own toys, so this will be fun for me. I’ve just got to take care of a couple things and then we’ll be on our way.”