Out Of Focus: An Adams Grove Novel Part 13

"Okay, okay. I'll come. But if I get weepy, you have to promise you'll send me to my room."

"It's a deal, but I plan on making sure you're fine."

On Christmas Eve, they'd sung Christmas carols into the wee hours of the morning, then everyone exchanged gifts. Kasey had created collages for each of the band members and road crew to commemorate their role in the big tour. Everyone loved them. It was what she did best, and the project had kept her mind in a good place.

She got gag gifts from the road crew, and her obsession with red licorice garnered her more of the stuff than she could eat in a lifetime. The drummer had even taken the time to weave hundreds of red licorice ropes into the shape of a cowboy hat.

The break for Christmas proved to be fun and relaxing. As much fun as the break was, the band and crew, including Kasey, were all ready to get back on the road.

The first show after Christmas was in Raleigh, North Carolina. A buzz filled the air as over eighteen thousand fans piled into the arena. Once the opening band cleared the stage, Kasey took her place down in front. Tonight she'd take the final pictures. Tomorrow morning she'd head home.

Cody opened with his first number-one song. The crowd went nuts, singing along. Fourteen songs in, the crowd was just as engaged. They didn't even notice that she'd moved out of the orchestra area to the catwalk above them. She zoomed in on the audience for reactions and captured a wide-angle panoramic.

By now she knew how many songs they'd play before Cody's first wardrobe change and the order in which the last three songs were performed. She had all the pictures she needed, so she let the camera swing on her neck strap and sat cross-legged on the catwalk, high above the stage. The last song, one of the few ballads Cody had recorded, was her favorite. She wiggled into a comfortable position and waited for the final song.

But Cody didn't follow the six-chord fade into the song he usually closed with. Instead, he took the mic from the stand and swung his guitar to his back. He repositioned his hat, a nervous tic. She'd noticed that a while back.

"Can I get personal with ya for a minute?" he said.

The audience cheered.

"You've been terrific, Raleigh. I want to play something special."

They went wild.

"It's a song I've been workin' on for the past couple of months."

A hush came over the crowd; only a couple of whistles broke it.

"You may have heard that I've been trying to help a friend get the word out about her missing son."

Kasey gulped. What is he doing?

"You might not have heard that we've been photographing this tour for a book. You're part of that. The book will come out next fall. I hope you'll buy a copy. Not for me, but because twenty percent of every book sold is going directly to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children."

Kasey reached out to steady herself. His overwhelming generosity was dizzying.

The crowd hooted and howled.

"I knew I could count on your help." Cody shaded his eyes and looked to the projection booth. "Johnny, will you put that picture up for me?"

Jake's picture filled the floor-to-ceiling backdrop.

Kasey snapped her mouth shut in utter disbelief, her gaze clouded by tears.

"Thanks." Cody looked back at the picture, shook his head, then turned back to the crowd. "This is Jake. He's been missing since Hurricane Ernesto came through these parts a while back. If you see him, would you please contact the police? His mother, a very dear friend of mine, she's looking for him." He swung his guitar back around. "This song is called A Mother's Love."

No one in the band joined in. It was just Cody and his guitar.

Kasey clutched the metal railing with both hands as she listened, recognizing the melody immediately. She'd heard it a hundred times in the plane.

She was drawn into his words, and then the bridge A child is born and placed in the arms of his mother.

A powerful love, and a bond like no other.

There to protect, to guide and to grow, A love as strong you'll never know.

By the second verse, the band members joined in.

When Cody sang the bridge, the crowd sang along. Every mother in the crowd must have felt this song to her core. The audience swayed below Kasey as she cried.

When the song ended, Cody turned his back to the crowd, knelt on one knee and dipped his hat to Jake. Then he rose, faced his fans, and waved as he headed off the stage.

Kasey would usually have been backstage well before now, but her knees were like jelly. The house lights would come up in about three minutes. She couldn't stand, much less descend the ladder from the catwalk. She watched as the fans cheered for Cody, hoping he would come back on stage. He rarely did.

The house lights came up. Kasey watched from her spot in the sky as people shuffled toward the exits. Roadies moved in to unhook cables and disa.s.semble what they'd just a.s.sembled a few hours ago.

She pulled her feet underneath her and stood, holding the rail to steady herself. Then she headed for the ladder and made her way to the stage level. As she stepped on the last rung, Cody startled her.

"I couldn't find you." He steadied her by the hips as she climbed down. "You had me worried."

She reached up and hugged him. "That was a beautiful song. Thank you."

He held her tight, rocking her in his arms. "You're welcome. You're a beautiful mom."

She let go and stepped back. "I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow."

"You don't have to," he said, and raised a brow.

Kasey paused, but only for a second. "It's time. I have to handle things at home. I'm not sure I'm really ready, but I know I can get through it now."

"I understand. It's been good having you around. Real good." There was an awkward silence. "A driver will take you home tomorrow."

"You don't have to do that. I can rent a car."

"Don't be silly." They walked down the tunnel to the SUV that would shuttle them back to the hotel. "It's taken care of."

The driver leaped from the car when he saw Cody, but Cody waved him off, opened the door himself, and helped Kasey in.

They rode in silence on the twenty-minute drive to the hotel. The driver let them out at a back entrance.

"Hey, guys." Cody said to the two security guards who stood nearby. He gave them a nod, and he and Kasey disappeared around the corner.

Cody took her hands in his. "I'm not very good at goodbyes."

"It's not goodbye. We'll be in touch."

He nodded. "Count on it."

She hugged him.

He held her for a long moment. "You take care of yourself, and please let me know if you need anything. Anything. I mean it."

She nodded.

"Keep me posted on Jake, too."

"I will."

He hooked his arm. She threaded hers through his. They got on the elevator. When it stopped on the twenty-third floor, Kasey backed out.

"Thanks again," she said.

"See you soon." He tipped his hat.

She wondered if he was trying to be cute, or hiding how he felt. The elevator doors closed. The chime sounded on the floor above, the penthouse, where he was staying. She turned and walked to her room, humming A Mother's Love.

Chapter Thirteen.

The day after the Raleigh concert, Kasey said her goodbyes to the band members. It was a lot harder than she'd expected, kind of like when she'd left her friends for the summer after school let out.

As the limo moved into traffic, she noticed the glossy white box on the seat. A perfect Tiffany-blue bow crossed over a card-from Cody. He'd done so much for her. Opening the box seemed so final.

Cody isn't the only one that's not good at goodbyes.

She pushed it aside and decided to wait until she got home to open it.

Home.

It was time.

Kasey wondered if Dutch would act as if she'd only been gone a day.

The smooth ride lulled her to sleep. By the time she woke up, she was close enough to home to recognize her surroundings. Her stomach swirled a little when the limousine pulled into the driveway.

Her RV and Porsche were parked side-by-side in front of the house, next to the crumpled metal heap of Nick's truck. Her heart spiked as she relived the moment when she'd seen it in the river. There was no fixing it. She should've sent it to the crusher, but it was hard to let go of anything that had belonged to Nick.

The driver came around and opened her door. She stepped from the limo and stretched while he got her bags from the trunk.

"You can leave them on the porch."

The driver had sweated through his starched white s.h.i.+rt by the time he heaved the last bag onto the porch. Relief washed over his face when he closed the trunk.

Kasey handed him a stack of bills.

"It's been taken care of."

Of course it has. Thanks, Cody.

The limo kicked up a cloud of dust as it drove down the lane.

Leaving her alone.

Standing on the porch, she wrapped her arms across her body and took it all in. Not ready to go inside, she walked down to the yard and followed the edge of the wooden fence that outlined the pastures. The air seemed fresh, the sounds from the animals familiar. Birds chirped and there was that gentle buzz she'd grown to love.

Goats called out as if they recognized her and hoped for a handout. One of the older does came to the fence. Kasey recognized the animal as one of Nick's favorites. She twisted off a small sprig of pine needles from the tree next to the fence and dangled it over. The goat nibbled the needles, then stepped up on the fence with its hooves to get closer, begging for more. Kasey petted her nose.

She brushed her hands on her jeans and sat on the white bench under the trio of river birch trees. She and Jake had spent so many afternoons in this spot while Nick worked the horses and goats. Thunder rumbled and the north sky grew dark. Nick would know if it would rain or not. He'd said he could smell it.

She crossed the yard to the front porch. The swing swayed as the wind picked up. She, Nick and Jake had spent countless hours in that swing. Nick had combed his fingers through her hair and dropped kisses into the crook of her neck. Even now, the memory caused the same s.h.i.+ver of seduction.

Kasey's tears still fell, but not as often. Now her loss seemed more of a dull ache, not so fresh and pink.

Huge raindrops splattered against the metal roof and dotted the sidewalk. She opened the front door, and Dutch ran outside to greet her. He panted and pranced from paw to paw, his tail whacking the front door.

"Calm down, old boy." Thunder clapped in the distance. Dutch ran back into the living room. He hated storms. She rolled her luggage into the foyer just as the wind sucked the front door closed with a slam.

"It's okay, Dutch," Kasey consoled the dog. He looked bigger than she remembered, and grayer. "Did you miss me?"

She walked into the kitchen and flipped on the light. A huge stack of mail cluttered the edge of the counter.

Mostly junk, I bet.

She tucked the phone under her chin and dialed Riley. "I'm back," she said as she sorted through the mail.

Riley squealed. "I've missed you like crazy. How's it feel to be back home."

"Good," she admitted.

"Did you meet the new farm manager?"

Kasey looked out the window toward the barn. "No, and I didn't see a truck out back. He must be gone for the day."

"Maybe. He's working out great."

"Thank you so much for hiring him for me. I wouldn't have known what to ask or where to start."

Riley said, "Don't thank me. That was all Von. I bet Dutch was happy to see you."

"You better believe it. He about knocked me over when I came in."