Part 4 (1/2)
Taylor tossed her head back and laughed. ”Nothing so dramatic. I know you. I've known you a long time, seen other men come and go, but nothing ever sticks. I've wondered if there was some unresolved business with Reid that was holding you back.”
”That's exactly it. The thing is, I have no idea where he is. Jill asked Ashton, but he refused to tell her, so I was hoping you might know.”
”I do know where he is. Buddy talked to him just last week.” The two men had grown up under different circ.u.mstances in Reid's family home in Brentwood but were as close as brothers. ”We spent last Christmas with him.”
Kate's heart beat hard as she waited for Taylor to tell her where she could find Reid.
”You know I'd do anything for you, right?” Taylor asked hesitantly.
”Of course. That works both ways.” Buddy, Taylor and their children had been Kate's Nashville family.
”It's just that I don't feel comfortable telling you where he is without talking to Buddy first.”
”Talking to Buddy about what?” the man himself said as he swaggered into the kitchen, still handsome as the devil at nearly fifty. He bent to kiss his wife and then Kate. ”What're you two lovelies up to?”
Taylor nodded to Kate, encouraging her to tell Buddy what she wanted. For some reason it was harder to say the words to him than it had been to tell Taylor. ”I'd like to speak to Reid about something, and I need to know where I can find him.”
Clearly, Buddy hadn't been expecting her to say that, because he went perfectly still. For a long moment, Kate was certain he'd say no to her.
Buddy opened the fridge, took out a beer and cracked it open. ”What do you need with him?”
”It's a personal matter.”
”You wouldn't happen to be revisiting ancient history, would you?”
”So what if I am?”
”Ah, darlin', nothing good ever comes of that.”
”Ever?” Kate asked, raising an eyebrow, hoping to coax a smile from her friend and mentor.
Buddy shook his head. ”You remind me of my daughters-and my wife. I can never win in a war of words with you women.”
”We've repeatedly encouraged you to quit trying,” Taylor said.
Buddy scowled playfully at his wife.
”Unless you have a good reason not to, you should tell Kate where he is and let them work out whatever it is they need to work out,” Taylor said.
”I can tell when I'm outnumbered,” Buddy said with a sigh. ”He lives on St. Kitts.”
Kate jumped up to hug and kiss Buddy. ”Thank you so much.”
He returned her embrace. ”Don't make me sorry I told you that.”
”I won't. I promise. Will you write down his address for me?”
Buddy hesitated for a moment before he reluctantly got up and walked out of the room.
When they were alone, Taylor flashed Kate a big grin. ”This is so romantic,” she whispered, clapping her hands. ”I want every detail when you get back.”
”Don't jinx me,” Kate said, although it had been a long time since she'd been this excited about anything. She'd never forgotten the heady excitement of first love and how he'd made her feel..
Buddy came back into the kitchen and slapped a piece of paper on the counter. ”If he's not happy to see you, I had nothing to do with telling you where he is. You got me?”
Kate laughed and hugged Buddy again. ”The secret is safe with me.” She released him and grabbed her purse off the table. ”I've got to go.”
”I thought you were staying for dinner,” Taylor said.
”Can I take a rain check?”
”Of course you can.”
”And will you tell Georgia I owe her a full day of shopping at the mall of her choice?”
”I will absolutely not tell her that,” Taylor said. ”She's already unmanageable.”
”Fine, then you think of something that's not as extravagant that I can do with her very soon to make it up to her.”
”I'll think of something.”
”Could I ask one more favor?” Kate said, glancing at Buddy. ”Would you not tell him we had this conversation?”
Buddy s.h.i.+fted from one foot to the other.
”I'd never ask if it wasn't really important.” Kate wanted to gauge Reid's reaction to seeing her again without the benefit of Buddy tipping him off that she was coming.
”I guess,” Buddy grumbled.
”Thank you.” Kate hugged him one more time, kissed Taylor and headed for the door. ”Love you guys!”
”Love you, too,” Taylor called. ”Good luck!”
Chapter 3.
It was, Kate soon discovered, a lot more difficult than it seemed to sneak out of town without anyone knowing. For one thing, she hadn't the first clue how to reach the pilot who flew them to concerts. She also had no idea where her pa.s.sport was, which meant she had to involve Jill.
She knocked on her sister's door just after nine in the morning but had no doubt Jill had already been up for a while.
When Jill didn't answer, Kate wandered inside and found her on the elliptical machine in the bedroom she used as a gym. After exactly one attempt, Kate had declared the elliptical a torture device, even though Jill swore it was the only aerobic exercise that actually worked. Kate much preferred horseback riding.
”What's up?” Jill asked between gasps of air.
”I need my pa.s.sport. Do you have it?”