Chapter 26 #2
“Verne wasn’t supposed to be within thirty miles of the place.
If Kitt had been there, this might have been a very different story.
Off the record, it’s a good thing your men were watchin’ the place.
I try to keep my men close to here,” the sheriff said, dropping his eyes back to the pad and finishing up his notes.
He flipped the small spiral notebook closed and tucked it back in his pocket.
The sheriff didn’t look like he planned to leave, and Austin stood there watching him.
“Being the sheriff around here, it would’ve been common courtesy to notify me of this many armed men in my county,” Wilson continued, his eyes trained on Austin.
“It was more of a stayin’ completely hidden kind of deal, Sheriff. We never intended to do more than keep unwanted attention off my land.” Austin didn’t break the direct stare. He wasn’t going to apologize for being here, or the last few months. They were the best of his life.
“I should’ve been warned of anyone watchin’ the area,” the sheriff added as he pulled his cowboy hat from under his arm and tugged it down on his head.
“I need this to stay quiet. We’ve had no trouble here. If I get some, I promise you’ll be the first to know. I’m stayin’ hidden, and no one’s talkin’ about me anymore. Pretty soon it’s not gonna matter. I’ll be just like every other citizen around here.”
“I guess that’s about it for now. Thank you for your time, Austin. Tell your parents hello for me.” With that, the sheriff retreated down the steps and headed back to his patrol car.
On so many levels, this was the exact reason why Austin had chosen here to hide. No one treated him any differently because of his celebrity status and certainly not the sheriff who’d just walked away from him.
As he walked back inside his too quiet house, Austin looked around with nothing to do.
It had been three very long days since Kitt left, and the cattle drive still wasn’t over.
Did Verne have it out for Kitt? On top of everything else Kitt dealt with, he had an enemy intent on destroying him?
How had Austin not known about this, through all the months he and Kitt spent together?
Austin wanted Kitt home, tucked away safely, never to walk outside again.
The sheriff said it was a good thing his men were keeping an eye on Kelly's place. He didn’t like that at all.
Verne had come after Kitt. If his men hadn’t been there, if Kitt had been at the barn alone…
Austin’s heart seized in his chest at the thought.
Kitt always carried his rifle on his saddle, but what if it hadn’t been close at hand when Verne pulled up?
Did Kitt know the severity of Verne’s intentions?
Verne could have easily pulled the trigger on Kitt.
The pain of potential loss crushed Austin’s soul, and it took a full second to push it aside.
Reminding himself it hadn’t happened, Austin forced himself to do something functional today. What could have been didn’t matter right now. He needed to get his mind off the what-ifs until he could get Kitt safely home. Both ranches were pretty much in lockdown, only doing the minimum needed.
Austin decided he could kill a couple of hours doing some checks on his market reports and checking in with his dad. He ended up talking to his mom and all of his brothers and sisters, trying to kill more time. Even during all those conversations, Kitt stayed foremost in Austin’s mind.
About noon, Austin went to feed the animals.
All the yearlings were locked up tight in Austin’s barn.
Even hurt, Jose felt better about keeping a close eye on them himself.
Austin dropped hay in the feeding troughs, and then drove the property.
An unknown call came through on Austin’s cell.
At the same time, several messages popped up on the screen of his phone.
He bypassed the unknown caller opting for the messages, hoping they were from Kitt, that he’d gotten a signal somewhere along the way.
He smiled, running a finger over the screen and brought his pickup truck to a stop in the middle of the pasture.
He didn’t want to miss a minute if Kitt had time to talk.
The phone number of the message he’d opened came up as unknown, but the image that greeted Austin wasn’t.
It was a picture of Kitt. It was one from his email, the one where Kitt stood partially nude outside his log cabin.
For a long second, Austin sat there confused, looking down at the photo.
Sliding a finger across the screen, Austin pulled up the next message.
It was the picture of Kitt bending down to kiss Fisker.
Jealousy raked his heart, and for a minute more, he wondered why he’d put these on his phone.
The next message was the deed for the land he lived on.
Clarity came crashing in as he saw the New York area code on the phone number.
He opened the next incoming message as his phone alerted him of a voice mail from the same number.
The message was simple: “This is Chrissy from Enquiring Minds Entertainment News. We know you’re in Texas.
We know you live next to Kitt Allen Kelly, and we know these were in your email.
You have until the morning to agree to an exclusive interview to set the story straight before these hit every major market around the world.
Even if you can stop us in the States, you can’t stop us worldwide, but it’s your choice how this plays out. Call me.”
Austin’s heart physically stopped in his chest. They knew. They hacked his email and they knew.
Seth’s call broke the image on Austin’s phone.
Julie, his publicist called at the same moment.
Both must have gotten the same message. He answered one, then the other, putting them on conference as he sat in his truck right in the middle of the pasture, his heart at his knees.
The cattle made their way to his truck, eating the hay from its bed.
“Where’s the breach?” Seth asked.
“My email.” Austin’s heart now hammered in his chest. It wasn’t just that they’d found him. They’d found Kitt too. “Goddamnit!”
Julie said, “Austin, we ignore it and let it happen. They have no real proof. A couple of pictures of another man naked; none of this implicates you. They have no proof you’re involved. It’s two men who aren’t you, kissing. We can get you off the property.”
Seth stopped her seconds before Austin could. “That’s his boyfriend.”
“So? It changes nothing. There’s no proof in any of this that Austin’s involved. We’ll get you across the world and make this a lie they’re trying to put on you.”
Austin could hear Julie typing away as she spoke, already outlining everything just said.
“Kitt’s still gonna be outed,” Austin said lamely.
“He looks like a big boy. A real big boy.” Julie chuckled. The typing stopped and he could feel her eyes staring at the picture he’d secretly snapped. There was absolutely no proof, but he knew in his heart she stared at his Kitt.
Austin’s tone turned hard. “I’m not hangin’ him out to dry.
This will ruin him, and it’s my fault those pictures were taken.
He doesn’t even know I still have them.” Dread filled his heart.
He stared out his front window, but saw nothing other than Kitt’s life being ruined, and in return, Kitt pulling completely away from him.
And that was the very best-case scenario in this deal he came up with.
“Austin, this is easy enough to sweep under the rug. Pay this cowboy off. He’ll be fine,” she said. Austin stayed silent for several long seconds. “Austin, you still with us?”
“He won’t take my money. Seth, get me a car and a flight to New York. I’ll take care of it,” Austin said, ready to end the call.
“From where?”
“Good point. Change in plan. Get me a helicopter here on my property in thirty minutes. I have to try and find Kitt. He’s helping the school out. I wanna leave Dallas within the next ninety minutes.” Austin put the truck in gear and drove slowly through the cows surrounding his truck.
“I’m advising you not to do whatever you’re thinking of doing,” Julie said.
“Don’t respond to Chrissy or anyone, period.
I’ll be back in touch.” Austin disconnected the call and dropped his head to the steering wheel.
What was he going to do? Was this the best plan?
Nothing else came to his mind, and he’d have the entire flight to consider every option.
Palming his phone, he quickly dialed a number.
“Well it’s about damn time you returned a phone call!” Donnie Cliffs of the Late Show answered on the first ring.
“I need to be on the show tonight, but it has to be on the DL. I mean, way down low. No one knows I’m on until you call me out. If you do it, I promise tomorrow’s gonna be a boom for you.”
“All right, can you get here by six?” Cliffs asked.
“I’m gonna try.” Austin popped his head up, and started driving again.
“See you then.”
Austin dialed Kitt’s number, not allowing himself to think about his actions.
The call immediately went to voice mail.
“Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m leaving a note on my kitchen table explaining more.
I’ll keep you posted as I go. I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you no matter what.
Even if you never wanna see me again, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of and everything’s yours, Kitt.
The horses, my land, the farm, it’s all yours.
I love you beyond anything reasonable, more than life itself.
You’re everything to me, and I’ll regret this for the rest of my life.
I’m so sorry for what I’ve done and what I’m about to do. ”
Austin disconnected the call and drove straight back to the house. He’d have no more than twenty minutes to shower, dress, and get to the helicopter. He was ready at ten, and took the other ten to write his note.