AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shook her arm free.
‘To shut you out I’d first have to let you in, Jake, and I’m not going to do that. Not even if you promised me the earth.’
* * *
‘Now that it’s come to it I don’t want to let you go’ Lia asserted.
Finishing stirring the mug of coffee she’d made, she brought it over to the small wrought-iron table where the girls sat for lunch. There wasn’t a lot of room in the basement, where all the stock was kept, but Lia had had a worktop and sink put in, as well as installing a fridge and a microwave oven, so that the girls could have some hot food from time to time.
Lost in thought, Caitlin was jolted back to the present as the petite blonde pulled out the chair opposite and sat down.
‘Sorry, what did you say?’
‘I said I don’t want to let you go.’ Lia breathed out a heavy sigh as she curled her hands round the steaming mug of coffee, her pretty brown eyes not bothering to try and hide her emotion.
Caitlin was genuinely touched. The girls had been friends for a long time now, seeing each other through good times and bad, and it was going to be as much a wrench for Caitlin to relinquish her job as it was for Lia to lose her. She’d always considered the esoteric bookshop to be the best place in the world to work in. Not only was she surrounded by books that had the potential to heal and uplift, but many like-minded people came into the store—and the fact that she worked with her best friend was a blessing.
But for the past week and a half Blue Sky had become more than just a wonderful opportunity to realise a long-held dream. It had become personal. Not only had Caitlin grown to respect and admire her fellow musicians, she was also starting to really care about them too. They worked so hard, were passionate about their music, talented and dedicated to their craft, and when Marcie Wallace had walked out they’d been understandably devastated. Caitlin wanted to help put things right…she wanted to help them realise their dreams too.
‘It’s not going to be easy for either of us,’ she agreed now, sliding her hand across Lia’s. ‘But I’m not leaving for good. I might not be working in the shop any more, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be around. I’ll still live here in the village, and when I come home after touring we’ll see each other every day because I’ll come in and chat and have coffee with you.’
‘I know all that.’ Lia freed her hand and drove her fingers anxiously through her short blonde hair. ‘But if you want to know the truth I’ve been worrying myself sick about you.’
‘Why?’ Caitlin was astonished.
‘Well…going off with a bunch of strangers to God only knows where. How do you know you can trust these people?’
‘Lia, I’ve got to know them. They’re not strangers any more. They’re professional musicians. Jake Sorenson, their manager, is—’
‘Jake is who I wanted to talk to you about.’ The blonde drew a deep breath in. ‘Didn’t you recognise who he was when you first saw him? Don’t you remember there was a “kiss and tell” scandal about him in the papers a few years ago? His wife left him for one of the biggest rock musicians in the world then spilled the beans about their marriage in an article in the papers.’
Lia’s words started to ring a bell. As memory presented a helpful picture of the artist her friend had referred to Caitlin stared at the other girl in shock.
‘I remember. She left him for Mel Justice…the lead singer with the band Heart and Soul. I didn’t realise the record producer she was married to, was Jake.’
‘Well, it was. And the picture she painted of her life with him wasn’t exactly flattering. Did you know she was a model? Not high-profile, but a familiar face in the magazines just the same. The main reason for the exposé was that Jake had promised to make her a star and he didn’t. Apparently she wanted to give up modelling to become a singer. But when they got married and he didn’t come up with the goods she had an affair with Mel Justice and eventually divorced Jake to be with him.’
‘Then she sold her story to the newspaper,’ Caitlin said quietly.
