Chapter Thirty-Eight
Cowboy Take Me Away

I spent almost a week at Tommy's house in hiding. No one knew where I was and it was something I enjoyed, especially once news of my concert being canceled because of my bus being attacked broke. I had no clue how the media found out but pictures of the inside of my bus destroyed were leaked to the press. It didn't take very long for the police (and me) to realize that the stalker must have taken photos and leaked them. It also didn't take the police very long to tell my security team that the only DNA and trace evidence they found in the bus belonged to either myself, the bus driver, security, and the band all of which were perfectly normal for it to be there since they are in and out of the bus all the time. We even enlisted the help of Billy, hoping he'd be able to find a trace of something. He came up empty-handed though, saying he would keep trying with the limited information he had to go off of. He did tell me that the handwriting from the threatening letters was indeed not a match to the original letter I had gotten. That answered one possible scenario I had but left him and the police with a dead-end and me knowing that this guy was still out there somewhere.

It seemed to bother Tommy more than me that they couldn't seem to catch this guy. As the date for my next concert came looming closer and we both knew I would have to go back into the spotlight, he grew more restless with worry. During my time with him, I helped out at the dojo with the renovations. Frank came along too (of course) and he was getting along really well with Jason and Rocky who were assisting Tommy. Frank naturally told everyone in our friend group that my being here in California needed to be kept secret for obvious reasons and everyone kept true to their word. Trini would come over around lunchtime to spend time with me while the boys worked. She was on bed rest now from work, her looking beautifully pregnant as I had suspected she would. Baby Scott was due a few weeks before Christmas and both mommy and daddy were nervous and excited about it.

The morning of my Reno concert, Billy brought the boys over to see me before I left and they went to school. I felt bad because I hadn't seen them very much during my time here but it felt safer that way. It was also good for Tommy and I to get that one-on-one time, even with Frank in the house with us. He did a great job of giving us space when we needed it so that he wasn't right underfoot the whole time. I ate breakfast with the boys, listening to Xander talk about a science project Billy had been helping him with while Ethan was chatting about a winter formal dance they had announced at school. It was a very surreal moment for me as I sat there with them, feeling like a parent as I listened. I wondered for a moment if this was what being a stepmother felt like. If it was, it was something a girl could get used to.

Billy rounded up the boys to head to school while Frank went to his room to pack up his things. Both gave me hugs before heading out the door, Billy telling me to be safe and to check in with any new leads I heard of to help him with the investigation. I had faith that between Billy trying to solve this and Frank protecting me, I was in some good hands. He was driving me to the concert himself, another security detail hanging out here to keep an eye on things after we were gone. Tommy helped me pack, neither of us speaking as we did. It wasn't a tense or uncomfortable silence. It was heavy with something that edged with fear and uncertainty. Of what, I wasn't sure. We were in a better place now than we were when I first arrived. But a part of both of us knew that there was a slim chance that I was going to leave today out the front door and fall victim to this person trying to hurt me. It was something that sent a shiver of fear down my spine, causing me to shove the thought as deep into the crevices in my brain as I could, denying it any daylight.

As I zipped up my bag, Tommy cleared his throat quietly behind me. I turned to face him, seeing him force a smile to his lips. "Don't do that," I said softly, stepping towards him.

"What?" He asked.

"Pretend that you're okay with me leaving," I replied. "I'm scared too, Tommy."

"Then stay. Tell the label to cancel the rest of your tour or at least your shows until they can catch this person."

"You know I can't," I whispered. He nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets. "And you can't root up your life and come with me."

"I know." He said in a tone that was lined with his regret of the situation. I had overheard him talking to Jason about the possibility of going with me on the tour to make sure I was safe. Thankfully, Jason had talked some sense into him before I needed to. He had the boys and the dojo here that needed him and I had the best security the label could supply me.

"I'm coming back to you." I said, putting my hands on his chest. "I promise you. Frank is going to keep me safe. The whole security team is going to do everything in their power to make sure this guy can't get anywhere close to me. The band too." His arms snaked around me, holding me close.

"You need to check in with me throughout the day, okay? Just so I know you're okay and everything is going smoothly." Tommy and I had discussed my first night here about increasing our communication when I'm on the road. We agreed to more phone calls and we both have been trying out text messaging. I wasn't too keen on it yet because of how long the T-9 typing seems to take to learn but it was helping us stay in contact. I wasn't going to have my things back from the bus yet, restricting me to just phone calls until I got my computer back. Plus, I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be by myself in my hotel room I'd be in for me to have enough privacy for Tommy and I's usual webcam conversations.

"I will call you every time I'm on a break and right before I go on stage every night." I replied. "You check in too. I want to know about how the science fair went and all the prep for the dance for Ethan. And there better be pictures."

"I promise." Leaning in, Tommy pressed his lips to mine. The kiss felt different than the ones I usually get when I leave him for a long time. This one had a hint of urgency in a life-clinging manner. It reminded me of when we were on the Rangers, before heading off into big battles together where the fear of not making it home would creep in around us. As he pulled away, he put his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you. I keep thinking of all these awful things that could happen to you. It's almost this blinding fear that I can't shake."

"Hey." I whispered, putting my hands on his cheeks. He opened his eyes and I could see a slight shimmer of tears to them that caused a dull pain in my heart. How could I imagine that this man was drifting away from me? "As long as I have you to come home to and you in my heart, I will be able to survive anything life throws at me. I will fight for my life as long as it means that I get to spend it with you." I kissed him again, each of us clinging to the other like we were never going to see one another again. Internally, I made a promise to myself that if I ever did come face to face with my stalker, I would make him suffer for what he's done to us. To this family. For causing this fear to ripple through everyone, putting me in the center of everything in their lives where I didn't want to be.

I won't be that pink-cladded damsel in distress anymore.

After saying a long goodbye to Tommy, Frank and I drove to Reno. We were supposed to fly but Frank didn't want my name to be on any flight manifestos to track so he opted to drive. I felt like I was leaving a piece of me behind as we headed out of California. I sighed, leaning back in the seat as I fought tears that stung the back of my eyes.

"He's a good egg." Frank said from the driver's seat, eyes flashing over to me for a second. "I like him."

"Really?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah. Any guy willing to take care of you like that without much notice is a good one to keep around."

"I think so too," I replied. "I wish I didn't drag him into this mess though."

"True. But sometimes, ya gotta wade through the messes for the people that you love. If he didn't want to be there, he wouldn't be." He passed a little silver car, gliding from lane to lane with ease. "My wife one time had issues with an ex-boyfriend. It was before we were even together and she was still in college. I was new to the force then and we met at a bar one night. Hit it off really well and I got her number. After a couple of dates, she told me her ex-boyfriend kept showing up at school at some of her classes. He would wait for her outside the lecture hall or try to get one of her classmates to give her a message to come out. Really freaked her out after a while. She didn't want to go to the police because she felt stupid but when he started breaking into her car to leave her things, she broke down and finally told me."

"That's terrifying. Did you arrest him?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nope." He said, popping the P with an air of annoyance in his voice. "When I went to my superior officer, I was told to not let my love life get in the way of the job. He kept on harassing her and she even tried to report it without me. So, I eventually had to take care of things myself."

"How did you do that?" I asked. He grinned, glancing over at me.

"Kicked his ass all over her driveway when I caught him out there, looking in her window one night. Dude could barely walk or talk when I was done with him. I told him that if I saw him there again or if he came anywhere near her, I'd shoot him with my gun without as much as a second thought. He took off running and she never saw him again."

"That was risky to do. You could have lost your job. You could have been arrested for assault or threatening him."

"Yeah, I could have. But it was worth the risk knowing that my girl was safe. Just like how Tommy knows the risk involved and what he's willing to do in order to make sure you're safe. Look at what you did to protect his kid when this psycho was chasing you down. You put your life on the line to make sure the kid made it back home that night. If that's not love, I don't know what else is." Glancing over at Frank, I thought about what he was saying. I had thrown myself in front of Xander that day. I couldn't let anything happen to him. I did it without even giving a second thought because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he didn't walk away from that crash. He and his brother were two of the most important to me right now. We were a family. I hadn't realized it until now how close we had all come. I viewed them as mine to protect, kids that I'd be willing to die for. The four of us had formed this little family, building this vision I've had in my mind since the moment I met Tommy all those years ago.

"I gotta protect what's mine," I whispered. Frank nodded.

"Damn straight, mama bear. And we're gonna protect them together."

I won't lie and say I didn't have borderline crippling anxiety when it came to walking out on stage in Reno. My hands had shaken the entire time it took me to walk from the green room to my mark, waiting for me to run out on stage. If it hadn't been for the pep talk from Frank and then Tristan back in the green room before the band was due on stage, I don't think I would have made it out there. But I did, performing a killer show. I couldn't help but watch from the corner of my eye, scanning the audience to see if I spotted any strange figures watching me. In the bright lights, it was hard to see past the pit seats though and I didn't think my stalker would be standing in the front row. I pushed the worry down and pressed on, wrapping the show-up and hopping back in the car to head off with Frank to our next show.

As promised, Tommy and I kept in closer contact than we had before. It felt like we were on the phone more than we were the entire time we dated in high school. It was nice having him in the background while I got ready backstage or when Frank and I were driving to the next city. I was missing the luxury of the bus, not having space or the option to sleep while traveling but I turned the label down when they offered me one until mine was ready to use again. I wanted mine and I didn't want them to have something to hold over me when it was time to confront them about my contract. Tommy and I had spoken about my concerns when it came to that but I had left out the part about me wanting to move back home to California. The reality of the fact he might not want to live together was evident to me given our conversation while he and the boys were in Nashville. Instead, I figured I would buy my own house somewhere around Angel Grove and use it as a place for me to live and record until we were ready for whatever next step it would be.

All depending on which label would have me of course.

I know I had sounded confident and sure of myself when I had told Shayna about my wants and demands at Tommy's but when she called me up the day before my last concert to let me know that the label was agreeing to meet with me the day after the concert to discuss how my future at the label was going to look, I immediately felt like I was going to keel over from anxiety. Shayna had drafted up a proposed contract for them to review a couple weeks before that following our conversation and they apparently felt it warranted a sit-down meeting. Shayna keeps reassuring me that it was a good thing but as we inched closer to that moment, the fear keeps growing.

My last concert was in Columbus and it was completely sold out. It was a great show, us slipping in some of my singles from the Christmas album that was dropping the following week. Every time I sang the one that I had performed with Tommy and the kids, it brought a big smile to my face. I was looking forward to the time off after this leg of the tour was over and for the holidays. Since Trini wasn't going to be able to fly out for my Christmas show, we had all agreed to spend the weekend at Trini's parents' campgrounds for a friend's Christmas the first week of December. I was looking forward to going with all of my friends and the kids, spending quality for the first time since I had gone back home to save Tommy. I was going to have to fly off to DC a couple of days after that for rehearsals of the show and to figure out some things for that but everyone (minus Jason and Trini) would be following me for the holiday. After the Christmas special, I would be free to spend the next two months in California with my little family.

Frank and I drove all throughout the night to make it back home to Nashville for the big meeting. Shayna had offered to fly me home but I felt bad leaving Frank behind to drive by himself. We rolled in a little after 6 am, giving me time for a quick nap and a shower before Shayna came walking in the front door a little before 8. We were due at the label by 9 and the moment I saw her, I knew she was worried.

"I thought you're supposed to be the confident one here," I said, pinning my hair up in a bun on the back of my head.

"I am confident. I am confident that only one of us might have a job after this meeting and it's not me." She muttered, sitting at the island.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I got a text from Janet, the receptionist. She told me she overheard the executives discussing our meeting when they were leaving last night. I haven't earned any favors, that's for sure."

"Why? Because of me?" She shrugged.

"Could be anything with them. However, it doesn't matter. What matters is making sure that you walk out of there with everything you deserve and more creative rights. They've had weeks to look over what you want and I'll be damned if they don't give them to you." She straightened out the powder blue blazer she was wearing and squared up her shoulders. "Even if it's the last thing I do before filing for unemployment."

Since Frank had driven all night, he swapped out shifts with Linda who was eager to give us a ride to the label in downtown Nashville. It had been a long time since I had been here last, possibly since right before the planning of this tour started. It was a large office building that was mostly red brick and black glass on the outside, the name of the label in neon on one of the windows. Linda Parked in the parking garage and then escorted us inside to the third floor, using a keycard to get access inside. Janet, an older woman in her sixties was sitting at the front desk as we walked in. She gave Shayna a small smile before picking the phone up to let someone know that their 9 am meeting was there.

Us.

Linda let me know she'd wait out in the waiting room for me to finish. I nodded as the door to the large conference room opened and Ben, the one who had come to my house when I was driven off the road, walked out. He held the door open, smiling at Shayna and I. Shayna glanced at me, jerking her chin in a slight nod towards me before grabbing her briefcase. I followed behind her as she headed into the conference room. For someone who was worried about getting fired today, she sure had an air of confidence around her that made me think she was the boss of the place. She set her bag down on the floor next to one of the free office chairs that circled a large wooden rectangle-shaped table before taking a seat. I sat next to her, noticing that all 12 of the board executives were here today. I suddenly felt like I was sitting in the principal's office, about to be read a riot act for getting in trouble during recess or something.

"Gentlemen, thank you so much for meeting with us this morning," Shayna said, pulling out a folder from her bag. She slid a stack of papers and a memo pad out and then set another stack in front of me. It was her proposed contract. She placed two pens there as well, one for each of us before setting her bag back down. "I know we all have very busy schedules to keep so I will respectfully keep this as brief as possible."

"Of course." The man sitting directly across from me said. Mr. Leonard was the head of the label. He had been the one to call me to let me know that my tour would be starting off what seemed like a century ago. I tried to read his facial expression - anyone's really - to see what was going to happen but these men all must be well-versed in poker.

"I hope everyone had a chance to review the contract I sent over. Kimberly and I worked very hard to come up with some of the items she requested in a manner that is a compromise for everyone involved. There are some parts of those that can be up for discussion or negotiation at this point." Shayna stated, looking around the room.

"We did get a chance to review it and discuss amongst ourselves what was being asked. I think you did a very good job of being precise in your choices, Kimberly. There are some issues we did have with it though. Mostly due to your request to relocate from Nashville. There's a concern about your recent safety concerns as well as a history of being a flight risk at times that worry us about your ability to continue to commit to what's needed for this. Are you sure you would be able to make the commute as needed for recording and for being able to attend business meetings while things are getting put together for the next CD and tour?"

"Yes." I said, nodding. "Shayna and I have been putting the numbers together on how to make it affordable on the label and make it more functional for the band and myself. I am going to create a recording studio on my property in California that can be utilized as needed and we've been researching different scenarios on how to divide the time. I will be keeping my home here in Nashville to provide me with a home base while I am staying here. My home address would be in California however." Mr. Leonard nodded, jotting something down in his notebook.

"We also have concerns for your management." He stated, setting his pen down. "I know Miss Hill has been a valuable asset to you over these years as your manager. How would that work if you were to move your base of operations to California?"

"I am flexible to work wherever Kimberly needs me to be." Shayna responded, sitting up straight. "Versatility is the way of the job and I am up to meet the challenge."

"I'm afraid it won't be an option." Mr. Leonard said. My stomach dropped and I could tell that Shayna's did as well as she sat next to me but she didn't even flinch.

"Mr. Leonard, everyone; I need to head back to California because that is my home. I grew up there. Everyone I have ever loved is there including my boyfriend and his children. I cannot ask them to relocate here for my career because their well-being is important to me including their stability. I understand it's not convenient for the label or management or whatever is involved in this whole process but that's just how it needs to be. If it's something that this label is unable to adapt to, then my hand may be forced into looking elsewhere for representation." I said, my pulse quickening. "I've enjoyed my time here with this business and have learned a great deal but I cannot stay with an agency that isn't willing to allow me to work on my career as well as my family. And if I have to take Shayna with me, so be it." I couldn't even picture doing this whole journey without Shayna by my side for everything. If I had to pay her with my own money, I would do it in a heartbeat.

"Well," Mr. Leonard said, crossing his hands in front of him. "I certainly am proud of your passion and love for your family. We spent a long time discussing how we would like to handle this. It wasn't a light decision on anyone's part, that's for sure. At this time, we are going to remove Shayna as your manager as she will no longer be employed here in that role." All the air in Shayna dissipated. "Instead, she will be in an executive position at our newest division that will be developed in Los Angeles and you will be the first artist to help construct it."

"What?" Shayna and I said at the same time. Ben smiled, nodding his head as all the other men in the room glanced at each other. Mr. LEonard nodded as well.

"We have been toying with the idea of expanding to California to open up a broader range of music genres. With your need to move back home, it seems like a great opportunity to explore that endeavor. Shayna, we would love for you to be the head of talent at the new studio while it's being developed." Shayna's eyes widened as she covered her face with her hands.

"Really?" She asked.

"You deserve it." Ben said. "After everything you've done for Kimberly and proving your worth within our company, you are the only person we couldn't even consider for the job."

"That's…that's…wow." She said, struggling for the words as she set her hands down on the table. "Thank you all so much for your confidence in me."

"Kimberly, we sure do hope you're willing to help with this." Mr. LEonard said. "We'd like to keep you as an artist but also look into you helping out with some producing and songwriting for new artists as they come into the business. Would you consider trying that out?"

"Of course," I replied. "I can't thank you all enough for this chance."

"You started the movement. We're just here to make sure everything goes smoothly. The change probably won't go into effect until the new year to give us time to find some space out there. We are hoping you both would be willing to help out with that as well since you'll be in the area. We will help with relocation fees for you, Miss Hill. Anything to help this process go off without a hitch."

We spoke with them all for the next half an hour, clearing up more things in my contract. Since they were granting my wish to relocate, I gave up a couple of my demands. In the end, I was given more creative freedom of the songs I wanted to do, how they would be produced, and talks of the international tour would be finalized in the spring. The executives felt like there was too much risk right now to try to send me there and I agreed. I didn't want to chance to be in a foreign country with someone trying to hurt me. My luck, I'd be stranded somewhere that didn't view stalking women as a crime when he decided to make himself known. But, they also upped my security detail even more and provided suggestions on the safest places to find houses in California. I knew there was nowhere else I would be buying a house though. Angel Grove was my home and that was exactly where I would be living.

Shayna and I walked out of the meeting to the lobby, Ben escorting us out to where Linda was reading a magazine. He shook our hands, bidding us farewell before heading back in. "How did everything go?" Linda asked, standing up from the couch she was sitting on.

"Seems like I will be heading out West for good soon." I replied. Linda smiled.

"I'm happy for you, Kim. I know you'll be happy to be back with your family."

"I sure will be. And I will be holding on to my house here as well so I am thinking you might be invited to continue running that for us."

"More than likely. I know Frank was already looking into the possibility before this. I guess we will see what the outcome is. You girls ready?"

"I think so." We walked out to the car, and climbed in. Shayna sighed, sinking into the leather seat. I grinned, looking over at her. "You alright, Miss Executive?" I asked as Linda started heading back to my house.

"Girl, I could have cried when they asked me that." She said, brimming with excitement. "I can't believe that just happened."

"You deserve it."

"No," She said, shaking her head. "We deserve this. You worked your ass off for everything you've earned today. I was only here to make sure no one tried to hitch a free ride with you."

"You know if my stalker kills me, this will be that sad happiness people talk about right at the end of my bio pic. Just like in Selena's movie." I said, glancing out the window.

"I don't think I can get Jennifer Lopez to pass you in the movie though." She replied. I looked over at her, both of them smiling before breaking out into a fit of giggles. I saw Linda roll her eyes at us in a playful way in the rearview mirror.

"Ladies, let's get you both to the airport before you cause me any more trouble."