She managed to keep from getting sick until she was a mile from Buddy and Taylor’s house. After pulling the car off to the side of the road, she vomited and then sobbed until there was nothing left. When she was finally able to function again, she drove to Reid’s house and ran upstairs, her heart thudding.

He was out riding Thunder. She was supposed to call him when she was on her way home, but she had nothing to say to him. Apparently Buddy did, though, because she heard Reid come pounding up the stairs a few minutes later.

Kate was throwing clothes into a bag when he stormed into the bedroom.

“Kate, honey…”

The sound of his voice, which had become so familiar and so dear to her, sent a shaft of pain coursing through her as she pulled open drawers and tore clothes off hangers.

“Baby, come on,” he said, taking her arm.

“Don’t touch me,” she seethed. “Get your hands off me.”

As if she’d hit him, he took a step back. “I love you, Kate. Talk to me. Please.”

“You want to talk? Fine. Let’s talk. Was I speaking English when I told you not to pull strings for me? Was I speaking Spanish or French or some other language you didn’t understand?”

“No.”

“Then all I can think is you didn’t respect me enough to do as I asked.”

“I respect you more than anyone in the world.”

Kate laughed harshly. “You have a strange way of showing it.”

“What does it matter, baby? Buddy and Taylor love you, and you’re in good hands with them.”

Incredulous, she stared at him. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“I guess I don’t. You wanted a career in the big time, and you’re going to have that.”

“But I’ll never know if I could’ve gotten there on my own. You took that away from me, and there’s no getting it back.”

“I ran into Buddy when I was in Knoxville. We got talking. I didn’t seek him out, it just came up.”

“When I called you to tell you they were at Mabel’s, you knew they were coming, didn’t you? You told them I’d be there that night.”

Taking a sudden interest in his feet, he nodded.

“Does he know the rest? Does Buddy know about us?”

He nodded again.

Kate shook off his attempts to touch her. “It doesn’t matter, because there is no more ‘us.’ We’re done.” She picked up the bag of clothes and her guitar.

“I don’t want you to go. We can get past this—you love me, and you know I love you.”