Rock Kiss 03 Rock Redemption(117)

Buzz.

Startled from her happy thoughts by the sound of the intercom, she answered it to find Butch on the other end. “What is it, Butch?” If she had a visitor other than a friend, she’d have to change quickly out of the old cutoffs she was wearing with a sleeveless amber-colored top.

“Your friend, the makeup artist with the blue hair, is here. I figured you’d want her sent up, right?”

“Yes, thanks.” Hanging up, she finished putting her hair in a ponytail and went to the front door to open it. She waved to Becca when the other woman stepped out of a red sports car of the same model as Kit’s black one.

“I didn’t expect to see you today,” Kit said, happy for the company. Noah had gone out to pick up a purchase, and she wasn’t meeting Harper and Thea till this afternoon. “Aren’t you at a shoot today?”

“I’m on break. I had to bring you something!” Becca ran over on high-heeled black boots. She’d paired the boots with a short and tight black skirt, her top a fitted white tee over which she’d thrown a fake fur vest in black with sparkles. On her head was a jaunty hat also in black.

Reaching Kit, she opened her hand.

Gold glinted in the sunlight.

“My necklace!” Kit picked it up. “Oh my God, where did you find it?” A rare, thoughtful gift from her father, Kit had cherished the fine necklace with its diamond pendant in the shape of the comedy and tragedy masks that symbolized the dramatic arts. She’d lost it after forgetting to leave it at home one day, had believed it stolen.

It was the necklace for which her stalker had sent her a “replacement.”

“It was in a corner of the makeup trailer I’m in for this movie—same trailer as with the superhero flick,” Becca said. “I realized that’s where I always put my makeup kit after I worked on you in your trailer between takes. My best guess is that the necklace fell into it and then fell out when I opened the kit.”

“I’m just glad you found it.” Hugging the other woman, she invited her in.

“You alone?”

Kit smiled. Clearly the Noah-Becca relationship would require more work. “Yes. Noah’s gone to pick up a guitar he just bought.” He had an ever-expanding collection—a large part of which was now housed in one of her formerly spare rooms, and the thing was, he used them all.

“These were made to create music,” he’d said to her once. “Not to be hung up in a museum or a rich man’s showroom.”

“Let me grab my purse and phone.” Becca zipped back to the car before coming into the house.

Leading her to the kitchen, Kit set the coffee to brewing, then used the shining brushed steel of the fridge as a mirror to put on the necklace. As she did, she thought back to the day it had gone missing and remembered that she’d been extra careful. Not wanting to lose it, she’d put it in a little toiletries bag, which she’d then placed in a cupboard built into the wall.

It didn’t have a lock, but since the cupboard otherwise held light snacks, she hadn’t thought anyone would bother to search there, even if they got into the trailer.

“Hmm,” she said to Becca. “I don’t think this fell into your makeup kit.”

Her friend froze in the act of eating a cookie she’d grabbed out of the jar on the counter. “You don’t think I took it?”

“No, oh my God. Of course not!” Kit was horrified Becca would believe that even for a second. “I was thinking that whoever stole it might have stashed it in the makeup trailer since there’s always so much traffic there and, for some reason, couldn’t come back.”

“Yeah, could be. We did have a lot of new people on that movie.” Becca smiled. “So how’s the whole stalker deal? Still creepy?”

“It sounds so old-fashioned, but having Noah here really helps.” Kit felt her heart just grow big and hot inside her chest at the touch of his name on her lips. “He makes me feel safe. I know the stalker won’t try anything while Noah’s around.”

“Wow, lot of faith in a guitar player.”

“He’s far more than that,” Kit said, walking over to check on the coffee. “Just give him a chance.”

A shrug. “Sorry. I’m always going to think you deserve better.”

Kit didn’t want to have this conversation again, and this time she decided to be honest with her friend. “Don’t do that, Becca. Don’t put him down.” She knew Noah would never allow anyone to bad-mouth her in front of him, and she hated hearing Becca do that to him. “I love him, and he’s going to be a part of my life.”