Something like Kate giving a statement to the media.
He huffed and ran his hands through his hair. "Found anything yet?" he asked George.
"Yeah, there're a couple of teasers up on the websites. Turn on the TV." George checked his watch. "I think it will be on the news bulletin."
Adrian did as George asked and then walked over to check the articles. All of them led with the fact that Kate was Kent's niece not his daughter, and that Libby was her nanny, adding stupid comments about women not having to worry, he was still available.
The news update came on, capturing Adrian's attention. He walked closer as someone knocked on the hotel room door. He left George to answer it while he watched the report.
The footage focused on an old weatherboard beach shack that had seen better days. The reporter did her piece to camera, explaining that Libby had brought the mysterious young girl home with her.
The report then cut to footage of the front door opening and Kate standing there with a piece of paper in her hand. Libby was nowhere in sight. The cameraman moved to get a better shot and Libby appeared standing behind Kate in support of her.
The pain was nauseating. Until that moment, he had hoped that maybe it had been a mistake, that maybe it wasn't as he suspected, but pictures didn't lie. Libby was standing behind Kate, obviously complicit in what was happening. Then Libby added her few words further, proving his worst fears.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Ade." Kate's voice was quiet as she came into the room. Adrian turned to face her, not able to even look at the woman he'd put all his trust in.
"It's not your fault, kiddo." No, Libby was to blame for this. He held his arms open. "Come here."
Kate rushed forward and threw herself into his arms. Adrian held her tight, his eyes closed.
When he opened them, he was looking right at Libby.
She didn't flinch.
She wasn't sorry for what she'd done.
God, it cut him to the core.
Adrian broke his hug with Kate and said to her, "I think they'll leave us alone for a while now. What would you like to do for the rest of the day?"
"Libby can show us the city," Kate said, glancing back at Libby.
He could barely look at the woman, let alone spend any time with her. How could he have been so wrong? "I think Libby probably has some editing to do. We can explore the city on our own." His tone was light but there was no compromise to it.
Kate looked back at Libby, her eyes full of apology.
Adrian's cell rang. Relieved at the interruption, he snatched it, but then his heart sunk. Susan.
Surely she hadn't seen this already. It was close to midnight in Houston.
"Susan," he said.
He heard Kate's quiet gasp but focused on what Susan was saying.
"You promised me Kate wouldn't be hounded by the media and yet you let her speak directly to them. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Adrian had never heard Susan so mad. "It wasn't my intention to let her speak to the media. She did it while she was with her nanny."
"You obviously haven't chosen someone who will care for her properly. I've given you enough chances, Adrian. I can't risk Kate's welfare anymore. I will be suing for custody."
No, this couldn't be happening.
Adrian sunk down on the couch. "I'll fight it." He had to. He loved Kate and he'd promised Daniel he would take care of her.
"You won't win." Susan hung up.
Adrian sat holding the phone, staring at it as if he could make it disappear.
"Adrian?" George's voice.
"She's going for custody of Kate." He lowered his head into his hands as Kate wailed, "No, no. I don't want to live with her."
Adrian didn't want to turn around, didn't want to face Libby, but he had to soothe Kate. He half-turned and motioned to Kate. "Come here."
George was leading Libby toward the entrance. Adrian didn't know what he'd do without George there to help him.
Kate dashed over and Adrian pulled her onto his lap. He'd prepared for this conversation even as he hoped he'd never have to have it.
"You need to think about what you want, kiddo. If you lived with Aunt Susan, you wouldn't have to worry about the media and you'd get to be with Jemma all the time."
"Don't you want me to stay with you?" Her voice was small.
"Of course I do. We have a lot of fun and I love having you here, but I want the best for you. If you want to live with Susan and Jemma, I would understand."
Kate's face got that set, stubborn look, so like her father that Adrian's heart ached. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I want to stay with you. You're so much more fun than Aunt Susan. She never has the time to play games."
The relief washed over him like a wave. If Kate wanted to stay with him, he would fight with everything he had to keep her.
He wouldn't let Susan have her.
And the fight would keep his mind off the pain of Libby's betrayal.
Chapter 18
Libby drove home in a daze.
After Susan had called, George had taken her by the arm and led her to the door, telling her Adrian needed some time to think things through.
She'd wanted to refuse to leave, to explain the situation, but then Adrian had said Susan was suing for custody. Libby knew he wouldn't listen to anything she had to say right then. His mind would be on the bigger issue.
Still, Libby couldn't quite believe Adrian hadn't given her the chance to explain. Had their relationship meant nothing to him? Had he just grasped the opportunity to end it now, rather than in a few days' time?
The doubt threatened to overwhelm her, but she pushed it back.
No, she would see them in a couple of days when Adrian had his first concert in Perth. Then she would have a chance to explain.
She pulled in to her drive and turned off the car. As if on cue her phone rang. She checked the display. "Hi, George." She tried to make her voice sound normal.
"Adrian has asked me to call you and let you know your services will no longer be required for the rest of the tour." His tone was pure business.
Libby's jaw dropped. "What?"
"You won't be needed as Kate's nanny. The rest of your contract will of course be paid out."
Libby could barely believe what she was hearing. "But – "
"I'm sorry, Libby. Adrian can't afford any more stunts like the one today."
"He doesn't want to hear my explanation?" She hated the quiver in her voice.
George paused. "No."
Tears welled in her eyes and she forced them back. The lump in her throat was hard to swallow. "Tell them both I'm sorry and if there's anything I can do to help, they just need to ask."
"I will." George hung up.
Libby sat there trying to stem the tears. She wouldn't cry over this. She'd known it wasn't going to last. She'd told herself she wouldn't cry when it ended. It had just ended before she'd expected it to.
Losing her battle against the tears, she forced open her car door and rushed up the porch. When she finally got her front door open, she stumbled through and slammed it behind her. Then she gave in to the urge, sank to the ground and sobbed.
***
Libby didn't know how long she sat there for, just that the warmth of the day was dissipating, being replaced with a chill. Slowly she got to her feet and went into the bathroom to wash her face.
Staring in the mirror she examined herself critically. Her eyes were red, her cheeks were blotchy and her plain brown hair hung straight and boring to her shoulders. Really, when she looked at herself, it was a surprise that Adrian had wanted to spend any time with her. Maybe all she had been to him was a convenient body.
She pressed her eyes shut.
No, surely she'd learned from Clint. Surely the way Adrian had behaved showed her he cared.
Or was she so desperate to be loved that she had imagined something that hadn't been there?
Again.
Libby splashed water on her face, patting it dry with a handtowel. She had to find something to do. She couldn't spend the rest of the day questioning her relationship or lack thereof with Adrian. She had to keep busy.
Her writing wouldn't help her now. Her concentration was shot.
Instead Libby rang her real estate agent and arranged to go through the unit she'd rented sight unseen.
Half an hour later she was in front of the ten unit complex. It had been built in the seventies with typical brown brick and decorative white metal railings. There was nothing inspiring about it at all, but it was a roof over her head. Libby greeted the estate agent and followed him to the ground floor apartment.
The door opened straight in to the main living room. The orange shag carpet had been flattened from years of use and there were several large brown stains on it. Libby forced a smile as she walked through to the original seventies brown kitchen. The tiny bathroom with shower and basin was also the same brown.