Free What We've Become (My Kind Of Country Book 2) by M. Lynne Cunning Page B

gripping the passenger door handle tightly, didn’t much like her driving abilities here, either. Making a slight detour for Starbucks had made the trip longer, but the bold aroma drifting from the cups made it all worthwhile.
    Balancing the tray of coffee and hot chocolate, Katie led Mason to the doorstep and let him ring the doorbell, glancing at the address scrawled on the paper once again before shoving it into her coat pocket.
    Chad answered the door with a wide smile, his thermal long sleeved shirt and jeans giving him a comfortable look. He only wore socks on his feet, and Katie idly wondered if she had ever seen him without his boots on.
    “What took you so long?” Chad directed his question toward Mason jokingly, ushering them in out of the wind.
    “Mom got lost trying to find the Starbucks.”
    Chad burst out laughing, biting his lip to suppress his amusement. “She’s got a mean caffeine addiction, Mason. We both know she would go to the end of the world for that stuff.”
    “I got a peppermint hot chocolate there, though, so it’s okay.” Laughter erupted again and Chad high fived Mason.
    “I’m standing right here,” Katie reminded them as she followed them down the staircase into the basement. The stairs themselves may have creaked under their weight, and seemed in need of some repair, but the basement opened up into an incongruently modern setting, causing her eyes to grow wide.
    “Wow,” Katie whispered.
    Mason was already ambling forward, running his hands along the edge of the sounding board, a mixture of switches, buttons, and little levers greeting him.
    “For the love of God, don’t touch anything!” she exclaimed. Chad put a gentle hand on her shoulder, amused at her fearful concern.
    “It’s okay, he’s fine.” He turned to the young boy. “Go ahead and check it out, pal. I’ll show you how to use it all in a second.”
    They watched as Mason shimmied out of his coat and tossed it on the back of one of the chairs pulled up to the equipment, crawling onto the chair to get a better view. Katie held out the tray.
    “I bought you a coffee. I didn’t know if songwriters and singers required coffee for the creative process, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
    Chad pulled one of the paper cups from the tray, his smile still plastered across his face. “Coffee always makes things better, and I doubt any creative person will ever tell you any different.”
    “I’m glad to know my search for a Starbucks wasn’t in vain then.” She undid her jacket and hung it on one of the hooks by the staircase. “Are you sure he’s okay to be playing with that?”
    “He’s fine, Katie. It’s a new gadget for him to play with. Maybe he’ll—” Chad went silent as footsteps clomped down the stairs. A man with greying hair appeared, holding up his hands in surrender.
    “Sorry to interrupt, Chad. I just wanted to let you know we’re leaving for the evening. You can lock up whenever you’re done.” The man turned his attention to Katie, jutting out his hand. “Sorry for the rudeness. I’m Barry, Chad’s manager.”
    Katie shook his hand gently. “I’m Katie. Good to meet you.”
    She watched as his dark eyes bulged suddenly. “You’re Katie?” He sent a questioning glance over at Chad, and her uncertain glance followed.
    “Yes, Barry. This is Katie. And that’s Mason, her son.” He tossed his head to the side to indicate the boy behind them, his gaze never once deviating from the direction of his manager. An unspoken truce was made.
    “Ya’ll have a good evening. Good to meet you...Katie.” An amused grin tugged at the corner of Barry’s lips, but he left without another word.
    “What was that all about?”
    Chad waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing. He’s just being an idiot.”
    “He seemed to know me, Chad.” She narrowed her eyes. “What did you tell him about us?”
    “Nothing, I swear it. Obviously, he’s just heard me say your name in passing or something. He