A Guarded Love Read online

  “Send them to my house.”

  “Okay. Put your phone number and address in my phone, and I’ll make sure you get them,” Landon said.

  Austin and the girls stopped talking and started listening to Landon.

  “The tickets should arrive a month before the concert.”

  “Is that for the Sacramento concert?” asked Austin.

  Lexi turned to her friends. “Yes! He’s getting us tickets for his April concert.”

  Austin nodded his head. “Nice.”

  The girl with the big bow placed her hands over her mouth. “This is so exciting! Thank you, Landon.”

  “This is the most thrilling thing to ever happen to me.” A big smile came from the girl with the glasses.

  “April can’t get here fast enough. Thanks for thinking of us,” said Lexi, handing back the phone.

  “You’re welcome. I had fun with you guys tonight,” admitted Landon. He glanced at Kristin and noticed her staring toward the window as she twirled a piece of her long hair.

  “Are you ready to go?” asked Austin.

  Not wanting to leave, he looked at Kristin one more time. “I am.” They both headed toward the door. Austin turned to wave good-bye. The girls waved back, except for Kristin.

  “Those girls were a lot of fun,” Austin said.

  “Yeah, they were. I’m going to set up a meet-and-greet with them so we can spend time with them after the concert. It will be my little surprise.”

  “Good idea.” Austin turned to look at the girls one more time. “Look at this,” he said, elbowing Landon and gesturing back toward the group of excited girls.

  Landon had already been listening to the shrieks and laughter. When he turned around, the girls were hugging each other and doing little jumps. He smiled and said, “I like those girls.”

  Chapter 3

  “Can we go home?” Kristin asked, her arms folded over her chest. She needed to get out of there and figure out a way to deal with Sam.

  “I don’t know what your problem is.” Lexi placed her hands on her hips. “You weren’t even nice to him.”

  “It was an amazing night,” Amber said. Her eyes sparkled.

  Lexi quickly typed on her phone and shoved several Google articles in Kristin’s face. “Landon is very, very famous. His concerts are sold out. He has had several number-one hits. He’s been on almost every talk show. What he did tonight was special. You could have thanked him for the concert tickets,” Lexi said.

  “I don’t want to go to the concert,” Kristin snapped back.

  Melissa’s jaw muscles clenched. “You should have thanked him.”

  “Listen, I’m sorry that I don’t like country music. I will find a way to say thank you to Landon,” Kristin lowered her voice and she hung her head. Why was Sam stalking her?

  “Let’s go home,” said Melissa. “I don’t want anything to ruin tonight.”

  Kristin felt horrible about what she had said. The problem was Sam. “I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin tonight. It’s been a long day and I’m not feeling myself.” She hoped they understood her apology was sincere.

  “It’s okay.” Melissa gave Kristin’s back a quick rub.

  Amber’s attention was drawn to Lexi. “You’ve got the silliest expression on your face.”

  In a dreamy voice Lexi said, “I’m reliving tonight. I think it’s going to be hard for me to sleep.”

  ***

  Sleeping in would have been a luxury, but Kristin had to finish her research paper for her music history class. It was on Benjamin Franklin’s musical invention called the glass armonica. It was her top priority. Hopefully, tomorrow she could find some time to unwind. Eating strawberry-flavored oatmeal, she pondered on how different life would be when her piano career took off. Looking around the small, plain student apartment where none of the furniture matched, she let her mind wander. Two computers were sitting on a pop-up card table. Sheet music littered the kitchen table, living room couch and Kristin’s bed side table. A few floral pillows placed on the couch added a touch of cozy charm. But she was ready to put student life behind. Swallowing her last bite of breakfast, she grabbed her backpack and headed out the door.

  “What the….” Kristin’s stomach spasmed with anxiety as she faced a group of people. Some were yelling her name and others were taking her picture. One woman talked into her phone. The group started to swarm up to her front step. This must be a mistake. Why would so many people be interested in her?

  “How long have you and Landon Ross been dating?”

  “I’m not dating Landon.”

  “Are you going to meet up with Landon right now?”

  “There must be some misunderstanding.” Kristin felt her breakfast creeping back up her throat. It was a sinking, sickening feeling. She couldn’t make this group understand. She really wanted to go back into her apartment. Who was laying on the car horn? Kristin looked toward the sound and saw that it was Lexi. Relief flooded through her; Kristin knew that Lexi would help her escape from this group.

  After pushing her way through the crowd, Kristin hit her head trying to get into the car. “What’s going on?”

  “That’s the paparazzi. They’re trying to find out more about Landon.”

  “Why would they think that I know anything about him?” Kristin fastened her seat belt.

  Lexi was watching carefully to avoid hitting all the people who were gathering around the car. “There’s a picture of you and Landon from last night that went viral.”

  Kristin turned to look at Lexi. “What picture?”

  “Someone took your picture last night when Landon was rubbing your arm, and now everyone wants the inside scoop.” Lexi finally maneuvered the crowd.

  Kristin rubbed her temples with shaky hands. “How did you know this? You were gone when I got up.”

  “I was at the library with my study group when I got a text from Landon. He saw the picture on the Internet. He’s dealt with the paparazzi before, and he wanted to make sure you were okay. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer your phone, so I came to check on you.”

  Kristin closed her eyes and took three deep breaths. Her knee bounced with a quick pace. She thought back on last night and didn’t remember anyone taking her picture. Sure, there were many people pulling out their phones once they realized Landon Ross was in the club, but she didn’t remember anyone directly pointing a camera at her. To be honest, she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings. She had been so distracted by Sam’s unexpected appearance. “How long do you think the paparazzi will be at our place?”

  “I don’t know, but Landon wants to meet us somewhere private so he can talk with you.”

  Kristin looked out the car window, mumbling to herself. “I’m doing okay. Once they discover that I’m not dating Landon, it will be over… Hey. How did Landon get your number?”

  “I put it in his phone so he would have my contact information for the concert tickets.”

  “That makes sense, but I don’t need him to meet with us. I need to get to the library.”

  “He’s already on his way. Besides, he’s worried about you.”

  Kristin folded her arms and mumbled, “Okay, fine.” She stared out the window, the knot in her stomach seeming to multiply. Her head spun. Someone must have known how valuable a picture of Landon would be. She wiped her hands on her jeans. “You know I don’t think I can study now. Let’s go to the music studio and I’ll play the piano for a while.”

  Lexi looked at Kristin. “Are you okay?”

  Kristin tried to smile and hoped it didn’t come out forced. “I’m hanging in there.”

  “I think playing the piano is a great idea. It’s going to take Landon about forty-five minutes to get here, so you should be feeling better by that point.” Lexi placed her arm around Kristin’s shoulder and gave her a quick hug.

  ***

  Kristin sat at the piano and tried to play a piece by Vivaldi. She had a hard time concentrating as she repla
yed the events of last night. Pushing herself away from the piano, she paced the floor. The music studio was usually her sanctuary, but not today. Running her hands through her hair, she approached the piano bench once again. Lexi plopped herself down on the avocado green couch and watched Kristin.

  Taking a deep breath, Kristin closed her eyes and softly touched the keys. Slowly, she started playing the music and felt the problems of the day fade away. Soon she was finally lost in the music, only to be interrupted by the muffled sound of Landon’s voice in the hallway. Kristin jumped from the piano, ready to get some help, and headed to the door. She almost plowed Landon down.

  “Whoa. Are you okay?” Landon asked.

  “Yeah. Sorry I crashed into you.”

  “Hey, Kristin. I’m sorry about everything. I’ve should have known better than to think I could attend a club like a regular person.”

  Kristin wiped her hands on her jeans. “It’s not your fault, but I don’t know what to do about this.”

  Landon was busy looking at his phone. “We need to lay low. It will die down soon.”

  “What are you looking at?” Lexi asked as she joined them.

  “I’m looking at different news feeds and social media. The picture is everywhere.”

  Kristin quickly turned on the computer in the classroom. The first thing she saw was the story and the picture from the previous night. A yelp escaped as her mouth fell open. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed this situation would go away. When she dared to peek at the screen, she saw the words “Landon’s Mysterious Woman.”

  “Does this happen to you often?” she asked.

  Landon took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “More often than I would like. They take pictures and lie. I’m sorry that you got involved in this but I’m going to help you until it blows over.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “So, what do we do now?” Lexi asked.

  “I’m waiting to hear from my security team,” Landon explained.

  An announcement from the computer drew their attention.

  “Again, Landon Ross has another woman in his clutches. He goes through women like a revolving door at the Ritz. So, who’s his new flavor this week? If anyone knows this woman, please text, email, or call us with her name. I wish this girl good luck. But act fast. If history holds true, she won’t last long,” the blonde reporter said. She acted a little too perky to be reporting such devastating news.

  Both girls turned to stare at Landon.

  Kristin’s face became hot and her eyes narrowed intentionally. “You’re going to ruin my reputation because you’re a player!” She feared if her name was associated with Landon’s that the public might think she was that type of girl.

  Landon’s jaw clenched and his body went rigid. “I was rubbing your arm because I hurt you. Also, that nonsense you’re watching is a gossip show. They don’t report the truth. For example, are we dating?”

  “No, we are not. But there has to be some truth, or they wouldn’t want your picture so badly.”

  “My picture makes them money, and if they have to create a story to go with it, they will.”

  “Kristin,” Lexi interrupted in a soft voice, “Landon didn’t know this would happen. But we need to make a plan to leave this building. I looked out the window and I saw some photographers walking around. They must have followed us.”

  “I’d better use the restroom before we leave,” Kristin said grabbing her backpack.

  “Hurry.” Lexi reminded Kristin.

  Kristin rolled her eyes.

  ***

  Landon remembered the first time he was in a tabloid. He was floored because they made it look like he was partying with several women all at one time. It was everywhere on social media. Fans started asking him about it on Facebook and Twitter. They let him know how disappointed they were in him, partying like that. It took a while for the story to go away. Most of his fans seemed to forgive and move on, but he lost his credibility forever with others. Some people believe everything they read in the media. Landon learned that it didn’t do any good to let the gossip affect him because people will believe what they want to believe. Hopefully, others would really see him for what he was. This story didn’t only affect Kristin but him also.

  Lexi approached him. “Kristin has no idea who you are.”

  “In a way, it’s kind of refreshing. I mean, she’s not falling all over me.”

  “I don’t think she can stand you.”

  “I know.” Landon dropped into the nearest armchair.

  Lexi went to look out the window.

  The jury was still out about Kristin. She was a beauty, but to be chewed out when he was trying to help her didn’t sit well. The prickly vibe she projected made him wary. Helping her get out of this mess and never seeing her again seemed like the best plan.

  Kristin entered the room like a woman on a mission. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Are you ready to go?” Landon asked, standing up.

  “I don’t think I should leave. I need to get to the library to write my paper.”

  “Can you do your research online?”

  “Yes.”

  “I need you to come with me. It’s just for a few hours until my security team puts together a plan.”

  “Is Lexi going with us?”

  Lexi jumped in. “Oh, I’m coming with you. I don’t want to face those vultures.”

  The door opened, and all three of them froze. In walked a girl who looked like she just got out of bed. Her hair was thrown up on her head in a messy bun and she was wearing pajama pants.

  “Jessica, what are you doing here?” asked Kristin.

  Jessica had a furrowed brow. “When we talked on Thursday, you said we could practice today. I’ve been looking for you. I went to the library, but couldn’t find you, so I came over here. Did you see those people outside?”

  Landon recognized the familiar look of awe that girls get when they recognized who he was. This girl’s face went bright red. She discreetly removed her glasses and put them in her purse. Then she ran her fingers over the loose strands that were covering her face and tried unsuccessfully to make them stay back. “Are you working on a musical number with Landon Ross? Is that why there are so many people out front, because they know Landon’s in here?”

  “Um, no, we’re involved in another project. I’m sorry to have to do this, but I won’t be able to help you today. Can we reschedule this for tomorrow morning?”

  “I’m going to have to rearrange some things, but I should be able to do it.” Jessica’s shoulders slumped.

  Landon finally got the text from Rob. “Let’s go.” He led the way.

  “Wait. Where are we going?” Kristin grabbed his hand to stop him. She didn’t let go of his hand and he was surprised how natural it felt.

  Landon released her hand as he turned toward her, dialing Rob’s number as he talked. “I have everything taken care of. I’ll explain once we get out of here.”

  Kristin turned to Jessica. “Text me what time works best for you tomorrow. Thanks for being so workable. Again, I’m sorry about this.”

  Kristin and Lexi followed closely behind Landon. He led them down some stairs that went under the stage, following Rob’s directions. They were walking toward an underground hallway.

  He could barely hear Kristin’s hushed voice behind him as she whispered to Lexi, “I didn’t know this was down here.”

  “How does Landon know where he’s going?” Lexi was practically running to keep up with him.

  “Maybe the person he’s talking to is giving him directions.” They kept walking until Landon spotted the stairs Rob was describing. Once the group reached the top, Landon opened the door that led outside.

  “Head to that silver Durango,” he said, holding the door.

  Chapter 4

  Landon followed the girls as they ran to the car. Kristin dropped her backpack. Landon picked it up and handed it to her. He noticed her hands were trembl
ing. Once he made sure that Kristin and Lexi were safe in the backseat of the car, he climbed in the front seat.

  Landon noticed that Lexi wasn’t as nervous as Kristin. Her smile gave that away. Kristin had a scowl that he caught while looking in the rearview mirror.

  Kristin held his gaze. “Where are we going?”

  “I need you to understand that I want to fix this situation and keep you safe. From my experience, the press will not let this rest today. If I don’t get you out of there you won’t be able to study. Instead you’ll be playing ‘Dodge the Reporters.’”

  Lexi was grinning ear to ear. “Whatever you have planned, I’m in.”

  Landon did a quick look to make sure they weren’t being followed. “Once your apartment is secure, you can go back.”

  “This is exciting. I can’t wait to see your house. Where do you live?” Lexi asked.

  “I live near Grass Valley.”

  Landon looked in the mirror again. Kristin had her eyes closed, rubbing her temples. “It’s the best I can do on short notice,” he said.

  “That’s an hour away,” Kristin said.

  “I’m aware of that.”

  Kristin laid her head on the back of the seat. “How did you know there was an underground hall?”

  “My security team told me. That’s who I was talking to on the phone. They worked with the campus police to plan our escape. A diversion tactic was in place. The reporters were drawn to the other side of the campus by following my double. It seems to have worked because we were able to leave undetected.”

  Landon saw Kristin’s eyes widen.

  “You have a security team, like bodyguards?”

  “Don’t sound so shocked.”

  A faint smile appeared. “I didn’t realize you were such a famous cowboy.”

  Landon swallowed hard. “You’d be amazed what you could learn about me. I’m not really a cowboy, even though I love country music.”

  “I noticed last night that you were wearing a cowboy hat and boots.”

  He couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from pulling into a mischievous smile. “You noticed me last night, huh?”