Chapter One: Getting to Know Kate

“May I sit here?”

Kate looked up from her magazine to see Josh standing over her. She didn’t particularly care for air travel and usually preferred to travel with the equipment over land. If she were honest, she wanted to be by herself. “If you want.”

Not exactly a rousing ‘yes’, but Josh wasn’t about to be deterred. He slid into the seat next to her.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” she asked. He was notorious for being the sleeper of the bunch.

“If I do fall asleep, do you promise to keep them from stuffing Rollos in my ears?”

She had heard of that particular practical joke being played on him. “I promise.”

“Thanks.” Josh closed his eyes and released a sighing breath. When he inhaled he caught her fragrance. Not sweet and innocent like he thought it would be. The scent made a man think of cool satin sheets and hot sex. He never would have thought Kate would wear such a provocative scent. But then, he didn’t know Kate at all.

Kate sensed his restlessness. “Need a pillow?”

“I’m fine.” Usually, he could nod right off. Not today. Kate’s presence disturbed him. Not in a bad way...Or maybe it was. He had been guilty of something unlike him - he had dismissed Kate as a person. He hadn’t even been aware of it, until other’s began pointing it out. For someone how had a reputation for being a nice guy, he had behaved rather badly towards Kate. Besides Mama Maggie, what do you miss most about home?” he asked her, opening his eyes.

Kate glances over at her seat mate. Why wasn’t he asleep? And since when did he want to carry on a conversation with her? “What do you know about my mother?”

“Only what Joe has told me.”

“When you say ‘home’, are you asking about Orlando or Wisconsin?”

“Which do you consider home?”

“Certainly not Orlando. I’m a mid-westerner born and raised.”

“Then why move to Orlando?”

“My parents moved there when Papa retired. He had a stroke, so I came to help take care of him.” After two severe strokes, Johnny Nicoletti had passed away. “After he died, I didn’t want to leave Mama alone.” Kate smiled and shook her head.

“What?”

“I discovered Mama does pretty well without me. She lives with my aunt, Papa’s sister. She is enjoying a freedom she never had before. I was ready to head back to Wisconsin when I tripped over this job.”

“Lucky for us.”

Kate looked at him. “You think so?”

“I’ve never seen someone so calm in the eye of a hurricane. You make it seem effortless, but I know it’s not. I remember the days when we had no staff - and we were pounding pavement to be heard.”

“I do believe that is the first compliment you’ve given me. Actually, this is the first time you’ve talked to me more than five seconds.”

“I hope you didn’t take it personally.”

“Excuse me? How else was I supposed to take it?” she challenged him. He was known for being the quiet one, many times preferring his own company. It seemed to her he avoided being anywhere she was. What had changed?

“Personally, I guess, but it wasn’t really you. I don’t even know why myself why I’ve been this way.”

“Despite my reputation as a Hun, I’m not all that bad.”

“Who called you a Hun?” Josh felt a sort of outrage on her behalf.

“Anyone who didn’t get things done the way I asked them to do it. Hun is one of the nicer names I’ve been called. I’ve been called a Mama Bear protecting her cubs. Which is much nicer than the ‘B’ word.”

“You aren’t old enough to be a Mama Bear.”

“No, but most of the time people only hear my voice. Why do you think I dress in my no-nonsense clothes and those glasses? I just wish I were a little taller, so I could look down my nose at people.”

He had been told little Kate was a force to be reckoned with. A couple of times, he’s even seen her in action. He’d seen haughty women and large men scurry when faced with the little dynamo. “You could ride on my shoulders,” Josh offered.

Kate shook her head. “Thanks but no thanks.”

“Thank you, Kate.”

“Whatever for?”

“For not holding the way I’ve acted against me.”

“You’ll find I’m not mean-spirited and I generally don't hold grudges.”

“What else will I find out?”

“Depends on what you want to know.” And why he wanted to know it.

“What do you miss about home? I mean you travel as much as we do.”

“Besides Mama...Having a dog. I mean Mama and Aunt Carla have Domino. He’s a great cat, but it isn’t the same.”

“Yeah. A dog on tour can me tough.”

“I even considered it once, but you guys travel by air sometimes - like now. I can’t see putting an animal in baggage.”

“A little one would fit under the seat.”

“I am not a small dog person.”

“How big then?”

“Medium to huge. I’ve never been one for small, yappy dogs.” Kate turned the tables on him. “What do you miss about home?”

“My family. The saneness.” He shrugged. “When we started out, I was nineteen. I guess, I sorta grew up fast.”

“Lake’s age now. That had to be tough on all of you.”

“Yeah, but we believed in ourselves.”

“And look where you are now.”

“I’m amazed all the time.”

“You guys deserve it, I’ve never known a nicer, more down-to-earth bunch.”

He liked Kate, Josh realized. She was a nice person, easy to be with. Why had he not talked to her before? “Okay, here’s a question for you. What is one thing about you no one else knows?”

“Why would you ask such a thing?”

“Everyone is always saying, ‘Kate this’ or “Kate that’. It’d be nice to scoop them for a change.”

“Well...my name is Katherine Elizabeth Nicoletti. My papa used to call me his little Katie Beth.” She didn’t know why it felt so good to share such intimate knowledge with him. “Anybody call you Josh?”

“My family. Childhood friends. Powers that be changed it to my initials when they already had a Josh in the cast. JS didn’t sound so good, so I became JC.”

“I don’t think I’d like giving up my name.”

He shrugged. “I was fourteen. What did I know?”

“My parents didn’t even allow me to have a summer job. I was a surprise - a change of life baby. They were very protective of me - and I was protective of them as they got older. College was a major shock to me. All the smoking, cussing, drinking and sex. I felt like an alien.”

“What did you want to be when you grew up?”

“A mommy. A teacher. I certainly never thought I’d still be single at my age.”

“Your age? What 23 or so?”

“You do wonders for a girl’s ego. Thirty.”

“Thirty? You’re joking!” She certainly didn’t look it!

“No joke. I’ll be thirty in a couple of weeks.”

“Well, I guess I’d better find out what to get you.”

“Why? You didn’t before.”

True enough. He had gone in on some group gift when the occasions called for it but never anything personal, just from him. “I never knew you before.”

“Forget I ever said anything. Let it pass without so much as a whimper.”

That wasn’t going to happen. Her party was already being planned.

“JC?” Joe seemed surprised to see Josh with Kate. It had never happened before.

Josh looked up. “Yeah?”

“Why aren’t you asleep? There are plenty extra seats.”

“Kate and I were just talking.”

“Since when?”

“Since we decided to be friends.”

Had they decided that? Kate wondered but said nothing. For a man who had avoided her so studiously for the last months, Josh was being extremely friendly. She didn’t know how to question the change. “Can I help you with something, Joe?” she asked her old friend.

“It can wait. I was gonna ask your opinion on a wardrobe choice.”

“Don’t. You won’t want it.” She wrinkled her nose. You and JC are the worst offenders in the bad pants category.”

“You don’t like the way we dress?” Josh demanded.

“I know somebody picks those outfits for you. They get paid way too much for bad taste. They may call it ‘cutting-edge’ fashion or whatever.” She shook her head. “Bad Pants. I should know. I dated the King of Bad Pants for years. I’ll never understand the attraction of baggy pants made of ugly material.”

Josh laughed. “You are really out-dated.”

“In my day, if a guy had a nice butt, he poured it into a pair of snug jeans, not lose it in yards of fabric.”

“You are sooo out-dated,” Josh pointed out.

“So be it. You won’t find my butt hidden in huge pants.”

“I do enjoy the view,” Joe sighed appreciatively.

“What make you think I wouldn’t?” Kate retorted.

The trio burst out laughing.

“I’ll remember that,” Josh said. Kate was a surprising breath of fresh air. Why hadn’t he seen that before?

Though Kate didn’t understand the change in Josh’s attitude, she certainly wasn’t about to complain about it. She had understood he was the one who was the father figure of the group, despite Chris being older. Josh was the serious one, the one who took care of business, the shepherd. Having him in her corner could only make life easier for her.

Josh carried two of Kate’s bags for her when they exited the elevator.

“You know, I could get those,” she told him, feeling like a fraud. She was perfectly capable of carrying her overnighter and her laptop.

“You could,” he agreed, “but you don’t need to.”

He stopped in front of her assigned room, waiting for her to open the door.

“You’re spoiling me.”

“Good. You deserve it.”

Unlocking her room, Kate swung the door open, allowing him through first.

“Kate, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she answered absently as she took her laptop from him and began setting up her office on the table.

“How come you hardly ever call me by name?”

“Huh?” She hadn’t really been paying close attention. Had she misheard?

“You never call me JC.”

He had her full attention now. She hadn’t ever put a lot of thought into her address of him. “I guess, it’s because I don’t think of you as initials. I’ve never cared much for the use of initials as names. I mean, unless you had some awful name or such...But Joshua, Josh, now that’s a nice name.”

“Then call me Josh.” He shrugged. “My family does.”

“Won’t that be awkward for you? Answering to two different names?”

“I’ll always know it’s you, Katie Beth.”

She smiled at the use of her childhood pet name. “All right. Josh it is.”

“Thanks.”

Kate back to her computer. After several moments, she realized Josh still hovered. “Anything else?”

“You really think I dress so bad?”

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair. She had a report to email, so she’d better get rid of Josh. “Like you said, my ideas are out of date. What do I know about current, cutting-edge fashion? I certainly couldn’t be called a fashion plate. How you dress is entirely up to you, not me.”

“But you think it’s awful.”

“Well, look at you today. Jeans and a tee-shirt. Not bad.” Though his jeans were much more baggy than she cared for, he didn’t look bad. “It’s when other people dress you, you look like road-kill.”

Josh burst out laughing. “Road-kill!”

“And you let them spike your hair, so it looks as if you’ve had the fright of your life.”

He was still getting over her ‘road-kill’ remark, when he started laughing all over again.

“You asked,” she reminded him tartly.

“Is that why you never go to awards shows with us?”

“That might be part of it.”

“What’s the other part?”

“You’re usually not on the road.”

“And?”

“I have never been asked.”

“Never?”

“Nope. And some of the time you don’t take dates anyway.”

“So, say I asked you to the next one and I promise to dress respectably, would you go?”

“I’d definitely consider it.”

That was something to think about. It would be a great treat for all of them to have one of their favorite people go with them.

“I have one caveat,” Kate added. “If your dresser picks out Joe’s or Lake’s clothes, I don’t want to sit by either of them. In fact, I’d prefer to sit next to Lansten. He usually looks pretty good.”

“What would you wear?” He was really getting into this date thing with her.

“Something age appropriate. Something that would probably knock you all back a little.”

“Really?”

“Really.” She flapped her hands to shoo him off. “I’ve got work to do, don’t you?”

Josh headed for the door. “Later, Kate.”

Josh felt like he was a little boy again. When he was sick and his mother hovered. Hey lay back and Kate tested his forehead for fever with her wrist.

“You don’t feel feverish.”

“I’m not really sick, Kate. My throat’s a little sore. That’s all.”

“We aren’t taking chances. The soup will be ready in another half-hour. You keep drinking water. Did you take your vitamin C?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Once we get to the hotel, I want you to soak in a special bath.”

He smiled sleepily. The pampering was nice. Kate had made the bus stop, so she could get the ingredients for the soup she had made for him in the meager bus kitchen. It smelled wonderful. “You’ll make a great mom, Kate.”

Brushing the hair from his forehead, she brushed a kiss against his brow. “Thanks. You just rest.”

When she walked away, Josh frowned. Why had her soft lips against his skin caused a direct zing between his legs? He wasn’t hot for Kate - and she treated him with motherly affection. She was sweet and caring.

Joe and Chris wandered by and sat across from Josh.

“So, the little mama is clucking around her little sick chick, “ Joe mused. “Wish it were me that she was tucking blankets around and making soup for.”

“She’d do it for you,” Josh stated with certainty.

“Yeah, she would.”

“Weeks ago, you wouldn’t have even thought about telling Kate your throat was sore.”

“No.”

“Ever wonder why?” Chris asked.

Josh had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the way he had just reacted to her innocent kiss. He merely shrugged for an answer.

“You’ll never meet a nicer lady,” Joe stated.

“Kate is pretty neat,” Josh agreed.

Kate appeared, hands on her hips. “Josh is supposed to be resting his voice, fellas.”

“We’d do all the talking, but JC won’t let us,” Joe defended.

“Yeah, tell me another one,” Kate snorted ungraciously. These two were the talkers of the bunch.

Homemade chicken soup. Josh couldn’t believe it when Kate placed a bowl of the rich, golden soup in front of him. The aroma was heavenly. The noodles were even made from scratch. When was the last time he’d been served homemade anything while on the road?

“It may be seasoned a little differently than you’re used to,” Kate warned as she slid into the booth across from him. The small booths and table made the limited eating nook on the bus.

Taking a tentative sip of broth, he found it delicious, a little spicier than he had grown up with, still wonderfully tasty. “Good, Kate,” he announced, “real good.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“I feel like a fraud. All this fuss over a little sore throat---”

“Can cause a cancellation. And if you think it’ll hurt your voice to do the concert tomorrow night, I’m more than ready to call Johnny and ask him to cancel. I don’t want to cause any permanent damage.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“We’ll see.”

“Kate---”

“Save your voice.” She rose to leave him to his eating.

Josh reached for her hand. “Can’t you stay?”

She had no other pressing things to attend at that moment, so she sat back down. When she was seated, she though her would release her hand.

Josh didn’t. Her hand felt so right in his. Small. Delicate. But still capable and strong. Pale against his tanned skin. He kept his hand around hers while he ate.

“You can let go. I won’t run away,” she assured him.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Slowly, he uncurled his fingers, as if he was reluctant to relinquish his hold. Kate felt a tingle of awareness in his sudden interest in her company.

“Sweet Kate, “ he sighed.

“You only say that, because you’ve never crossed me.” She smiled. It was a no-holds-barred, genuine smile. Big, bright and sunny.

“I like you, Kate,” he pronounced.

“I like you, Josh. I’m glad you decided we could be friends.”

“I’m sorry I was a pain in the ass.”

Kate shrugged. “I’ve found if you leave people to their own devices, they come around. If not, you leave them be. I’d heard you could be shy and focused. Either of those traits could cause you to be distant.”

She was being kind. Most of the time, he had deliberately ignored her. When they traveled by bus, it had been a little harder.

“One thing I know about you is that you are a good cook.” Josh had finished his soup. It had been the best he’d ever tasted.

“Thank you, kind sir. More?”

“Please.”

Kate rose to refill his bowl and set it in front of him. “In another hour or so, we’ll get to the hotel. I have a special herb and essential oil bath that should help.”

“Not flowery.”

“Nope.” She ruffled his hair. “You won’t smell like a girl.”

Kate let Josh rest his head against her as she rubbed her hand soothingly across his neck and shoulders. He knew she was only trying to comfort him, still her sexy perfume and her gentle touch was having a less that soothing effect on his lower body. Did she ever realize the reaction he could have to her? He was a fully functioning, red-blooded male - and she was an attractive, loving female. Probably not. Kate saw herself as a mother hen and he, her sick little chick, just as Joe had said. Maybe he was sicker than he thought if his hormones were aimed at Kate!

Pressing her lips to the top of his head, Kate eased away from Josh. “I’ll let you finish eating. I’ll call the hotel and make sure everything is ready for our arrival.”

Josh was only too glad the tabletop hid his current condition.

Once they were settled in at the hotel, Kate appeared in Josh’s room with a small case. He trailed her into the bathroom and watched as she prepared his bath. She stoppered the tub and turned on the taps.

“Adjust the temperature to the warmest you can tolerate,” she told him as she opened the case.

After doing her bidding, he watched as she took a tea ball and put herbs from a little jars in the ball. At the last, she added some drops and screwed the top onto the ball.

“You’re a medicine woman,” he remarked.

“I believe that aromatherapy and herbs can be a first line of defense. Too many times, modern medicine is over-kill. That’s why there are so many resistant germs and viruses out there now.”

“You really are old fashioned.”

“I really am, in some ways.” She handed him the herb ball. “Put this in when you are ready to climb in the tub. Inhale deeply. Soak as long as you like.”

Kate closed the case and walked out of the bathroom.

“Thanks, Kate.” Josh followed her out.

She reached up and kissed his cheek. “You rest this afternoon. Call me if you need me.”

“Okay.”

“Want me to give you a massage later?”

“Uh - no.” Kate’s soft hands on his bare skin would be like playing with fire. He’d disgrace himself for sure. “This should do the trick.” He held up the tea ball.

Kate smiled. “I hope so, Josh. I’ll see you later.”

“She has no idea, does she?” Josh asked the other four guys the next day when they met for breakfast.

“Who has no idea about what?” Chris inquired.

“Kate. She has no idea she can be noticed as a woman.”

“Ah...The Kate Condition.” Chris nodded wisely. He and Josh had been the only ones who hadn’t been stricken. Now, he stood alone. He wasn’t immune to Kate’s charms, but he realized them for what they were. Kate just being her caring self.

“The Kate Condition?”

“Yeah, I had the worse case before I realized she was just being sisterly - or in your case, motherly,” Joe confessed.

“Kate is just so open and caring...You think there could be something more,” Lansten added.

“I felt that way for about five minutes,” Lake told them. “Then Kate very gently put me in my place. Guess it was pretty obvious to her where I was heading. She cut me off at the pass. Now, she’s my sister.”

“It’s easy to mistake the fact that she’s so naturally loving and nurturing as something else, “ Joe said, then grinned. “Mama Maggie put me straight. She told me I was the brother Kate never had. You can’t delude yourself long when the woman’s mother can see how it is.”

“And you just accept that?” Josh demanded.

“Sure. It was plain as day. Kate is my friend. She’s a wonderful friend.”

“I enjoy Kate’s company. She’s real easy to be with,” Lansten added his view point.

Josh had a lot to consider. Kate had been treating him as a mother would a child. His reaction had been male to female. Did any of them get aroused by the mere scent of her perfume? There was definitely something going on - or was he like Joe, merely thinking there was more. Joe seemed even more like Kate’s type, openly friendly.

“But she knows she’s a woman,” Joe reminded the group. “She does things that let’s you know she’s well aware of her female identity. Like her perfume.”

The perfume was beginning to cause erotic fantasies in Josh.

“She approaches sports like a girl.” Lake added. And all but Josh laughed like it was a private joke.

“She dances like a girl. She lets me lead,” Lansten remarked.

“It’s when she’s stuck in the romantic guy/girl thing that she gets tripped up. her last relationship was really tough on her on her ego. She makes light of it, but he really hurt her,” Joe relayed.

“The King of Bad Pants,” Josh remembered.

“That be him.”

“Good morning, all!” Kate cheered as she swept into the room. She was wearing her khakis, white shirt and navy blazer. Along with loafers and her glasses, that was her uniform, her ‘official’ look. Someone was going to get it.

“Mornin’, boss lady,” Lake teased.

“Moi? You’ve got that all wrong. You’re the boss.” She rumpled his curls.

“No, you just let us think that,” Joe taunted.

Kate winked. “You’re right. Is it working?”

“Always does.”

Kate turned her attention to Josh. “How’re you feeling this morning?”

“I feel great. Thanks to you. You took good care of me.”

Her smile was motherly as she ran her hand over his hair, flattening some of it’s spikiness. “I’m glad.”

Josh wondered if she could sense him gritting his teeth. Her touching him was becoming a sort of torture. It felt good. It felt more than good. He didn’t want her stop touching him - and he could imagine other places he’d like to feel her soft hands!

“Well, I just stopped in to grab a sweet roll and run.” She grabbed a confection from the plate on the table.

“Got some heads to roll?” Lansten guessed.

“Such a clever man.” Kate turned to leave.

“Is that all you’re having for breakfast?” Joe complained. “You don’t let us get away with that.”

“I don’t dance all night like you do.”

“You need to eat better.”

Kate was at the door when she called, “So tell my mother!”

“Maybe I will!” Joe yelled.

“Kate, why did you take this job?” Josh asked one day on the bus. They were alone for this first time in a week. A week that had been so crazy, he had craved her quiet company. “If you are wanting to settle down, this isn’t the business for it.”

“I was escaping,” she told him honestly. “My mother didn’t need me hovering - and I had just ended a bad relationship. I didn’t want to return to Wisconsin to lick my wounds.” She shrugged. “I applied and Olivia liked my style.”

He liked her style, more than he style. Kate was drawing him like iron shavings to a magnet. There was something about her quiet yet open demeanor. Kate could be tender and caring, or tough and demanding, or fun and audacious, given the right circumstance. “Are we ever glad.”

“I hear I took some of the burden off you.”

“Yeah, they used to call me ‘Big Daddy’ when I would remind them not too stay up too late or made sure appointments were kept.”

Kate smoothed back his spiky hair, taming it with her touch. “An awful lot of responiblity for one so young.”

Josh wanted to melt in a puddle when Kate touched him. She didn’t know how good it felt when she was close to him. She would probably disapprove of the way he felt. Most certainly a man/woman thing, not mother/son or sister/brother. “I believed in us.”

“You have more time for yourself now, to write or whatever.”

“Some, but we’re much more in demand.”

“Ah, the price of fame.”

“I didn’t really know the personal price I’d pay -- I never thought we’d be this big.”

“You have a girl, don’t you?” She had heard he had been with the same person for sometime.

“Not anymore. I finally got it through my head she was a hanger-on. People'd been trying to tell me she was only with me, because I was ‘somebody’. I didn’t want to believe it, until she acted like a primadonna in public.”

Kate remembered being embarrassed for him when the girl wouldn’t leave her seat to hug or congratulate him at an awards ceremony. There it was for all the cameras to see. Kate had figured maybe the couple’d had a fight before the show and the girl was pouting. “I’m sorry, Josh.”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

Squeezing his hand encouragingly, Kate said, “There’s someone wonderful for you, you just have to be patient.”

Josh turned his hand to lace their fingers together. It felt good just to hold her hand. He was beginning to suspect that ‘someone wonderful’ for him was Kate -- and if that were true, he would need patience. Kate wasn’t looking for him.

Gaining the release of her hand, Kate tried not to let her confusion show. Had something changed in the way Josh looked at her? Or was she imagining thing? Lake, Lansten, and Joe had all mistaken their affection for her as romantic attachment. It was possible Josh was under the same misconception. Until he did or said something overt, she couldn’t correct him. If she was wrong, it would seem like she was full of herself. Poor Josh, he was late coming to the game.

Looking at her, knowing she was trying to figure him out, Josh wanted to kiss her in the worst way. He knew her lips would be soft and warm. Her taste would be sweet. If he kissed her now, she would be flustered and maybe even mad. Besides, privacy on the bus was limited.

As if on cue, Joe and Lansten came to claim seats across from the couple. There would be no privacy this afternoon. That much was certain.

Josh rose. “I’m gonna catch some Z’s.” He headed for the back of the bus.

“Sleep tight,” Kate called. “I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

“Thanks.”

“Josh.” Kate gently shook his shoulder. “Josh, we’re here.”

Rolling over, Josh opened his eyes to see Kate sitting next to him looking sweet and lovely. He wouldn’t mind waking to that face for the next hundred years or so.

His gaze made Kate uncomfortable, a lover’s look. Maybe he had been dreaming...

God, he wanted to kiss that frown off her face and pull her down beside him! Instead, he sat up and scrubbed his hands over his face to erase the errant thought from his mind. This was sweet, capable Kate. He had no business thinking the thoughts he was thinking. “Thanks. I’ll be out.”

Kate rose to leave. “Fine.”