Willow Valley (Frank Adler AU) 18+

4

"I've been trying to get hold of you since yesterday, where are you?" 

Hassie sank down further into her chair as Keaton's voice spoke on the end of the line. She'd seen the calls but had avoided answering because she knew he wanted to talk about the potential appearance on his tour. 

"Travelling". 

"Okaaay, well you good to talk now?" He asked, "Our managers have sorted out the date for you to come to Nashville..." 

Yep. There it was. 

"Nashville. Got it".  Was all she said, hoping for the conversation to be done and dusted. But it never was. Not with him. 

He sighed. "Oh c'mon Hass, don't be like that". 

"It's a little hard not to be considering that we only do this crap to keep our management happy". 

"It's not just about that Hass. What if I do it because I wanna keep myself happy? Because it makes me?" 

"Should've thought about that before sticking your dick in a supermodel then". 

She was still hurt, even after six years years, but at the same time there was just something about Keaton that kept reeling her back in. No matter how hard she tried to be hostile. 

Another sigh came down the line. "I thought we'd gotten past all that". 

"You might've, but I ain't - I'll come do your Nashville show but not for you. I'd better be getting paid a shitload for five minutes next to you". 

"Hassie, please. I wanna actually be on good terms with you - none of this civil shit we have to do. I still care about you baby. I messed up and I admitted that. I'd at least like to think that one day you'd forgive me? That we could be friends like people are led to believe". 

She said nothing for a while. Somehow he always seemed to make her doubt herself, her actions. Whether she was the one just being harsh about not letting sleeping dogs lie. It had been six years, but at the same time she'd been so in love with him that what he'd done had shattered her. She wanted to let go, but still wanted to keep clinging on to that last tiny piece of hope - although it would bite her in the ass eventually. 

"I have to go. I'll get the details off management". She said and then hung up and exhaling loudly. It really didn't help that they were under the same management anyway. It was just another tie she still had to him. 

Closing her eyes, she allowed the water of the creek to wash the conversation from her mind. It was early, and she'd come out onto the deck to sit with her morning coffee and wake up - however Keaton had managed that. 

"Y'know, I couldn't quite tell if we had coyotes last night or if you were out here playing your greatest hits". 

She jumped, almost knocking her coffee down her as she now saw Frank walking up onto the deck from the pathway that led off the main one to her cabin. "I am really not in the mood for you or just men in general this morning". 

He dumped a bag of firewood down. "Special delivery, don't use it all at once superstar, and as for men in general? Not my problem".  

As he turned to leave she rolled her eyes. "You always act like someone crapped in your cornflakes?" 

"Nope, just with the people who I know wouldn't hesitate to". 

"You don't even know me". 

"I know you well enough to know that this place is gonna be a shit-show once the new season starts and everyone sees you here. We don't need that kinda circus here". 

"If we do then I know where I can find a decent clown". She threw back. "It's common knowledge that people know this is where I grew up. My parents don't make it a big deal though, nor do they profit from it by flashing my awards and other personal items around. They've turned down offers for things like that in the past. To them this place is just a ranch doing business like any other. The fact I'm their daughter is just a bonus". 

He snorted at this. "Whatever, don't suppose you'll be getting stuck into any work while you're here?"

It wasn't even 7am and already not one, but two men had managed to piss her off. "You do realise I grew up here and did my fair share? I didn't come here for a vacation, I came here to recharge my batteries and actually try to feel some normality for once". 

"Riiiiight, because people like you 'don't know what that's like' to be you, because your life is incredibly hard". 

"Ok, now you're just being an asshole for no reason. You have no idea what my life is like, just like I don't know about yours - and guess who here isn't the one judging". 

He grunted something inaudible and then turned to look at her cabin. "Needs a lick of paint..." 

"Well seeing as I'm such a pampered princess and my life is hard, how 'bout you come do it for me". She snatched up her coffee cup and stormed back inside. 

"Along with the thirteen hundred other things I do for this place? I'll put it on the list!" He yelled inside before he also went along his way to get back to Mary so he could drop her off at school. 

It was now very much apparent that he and Hassie Rockford were not going to get along one bit, but as long as she kept out of his way, then that would be enough for him.