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“Wait,” Dane interrupted. “Repeat that. You met a woman?”
“Not met, like I want to go out on a date. I talked to the daughter of the groom.”
Dane’s deep chuckle echoed in the still night.
“You already knew?”
His cousin nodded.
“How?”
A besotted expression came over the other man’s face. “Nealy.”
As usual, his cousin’s girlfriend was one step ahead of everyone.
“First thing she said when she walked out the door tonight was, ‘I saw Luke talking to a very lovely young lady.’”
“Why do I even bother to have a personal life?”
“Dude, it’s Cypress Pointe. People notice other people and what they’re doing.”
“I thought I’d left the scrutiny behind when I moved here.” Luke shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “So I was talking to a woman, but it’s not what you think.”
“Let me guess. Brought up bad memories?”
“Big time.”
“So tell me you have a good reason not to ask an attractive woman out,” Dane said, settling into the conversation.
“No good reason. More of a hunch.”
“About?”
Luke shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly his dress shoes pinched way too tight, the collar of his shirt became stifling. “She wanted to talk about music.”
“She knows who you are?”
“Yeah. And she’s a pop singer. Cassie Branford.”
“Nealy plays her music all the time.”
“So you see my dilemma?”
Dane cocked his head to one side. “No, I do not.”
“She’s everything I’ve been staying away from since I moved here.”
“And you’re afraid, what, that talking to her about music will somehow make you face up to the last two years?”
The old stubbornness overwhelmed him. “Maybe I don’t want to forget.”
“Or more like you don’t want to forgive.”
Luke ran a hand through his hair. “I never thought I’d end up here, like this.”
“Yet here you stand, kicking yourself over something you had no control over.”
“It still hurts.”
“I get that. But maybe you should let go. Cut yourself some slack. You can’t be a martyr forever.”
Luke met his cousin’s sharp gaze. “Is that how you see me?”
“When you first got here. Lately, less so.”
“You’re not the only one, are you?”
Dane shrugged. “I don’t discuss you with other people.”
“Nealy?”
“Nealy’s not other people. Besides, she has a good sense about folks.”
“Yeah? What does she think about me?”
Dane pushed away from the car. “Luke, when you first got here, you were a mess. Rightfully so. But we both think you’ve grieved long enough. Tracy doesn’t deserve a second thought and you can’t keep living this way.”
“Believe it or not, I agree. I just can’t seem to move ahead.”
“What about this woman? If she’s caught your interest, maybe this can be the first step to getting on with your life.”
He pictured Cassie. Soft brown hair. Incredible eyes. A little bit of a dimple when she smiled at him. She’d caught his attention, even before he recognized her.
“Not every person in your life is going to hurt you, Luke.”
Neither he nor his cousin came from very stable homes. Dane’s folks fought all the time, leaving him and his brother to do as they pleased, which hadn’t always turned out for the best. Luke’s own parents had been abusive. His father and brother were in and out of jail. His mother? Who knew? He’d wanted to change his life when he married Tracy. Thought they’d had a chance. It made sense why Luke was reluctant to place his hopes too high, only to be knocked down again.
Which meant he wasn’t about to trust his heart to another woman.
Luke broke the silence. “She’s pregnant, you know.”
“Tracy?”
He nodded.
Dane blew out a low whistle.
“After years of promises, of stringing me along, she’s finally expecting with her new husband.”
“Sorry, man.”
That’s what hurt the most, Luke realized. “I get that Tracy was ambitious. We wrote a lot of hits together. I shouldn’t have been surprised when she left me for Andrews or how she talked me into giving her royalties in the divorce for that last song of ours.”
“I never got why you would just hand that song over to her.”
“At that point I just wanted out of the marriage and would do anything to expedite the matter. The paparazzi hounded me, all because Tracy fed them a steady diet of our marital drama.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck to release the tension. “The song hadn’t been released so I figured it didn’t matter much. Major lapse in judgment.” He sighed. Who knew in his haste he’d sign over their top moneymaking hit ever? “But a baby? Talk about a double whammy. She promised we’d have a family. Knew how much I wanted to be a father. Even went so far as to make me think she might actually be pregnant more than once.”
“I never liked her,” Dane said, sounding like something rotten filled his mouth.
Luke appreciated his cousin’s loyalty. “It’s like she ended up with it all while I got the pain.”
“So, change your future. Take some chances. You might—no, you will—get hurt again somewhere along the line. But you gotta get back to living.”
Luke stared out over the deserted golf course. His cousin was right. He would never write another song, but he needed to get his priorities together. He was only thirty-five. Time to stop skulking in the shadows and be open to the possibility of meeting people.
Maybe he should do as Dane suggested. Ask a woman out on a date. Not that he was in a hurry for romance, though. But he did need to start enjoying the present instead of dwelling on bad decisions from the past.
He was about to tell his cousin so when his cell rang. He pulled the phone from his pocket and read the screen. “Gotta run. Trouble down at the pier.”
“One of your kids?”
“Looks like.” Luke slapped his hand on Dane’s shoulder. “Thanks for listening. Tonight threw me.”
“Figured. Listen, we’re family. You may keep your feelings close to the vest, but I always have your back.”
“Same.”
A sly grin curved Dane’s lips. “And so does Nealy.”
“Why does that make me want to run?”
“She wants to see you happy.”
“So do I, but I’ll get there on my own.”
They parted ways. Luke drove through the deserted downtown. All the businesses were locked up tight and safe for the night. A plus to living in a small town. He’d had his share of big cities and found Cypress Pointe suited his temperament.
He reached the marina, pulling up to find red and blue lights swirling from a police car parked in the lot. Shoot. Not what he’d wanted to see. Chief Gardener spoke to a blond-haired teenage boy slouched against the squad car.
Parking a few feet away, Luke met the scene with the right amount of sympathy and steel he’d adopted since starting Kids’ Klub.
“Chief. What’s going on?”
“Seems young Snyder and his buddies intended to sneak onto a boat moored here. Instead, they broke some glass on the dock. Made a ruckus.”
Luke stared down at the teen. “Kyle, we talked about this.”
The boy hung his head in silence.
“Are you charging him?”
“Lucky for him he cleaned up the mess after his friends took off.” The chief put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “He’s free to go, as long as he tells me this is the end of this nonsense.”
Kyle, his eyes partially hidden under messy bangs, met the chief’s gaze. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s not a promise.”
The teen sighed. “Yeah, I promise.”
The chief removed his hand and nodded to Luke. “He’s all yours.”
Kyle stepped away from the car, head down as he approached Luke.
“Let’s get you home.”
Once in the car, Luke waited before speaking. Kyle huddled against the passenger door, as far away from Luke as possible. In working with at-risk teens, he’d found that helping certain kids meant making them sweat it out a bit. Kyle was no exception. Luke started the car, motored from the lot.
“Thought you stopped running with that group.”
Kyle shrugged, with the feigned nonchalance only teens could pull off.
“Was there an answer in that shrug? Because I sure didn’t hear anything.”
“It’s not easy,” Kyle mumbled.
“Nothing is. But if you want me to keep your place in the music program at the Klub, I can’t be bailing you out when your buddies leave you to take the fall. This is the second time.”
Kyle’s head jerked up. “You’d kick me out?”
“If you get in trouble again, yeah, I will.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hastings. I don’t want to leave the program. I’m finally getting the hang of those chords you showed me.”
“Then you’d better remember that the next time you go to cause trouble.”
Kyle straightened in his seat. “I will.”
The remainder of the journey passed in silence until Luke pulled into Kyle’s driveway and put the car in park.
The house was situated in a nice, older neighborhood. The homes were fairly close together. He’d noticed a few bikes on the ground in a yard across the street. Heard a dog bark down the block. Very middle class, very reassuring.
Since settling in Cypress Pointe, Luke had bought a house on the edge of town, within walking distance from the Gulf Waters. Separated far enough on each side from prying neighbors, it became less of a sanctuary and more of a prison of his own making. The past few months had been better, but if he were honest, he’d been waiting for something to threaten his hard-earned peace. Who would have thought a woman with incredible green eyes would be the one to disrupt his quiet spell?
Shaking off the thought, he cut the ignition and turned in his seat.
“Kyle, you have talent. Don’t blow it over some guys who don’t care about you.”
“I hear you, Mr. Hastings.”
“Do you? It seems like we’ve had this conversation before.”
Kyle slumped in his seat.
“Now let’s go talk to your parents.”
Apprehensive eyes met his. “Do we have to?”
“You know the rules.”
“Stupid rules,” Kyle muttered as he opened his door to slide out. In the cover of darkness, Luke grinned at the boy’s discomfort. Wished someone had cared enough to enforce rules when he was a kid so he and his brother wouldn’t have ended up in hot water more than a few times.
As they walked up to the front porch, Luke said, “You know, Kyle, you could call me if you’re not sure what to do.”
Kyle glanced at him. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“No. So long as it’s not a habit. I wouldn’t mind helping you out. Before the cops do.”
A sheepish grin curved Kyle’s lips. “Got it.”
When they reached the house, the front door flew open. Kyle’s parents stood in the doorway, the bright light from inside silhouetting them.
“Kyle,” his mother said, hand over her heart. “Come inside.” She opened the door to let her son in while her husband stepped out.
“I’ll be just a minute,” he told his wife.
Kyle nodded at Luke then followed his mom.
“I’m sorry Kyle inconvenienced you, Mr. Hastings.”
“Luke, please. And it was no bother. I happened to be out anyway.”
The older man crossed his arms over his chest. “Kyle’s doing so much better. He really enjoys the program at the Klub.”
“But kids still get lured into what they think is an exciting life. I understand.”
“Will he still be able to continue with his guitar lessons?”
“Yes. But I told him if he gets in trouble again, his place will be in jeopardy.”
Kyle’s father nodded. “Thank you.”
“I want Kids’ Klub to help kids like Kyle, so I hope he’ll use better judgment in the future. Good night.”
Luke drove home, his thoughts slipping from Kyle to his own brother. Would a program like the one he’d started have helped Mark or had he been destined to be drawn to trouble? He supposed he’d never know, especially with Mark behind bars at the moment.
But there was one thing Luke did know for sure. Despite the constant worry about funding the Klub, enlisting help as the programs grew, or even doubting his brother’s turnaround, Luke didn’t regret starting Kids’ Klub for one second. If he helped one kid get away from an abusive home or criminal influence, it was worth the hurt of his old life to get the Klub off the ground.
Dane was wrong in the sense that while it might look like Luke wasn’t living, helping kids brought great meaning to his life. Luke may need a personal shake-up, but he didn’t want to alter this part of his life. The kids were his family.
The other part? Maybe talking to a perky woman who caught his attention while in town for her father’s wedding wouldn’t be as hard as he imagined. What was the worst that could happen?
CHAPTER THREE
THE NEXT MORNING, Cassie sat at her sister’s kitchen table, feet hooked over the lower rung of the chair, her elbows bent while she balanced a pencil on her fingers. A half-empty cup of coffee, her third so far, sat within reaching distance, while she stared at a blank yellow legal pad.
She’d been up since dawn, still dressed in a tank top, sleeping shorts and a threadbare long sleeve denim shirt. Her guitar, which she’d named Ginger for its deep red wood, still inside the case, sat beside her feet. Normally she’d take Ginger out and strum until a melody caught her fancy. Normally. But with her head in a bad place, she didn’t dare touch the instrument.
So far, nothing had come to her. Oh, some random notes. A few words here and there drifted through her brain, words she tried to link together, but she couldn’t make them stick. The words lingered, then escaped as if wisps in the wind.
She gathered her long hair and twisted, then tossed it over her shoulder, hating this surge of frustration. Her sister walked into the kitchen, dressed in a flirty dress, ready to go out to Sunday brunch.
“Sure you don’t want to come?” Lauren asked. “My friends loved meeting meet you last time you were in town.”
“Thanks, but I need to work.”
“How long have you been sitting there?”
“What time is it?” she asked. If she didn’t get it together soon, she was in big trouble.
“You look terrible.” Her sister stated the obvious.
“That’s the look I was going for.” Okay, stop. No point in taking her situation out on Lauren when her sister had absolutely no idea what was going on with Cassie in the first place.
Lauren poured herself a cup of coffee and leaned a hip against the counter, her narrowed eyes trained on Cassie. Uh-oh. Trouble. Her sister hadn’t become a successful financial advisor without being perceptive.
Cassie wiggled in her seat.
“So when are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“If I have my way, never.”
Lauren sipped her coffee. Cassie could almost picture the wheels turning in her sister’s mind.
“So there is something going on. The wedding?”
“No, it’s not about the wedding.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll listen. I’m told it’s one of my best qualities.”
“As much as I’d love to, you can’t help with this problem.”
“Music?”
“Of course. What else drives me?”
“If you’re having trouble, talk to Dad.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” She held up her hand as Lauren opened her mouth to argue. Her father had shown her the wonderful world of music, and yes, she’d wanted to please him, but after too many years spent trying to earn her father’s love and never measuring up, she’d stopped trying. Excluding him from her life had helped her to focus as she tried to succeed in the business, finding passion in her talent, without his criticism. “Not because we don’t talk to each other. He can’t help me figure this out.”
A knowing gleam shone in her sister’s eyes. “But Luke Hastings can?”
Her breath caught. “Why would you ask me about him?”
“Because I heard you humming that song of his again.” She snapped her fingers. “You know, something about love.”
“‘Won’t You Love Me Always.’”
“Right. I can never keep all the titles straight. It’s like that one of yours, ‘Pretty Inside.’ I love the message of that song.”
Cassie smiled, remembering the story behind the lyrics. She’d gone to a fancy sorority party in college and while her friends were all dressed up in the latest fashion, she’d worn a casual outfit. Big no-no. She’d brushed off the sideway glances and snickers by pretending to be amused, hiding her hurt feelings. Later on, she’d used the experience to compose a song about beauty coming from inside, not the trendy clothes or shoes that a person wore. It had been one of her most popular singles.
“That was a great time for me. I was away from home for the first time. Mom and Bud were strong so we didn’t have to worry about her like we did when the three of us were making ends meet. It was like the clamoring inside my head finally calmed down and I could take the lyrics I’d been jotting down forever and put them to music.”
“Mom wasn’t happy when you dropped out your senior year.”
“What can I say? When the opportunity to perform full-time arose, I jumped at the chance. Actually made some money.”
“Until LA.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I was living my dream.” She laughed. “I was all about ramen noodle meals, sleeping on friends’ couches and pinching pennies to get by while I knocked on one record label door after another.”
“And now,” her sister asked, “you’re interested in Luke?”
She’d been humming Luke’s love song, a number infused with such deep longing that the singer didn’t know how he’d make it through another day without a commitment from the woman he loved. It was so much a part of her subconscious, taking her back to the painful breakup with Chris around the time of the single’s release. As long as she could remember, humming, singing and playing were natural responses for her, but that song? After hearing it, she’d taken out her journal and begun writing snippets about her feelings, which eventually became lyrics to her own songs.
“The guy is a legend. Look at his reputation. Multiple hits recorded by famous artists. Four Grammy awards. If I could just convince him I don’t want anything tangible from him, just a bit of his time...”
“From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t talk about his old career.”
“I remember reading something about a messy divorce, but I was busy with my career then so I didn’t pay attention.”
“Some people don’t like to dwell in the past. Luke is one of them.”
“It’s a shame. He really made his mark on the music world.”
“And now his mark is Kids’ Klub. When Luke came to town and started teaching, he saw a need for at-risk teens to put their energy into something constructive. He started with music, but soon the concept grew into sports teams and other creative stuff. It still focuses on troubled youth, but the teams and clubs and lessons caught on and developed into an awesome outlet for kids from any background. Not only do the teens in Cypress Pointe take advantage of the Klub, but surrounding towns, as well. And now, local businesses have joined in and will help train kids in their areas of interest. It’s quite a success.”
“I’m impressed.”
“They operated out of the basement of a small community center, but recently Luke moved to an empty warehouse just north of town. He’s hoping to buy the property but funds are tight. He runs the program from donations, including whatever he makes with his wedding band.”
Cassie pictured his face, his dark blond hair and those deep brown eyes. How he’d smiled during a raucous number his band performed at her dad’s reception, or the faraway look that came over him when he sang a love song.
“You certainly have your finger on the pulse of the town, especially this Kids’ Klub,” she said, shaking off the vision.
“I helped Luke draw up a business plan when he first came up with the concept. Guided him through the nonprofit maze, set up the organization books and so on. He recently called me for advice on buying the property and warehouse.”
Cassie tilted her head. “Last night you acted as thought you barely know him.”
Lauren shrugged. “I don’t know him, other than as a client. He doesn’t talk about himself or his life, only the Klub. So essentially he is kind of a stranger, at least about his personal life.”
“Hmm.”
“I recognize that look,” Lauren said. “You’re still determined to get him on board to help you with...whatever.”
Did she dare confess her darkest fear? Speak aloud the words that kept her awake at night, drenched in a cold sweat, worrying about her future?
Cassie paused, staring out the window. A cardinal landed on the birdfeeder in the backyard. Sitting atop the structure, tall and proud, the beautiful scarlet creature surveyed its surroundings, its stature speaking of control in the world. So unlike Cassie’s state of mind at this very moment.
She finally glanced at her sister, took a bracing breath before saying, “I’m having trouble coming up with new material. That’s why I’m so interested in Luke.”
“Since when?”
“Since Living in Paradise tanked. The label wants a repeat of my first album and I can’t put together words or melodies.”
“I remember when we were growing up you were always scribbling in your journal. No wonder you’re worried.”
“I’m hoping this is temporary, so please keep this between us. At least until I can sort this out.”
“I will.” Lauren finished her coffee and placed her mug on the counter. “I may not be able to help you with this, but from the look on your face, I hope you come up with a solution, and soon.” That said, she walked out of the room, leaving behind troubled silence.
Cassie stared at the blank paper again. Was this it? The end? What happened to the ease of jotting down words over the years? All the times growing up when her dad disappointed her or her mother struggled to make ends meet? Yeah, her life made for good lyrics, even though it wasn’t always easy. But still, she had experiences to draw on. Why wouldn’t the words come now?
The record label had expectations. So did her manager and fans. She didn’t want to disappoint any of them.
The yellow legal pad, still as pristine as when she’d bought it, mocked her. She grabbed the pencil and wrote in big, block letters, WRITE.
Not much in terms of inspiration, but right now, it was all she had.
Tapping her pencil against the paper, she closed her eyes. She thought about her conversation with Lauren, which made her think of Luke and his great club for kids. She should really volunteer there to get her mind off her troubles. She’d given music lessons in college to make money, why not do some good while waiting for inspiration to strike?
The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. But would Luke accept her assistance? Only one way to find out.
With her mind whirling, Cassie hurried to the guest room. Even though it was Sunday, she’d go to the Klub and see if Luke was available. If he was as dedicated as Lauren said, she suspected he’d be on site. She chose an outfit, showered and dressed in record time, braided her hair and slipped on chunky ankle boots. Enough worrying. She needed action. Time to make a positive impression like her life depended on it.
After calling Lauren for directions, she drove her rented red convertible, complete with all the bells and whistles, to the Klub’s address. The sporty two-seater was similar to her car back home, her one splurge after the first album. As she entered the spacious warehouse, walking into a gymnasium setup, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She noticed teens hanging out, some playing hoops, others working on some type of project, a good indication Luke was indeed here.
She stopped a young man with glasses. “Can you tell me where I can find Luke Hastings?”
“In his office.” The boy pointed to an opening on the far side of the gym. “Down the hallway.”
“Thanks.”
Hand on her stomach, Cassie ventured to the door clearly marked Mr. Hastings. She lifted her hand to knock on the partially open door when she heard the sudden peal of bells.