PAR FOR CINDERELLA

by MCCARTY, PETIE

  “But you and I already decided no loans. I told Aidan no when he offered one to me.”

  Frank heaved a resigned sigh. “And sometimes it’s smarter to swallow our pride and accept help when it’s offered.”

  “Like Bartow’s?”

  “Shame on you, Casey. That ain’t help. That’s pure crooked. Don’t ever compare Aidan’s help to Bartow’s.”

  “But how do you know Aidan’s help is better and not crooked too.”

  “Because we should trust our friends and people we care about. Aidan’s a good man, on the up and up. I trust him.” He tapped a finger to the end of her nose. “Now you go on up to the pro shop.”

  She turned to go.

  “And Casey? Think about what I said.”

  Her uncle trusted Aidan completely. Why was it so hard for her? Maybe hope had such a strangle hold on her, she was afraid it made her see wonderful traits in Aidan that weren’t really there.

  ~ ~ ~

  The residents showing up with copies of the possibly illegal agreements with Mayor Bartow only served to ramp up the enjoyable morning Aidan was having. Yesterday’s match with that pissant PJ Bartow and Aidan’s double eagle played continuous entertaining loops in his head, as did the erotic memories of cuddling Casey body length to body length on his sleeper sofa the evening prior. He had come so close to asking her to spend the night downstairs, but he forced himself to remember her first had to be spectacular. In a five-star resort—preferably one of his—where he could take his time and prepare them both for the momentous occasion to be remembered forever.

  He wanted her first time to be part of his forever. And that had slowed him down. He thought of Casey in his king-size bed back in Palm Beach, and the shock hit him again. He hadn’t thought of his plush bed back home in over a week or his five-star theater game room or his four luxury cars or the million-dollar view of the Atlantic.

  Sometime in the last week, his lumpy sleeper sofa, match-box-sized bathroom, and meant-to-be-a-kitchenette had become home to him. Maybe Rhett was right. Home was wherever Casey was.

  He whistled as he washed out golf carts, wiped them down, and drove them into lines outside the cart barn. He would take Casey out to dinner tonight and maybe for a walk in the moonlight and maybe . . .

  A knock at the open door to the cart barn made him spin around. “Deedee!”

  She beamed at him and not her usual sultry, come-and-get-me smile. “Hello, handsome!”

  Well, her greeting was expected anyway. That and the red outfit and shoes she had decked herself out in.

  “What’re you doing here?”

  She reached into her purse, removed a piece of colored paper, and waved it in the air. “I brought PJ’s check.”

  “Why didn’t he bring it?”

  She winced at his curt tone. “He had a meeting at the construction company to cover for Daddy.”

  “Convenient. What about the camera he was supposed—”

  “Here.” She pulled a receipt out of her purse from the only electronics store in Cypress Key. The receipt was for a camera, and it wasn’t a cheap one.

  Aidan felt some of his anger slide. “Still, he should have been the one to bring it by.”

  “He knows that,” Deedee agreed, “but I think he’s a little frightened of you.”

  “He should be.”

  She handed over the check. “What are you going to do with your winnings?”

  Obviously, her doofus brother hadn’t shared the conditions of their bet. “The winnings aren’t mine. That money pays for the rebuild on Frank’s mower. Someone—” He eyed her pointedly. “—put sugar in the gas tank.”

  Deedee took a second or two before her eyes went wide. “And you think PJ—”

  “I don’t think. I know.”

  She had the grace to look embarrassed. “I know my family has been awful to you since you arrived, but I’m not like them.”

  He waited.

  “I’m not,” she insisted and eased closer than was safe with those fast hands of hers.

  Aidan considered bolting.

  ~ ~ ~

  By mid-morning, the pro shop finally hit a calm spot. Most of the early festival golfers had already headed out onto the course. Mamie came in from the snack bar to help Casey unpack the two boxes of new hats and golf gloves that had arrived the day before and been ignored amid all the hubbub over the golf match.

  “Yesterday sure was fun, wasn’t it?” Mamie said. “And all that money we made was fun too.”

  “Sure was,” Casey agreed, on her knees and stocking hats by color on the wood display shelves.

  “Seeing PJ’s face when Aidan hit that—” Mamie stopped mid-sentence.

  Casey glanced up and caught Mamie staring wide-eyed out the window.

  “What’s that she-cat doing back here?” Mamie muttered.

  Casey was on her feet in a heartbeat, her head squeezed next to Mamie’s at the window. In time to see Deedee Bartow—clad in a butt-tight red sheath and her strappy red sandals—sashay her way down the path to the cart barn.

  Mamie frowned at the view. “You better get your butt down to that cart barn.”

  “I can’t.”

  Mamie turned her scowl on Casey. “And why not?”

  “Frank says I need to trust Aidan.” Casey may have said it, but right now she didn’t exactly believe it.

  “Trust him with someone besides Deedee Bartow. You need to get down there and protect your territory.”

  Casey had a choice to make. Trust Aidan like Frank said he deserved and wait for Aidan to tell her later what Deedee had wanted to see him about, or trust Aidan like Frank said and get her butt down there and find out right away for herself what Deedee was up to.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Smart girl,” Mamie said

  Casey hustled down the verandah steps and tried not to run in case the two of them were near the cart barn doorway and could see her approach.

  They weren’t. Casey could hear their voices aways into the barn. She couldn’t explain her motives, given the fact she had decided to trust Aidan, but she made her approach as silent as possible, then stopped altogether near the doorway. To reconsider her options, she told herself.

  She could burst through the door and look like she didn’t trust Aidan, which would probably make him angry, or she could go back to the pro shop and really truly trust him. Of course, there was always the third ugly option of staying put and eavesdropping.

  She tried to get her feet to move. She really did, but the sensual sound of Aidan’s deep voice held her in place like it always did. His fault then that she could hear him, and she stayed put.

  “No, I don’t think you’re like the rest of your family,” Aidan was saying.

  Hmmph. I think you are.

  “I’m so glad you think so,” Deedee gushed.

  Her voice sounded awfully dang close to Aidan’s, but Casey drew the line at peeping.

  Maybe.

  “Listen, Deedee, I’ve got work to do. Thanks for dropping off PJ’s check.”

  Casey smiled. Deedee had no ulterior motive this time, and Aidan was sending her on her way.

  “That’s not the only reason I came by,” Deedee said, her voice sounding a little breathless.

  I should have known.

  “I wanted to tell you that Daddy’s gone to Ybor City today to meet with his partner and vendors, and while he’s gone, I’m going to search his office for you for the partner’s name.”

  “Really? That’d be great, Deedee.”

  Casey didn’t think it was all that great. Wait until she discovers something to think it’s great.

  “I want to help you, Aidan.”

  Her voice had gone all wis
py again. Casey frowned at the open doorway.

  “Meet me for dinner at the Sand Dollar, and I’ll share everything I find.”

  Casey clasped a hand over her mouth before a gasp escaped.

  “Can’t you just give me a call?”

  “No, I’ll make copies of anything I think is important.”

  A silence lasted long enough Casey couldn’t hold her breath much longer.

  “All right,” Aidan agreed. “I’ll meet you there at five-thirty. If you don’t find anything, call me. There’d be no reason—”

  “Oh, I’ll find something,” Deedee cooed.

  “You seem awful sure of yourself. Why are you willing to provide evidence on your own father, Deedee? It makes me not want to trust you.”

  “No!” she blurted and actually sounded hurt, even to Casey.

  Casey eased one more step closer to the cart barn doorway and prayed no one saw her perched there obviously listening.

  “I don’t like the way Daddy’s been treating people. He’s changed in the last couple years, and I want him back the way he used to be.”

  Good luck with that, Casey thought.

  “Plus, you and I make a great team,” she said so softly that Casey almost fell over leaning forward to catch what she’d said.

  “We could leave Cypress Key together and make a fresh start someplace else. What do you say?”

  Aidan’s sigh was so loud Casey heard it clearly.

  “I am leaving Cypress Key, Deedee, but I’ll be leaving alone.”

  Casey’s legs almost gave out from under her, the shock of his words hit her so hard.

  “I have commitments elsewhere, so as soon as this stupid charge against me is dropped, I’m out of here. But I want to help the residents of Cypress Key before I go, and I need you to help me do that. You want to help them, don’t you?”

  Casey could hardly breathe. Aidan was leaving alone. She knew that all along, but the sharp ache of hearing him say that so soon after last night said her heart had held out hope he would want to take her with him.

  “I guess,” Deedee said grudgingly. “Take me with you, please? I hate it here.”

  “Just meet me at the Sand Dollar tonight, okay?”

  The scuffle of feet jolted Casey into action. She couldn’t go back the way she came, or the two conspirators would spot her immediately. She bolted for the maintenance shed in the opposite direction. She’d think of what she needed from her uncle once she got there.

  Hours later, when she returned from her boat tour, Uncle Frank informed her that Aidan wouldn’t be joining them for dinner. He had an errand to run in town.

  Right.

  ~ ~ ~

  Aidan felt like he had skirted disaster. He’d borrowed Frank’s truck, said he had an errand, and escaped the golf course before Casey returned from her boat tour. She might say she understood his need to meet Deedee, but this was Deedee Bartow they were talking about. Lifelong nemesis of Casey Stuart.

  No, he’d made the right decision. He’d explain later—if he got any information out of Deedee. He was counting on that since she hadn’t called. But did he trust Deedee?

  Oh heck no.

  He pulled into the Sand Dollar Tavern and parked on the opposite side from where the owners had erected their festival tents for the weekend. He rolled down the windows to catch the Gulf breeze while he waited. He needed this time to make some of his own decisions. Rhett’s lawyers would have his charges dropped any day now. He had no doubt. Then what?

  He still wanted his new golf resort here. Home. At least it felt that way now. So, what did he tell Casey? And Frank? When did he tell them? Better yet, how he told them could define the answer to the first question.

  “Oh, by the way, I’m Aidan Cross without the e,” he murmured, “and I own golf resorts all over the world.”

  Right. Try again.

  “I know I should have told you, but I had to make Cypress Key want my new resort here first. The one that will compete with your own golf course.”

  Never.

  “Things got out of hand from the start . . .”

  “I’ll say,” a voice said at the open window.

  “Yah! What the hell are you doing scaring me like that!” Aidan barked at a grinning Ian. “Checking up on me, princess?”

  “I warned ye about besmirching my masculinity, and ye’re the one out here yelling like a wee girl!”

  “Kiss my ass.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Aidan climbed out and considered slugging his friend for scaring the crap out of him.

  “And what were ye doing sitting in that truck talking to yerself.” Ian leaned around him to peer into the cab. “I don’t see Casey.”

  “I was thinking out loud,” he said glumly.

  “About?”

  “How to tell Casey and Frank who I am.”

  Ian grimaced. “And glad I am not to be here for that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve been on the phone with the ruffians off and on all day.”

  “Nephews causing trouble?” Aidan asked, glad for a change of topic.

  “No, the distillery. Seems we had a bit of an explosion, and the twins aren’t convinced it was accidental.”

  “Do you need me to come with you?”

  “Ye still have an assault charge hanging over yer head here.”

  Aidan waved that off. “A few days tops and Rhett’s lawyers will have that gone.”

  “Ye wouldn’t be wanting to come with me to avoid fessing up to the folks around here about yer masquerade, would ye.”

  Aidan frowned. “I let it go too long.”

  “That ye did, but ye couldna help these folks as some rich guy swooping into town. Bartow would have gone to ground in a Glasgow minute, and ye’d never catch him. Ye did the right thing.”

  “I’m not so sure. Casey’s never going to forgive me. She already said how much she hates frauds.”

  “Is that who ye’re meeting here tonight?”

  Aidan considered telling his friend he wasn’t meeting anyone but swiftly discarded the idea since Ian would never believe him.

  “Um, no.”

  Deedee’s sportscar wheeled into the parking lot, and Ian glanced over then his gaze shot back to Aidan. He had no doubt Ian could see the guilt written all over his face.

  His friend confirmed that when he asked, “Is this wise?”

  “Probably not.”

  Ian looked incredulous. “Ye’re willing to risk all ye’ve got going with Casey for a date with Deedee?”

  Aidan glowered at the Highlander. “For a date with Deedee who’s supposed to be bringing me information on her father.”

  Ian raised his brows.

  “I’m risking it all anyway if I don’t bring back some information. Casey thinks I’m on an errand.”

  “Hmmph,” Ian grunted. “Ye love Casey because she’s not stupid, yet ye treat her like she is.”

  “Right.”

  “Explain yer errand well. I’ve faith in ye, lad. But I’m here to say goodbye. Flying home tomorrow from Tampa. Really leaving this time.”

  Aidan would miss his friend more than he cared to admit out loud, so he climbed out and gave Ian one of those awkward one-arm-clap-on-the-back guy hugs.

  “Come see me.”

  “I will,” Aidan told him.

  “And stay out of trouble,” Ian called as he strode toward his sedan a few yards away.

  “I’ll do that.” Aidan spotted Deedee heading inside the tavern. “At least, I’ll try.”

  Hopefully, Deedee would come through with something Shaun could use against her father to go along with the documents Aidan had emailed him that morning.


  Aidan wasn’t to be disappointed.

  “His partner’s name is Velasco,” Deedee finally said, holding him in suspense until after a couple drinks and halfway through their meal. She obviously hadn’t trusted him to stay for dinner once she had spilled her findings.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive. Only two emails, but the vendor who sent them to Daddy mentioned Velasco both times. As ‘getting impatient.’” She crimped her fingers into quotes around the last two words. “I couldn’t risk forwarding them, in case Daddy checked, so I did a screen shot and attached it to an email I sent to you. Don’t lose the email. I already deleted it off my computer and cell phone.”

  “Scared?”

  “Of course I am. I may be Daddy’s little girl, but no one gets between him and his business.”

  “Any idea who this Velasco is?”

  “Velascos as in plural. The email calls them brothers.”

  Be easier to find a cartel run by brothers.

  “I also found copies of all Daddy’s partnership agreements and loans. I took pictures of them and will text them to you.”

  “Will?”

  The waitress showed up, and Deedee ordered dessert, no doubt to prolong the evening. Aidan told the waitress none for him.

  “Will text them when you promise to take me with you,” Deedee said in answer to his question.

  “I already told you—”

  “Then I guess you don’t want all those agreements.”

  No way would he admit he already had some of them. He almost felt sorry for Deedee. She only wanted someone to care about her and figured bribing to be an acceptable way to do it. Genetically predisposed, he figured.

  “I guess not.” He watched her hopeful expression collapse. “I am leaving, and I’m leaving alone.”

  For now. The sooner Deedee gave up on chasing him, the sooner he had less drama in his relationship with Casey.

  Good Lord! The relationship word again. And lightning hadn’t struck him. He really did want a relationship with Casey. A first for him. If it wasn’t too late.