by Cindy Kirk
She’d learned her lesson on that score.
She was on the road to a new, better life, and nothing—and no one—would get in her way.
Chapter Two
Cassie stood just to the left of the fireplace in Eliza’s large parlor. While Cassie’s cocktail-length dress was the same jade color and the identical chiffon fabric as the dresses Ami and Eliza wore, the bridesmaids’ dresses were A-line, which worked for their expanding waistlines. Cassie’s dress clung to her slender frame.
Jeremy Rakes, Fin’s husband, sat at the piano in the adjacent parlor, playing the processional music.
Cassie’s heart swelled when Axl suddenly appeared in the hall at the bottom of the steps, holding hands with Sarah Rose Cross, Ami’s daughter. The wedding party had already descended the stairs before entering the parlor. All, that was, except for the ring bearer and flower girl.
Beckett Cross—Ami’s husband and Sarah Rose’s protective father—had worried his daughter might fall.
The thought of Axl holding hands with Sarah Rose on steps had also brought fear to Cassie’s heart. She could visualize her son dragging the younger child down the steps in his eagerness to get to the bottom. Which was why she totally supported Beck’s plan for the kids to enter in a different way.
Axl broke into a big smile when he spotted her and would have raced down the aisle, but Cassie raised the fingers of one hand. That was all it took for him to slow his pace.
They’d had a long discussion that morning about the importance of walking slowly to the front. Though she didn’t like to bribe, Axl had been promised a new truck if he did as he was instructed.
Sarah Rose, dark hair curling about her face, her head topped with a crown of flowers, wore a dress the same color as the bridesmaids’, while Axl’s dark tux matched the groomsmen.
The two made it all the way to the front where, after giving their respective mothers a hug, they turned to sit in the audience. Sarah Rose sat with her father while Axl joined Cassie’s family. Today, that family included her three other children and her mother, Anita Fishback.
As the music changed, Cassie felt a stirring of excitement. In a few minutes, Lindsay would marry the man she loved. So far, there hadn’t been a single glitch.
Unless you counted the unexpected appearance of Krew Slattery.
Cassie had been shocked, had actually nearly stumbled, when she’d spotted Krew sitting beside Owen’s parents and sisters. She wasn’t sure why she was so surprised. Owen’s first marriage had been to Krew’s sister, and Owen and Krew were still friendly.
The man was sinfully good-looking. At seventeen, he’d been cute. At thirty-seven, well, he was a hunk. A classically handsome face coupled with broad shoulders, lean hips, long legs…and all that dark hair. In that moment, she did what Dr. Gallagher had been urging—she forgave herself for that youthful indiscretion.
She didn’t forgive herself for all the other stupid things she’d done after that point, but this was a start. Everyone in the audience stood as Lindsay made her way down the steps on the arm of former Good Hope sheriff, Len Swarts. As Lindsay and Cassie’s father had passed away and their stepfather, Bernie Fishback, had been a jerk, Lindsay had been faced with three choices.
She could walk down the aisle alone. She could let Steve Bloom, who’d been like a second father to them all these years, walk her down the aisle. Or she could ask Len, her mother’s current boyfriend, to escort her.
Len had no children from his first marriage, and his wife had died several years back. From the second he and Anita had first begun dating, he’d treated Cassie and her sister as if they were family.
The pride Cassie saw in the eyes of the man many referred to as the Silver Fox brought tears to her eyes. Or maybe it was the look in Lindsay’s eyes when she saw Owen that had moisture welling up.
Thank you, God, for bringing this wonderful man into my sister’s life.
Cassie wasn’t much for praying. For so long, it had felt as if the man upstairs had deserted her. But she was finally able to admit that poor choices on her part had contributed to her troubles.
Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Cassie focused on Pastor Dan Marshall. The minister had understood when Lindsay broke it off with him and seemed genuinely pleased that she and Owen were now together. His words about the power of love, promises made and building a future together touched Cassie’s heart.
Lindsay and Owen had written their vows. Though traditionally the groom went first, Lindsay—worried she might break down when Owen spoke from the heart—had opted to go first.
When Lindsay said slowly, solemnly, her gaze never wavering from Owen’s face, “I trust you with my heart, with my love and with my entire being,” Cassie nearly lost it.
The old saying Trust takes seconds to break but forever to rebuild flashed through her mind, but Cassie immediately dismissed it as not relevant in this situation. Lindsay and Owen had rebuilt that trust. Her sister meant every word of her vows.
Cassie should have kept her focus on the bride and groom. Instead, she let her gaze wander. Only then did she discover the reason for the itch between her shoulder blades.
Krew Slattery’s gaze was firmly focused on her.
He offered up a lazy smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Clamping her lips together, she pulled her gaze away just in time to hear Dan pronounce the couple husband and wife and to see Owen and Lindsay kiss.
They kissed for so long, Cassie heard Gladys and her two friends—Katherine and Ruby—titter. There was no other word for the sound they made.
Then the couple was striding down the aisle and Cassie was on best man David Chapin’s arm on the short trek to the hallway.
“Congratulations, Lindsay.” Cassie enfolded her sister in a hug, knowing this would likely be the only time she’d have a chance tonight. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, Cass.” Lindsay gave her a quick hug.
Her sister had barely stepped back before both Ami and Eliza were hugging her and offering their congratulations.
If things had been different, if Cassie hadn’t made so many mistakes, she and Lindsay might have remained best friends. Or at least the kind of friends they’d been back when she was fifteen and Lindsay was twelve.
One night at a bonfire had changed everything. She wished—
“You look pretty, Mom.” Fourteen-year-old Kaiden—more commonly known as K.T.—surveyed her with his artist’s eyes, from the tips of her heeled shoes to the crown of baby’s breath on her head.
“Yeah, you clean up pretty good.” Sixteen-year-old Braxton, a computer guru, gave her the thumbs-up.
Though they were as different as night and day, the boys were best friends. The way she and Lindsay had once been.
“Where’s your brother?” Cassie glanced around, worried when she didn’t spot the youngest Lohmeier.
“Dakota has the brat.” Despite the moniker, there was affection in Braxton’s voice. Both boys adored their little brother.
“I better—”
“Who are these young men?”
Cassie froze, but only for a second. If Krew was expecting her boys to fawn all over him because of his NFL career, he’d quickly find out her sons didn’t give a fig about football.
The boys, dressed in the dark pants and dress shirts she’d made them wear, stared at the dark-haired stranger. She could almost read K.T.’s thoughts. Is this another one of Mom’s guys?
Despite the fact that there had been no man in her life since Clint went to prison, her boys were still wary. Cassie didn’t blame them.
“These are my two older boys, Braxton and Kaiden.” Cassie could have cheered when her voice came out sounding casual and offhand. “Boys, this is Owen’s former brother-in-law, Krew Slattery.”
“Hey,” K.T. tossed out.
“How ya doin’ man?” Braxton’s tone came out slightly bored.
Normally, Cassie would have called the boys out on their poor manners. Bu
t she understood the origin of their animosity, and she didn’t care enough about Krew to worry about his feelings.
K.T.’s gaze shifted to her. “There’s no one our age here.”
“Everyone’s super old,” Braxton agreed. “We scoped out the food, and the only thing to drink is punch.”
K.T. made a gagging sound.
“There’s champagne,” Braxton added, “which you won’t let us drink.”
Cassie kept her attention on her sons, ignoring Krew. “What are you proposing?”
“Good one, Mom.” K.T. offered a quick smile.
She lifted a brow.
“You know, wedding…proposing.”
Braxton snorted. “That’s lame even for you, bro.”
Cassie waited, knowing one of them would soon get to the point. They were too eager to leave to draw this out much longer.
“Taylor said we could come and hang at his house tonight, you know, while you’re here.” Braxton turned persuasive. “Sheriff Rallis knows him, and so does Len. His family is normal.”
“No arrests or convictions.” K.T.’s comment and flippant tone had Braxton elbowing him.
“Take out your phone and call Taylor. Tell him I want to speak to his mother.” Cassie made a do-it-quick motion with her hand.
K.T. shot a glance at his brother. “She might not be there.”
“Taylor’s parents go out on dates.” Braxton’s disgust made it clear what he thought of the idea.
“If no parents are there, you’re staying put.” Cassie saw her sister and brother-in-law were positioning themselves to make a comment to the crowd. “Get her on the phone now, or you’ll be hanging with me and the other old people this evening.”
Braxton had Taylor’s mother, Heather, on the phone her sons shared in a matter of seconds. Heather confirmed that she and her husband would be home all evening and would love to have the boys come over.
Cassie handed the phone back to Braxton. “Your sister can give you a ride. She’s—”
“We can walk. It’s not far.”
They were surely old enough to walk a few blocks by themselves. She nodded. “I’ll text you when I leave here and am on my way to pick you up.”
“What about the brat?” K.T. slanted a glance at his little brother, who was playing ring-around-the-rosy with Sarah Rose and laughing like a maniac.
“Eliza set aside a space upstairs and hired a sitter to watch the kids. He’ll be heading up there in a few minutes.” Cassie had volunteered to toss in some money for the sitter, but Eliza had waved the offer aside.
Apparently, she considered it all part of hosting the event. Cassie had to admit she’d been relieved. Though Ryder had recently given her a raise when he bumped her up to assistant manager at the Daily Grind, the money she made barely paid the bills.
K.T. turned to go. “See ya.”
“Yeah, see ya.” Braxton cast a hard-eyed look at Krew before following his brother out of the room.
Cassie hadn’t realized Krew was still hanging around. Why, she wondered, was he still there?
“Cassie, I know you’re busy, but I’d really like to talk to you.” Krew met her gaze. “There are things between us we need to discuss.”
“Whatever you think we need to discuss, we don’t.” Cassie kept her voice low. “I’m not a teenager with a stupid crush anymore. I’m a different woman, you’re a different man, and we have nothing in common.”
“Well, I don’t know if I’d say nothing.”
Something in Krew’s voice demanded Cassie’s full attention. Was he challenging her? Teasing her? She tipped her head up to look him in the eye, but noticed his eyes weren’t on her. Krew’s gaze was on Dakota.
Cassie inhaled sharply as the realization washed over her. “Oh my gosh, is that what this is about? You want to get my permission to date my daughter now? That will never happen. You stay away from her. If you even try to sleep with her, I’ll—”
“Hey, no way.” Krew held up both hands, looking totally repulsed by the idea. “That isn’t it at all. She’s just a kid. I don’t want to date her.”
Cassie’s anger deflated like an untied balloon. Krew leaned in closer to her, so close she felt his warm breath against the sensitive skin below her ear. “But there is something I need—”
The piercing sound of silver pinging on crystal cut Krew off as Eliza clanged a spoon against a champagne flute.
“It’s time for the best man and maid of honor to say a few words.” Eliza’s cool-eyed gaze scanned the room, settling first on David and then on Cassie. She motioned them forward.
With a reluctant sigh, Cassie did as Eliza instructed. First, because no one said no to Eliza Kendrick. And second, because Cassie had known full well that this speech was part of the deal when she’d agreed to be her sister’s maid of honor.
As Cassie wove her way through the crowd, her mother’s perfectly manicured hand closed around her arm. “Keep it clean.”
The warning had Cassie’s steps faltering for just a second. Despite the progress she’d made in the last year, her mother still didn’t trust her to do the right thing.
It shouldn’t have hurt, but it did.
The sting from the words was still present as Cassie took her place at the front of the room beside her sister. Lindsay glowed as brightly as the diamond Owen had placed on her hand only three weeks earlier.
When Eliza gave her the microphone, the same warning that had been in Anita’s eyes shone in Eliza’s.
Cassie was determined not to screw this up. She wouldn’t screw this up. Thankfully, before her life had imploded all those years earlier, she’d taken a class in public speaking…and had excelled. And this past week, she’d googled wedding toasts and public speaking.
Talk about what you know. Well, that one was easy. Though she and her sister hadn’t been close in recent years, they’d grown up together. She knew what made her younger sister tick.
Practice. Axl had giggled and pointed at her each time she’d stood in front of her bathroom mirror and read from her notes. Yesterday, she’d finally been able to make it all the way through without glancing at the sheet of notebook paper.
Of course, she’d hadn’t been in front of a bunch of people who knew the old Cassie in that tiny bathroom with the cracked mirror and peeling paint. Now, she stood in front of a packed room filled with Lindsay and Owen’s family and friends.
Her goal was to grab their attention by telling a story. As the audience moved in restless anticipation, Cassie took a deep breath.
“What I’ve always admired about Lindsay is her capacity for love. She is one of the most caring individuals I know, always thinking of others before herself. She lights up any room she walks into with her smile.” Cassie paused and took a breath. “When we were girls, we could play for hours with our Barbies. Ken was always part of the picture, probably because our father was a big part of our lives. He and our mother had a happy marriage. There was passion and there was friendship.”
For a second, thinking of her father had tears springing to her eyes. Ignoring the tightness in her chest, Cassie continued.
“The kind of marriage our parents had was what I always wanted for my baby sister. What started out as friendship between her and Owen soon morphed into love. I knew Owen was in love with Lindsay before she realized it. The way he looks at her…”
Cassie paused to blink the moisture from her eyes. “Such warmth. Such tenderness. Such love.”
She shifted her gaze to Owen. “Lindsay looks at you the same way, which is why I know you will have a happy life together. Congratulations.”
Lindsay gave her a fierce hug as applause filled the room.
Cassie clung to her sister, hoping that today would be a first step toward the sisterly closeness she missed so much.
One of the perks of being an NFL superstar was that you were invited to the best parties. Men wanted to pick your brain about strategy, and women wanted to jump you.
It was a good life, but
Krew had found himself growing tired of the lifestyle even before the hit had ruptured his spleen and taken him out of the game for the rest of this season. Unlike his father, who’d never had a pot to piss in, Krew had invested the money he made, not only from playing the game but from endorsements.
Over the years, he’d seen plenty of guys squander the millions they earned. Knowing one injury could have the money train screeching to a stop had had Krew finding a financial adviser he trusted and investing.
Now, he had choices.
“What are you doing over here by yourself? I never pegged you as antisocial.”
Krew turned and smiled.
In charge of greeting guests as they arrived, Dakota had followed the wedding’s color scheme by wearing a green dress. But unlike her mother’s and the bridesmaids’, hers was short and sassy and more of a mint color.
It flattered her dark hair and olive complexion.
He realized two things at nearly the same time. He was staring, and she was awaiting his response.
“Just thinking about the wedding.”
Dakota snorted out a laugh, causing several people nearby to turn and smile.
He arched a brow. “You don’t believe me?”
“You don’t seem like the marrying kind.” Dakota studied him with the same intensity he’d studied her only seconds before. “So, no. I don’t buy that you were thinking of the wedding.”
Krew brought the crystal tumbler of whiskey he held to his lips and took a drink. He ignored the twisting in his gut. The resemblance was uncanny.
“Can I have a sip?” Even as she asked, Dakota reached for the tumbler.
He pulled back, placing it just out of reach before her fingers could curve around the glass. “Are you legal?”
“Nearly.”
“Then no. You can’t have a drink.”
Dakota rolled those golden eyes in a well-practiced move.
Krew had to admit that if he hadn’t known better, he’d have thought she was twenty-one, or perhaps even older. With women maturing faster these days, it had become more difficult to pick out the underage groupies.